By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin
NEWMARKET, UK–Widely tipped for the top, Jeff Smith's Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) duly shone brightest in a galaxy of stars on display at Park Paddocks, bringing the second-highest price ever recorded at a European auction when the hammer fell at 5.4 million gns.
Yuesheng Zhang of Yulong Investments, acting through BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe, has flexed some serious fiscal muscle at the breeding stock sales this season and that reached a new high at Tattersalls on Tuesday when Donohoe outlasted Coolmore's MV Magnier in the race for the four-time Group 1 winner. The four-year-old Alcohol Free, who is set to race on in Australia, led the operation's mammoth haul.
During a frenetic three hours of the Sceptre Session plus a few illustrious wildcards, and with the Tattersalls auditorium at bursting point, 11 elite fillies and mares changed hands for seven-figure sums, with Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) sold to Najd Stud for 3.6 million gns, and Godolphin picking up Tranquil Lady (Ire) (Australia {GB}) for 2.7 million gns to fill the top three.
On a day which saw the highest turnover in a single session at Tattersalls, the aggregate of 54,005,000gns was up by 29% on last year, with the average shooting up by 50% to 281,276gns, and the median by 7% to 112,500gns. A clearance rate of 83% was achieved from 192 horses sold.
The Sceptre Sessions, conducted over two consecutive evenings within the main catalogue, brought a total of 45,907,000gns for 71 sold at an average of 646,577gns.
Donohoe, confirming that Alcohol Free would remain in training for a partnership, said, “She vetted extremely well for a filly who has plenty of miles on the clock, her reports were exemplary. The partners already have horses in training and breeding interests in Australia and obviously she'll make a fantastic broodmare at the end of her racing career.
“I think there's 87 races in Australia next year worth a million-plus, so the prize-money on offer there is big, and she's that type of filly. She's won the July Cup over six furlongs then she stays a mile too so there'll be a lot of options for her. Fair play to Andrew Balding and the guys, they did a great job with her.”
He added, “I bought the dam last year for Yulong Investments at Goffs and she's got a lovely Lope De Vega foal at foot and she's back in foal to Lucky Vega.
“It's impossible to value those blue-chip fillies off the track, they're collectors' items because they don't come on the market very often. They're like Picassos, they're a rare commodity. I had a figure in my head though and I was bidding pretty strongly, so that might've indicated I had some petrol left in the tank.”
Bred by Churchtown House Stud, Alcohol Free was a rare non-homebred to race in the famous colours of Jeff Smith of Littleton Stud, who has campaigned such great names as Lochsong (GB), Arabian Queen (GB) and Persian Punch (Ire) during his long association with the turf. Littleton Stud manager David Bowe selected the daughter of No Nay Never and the Hard Spun mare Plying at the Goffs November Sale of 2018, signing for her at €40,000.
He said, “It's the end of a wonderful, wonderful journey that we have been on, a wonderful dream.
“She walked in and looked beautiful. If it had been five years earlier with Jeff we might not have brought her to the sale ring. We have enough broodmares, she was not bred by us, but it is really to do with the timescale. She will make a beautiful mare in time and it is time for someone else.”
Bowe continued, “We have had so much luck. Everyone involved with her, the team at home on the farm, the Gaffneys whom we bought her from, all of her jockeys. I can't thank everyone enough.
“It has been emotional. Jeff is not here tonight, but it is all down to him: he let us buy her, let us all get involved in the whole dream. I am absolutely delighted, it is a beautiful end to our chapter, and we wish her new connections all the luck.”
Gan Teorainn (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) was the first filly to break the million mark and, like Alcohol Free, was snapped up by the BBA Ireland to head down under.
The Prix Marcel Boussac-runner up was trained by Jim Bolger and consigned by his grand-daughter Clare Manning of Boherguy Stud who described the filly as the “highest-profile horse” she has ever sold.
The 29-year-old said, “In one sense I'm not surprised that she made what she did but, in another, for her to go in there and make 1,000,000gns, it's unbelievable. Things like this don't happen too often. Everything just fell into place and it all went to plan.”
