The Next Via Sistina? Yulong Swoops For Caught U Looking At 1.8 Million 

at 2:51 pm | Back to: Europe, Shared News Europe

Updated: December 2, 2024 at 5:22 pm

Tally-Ho Stud's Aaron Purcell leading up Caught U Looking | Tattersalls

By Brian Sheerin and Adam Houghton

Via Sistina's exploits Down Under may well have been at the forefront of Yuesheng Zhang's mind when the Yulong team went to 1.8 million gns to secure Caught U Looking (Ire) (Harzand {Ire}), a filly that part-owner Tony O'Callaghan says “will do a bit of damage” whatever jurisdiction she ends up running in. 

That's good news for Yulong, who bid online to the left of the rostrum to see off a spirited effort from Will Walden. Of course, it was in this exact sale ring that Yulong–then signing under Evergreen Equine as opposed to Willingham on Monday–lit up the Sceptre Sessions when going to 2.7 million gns for Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) last year.

Four Group 1s in Australia later, including an eight-length demolition job in the Cox Plate, and it was easy to see why Yulong's general manager Vin Cox was returning to a happy hunting ground to secure the Noel Meade-trained Group 3 winner. 

Cox said, “The ambition at this stage is probably to send her to Australia and put her on a path not dissimilar to Via Sistina, who we've obviously had a lot of success with over the last 12 months. We're not suggesting that this filly is going to turn into a Via Sistina. We'd love her to, but we'll keep our feet on the ground and hopefully she can win some nice races for us.

“It's no secret that staying horses in this part of the world perform exceptionally well in Australia. She's already a stakes performer and she'll be retired to the stud irrespective of what happens in Australia. Hopefully, we can add to her CV and profile.”

He added, “Funnily enough, it [price] was around where I thought we might end up. She's a well-performed filly who we think has got a pretty good profile to race on with. There were bids coming from all corners of the auditorium which is always a good sign. You love to see competition and would hate to be the only one out there.”

Caught U Looking was bought by Peter Nolan on behalf of Noel Meade for just €27,000 at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale in 2022. The story goes that the filly caught O'Callaghan's attention in the back ring before she was offered under the hammer, which would explain how she was named. 

Given her breeder Peter Kelly was keen to stay involved in the ownership of the filly and Meade had purchased Caught U Looking on spec, a partnership was formed. The rest, as they say, is history. 

The Tally-Ho Stud boss said, “I'd say she did it herself because she behaved impeccably there for the past three days. We think there's a good bit of potential–there's more to come. That's why she made it. Credit to Peter Nolan, Peter Kelly and Noel Meade. She'd 12 vets and was very popular. I'd say she'll do a bit of damage wherever she goes.”

The day one sale-topper is out of the Mastercraftsman (Ire) mare Wild Mix (GB), who Kelly picked up for just 7,000gns at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale in 2018. The mare has served him well with her Supremacy (Ire) colt foal also making the Kellys a pretty penny when selling at Goffs last year for €180,000, in the aftermath of Caught U Looking's two-year-old exploits which included her biggest success to date in the Weld Park Stakes. Wild Mix had a filly by Cotai Glory (GB) this spring and was covered by New Bay (GB).

“I bred her and I always wanted to stay in her,” Kelly explained. “Noel Meade wanted to buy her and, when he did, we stayed in for half. Tony was then interested in her and he bought in. I was so chuffed that he wanted part of a horse I had bred. He has been a wonderful partner the whole way.”

He added, “Coming here, I knew she was going to go better than I had hoped as she had 12 or 13 vets and the right people were on her.”

Meanwhile, Kelly's wife Sabina, was understandably emotional. 

She said, “Oh my gosh! It was incredible-she has always been a pet. We have always loved her. I am in shock-it is amazing! We weren't expecting that. She is a superb filly and it is sad to see her go but she has been brilliant and we have had a great season.”

Tattersalls offered a bigger selection of horses on Monday compared to the corresponding day's trade 12 months ago but, even so, the day one figures made for impressive reading with turnover climbing by 48% to 22,955,500gns. The median was up 16% to 50,000gns while the average was on the rise by 32% to 102,939gns. The clearance rate was a healthy 86% [up 4%].

City Of Troy Or Auguste Rodin Put Forward For Unbreak My Heart

A visit to City Of Troy or Auguste Rodin has been pencilled in for Unbreak My Heart (GB) after MV Magnier secured the Group-placed daughter of Showcasing (GB) for Coolmore at 625,000gns. Unbreak My Heart is the culmination of generations of hard work at Whitsbury Manor Stud. A half-sister to Group 2 winner Heartache (GB) (Kyllachy (GB), who Coolmore bought at this sale in 2018 for 1.3 million gns, Unbreak My Heart actually carried Chris Harper's own colours to finish third in the G3 Cornwallis Stakes.

Heartache has emerged as a pretty promising broodmare at Coolmore, with her most recent progeny to have hit the track, Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), winning the G3 Killavullan Stakes when last seen. 

