By Brian Sheerin
Waterville (Ire), the main attraction on day one of the Autumn horses-in-training sale at Tattersalls, did not disappoint by topping the session at 410,000gns to join Chris Waller in Australia.
Guy Mulcaster, who also bought the 84-rated Postwick (GB) (Postponed {Ire}) from Barton Sales for 130,000gns to join Waller, secured Coolmore's Irish Cesarewitch winner.
Described by his trainer Aidan O'Brien at the beginning of the season as a lively each-way contender for the Derby, Waterville [lot 275] never made it to Epsom but went some way to justifying that high opinion by recording a last-gasp Irish Cesarewitch success at the Curragh last month.
Camelot (GB), the sire of Waterville, has an excellent record in Australia and Mulcaster thinks this latest recruit by him has the right profile to be a success down under.
He said, “We saw him in June when we were at Ballydoyle and his form has gone on since then. I spoke to Chris this morning and he was keen to get the horse, so fingers crossed he works out for us.”
Mulcaster added, “He is a well-bred horse, has been looked after and he has not had many runs. He has got a high profile and he looks obvious for us. We have not had many by Camelot ourselves, but he has done well in Australia.”
A large portion of that Camelot success was enjoyed by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace with the ill-fated Sir Dragonet, another ex-O'Brien-trained colt, whose finest hour came when he stormed to G1 Cox Plate glory in 2020. Sir Dragonet also won the G1 Tancred S. at Rosehill last year and amassed almost £3 million in career earnings.
Russian Camelot (Ire) is another to have flown the flag for Camelot in Australia having won the G1 Underwood S. at Caulfield for trainer Danny O'Brien.
Maher and Eustace secured another classy European-bred runner in wildcard entry Chairman (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}), a 94-rated dual winner for Freddie and Martyn Meade, who was knocked down to Will Bourne, the bloodstock executive for the hugely successful training operation.
Bourne said, “He's a very athletic horse and didn't carry too much condition. What I observed, and Ciaron did as well, is the ones who have worked for him down there are the ones that aren't too heavy. You don't have to work them as much and we obviously have much different facilities in Australia than here. I think he's a horse who will suit Australia and has been racing in really good handicaps over here.”
He added, “Prize-money is so good in Australia, especially in those distance races. Looking forward to getting him in Ciaron and David's stable. Ciaron's alarm goes off at three in the morning so he's well across the purchase. He's happy.”
Maher went on to buy John Murphy's Charterhouse [323], who climbed from humble beginnings to win four races and reach a rating of 105 in his pomp, for 130,000gns.
Charterhouse (GB) (Charming Thought {GB}) was an 11,000gns foal but made just 3,000gns from Trickledown Stud to Stroud Coleman at Book 3 here in 2019.
He changed hands privately after finishing just a head behind Juddmonte's Masen (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in second on debut at Leopardstown in 2020 and has won close to £100,000 for his owner Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez.
Tattersalls has been a happy hunting ground for the Australians in recent times, with Group 1 winners Knights Order (Ire) (So You Think {NZ}) and Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) poster boys of the Autumn sale, and representatives from the nation turned out in force on Monday.
Andrew Balding's unexposed Gleneagles (Ire) gelding Cadmus (Ire), a winner when last seen over 1m4f at Ascot on his third start, made 160,000gns to Badgers Bloodstock on behalf of trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman.
“Hopefully he has got his best days ahead of him. He is a very unexposed horse. I loved the way he quickened when he won at Ascot last time out and the second is a decent horse. They pulled clear of the field,” said buyer Tom Pritchard-Gordon.
“We will see how he progresses. He has only had three runs, won last time, and is going to like firm ground. He gets a trip and has a massive advantage over Australian horses over that distance.”
Zaaki's trainer Annabel Neasham also got in on the act when Blandford Bloodstock and Bennett Racing signed for Joseph O'Brien's recent Dundalk maiden winner Fawkner Park (Ire) [65] for 120,000gns.
