Dramatic Turnaround: Dubawi Filly Proves Book 2 Wildcard Star At Tattersalls

Lodge Park Stud produced one of the most unlikely of turnarounds to top Monday's Book 2 session at Tattersalls with their Dubawi (Ire) filly selling to Godolphin for 725,000gns. 

Not because the price wasn't expected as the quality of their offering was never in doubt. But when the filly gave herself a nasty cut en route to Book 1 and was forced to miss that engagement, plans B, C and D whirled through the head of her breeder Damien Burns.

To the delight of Burns, his Dubawi filly out of Galileo (Ire) mare Park Bloom (Ire) proved a model patient and made a swift enough recovery to sell as the sole wildcard on Monday and, in doing so, ended what was a tumultuous few days on a high note. 

Burns explained, “She got on the lorry and she was doing a little bit of jumping round, nothing unusual for any yearling, but the video from the next door stall and our best guess is that her headcollar got caught and she cut her jaw. This happened as they were going down the driveway! She came off the lorry and went back to her stable. She was fine but had a laceration on her jaw.

“We took her down to Fethard [equine hospital], they stitched her up, kept her overnight and she ate up fine. She got back home, and she was back out in her paddock. The Friday before Book 1 we got in touch with Tattersalls and the transporters and said, 'look we think this filly will be okay.”

He added, “The wheels were set in motion to come here for today. A lot of thanks goes to the guys at home. We were over here with Book 1 horses and they did a great job. Thanks also to Tattersalls for accommodating this. I think it helped being a week in front so we had time.

“We discussed everything and waiting for the December Sale was the original thought. It might have also meant us putting a saddle on her, but usually we don't keep them out of young mares as we are a commercial stud. We try to let them get a few foals sold–they are easier to look at when they have paid for themselves!”

Godolphin spent 2.675 million gns on four yearlings by Dubawi during Book 1 and, according to Anthony Stroud, who buys on behalf of the powerful operation among others, Monday's sale-topper stacked up with the best that was on offer here at Tattersalls last week. 

Stroud said, “She moved very well and has a good outlook. Obviously she's by Dubawi, who's an unbelievable stallion. She's bred on a good cross and comes from a very good farm, so we're very lucky to receive her. She compares very favourably with the stock on offer at Book 1, she's a lovely filly. She's very classy.”

He added, “They did very well to get her here this week–there's a scar under her jaw but the vets have clearly done a very good job. She's behaved incredibly well, especially considering she's been through a lot.”

Park Bloom boasts a Book 1 pedigree being a sister to Was, Amhran Na Bhfiann and Douglas MacArthur. She is from a deep family that goes back to Park Express (GB) and New Approach (Ire).

Burns concluded, “She is quite typical of Dubawi, but with a bit more action than some, which she gets from her dam line–that bit of quality. She vetted very well–the family does tend to vet well, I don't know why, those hidden genetics you can't see!

“The family has been very good to us. The Night Of Thunder [Lot 129 in Book 1] who sold for 400,000gns is from another branch. We have Park Bloom, Stellar Glow and a Dark Angel four-year-old filly called Express Way who won her sole start. She is in foal to Night Of Thunder. Park Bloom has a Wootton Bassett on the ground and is in foal to Baaeed.”

'We'd Be Delighted To See Her At Royal Ascot' – That Would Be Amazing

Peter and Michelle Morgan were left thanking their lucky stars for the heavy helping of good fortune involved in selling their homebred Showcasing (GB) filly to Ben McElroy on behalf of Stonestreet Stables for 325,000gns. 

It was at this sale in 2017 where Carmel Stud put So Brave (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}), the dam of the Showcasing filly, on the market. However, the sales experience proved a bit much for So Brave and, after getting herself into a bit of a tizzy, she picked up a minor injury and was led out unsold at 30,000gns. 

The husband-and-wife team at Carmel Stud may not have viewed it as such at the time, but So Brave failing to sell six years ago has worked out to be the best thing for the operation. 

Peter said after Monday's sale, “I've only just stopped shaking! This is the classic case of getting lucky as we brought the dam to the sales a few years ago but she just lost the plot and got injured so we had to withdraw her. 

