Flay Dispersal Set To Cook Up A Storm

The Tattersalls December Sale provided Bobby Flay with his first graded stakes winner back in 2009. Her name was Mrs Kipling (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), her price was 165,000gns and her finest hour came in the Grade III Senorita S. at Hollywood Park.

Just as Park Paddocks assisted the celebrity chef on his way to becoming a successful owner-breeder, Newmarket will now host an end of an era for Flay, as it presents a dispersal of his European stock over the coming fortnight. Three foals, three broodmares and two fillies in training make up the offering, consigned by Baroda & Colbinstown Studs.

It's not the first time Baroda & Colbinstown have sold on behalf of Flay, as David Cox of the Baroda branch says, “In our first year [2017] selling for Bobby, we sold Modernstone (GB) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}) for 1,000,000gns; our first ever million-guineas sale. They tell me we're going to break that this year.”

Cox has also benefited from his client's culinary skills, as he explains, “The relationship with Bobby Flay came through Bradley Weisbord. He asked us if we would be interested in selling some horses for Bobby and when I went to Belmont to see Clondaw Warrior run, we were invited to Bobby's for brunch–he cooks a mean brunch.”

All of Flay's stock has been kept at Coolmore throughout his involvement in Europe, but the three foals catalogued next week have been prepped at Baroda Stud, situated outside Newbridge in County Kildare. Though all three are by red-hot stallions, the eye is immediately drawn to the Frankel (GB) colt (lot 1061) from the Ballymacoll family of Golan (Ire) (Spectrum {Ire}), Tartan Bearer (Spectrum {Ire}) and Gamut (Ire) (Spectrum {Ire}). Cox, thankfully, confirms that the colt's physique matches the pedigree. He says, “The Frankel colt is very athletic, a good walker and will tick a lot of boxes for end-users. The War Front 2-year-old filly sold to Shadwell for 550,000gns and then grew a lot. I'm told she'll run at three.”

The colt's dam, Auld Alliance (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), joins her son at Tattersalls as lot 1909. As well as an esteemed pedigree, she also boasts black-type, having finished third in a stakes contest at Woodbine. Her future as a broodmare looks even brighter, according to Cox. “Auld Alliance's Frankel foal is an excellent example of what she can produce and she is offered back in foal to him. It's a great producing family and Auld Alliance has sisters in foal to the likes of Kodiac (GB) and War Front, so it's very current.”

The foal draft also includes a son of Invincible Spirit (Ire) (lot 1060), of whom Cox says, “The Invincible Spirit colt is another great walker and nice individual. He looks strong and fast. In fact, he's just as nice as the Frankel colt.”

He, too, is out of a Montjeu (Ire) mare in Albisola (Ire), a listed and Group 3 winner in France, who was beaten just a length and a quarter on her sole Group 1 outing in the Prix Saint-Alary. She is a half-sister to Group 1 performer Johnny Barnes (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), while five of her half-sisters are stakes-producing dams, their produce including dual Group 1 winner Ectot (GB) (Hurricane Run {Ire}), St James's Palace S. victor Most Improved (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) and G1 1000 Guineas third Daban (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}). Albisola is offered as lot 1647, in foal to Lope De Vega (Ire).

Completing the trio of Flay foals is a Dark Angel (Ire) filly (lot 1062) out of American Spirit (Ire), herself an unraced half-sister to champion 3-year-old Authorized (Ire). Described as “a very pretty filly” by her consignor, the April-born bay represents a change of direction in matings, her dam having previously been sent to Halling (GB), Makfi (GB) and Nathaniel (GB), with Flay owning a share in the latter. Her relations are as esteemed as those of the colts, with Arc heroine Solemia (Ire) (Poliglote {GB}), top miler The Gurkha (Ire) (Galileo{Ire}) and French champion 2-year-old Okawango (Kingmambo) featuring on her page.

Cascabel (GB) (Nathaniel {IRE}), a 3-year-old daughter of American Spirit, is also catalogued (lot 2125), this time as a horse in training. Unraced as a juvenile, she finished second twice this year before breaking her maiden over a mile-and-a- half at Galway. Her racing career does not have to end in the sales ring, though, as her trainer, Joseph O'Brien, explains, “Cascabel is a big mare who took time and will definitely be better next year. She stays very well, likes soft ground and tries very hard in her races.”

O'Brien said he thinks there is more to come from Flay's other filly in training, Anchovy (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 1494), who made her sole start on Nov. 8. O'Brien adds, “Anchovy showed a bit of ability at home and ran well on debut, considering she was very green. She will come on a lot from that run, though she unfortunately had a little setback afterwards, but I'm confident she will train on. She is a nice mover with plenty of quality.”

By multiple champion sire Galileo, Anchovy is out of the stakes-placed Storm Cat mare Countess Lemonade, whom Flay purchased at Tattersalls for 700,000gns in 2010. Already a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Duke Of Marmalade (Ire) (Danehill), she subsequently received dream updates to her pedigree as another sibling, Ruler Of The World (Ire), was crowned champion 3-year-old for his Derby victory.

Completing Flay's dispersal is dual stakes winner Banzari (GB) (Motivator {GB}) (lot 1910), of whom Cox says, “Banzari was bought by James Delahooke, as were all of the mares we're offering. She went on to be placed at Group 1 level and is an attractive, compact individual; she should suit Fastnet Rock, who she's carrying to.”

Banzari, unsurprisingly, is also well bred, descending from the same family as top-class racemare The Fugue (GB) (Dansili {GB}), Group 1-winning sprinter Limato (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) and champion 3-year-old Compton Admiral (GB) (Suave Dancer).

Cox adds, “What's important to get across is that these foals and mares are for sale, with no reserve. Some people doubt this, because Bobby bought back Cover Song at Fasig-Tipton, but she was a different story. She is one of his top mares and in foal to Dubawi (Ire), so he was only going to sell her at a price. The thing he keeps telling me is, 'remember–there's no reserve.'”