The Zoffany (Ire) gelding pulled over six lengths clear of Aidan O'Brien's Fleet Commander (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) [274] last Friday, form which is clearly held in decent regard, as that horse made 100,000gns to join De Burgh Equine and Darby Racing.
A total of 8,566,100gns was spent on Monday, which represents an increase of 20% on last year's figure of 7,126,000, despite the fact that many buyers described the opening day of trade as the calm before the storm given that many exciting lots are due through the ring on Tuesday.
The median stayed that same as in 2021 at 16,000gns while the average was up 21% from 27,095 to 32,820. The clearance rate was 88%, which was also the same in 2021.
Dream Bound For Saudi
Be it on the track or off it, the big results keep on coming for Simon and Ed Crisford as, just a couple of days after sending out Knight (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) to win the G3 Horris Hill S. at Newbury, the father-and-son duo netted a big result in the ring with Beautiful Aisling (GB) selling for 240,000gns.
The 90-rated daughter of Havana Gold (Ire), who won two of her seven starts in the colours of Khalifa Aldoseri, was purchased by Najd Stud and will continue her career in Saudi Arabia.
The filly's new connections revealed that they think the juvenile is up to listed class in due course and identified a sprint campaign in Saudi Arabia as the main objective.
Saud Al Qahtani said, “She is a good filly, she was beaten by a good filly last time [Magical Sunset (Ire) (Kodiac {GB})], who has already gone on to win at listed level and I think this filly is a listed class, too. She might be one for the Sprint on Saudi Cup day.”
Beautiful Aisling has the chance to prove herself up to listed class as soon as Friday as she holds an entry in the Bosra Sham S. at Newmarket.
Simon Crisford said, “She is a beautiful filly, she has done us well throughout the summer, she is a very straightforward filly and will do very well in Saudi Arabia. I think they have bought her well, I have a lot of confidence in the filly.”
Aisling translates to dream in Irish and, in the case of Danny Donovan and Stephen Byrne of Knockgraffan Stables, who sourced the filly as a yearling and turned a hefty profit on her at the Goffs breeze-up sale earlier this year, Monday's result was the best possible outcome for business.
Beautiful Aisling was snapped up by the well-known breeze-up operators for £22,000 off Ladytown Stables at the September Yearling Sale before selling to Stroud Coleman for £120,000 in April.
Donovan, who happened to be in attendance for Monday's sale, described himself as delighted to see how the filly has progressed for the Crisfords.
He said, “She was lucky for me at the breeze-ups this year and, while it's great to get a good result in the ring, it's just as important for business that they go on and prove themselves to be good racehorses and she's obviously smart.”
Najd Stud also went on to buy Tom Dascombe's 2-year-old filly Red N Blue Candy (Twirling Candy) for 140,000gns.
Nicholls Returns To Oliver For Rare Talent
Andy Oliver supplied Paul Nicholls and Tom Malone with a Champion Chase winner in the shape of Dodging Bullets (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the powerful trainer-agent combination returned to the County Tyrone handler for classy prospect Rare Middleton (GB) (Aclaim {Ire}).
A winner of a 10-furlong Leopardstown maiden on his second start, Rare Middleton [120] was always going to command plenty of interest, and it was Malone who fought hardest to secure the 3-year-old for 215,000gns.
Oliver has a proven track record in unearthing future top-class jumpers, with dual Grade 1-winning novice hurdler Long Dog another graduate, and Malone is hoping Rare Middleton can prove even half as good as the 2015 Champion Chase hero Dodging Bullets.
Indeed, Rare Middleton could prove to be Classic-producing sire Aclaim's first jumps runner, but just whose colours the horse will run in remains to be seen.
Malone said, “I absolutely loved him. His form has gotten stronger and stronger–the horse he beat at Leopardstown [Imaginarium (Ire) (Make Believe {GB})] won yesterday at the Curragh, the horse who beat him first time out at the Curragh went on and won the October Handicap [Zoffman (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire})] and Fawkner Park (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), who was behind him at Leopardstown, came out and made 120,000gns this morning. It is proper, proper form.”