Manning added, “I was talking to Grandad. I said 'well done,' but he told me to go and congratulate the people who foaled her and all the team at Ennistown Stud, not him. Everyone played a part and we're all delighted. How could you not be?
“I spoke to Michael Donohoe briefly as he was running back into the ring. I don't know where she will go back into training but I hope she is very lucky wherever she goes. She is a Classic prospect and we are looking forward to following her career wherever she goes. I hope she is as lucky for him as she was for us.”
Donohoe, who purchased over 30 fillies and mares this week, described the catalogue as being exceptionally strong as well as explaining why he feels Gan Teorainn is a good fit for racing in Australia.
He said, “Gan Teorainn is going to Australia as well. She's a big two-year-old and what she did this year is extraordinary for a big filly. Again, she vetted exceptionally well and we'll give her a little bit of time to acclimatise in Australia. We'll decide on a trainer after that and she's for the same syndicate of people who bought Alcohol Free.”
He added, “Saxon Warrior has the makings of becoming a top-class Classic-type sire. He had a lot of maiden winners towards the back end of the season and they are hard to win. She is going to be a lovely miler, maybe even a mile-and-a-quarter filly in time, and she has a lovely pedigree as well so she should make a broodmare. We're delighted to get her as well. It's been an exceptional catalogue. It's rare that you get a catalogue so strong.”
Saffron Beach to the Saudi Cup
An international bidding duel between Shunsuke Yoshida of Japan's Northern Farm and Saudi Arabia's Najd Stud ended with the latter prevailing at 3.6 million gns for the dual Group 1 winner Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}). Like top lot Alcohol Free, the four-year-old will remain in training, and she will stay in Newmarket with Jane Chapple-Hyam to be prepared for the $20 million G1 Saudi Cup in February.
“I'm very excited for these gentlemen,” said Chapple-Hyam standing alongside Saud Al Qahtani and Saud Bin Mishref of Najd Stud. “It's a big thrill and a big honour and we've got a good winter to look forward to. She's in good order, she's tough and I believe she'll get the nine furlongs out in Saudi. You never know about the surface but we'll give it a go.
“She'll have a little rest now and then build her up and get her ready. I'll have to do a very good racecourse gallop because when I sent her to Dubai I felt even though we ran fourth the ones who finished in front of her had all had a run.”
Originally bought as a foal by Liam Norris for 55,000gns, Saffron Beach was an intended pinhook prospect for Ben Sangster and James Wigan, but a minor foot problem as a youngster kept her from returning to the sales. Eventually she was put into training with Sangster's step-sister Chapple-Hyam, for whom she won the G3 Oh So Sharp S. as a juvenile before landing the G1 Sun Chariot and G1 Prix de Rothschild at three and four as well as finishing runner-up in the 1,000 Guineas.
Lucy Sangster, who raced Saffron Beach with her son Ollie and James Wigan, added, “We've had just the best time ever. She's amazing. We've had a journey, from a foal and keeping her, to this. It's a story that has involved all of our family. When we broke her in at home during Covid our daughter Eliza rode her hunter alongside her. Our son Ollie owned a share and Jane is a family member too so it has been a great story for all of us.”
Tranquil Lady to Godolphin
It has been quite the year for the Quiet American mare Repose, who changed hands in a private transaction from the Cantillon family's Tinnakill House to the broodmare band of Juddmonte. Her second foal State Of Rest (Ire) (Straspangledbanner {Aus}) added the G1 Prix Ganay and G1 Prince of Wales's S. to his 2021 victories in the G1 Cox Plate and GI Saratoga Derby, while his year-younger half-sister Tranquil Lady (Ire) (Australia {GB}) won two Group 3 races and brought the curtain down on her season by selling for 2.7 million gns to Godolphin at Tattersalls on Tuesday.
Richard Ryan bought Tranquil Lady for £160,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale on behalf of Teme Valley Racing, who also raced State Of Rest during his first two seasons.
He said, “It was a bittersweet situation really. It's so hard to acquire something at this level, with these credentials: that clean, that sound, and her best year is next year. But we knew there was an incredible desire at this moment and you don't know how long those windows stay open. We were pretty brave to quite a long way ourselves to make sure she wasn't going to be undersold, and Joseph had a team very keen to try to retain her, but this is a fabulous result. There's a lot more to come from her.”
