Yes To No Nay Never At Ascot

With fewer of their number in a position to buy on spec these days, the old concept of a 'trainers' sale' has lost its way somewhat, through there were signs of a revival at the Tattersalls Ascot Yearling Sale.

On the buyers' list where one would normally see a proliferation of agents, there was also a wide range of trainers. The pedigrees may not be top-drawer but it will be surprising indeed if some decent individuals don't arise from the sale having been bought at what will look to be bargain prices, especially when set against trade on the other side of the Atlantic this week.

Compared to what we've seen so far in Europe this season, at its level the sale certainly held its own. The aggregate rose, as one would expect with a near 30% increase in the number of yearlings catalogued, and with 111 of the 153 yearlings sold for a marginally reduced clearance rate of 73%, the day's takings came in at £1,096,000. The median of £7,000 remained the same as last year and the average improved by 7% to £9,874.

The sale served its purpose, to offer an outlet for an increasing number of yearlings in search of a sales berth, but there's no disguising the fact that those selling outside the top ten will mostly have been traded at a loss if being sold by their breeders.

Alan King may be more synonymous with jump racing but he has an enviably good strike-rate with his Flat runners and has been more evident at breeze-up and yearling sales of late. The Barbury Castle-based trainer was persuaded to make the journey up the M4 to Ascot by his regular sales-ring ally, Anthony Bromley of Highflyer Bloodstock, who had done his homework and had his sights set on a colt he felt “walked for Ireland”.

That distinction was because he was offered by Wexford's Peter Nolan—like King and Bromley another face more commonly seen in jumping circles but who is increasing his Flat sales work—on behalf of his breeders Geoff and Sandra Turnbull of Elwick Stud.

That the top and joint-second-top lots of the sale were by leading first-season sire No Nay Never was perhaps no surprise and the leading colt, lot 84, had also recently enjoyed a decent update courtesy of the victory of his 2-year-old half-sister Bandola (Ire) (Requinto {Ire}).

After signing the sheet for £46,000 for the second foal of the four-time winner Duchess Of Gazeley (Ire) (Halling), Bromley said, “We've got Just In Time (GB) out of the second dam [Flying Finish] who has now won five races and is Cesarewitch-bound, and he's rated 94. We've had good luck with the family and the mare's first foal won a 2-year-old race the other day so that's an interesting update.”

The agent continued, “The dam was alright and No Nay Never can do no wrong. We thought he'd go close to topping the sale as basically he walks for Ireland. I rang Alan last night and said we'd have to dig a little bit for him. So it was a good price but the sire is absolutely flying and this is a really athletic horse. We're really pleased to get him but we were at the end of the budget at that. He doesn't necessarily have to be an early 2-year-old for Alan but he'll be a Flat horse and we'll see how he develops.”

The only other No Nay Never yearling in the catalogue was lot 45, a filly out of G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up Amethyst (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), herself a sister to 2,000 Guineas winner King Of Kings (Ire). Consigned by Jamie Railton, she brought the hammer down at £42,000 to a bid from Billy Jackson-Stops.

“She's strong, and obviously No Nay Never is really firing,” said the young agent, who was acting on behalf of Al Rabban Racing, which has two horses in training in Newmarket with Sir Michael Stoute and George Scott.

“She's from a good family. The mare's a bit older but she's produced some nice horses along the way and hopefully this sire can pick her back up again. This filly should be quick.”

While the trainer is yet to be decided for the No Nay Never filly, Richard Hannon will take charge of the Dandy Man (Ire) filly (lot 102) who also sold for £42,000 via Trickledown Stud to Ross Doyle.

“I thought she was the best physical in the sale,” Doyle said of the daughter of the treble winner and black-type earner in England and America, Hucking Hot (GB) (Desert Prince {Ire}). “The mare was a quick horse and she should be quick too. She's a great walker and we've bought a Dark Angel filly from the family before. She's been bought for Richard Hannon on spec so he'll be looking for an owner for her.”

Of the breeze-up pinhookers in operation at the sale, Thomond O'Mara of Knockanglass Stables went to £40,000 for lot 89, a colt Dutch Art (GB) out of the juvenile winner Expect (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). The mare's half-brother Don't Touch (GB) was a seven-time winner up to listed level and is also by the Cheveley Park Stud stallion.

Jamie Osborne candidly admitted to “avoiding” the first crop of Bungle Inthejungle (GB), who now leads the freshman sires' table by number of individual winners, and the trainer said with a grin, “That was a bit silly, wasn't it?” But Osborne compensated for this oversight by bidding £36,000 with Federico Barberini for lot 121, a filly from the stallion's second crop out of the dual juvenile winner Lucky Leigh (GB) (Piccolo {GB}).

Having bought the half-sister to 10-time winner and listed-placed Something Lucky (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}) on spec from the Rathasker Stud draft, he added, “She was probably one of the stand-out physicals of the day for me. We know all about the sire. The dam was quick and she's bred a quick one, so she made a lot of sense.”

The G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Shooting To Win (Aus) (Northern Meteor {Aus}) shuttled for just one season to Darley's Kildangan Stud and a member of that solitary northern hemisphere crop (lot 46) provided one of the early highlights of the sale when selling to David and Nicola Barron of Harrowgate Bloodstock for £30,000.

“We had an order for a racy 2-year-old type and we don't know anything about Shooting To Win but this colt was just a really nice, strong horse,” said Nicola Barron, who is assistant trainer to her father David at his North Yorkshire stable.

She added, “He seemed like he was very honest when we watched him walk round the ring.”

Harrowgate Bloodstock was the sale's leading buyer with three purchased for £69,000, including a colt by another Darley freshman shuttler Brazen Beau (Aus). Lot 127, a half-brother to treble winner Icart Point (GB) (Poet's Voice {GB}) and from the family of classy stayer The Geezer (GB), was sold by Owdeswell Stud for breeder Springfield Farm Partnership for £32,000.

Reflecting on Ascot's sole dedicated yearling sale, Sales Director Richard Pugh said, “We are very pleased with the progression of the Tattersalls Ascot Yearling Sale. Only in its second year, the sale has developed a reputation as a creditable choice for both selling and purchasing yearlings. This was evident from the vendors who chose the sale to offer their consignments along with the much increased number of trainers and agents who were present and active over the last two days. It is fair to acknowledge that the market remains selective and there has been plenty of demand for the choice lots.”

He continued, “We would like to extend a sincere thank you to all our clients who have helped to develop a platform for this sale. As the focus continues on developing and progressing Tattersalls Ascot Sales, we now turn our attention to the Ascot November Sale along with the continued promotion of our Breeze-up Sale which has been enhanced by the £100,000 Royal Ascot Bonus.”