He added, “I am delighted to get him. Aclaim hasn't got a hurdler yet, his first crop are only 3-year-olds, but this is lovely horse and Andy always buys this sort of horse.”
Rare Middleton was not the only jumping prospect that Oliver sold on Monday. The 74-rated maiden Regally Blonde (GB) (Mukhadram {GB}), who finished second in a 1m5f handicap at Down Royal on her most recent start, was sold to Kevin Ross on behalf of trainer Ben Case for 62,000gns.
Malone and Nicholls also struck for Beny Nahar Road (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}), without doubt one of the biggest horses in the sale, for 72,000gns.
Trained by Richard Hughes, Beny Nahar Road failed to win in five starts but placed in four of them and achieved a rating of 81.
Recent Form Pays
Two-year-olds don't come much tougher than Legend Of Xanadu (GB) (Sixties Icon {GB}), who doubled his tally at stakes level when beating Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never) in typically gritty fashion on his 13th start at Doncaster on Saturday.
That effort went some way in Mick Channon securing 140,000gns from Gassim Al Ghazali for the colt [279] who also won the Woodcote S. at Epsom earlier in the season.
Legend Of Xanadu was one of the more expensive of the seven horses that the champion Qatari trainer picked up on Monday for a total spend of 516,000gns.
Al Ghazali also made it his business to add Freddie and Martyn Meade's 103-rated Method (Ire) (Method {Ire}), last seen finishing a good third in a listed even at Ascot at the beginning of the month, for 155,000gns.
Method [315] was bought by Dermot Farrington for just £20,000 at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale in 2019 and he raced in the white and black silks of Manton Park Racing. Farrington also unearthed Meade's Chairman for 75,000gns at Book 2 at Tattersalls last year.
Meanwhile, another runner with recent form in the book, last weekend's Give Thanks S. third Direct Security (Ire), netted her connections 135,000 when selling to Nasser Bin Omairah.
Robin Brisland bought the daughter of Sioux Nation for just £2,500 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale last year with Monday's result netting a major return for the filly who also broke her maiden at Kempton last month.
The Qatar-based Alban de Mieulle [Wathnan Racing] made a similar splash by spending 460,000gns on four highly-rated runners, headed by Hello Deira (Ire) (Expert Eye {GB}) for 180,000gns and Bolthole (Ire) (Free Eagle {Ire}) for 130,000gns.
Hello Deira [148], bought by Federico Barberini on behalf of Ahmad Al Shaikh at the Craven Breeze-Up Sale for just 35,000gns earlier in the year, won his second race for Owen Burrows, a nursery at Kempton off 82, this month. The 91-rated Bolthole [300] won twice for Michael Bell.
Speaking after purchasing Hello Deira, Olly Tate, who was in charge of the bidding process, said, “He goes to Qatar and to trainer Alban de Mieulle. He is a lovely horse and had good form as a 2-year-old.
“He has the distance profile and is a good racehorse. It is competitive wherever you race and he will do well in Qatar. There is plenty of racing in him, he has a progressive profile and Owen has said he is a straightforward horse.”
Red And Rancho Strike
Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal made the trip to Newmarket worthwhile by securing Bellstreet Bridie (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}) and Maltese Falcon (Ire) (Caravaggio), a filly [303] and a colt [49], to race in America.
Bellstreet Bridie was trained by Michael Bell to win three of her 12 starts and reach a mark of 80 while Maltese Falcon carried Lady Ogden's colours to finish second on debut at Redcar for Rebecca Menzies. Bellstreet Bridie was sold for 260,000gns while Maltese Falcon made 105,000gns.
Speaking after buying Bellstreet Bridie, Rancho Temescal's Tim Cohen, who was sitting beside Alistair Donald, said, “I think she will go on a bit of ground in California. That division is getting a little light, so with a younger filly, she should do well for the year. We could give her a break after that and bring her back at four. That's the plan.”
He added, “We thought we'd have to go to that sort of money, but the exchange rate helps. I am going to pay tomorrow before the rate goes up!”
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