“We ended up racing her and she won a couple of races. Now, she has turned out to be a beautiful broodmare. If things hadn't gone wrong on that day, and it was a complete disaster at the time, we wouldn't now be in this position. It's a great day. You need luck at times.”

So Brave has already produced the goods for Carmel Stud. Her Havana Grey (GB) filly Queen's Guard (GB) looks a high-class prospect for Michael Bell having been sourced by Joe Foley on behalf of Clipper Logistics for 125,000gns at Book 3 last year. 

Peter continued, “The mare has already produced Queen's Guard, who is in training with Michael Bell. Unfortunately she didn't run in the Lowther because of the ground but she looks a very nice filly for next year. The mare has a lovely Pinatubo (Ire) colt foal at foot and is in foal to Blue Point (Ire).”

Asked if he expected the Showcasing filly to rock into 325,000gns, he replied, “No, absolutely not. She had 15 vets and over 180 shows. She was incredibly busy. She is a lovely model and lots of people liked her but, we're a bit like trainers approaching a race, as the closer we get to a sale, the less confident we are! We thought that she'd make one hundred thousand-plus, but it was certainly a good result. 

“Plenty of really good judges liked her. Ben McElroy bought her on behalf of Stronestreet so we'd be delighted to see her run at Royal Ascot next year–that would be amazing.” 

Monday's result represented one of the biggest Carmel Stud have achieved in the ring and Peter paid special tribute to local stud director Ed Harper of Whitsbury Manor, where Showcasing is based. 

He said, “Whitsbury Manor is our local stud. They are only fifty minutes away. Ed [Harper] has been a great help to us and, without his help, this probably wouldn't have happened today.”

Talking points

• One of the main takeaways from Book 1 was the strength of the top tier of the market and the patchiness of the middle tiers. With that in mind, there was some justifiable caution leading into the trade at Tattersalls this week but the early signs were positive. Granted the average was bolstered by the Dubawi filly who was initially placed in Book 1, but an aggregate of 18,530,500gns, average of 88,240gns and median of 69,000 bodes well for the rest of the week. A clearance rate of 84% compared to 86% on day one last year provides further encouragement for the week ahead.
• Anthony Oppenheimer carried on the momentum of a strong Book 1 sale for his Hascombe & Valiant Stud Ltd operation by accounting for the second-highest lot of the day, a Too Darn Hot (GB) colt, who sold to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock 350,000gns. Hascombe & Valiant Stud Ltd sold four horses on Monday for 830,000gns.
• There is no stopping Alex Elliott. The bloodstock agent spent more than 6 million gns on behalf of some of the biggest names in the game during Book 1. Elliott was busy again on Monday when signing for seven yearlings to the tune of 895,000gns and ended the day as the second busiest buyer.
• Pinatubo continues to impress. Once again, his yearlings were very well received by the market with Justin Casse, Najd Stud, Ed Sackville, Robson Aguiar and Ben McElroy some of the notable names on the list of buyers of the stallion's progeny. All told, Pinatubo averaged 186,333gns for six yearlings sold on Monday.
• Book 2 may have been billed as something of 'a bread and butter sale' by Tattersalls' Jason Singh when interviewed on Racing TV over the weekend and, while that is true, there was still plenty of international interest on day one. Along with Najd Stud and Ben McElroy getting in on the action, Nicolas De Watrigant of Mandore International Agency was another interesting buyer. The French-based De Watrigant spent 385,000gns on three yearlings headed by a No Nay Never filly from Watership Down Stud for 260,000gns.

'It's Fun For Sheikha Hissa' – Shadwell Spends Over 500k At Book 2

Shadwell's Angus Gold hinted after signing for a 1.6 million gns Frankel (GB) filly at Book 1 that Sheika Hissa may continue her shopping into this week. 

Well, we didn't have to wait long to find out whether that would come to fruition or not, with Shadwell signing for four yearlings for 665,000gns on day one of Book 2.

