European Flair To Chairman's Sale

It may not seem like it as of late, with people confined to their homes or at the very least their own countries, but Thoroughbred bloodstock remains a global currency. Friday's Inglis Chairman's Sale-to be conducted, like its Easter Sale, virtually from the company's headquarters at Warwick Farm in Sydney-is an excellent embodiment of this. The 90 fillies and mares catalogued for the boutique breeding stock sale represent many of the best families both domestically and from Europe and the U.S. And, like at any market-leading sale, the top offerings would be welcome into any elite broodmare band worldwide.

For the purposes of this piece, we will look at a handful of mares in the catalogue whose pages boast European interest, followed by a selection of flagship offerings that would work well in Europe.

Urban Rocket (GB) (Lot 21): The 4-year-old Urban Rocket (Siyouni {Fr}) is one of just 13 mares in Australia currently in foal on Southern Hemisphere time to standout young European sire Kingman (GB), and two of those mares are in the Chairman's sale. Urban Rocket is by three-time champion French sire Siyouni, who has been highly effective from limited opportunities Down Under, his three runners yielding the G2 Todman S. winner Aylmerton (Aus) and this season's multiple group-placed juvenile See You Soon (Fr). Urban Rocket, who was a 165,000gns yearling purchase by Joe Foley, is a three-quarter sister to G1 Prix de l'Abbaye winner Maarek (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), while two other sisters have produced stakes horses. Her dam, Ruby Rocket (Ire) (Indian Rocket {GB}), is a sister to the dam of G2 Flying Childers S. winner and young sire Ardad (GB) (Kodiac {GB}). Urban Rocket was unraced and is in foal for the first time.

Windradyne (GB) (Lot 23): Windradyne is a British-bred daughter of Australian 2-year-old champion Sepoy who was a 550,000gns buyback as a yearling at Tattersalls October in 2015. She wound up Down Under for her racing career and although her best effort in four starts was a placing in maiden company at three, she has residual value as a half-sister to European champion sprinter Sole Power (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}). Another half-sister, Sotka (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), has produced the French Group 3 winners Fas (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Silva (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). The 6-year-old Windradyne failed to get in foal her first two seasons, but is now believed to be in foal to Arrowfield's young Group 1 winner The Autumn Sun (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}).

Baileya (Ire) (Lot 30): The 4-year-old Baileya hails from the storied Ballymacoll Stud breeding programme. A daughter of Dansili (GB)'s full-brother Cacique (Ire), Baileya is out of the unraced Desert Bloom (Ire) (Pilsudski {Ire}), best known Down Under for producing the G1 Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}). Roshanak (Ire) (Spinning World), another half-sister to Baileya, has produced the stakes winners Tom Melbourne (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) and Araaja (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}). A 70,000gns yearling purchase by Hubie de Burgh, Baileya was unraced and covered by Lope de Vega (Ire) on Southern Hemisphere time last year for her first mating. She is one of two mares in the sale in foal to Ballylinch's flagship sire-the other is Grey Queen (More Than Ready) (lot 40), a winning granddaughter of the Aga Khan's blue hen Daltawa (Ire) (Miswaki).

Cheering (War Front) (Lot 34): John Magnier spent 900,000gns on Kissed (Ire), a daughter of Galileo (Ire) and the Darshaan (GB) mare Gwynn (GB) at Tattersalls October in 2010, and that decision proved a shrewd one when, a year later, the filly's three-quarter brother Pour Moi (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) won the G1 Investec Derby. Kissed went on to earn listed status before joining Coolmore's broodmare band, and from four matings with War Front to begin her second career she produced the stakes-placed Leo Minor as well as Cheering. Cheering failed to find the winner's enclosure in two tries and, after producing a Siyouni (Fr) filly last year, was bred to Frankel in October before shipping to Australia. She is one of two mares Coolmore will offer at this sale in foal to Frankel; the other is Listed Kilvington S.-third Ilex Excelsa (Ire) (Excelebration {Ire}) (lot 41).