Anthony Stroud, who bought the three-year-old filly on behalf of Godolphin, said, ” Joseph O'Brien really recommended her, and he's done a great job with her. Physically, she's a very nice model and you can go two ways: we could keep her in training or she could retire. The decision will be made in due course.
“There's plenty going on in the family and it's a family that seems to improve.”
Ville De Grace In Big Money Transfer To Lordship
Less than 24 hours after her dam Archangel Gabriel (Arch) topped the opening session of the December Mares Sale, her Group 3-winning daughter Ville De Grace (GB) (Le Havre {Ire}), bred by Hunscote Stud and Chris Humber, fetched 2 million gns to join the broodmare band at Lordship Stud.
Ville De Grace was signed for under the banner of One Agency and Tom Harris, son of Lordship Stud's Trevor Harris, explained why he felt the three-time winner, who was beaten just a nose to Dreamloper (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), would make a good addition.
Harris said, “We loved her and she was our pick of the sale. She is beautiful, athletic and a good race filly and is an outcross so she can be mated to all of the top stallions. It is very difficult to buy in this market, as owner-breeders we are trying to invest in new blood for the farm and something like her to come and breed for us is a long-term plan and an investment in the future. We are over the moon.
“It was a little bit more than we were initially going to pay, but it is so competitive and you go so far selecting the ones you like. If the foals are as good-looking and as athletic as she is well then we will be happy. It was nice to see the mum sell yesterday and she is producing very nice foals, and she will help us too.”
Consignor Jenny Norris was responsible for one of the biggest transactions in Tattersalls history when selling the Oaks winner Dancing Rain for 4 million gns nine years ago and, having led the opening session with Archangel Gabriel at 800,000gns, followed up with her daughter.
She said, “It has been amazing, we had so many views, and all the right people are here. All credit to Hunscote Stud, they bred her and raced her and had the courage of their convictions, and she has rewarded their efforts.”
Hunscote's Andy Lloyd added, “Our plan was to buy [out partner Chris Humber for] her mum, and we did. We knew there was phenomenal interest in the daughter from all over the world. I never dreamt in my wildest dreams but, hey, it's the market place at the moment. We had Japanese vetting, Americans, French, English.
“I'm sure Trevor will have big mating plans, which will only help our family.”
Derby Winner's Dam Joins Coolmore
It is a rare moment that the dam of the current year's Derby winner comes up for public auction, and rarer still that she is carrying a full-sibling to the Classic hero.
Breeder Gary Robinson of Strawberry Fields Stud decided the time was right to offer Desert Berry (GB) (Green Desert) in foal to Nathaniel (Ire), the sire of her most illustrious offspring Desert Crown (GB). It is perhaps fitting that the breeding operation which has done more than most to support the Derby in recent years stepped forward to buy the 13-year-old mare, with MV Magnier going to 1.9 million gns.
Desert Berry is also the dam of Hong Kong Group 3 winner Archie McKellar (GB) (Archipenko), as well as his full-sister Rose Berry (GB), who has been retained by Robinson and is now also in foal to Nathaniel.
Magnier said of the mare, “At the end of the day she has bred a Derby winner, and from my point of view, which doesn't mean it's the right point of view, the Derby is everything. It's the most important stallion-making race. It's the holy grail, the greatest race. She's bred a Derby winner and she's carrying a full-sibling to the Derby winner.”
On next year's potential mating, he added, “There are plenty of options for her: she could go to any of the sons of Galileo, to Churchill or Australia.”
In celebratory mood, Newmarket-based Robinson said, “Merry Christmas! We are going to have a good party in a minute, job done.
“Definitely it is a problem losing one like that, but we have all the family back at home. It's a bit like losing a beautiful woman, they leave you, but she has left me with her children.”
That brood includes a two-year-old filly by Al Kazeem (GB), a yearling colt from the first crop of Study Of Man (Ire), and a weanling full-brother to Desert Crown.