The haul was headed by a 230,000gns Night Of Thunder colt who, interestingly, is out of a mare that was dispersed by Shadwell in 2021 for 135,000gns to Blandford Bloodstock. 

“We bought three today, which is great,” Gold said. “We bought an elegant Mohaather (GB) colt for 75,000gns early in the day. Obviously, nobody knows yet about the stallion but I just thought this was a very elegant horse with a lot of scope to him. I don't think he'll be terribly early but I like the look of him.”

He added, “We bought a very nice Galiway (GB) filly that Sheikha Hissa liked very much. We haven't had one of those before but she seemed to have a great attitude. The Night Of Thunder colt is out of Ridaa (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), who we sold during our dispersal. He's a nice solid horse and looks like a runner.”

It was well-bred fillies that were placed at the top of Shadwell's wish list for Book 1 but the modus operandi on Monday was a simple one; buy racehorses, be that colts or fillies. 

Explaining the brief, Gold continued, “We're mainly buying fillies but, for interest, as Sheikha Hissa is here, we have been showing her a few colts. We bought one colt here last year. He hasn't run yet but Sheikha Hissa said that she'd like to come and look at a few colts this year as well as the fillies. We'll try to cherry pick a few for her to see and she likes to see what the offspring of particular stallions look like. It's fun for her.”

Gold added, “We've had plenty of success from Book 2 and found plenty of good racehorses here. It's not the sort of thing where one can say, 'we'll only buy in Book 1 and leave Book 2 and 3,' because an awful amount of good horses have come out of here. There's a thousand-odd horses so I think this week is much more of a buyers' market. You get to see a good cross-section. It's a good sale to work.”

The Night Of Thunder was consigned by Greyridge Bloodstock, who were getting off to a dream start at Tattersalls. The new consignment is run from Denis and Clare Barry's Wiltshire-based Glebe Farm Stud and is managed by Carwyn Johns. 

“It has gone full circle and this colt has gone home,” Johns said. “He was the big one for us for the year. We bought the mare with Tom Biggs of Blandford Bloodstock.”

Golden touch 

By Georgia Cox

Lot  541

Earthlight (Ire) colt out of One Spirit (Ire) 

Consigned by Ballyhimikin Stud 

Purchased by Qatar Racing, China Horse Club and David Howden 

Out of the Listed winner and Group 3-placed One Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who is already the dam of Group 3 winner One For Bobby (Ire) Frankel {GB}), this Earthlight colt proved to be well-bought as a foal by Johnny McKeever and Ballyhimikin Stud at the Goffs November Foal Sale. 

The pair turned their initial outlay of €90,000 into 200,000gns on Monday with David Redvers, the China Horse Club and David Howden the winning bidders. 

These same connections have been busy snapping up well-bred colts at the premier yearling sales this year. After a strong Orby Sale, where Redvers revealed that the group were on the hunt for well-bred colts that could one day go to stud depending on what they achieved on the race track, they went on to spend over 1.1 million on three colts at Book 1. 

From the same family as Diktat (GB) and Cape Cross (Ire), the Earthlight colt fits that sort of criteria and was clearly well bought by McKeever and Ballyhimikin Stud as a foal given they more than doubled their money here. 

Buy of the day

Mark and Charlie Johnston are famous for bagging bargains at the yearling sales and they may well have found one in the shape of lot 584, a Saxon Warrior (Jpn) colt out of champion older mare in France, Pride (Fr) (Peintre Celebre). 

Consigned by Ballyhimikin Stud, the Saxon Warrior is a half-brother to six winners, including the smart One Foot In Heaven and Queen.

He looks the type that could develop into a nice three-year-old and has plenty of scope. 

Older mares are not for everyone, and the fact that Pride was 22 when she produced this colt may have resulted in him being a bit of value in the ring. He looks well bought at 100,000gns.

Thought for the day

How early is too early to start blowing up a first season sire? Darley knocked it out of the park with Blue Point this season and the early signs are that Pinatubo is cut from the same cloth. An outstanding racehorse, Pinatubo seems to have really stamped his stock and a lot of the top judges have declared themselves a fan. He could be the real deal.