“Exactly is a very good filly,” Magnier commented. “In fairness to Ed Harper and his father, they've been very good breeders for a very long time. It's a great family that they've done very well with. We bought Heartache off them a few years ago and she's gone on to produce Salt Lake City, who was a good horse, and then Exactly looks very promising. 

“She's a very nice filly and we're lucky to have been able to buy her. I'd say she'll go to either City Of Troy or Auguste Rodin.”

 

 

Amo Starts Strong With 450k Frankel Filly

Amo Racing's Kia Joorabchian was responsible for raising the temperature early in the afternoon when going to 450,000gns for Godolphin's Listed-winning Pennymoor (GB). 

The most expensive of the day's lots outside of the Sceptre Sessions, the daughter of Frankel (GB) is out of the G1 Preis der Diana heroine Penelopa (GB) (Giant's Causeway), making her a half-sister to Amo's smart two-year-old California Dreamer (GB) (Mehmas {Ire}), runner-up in this year's G2 Balanchine Stakes at the Curragh.

Bloodstock agent Alex Elliott said, “She was a very obvious one for us, being a half-sister to California Dreamer and a Listed winner by Frankel. She made 450,000gns as a foal so that will tell you how good looking she is.

“She's on an early cover to Farhh so there's some scarcity value there. Farhh struggles with his fertility so there's not many of them around and not many mares in foal to him. I think he's a very good stallion and, with what she's carrying, that would be a Book 1 horse if it comes out looking like her.”

 

 

Talking Points

    • Be it horses-in-training or mares, the Godolphin draft always generates great excitement. Monday was no different when 20 mares sold for a combined 2,255,000. While she didn't command a huge price tag at 80,000gns, former Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Pleascach (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) was one of the bigger names among the draft. She was sold to Indian buyers Poonawalla Astonish Stud and Raunak Banerji.
    • A brilliant season for Camelot (GB) received further international recognition when, bidding on behalf of Taihei Stud Farm, Michael Youngs secured classy mare Cairde Go Deo (Fr) for 525,000gns. Trained by Ger Lyons on behalf of owner Mark Dobbin, Cairde Go Deo, which translates from Irish into Friends Forever, won twice at Listed level and placed in the Irish Oaks. Youngs said, “She's been purchased for Taihei Farm in Japan. She was a good, tough racemare and very attractive – she uses herself very well. She should be a good fit for them and I'm very happy to have got her for them.”

 

 

  • The Juddmonte draft proved as popular as ever with 15 selling for a total of 1,630,000gns and at an average of 108,667gns. The pick of them was the three-year-old Abstract (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), a dual winner in France out of the Listed-placed Invincible Spirit (Ire) mare Ambivalence (Ire), who sold for 340,000gns on the bid of Ted Durcan. He said, “She has been bought to race on. She is for Scott Heider, but I don't know yet whether she will stay in Europe or go to the US. She is very close to getting black type and if she could get her head in front she will be a valuable prospect.”
  • You've got to take your hat off to Jessica Harrington, who worked her magic with Raknah (Ire). Deemed surplus to requirements by Andrew Balding, she was sold online to BBA Ireland for just 25,000gns after she failed to win in three starts in Britain. A gritty success in a Listed contest at Galway earlier this summer saw connections multiply their outlay when the daughter of Blue Point (Ire) sold for 350,000gns to Yoshihisa Ozasa.
  • Charlie Gordon Watson spent a total of 925,000gns on a pair of mares offered during the Sceptre Sessions, Rocana (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Adelaise (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), who fetched 625,000gns and 300,000gns, respectively. Rocana has already produced the G3 Chester Vase winner Youth Spirit (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Listed Feilden Stakes scorer Canberra Legend (Ire) (Australia {GB}, as well as a Ghaiyyath (Ire) filly who made 350,000gns at last week's December Foal Sale. Along with Adelaise, the winner of the Listed Snowdrop Fillies' Stakes at Kempton in April, Rocana was bought on behalf of Watership Down Stud and will be covered by Too Darn Hot (GB), the Darley stallion who still has no fiercer supporters than Lord and Lady Webber of Watership Down after they bred and raced him with such great success.
  • There was a strong International representation at Tattersalls on Monday and the leading American-based owner Mike Repole was a notable name to feature on the buyers' sheet when spending 645,000gns on four mares.

 

Buy of the Day

Tally-Ho Stud were keen to buy Marie Of Lyon (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) and it's easy to see why. The 10-year-old has already proved that she can get a fast, early two-year-old, being the dam of the G2 Prix Robert Papin runner-up Shadow Army (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), and at 220,000gns Marie Of Lyon makes a lot of sense. Sold in foal to Soldier's Call (GB), the case could be made that she would have made more had she been covered by something a little more commercial. Given Royal Applause works well with Kodiac (GB)–and is the damsire of one of Kodiac's best sons in Adaay (Ire)–there should be no shortage of options for the mare going forward. She looks well bought. 

Thought for the Day

There's no denying that Monday's Sceptre Sessions was very much the warm-up act for what is expected to be strong trade on Tuesday. The big guns have yet to come out and play. As the great Irish commentator Jerry Hannon once said, 'strap yourselves in.'

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