Collection Privee (Ire) (Lot 36): While Collection Privee's page is quintessentially American, it has also benefitted from an Irish touch. Barbara Facchino of Barouche Stud purchased Collection Privee's second dam, Tap Your Heels (Unbridled), for $900,000 at Keeneland November in 2002. The mare at the time had a yearling colt and a filly foal each by Pulpit, and things could hardly have worked out better thereafter: the colt went on to be the GI Wood Memorial S. winner and American champion sire Tapit, while the filly, Home From Oz, produced the GII West Virginia Derby winner Madefromlucky (Lookin at Lucky).

In 2009, Tap Your Heels produced Caressor, a full-sister to Tapit, at the late Gerry Dilger's Dromoland Farm in Kentucky. Unraced, she was sent to Ireland for a broodmare career and produced Collection Privee as her third foal from a mating with Frankel (GB). Collection Privee fetched 300,000gns from Mayfair Speculators at Tattersalls October in 2016, and after placing at three for trainer Nicolas Clement was scooped up by agent Johnny McKeever for €35,000 at Arqana December in 2018. She is carrying a member of the last crop of prolific Australian sire Not A Single Doubt.

Florentina (Aus) (Lot 38): John Camilleri of Fairway Thoroughbreds is best known as the breeder of Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}), but he bred another good one in Florentina (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}), who won the G3 Gold Coast Guineas in his colours. Florentina was offered at the Magic Millions National Breeding Stock Sale in 2016, but after being led out unsold at A$925,000 she boarded a flight to Europe. Her first Northern Hemisphere-bred foal, a daughter of Dubawi (Ire), will race in America with Chad Brown after being bought by Peter Brant for 475,000gns at Tattersalls October last year, and the mare's current yearling is a British-bred son of Kingman. Florentina was again covered by that sire Southern Hemisphere time last year before returning to her homeland. Florentina, a half-sister to G1 Railway S. winner Gathering (Aus) (Tale of the Cat), presents an interesting conundrum for Australian breeders, being inbred 2×3 to Danehill. She is also inbred 3×3 to the great mare Dancing Show, the second dam of both Redoute's Choice and Florentina's second dam Twyla (Aus).

Youngstar (Aus) (Lot 78): winner of the G1 Queensland Oaks in 2018 and a consistent performer at the Group 1 level ever since, Youngstar (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) is a half-sister to last year's G1 Flight S. winner Funstar (Aus) (Adelaide {Ire}). They are out of Starspangled (Ire) (Danehill), a daughter of User Friendly (GB) (Slip Anchor {GB}), winner of the Group1  Epsom, Irish and Yorkshire Oaks as well as the St Leger in 1992 and the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud the following year. While the most talented of User Friendly's progeny was the Irish Group 3 winner Downtown (Ire) (Danehill), Starspangled's branch of the line has been by far the family's the most prolific. Another of Starspangled's daughters has produced the G3 Furphy Sprint winner Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}). Bowness Stud bought Starspangled for A$30,000 from the Coolmore consignment at Inglis's Easter Broodmare Sale in 2014 carrying Youngstar.

While each of these pages should pique the interest of Europe's leading breeders, they are also sure to have their eyes set on some of the top Australian sprinting mares set for sale. With speed becoming ever-more sought after in the West and horses like Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) flying the flag for Australian mares in Europe–and his sister Bounding (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}) having produced a $4.1-million colt at Keeneland September four months later–Team Inglis is likely to be fielding virtual bids globally on fillies like Samaready (Aus) (More Than Ready) (lot 73), In Her Time (Aus) (Time Thief {Aus}) (lot 42), Booker (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) (lot 31) and Arabian Gold (Aus) (Dubawi {Ire}) (lot 28), to name a few. We are, of course, dealing in a global currency. (Click here for Chairman's Sale mares with American interest)