Robinson said, “The full-brother is very similar to Desert Crown, spot on, same character. She is a good mare, she teaches that character, she's an individual. That's what we all want to see.”
King And Queen Snapped Up By Northern Farm
The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) confirmed herself one of the fastest two-year-olds to grace the turf when storming to G1 Prix de l'Abbaye glory at ParisLongchamp this term and that performance clearly earned international recognition as she was bought by Katsumi Yoshida for 1,200,000gns.
The Tally Ho-bred filly carried the Middleham Park Racing colours with great distinction for Richard Fahey this season, winning four times, including that memorable French triumph, and while she was purchased by Northern Farm in Japan, there is a chance she could carry on racing in Europe next season.
King's Harlequin (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), a Group 3 and Listed winner in France as a juvenile for Sam Sangster and Nicolas Clement, joins The Platinum Queen in being Japan-bound with Yoshida's Northern Farm signing for the mare at 600,000gns.
Normandie Stud's Au Revoir
Phillipa Cooper insisted that there were no regrets after seeing her hugely successful broodmare disbanded for over four million gns and revealed that the Normandie Stud dispersal was made easier by the fact that the majority of the mares were sold to friends.
Godolphin went to 1,400,000gns to secure Love Is You (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), a daughter of Cooper's high-class Fallen for You (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who is in foal to St Mark's Basilica (Fr) and highlighted the Normandie Stud draft.
All told, Cooper sold 16 mares for a total of 4,265,000, and speaking afterwards, said, “It is tinged with emotion but they have all been bought by friends which is so nice. It is bittersweet but the decision was made six months ago and it was the right decision. I have no regrets.”
Cooper added, “I have only got two older mares left. I don't sell them beyond the age of 12. I have a few horses left to run but that's it. I don't want to breed anymore-it's too expensive.”
Twomey's Fillies Fetch A Million Apiece
Paddy Twomey's Group 1 winner La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}) and Group 1-placed Rosscarbery (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) sold for 1,000,000gns apiece with the leading Irish trainer selling four fillies and mares for a total of 2,480,000gns under Athassel House Stud.
La Petite Coco gained her Group 1 victory when landing the Pretty Polly S. at the Curragh this season while Rosscarbery, controversially demoted from third in that same race when her rider Wayne Lordan weighed in light due to a error on behalf of the Irish Horse Racing Regulatory Board, went on to finish second in the G1 Prix Jean Romanet.
Rosscarbery was snapped up by Charlie Gordon Watson Bloodstock while La Petite Coco was bought by the Wertheimer family.
Twomey also sold Show Of Stars (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) for 300,000gns to Clarke Bloodstock/Sheralee Estate while Tally-Ho Stud bought Limit Di Greccio (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) for 180,000gns.
Prosperous Business
The four-year-old Thar She Blows (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) never made it to the racecourse but she has been dealt a significant update this year by her Group 1-winning sister Prosperous Voyage, and with an early cover by No Nay Never, the young descendant of Best In Show provided an early highlight ahead of the second Sceptre Session.
Sold to Mags O'Toole on behalf of the O'Leary family's Plantation Stud for 400,000gns, Thar She Blows, out of the Juddmonte-bred Mizzen Mast mare Seatone, is also a half-sister to the stakes-placed Romanesque (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and to the juvenile Tenerife (Ire) (No Nay Never), who is in training with Aidan O'Brien.
Magic Result For Duffy
You would think that with all of the glitz and glamour that went with the Sceptre Session later in the evening, there would be no place for a rags-to-riches story to emerge at Tattersalls but Magic Chegaga fitted that bill when knocked down to Yeomanstown Stud for 185,000gns early in the day.
Picked up by small-time trainer Brian Duffy for €12,500 out of Dermot Weld's stable at the Goffs February online sale last year, the Moyglare Stud-bred daughter of Teofilo (Ire) climbed through ranks for her new connections in Ireland.
Magic Chegega was rated just 70 by the time Duffy got his hands on her but she improved 27lbs for the trainer and bagged valuable black-type when second in the Group 3 Snow Fairy S. at the Curragh in August before selling for six figures on Tuesday.
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