Shastye Filly Heads Strong Book 1 Finale

By Emma Berry & Alayna Cullen

NEWMARKET, UK—The final day of Book 1 at Tattersalls received a huge early boost with a new top lot of 2.8-million gns within the first hour, but by early afternoon that had been surpassed when the Galileo (Ire) filly widely expected to steal the show did just that. Coronavirus restrictions on the number of people in the sales ring have robbed Tattersalls of some of its customary theatrical feel but, with the leading players assembled in the open air on opposite sides of the walking ring for lot 436, a lengthy tussle ensued between Coolmore and Qatar Bloodstock for Newsells Park Stud's sister to Group 1 winners Mogul (GB) and Japan (GB). And, in a fairly predictable final act, she duly topped the sale, with MV Magnier placing the final bid of 3.4-million gns on behalf of a partnership that will include Georg Von Opel of Westerberg.

The progeny of Danehill's daughter Shastye (Ire) have as much of an affinity with the sales ring at Park Paddocks as the mare does with Galileo, who is responsible for her four group winners. The only extraordinary thing is that, despite both Sir Isaac Newtown (GB) and Mogul (GB) having sold for 3.6 million and 3.4 million gns respectively, neither of them topped the sale in their year.

“Firstly, I would like to say that Andreas Jacobs and his family have been great supporters of Coolmore for a long time,” said Magnier after signing for the fourth of the mare's offspring who will end up being trained at Ballydoyle. “This is a great result for everybody and I'm very pleased for Newsells to get such a good price for the filly. Japan and Mogul were both very good looking and good movers. The mare just produces really good-looking horses who are also good racehorses.”

He added that 3-year-old Mogul, who followed in his brother Japan's footsteps by winning the G1 Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris after the catalogue was printed, would remain in training next year but that no plan had yet been decided upon for Japan. The brothers were set to run against each other in last Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe but were scratched at the eleventh hour along with all of Aidan, Joseph and Donnacha O'Brien's runners for the day through concern over contaminated feed supplied by Gain.

Newsells Park Stud manager Julian Dollar paid tribute to his team at the farm who led the Book 1 consignors' list with 15 yearlings sold for just shy of 6.5 million gns. He said, “They have done a wonderful job, led by the yearling manager Mark Grace. He loves this filly so he will be sad to see her go.”

He continued, “Sales like that make all the difference. I am sad because I am a stud manager and you want to breed horses like that, you want to race them and you want them back into your broodmare band and that would have meant an awful lot. But it is what it is, it is reality.”

Dollar, who divulged that Shastye has been barren to Galileo for two years and is now in foal to Dubawi (Ire), added, “Having sold her, I am absolutely thrilled that the MV and the Coolmore team have got her, and that Aidan O'Brien is going to train her. He and Coolmore have done more than most to make the mare a success.”

Back in 2011, Shastye's first Galileo filly was bought back at Book 1 for 230,000gns but, later known as Secret Gesture (GB), she was second in the Oaks and won the G2 Middleton S. and, since then, her siblings have not been overlooked. Seven of Shastye's yearlings have sold for a total of 14.2 million gns at Book 1 over the years—six of those being by Galileo and one by Street Cry (Ire). The achievements of Shastye's own progeny fill two-thirds of the catalogue page but there is also room for her own dam, G2 Prix de Royallieu winner Saganeca (Sagace {Fr}) and illustrious siblings, which include the Arc winner Sagamix (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}). Newsells Park Stud has retained three of Shastye's daughters, by Galileo, Street Cry and Shamardal.

The Old Normal, Up To A Point

Very little feels familiar in this strange year but million-guinea yearlings waltzing in and out of the ring during Book 1 did at least bring an air of normality to proceedings at Tattersalls—that is if you can look beyond the masked participants and copious bottles of hand sanitiser around the sales paddocks.

Lady Carolyn Warren, whose Highclere Stud had a memorable week at Tattersalls, perhaps summed it up best when saying, “This sale has been incredible. It's hard sometimes to remind oneself of the difficult times we are in and we are so appreciative of the people here who are investing in bloodstock.”

Her thoughts were echoed by Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony, who said in his closing statement, “First and foremost we would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone who has participated at Book 1 of this year's Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, in whatever capacity. Since the early part of this year every walk of life has been thrown into turmoil and the global bloodstock industry is no exception. The scale of the disruption which everyone has faced is best illustrated by the fact that this week's sale has been the first 2020 British, Irish or French yearling sale to have taken place at both its originally intended location and date. Nevertheless, since the outbreak of the COVID pandemic we have worked collaboratively alongside Goffs and Arqana to explore every possible means by which to stage sales and to ensure that trade continues to take place as normally as possible. Everyone must take enormous credit for the way they have reacted to the difficult circumstances and responded to all the rules and regulations under which we have had to operate in order to provide the safest possible working environment for all concerned.”

During Thursday, the strongest session of the three, the clearance rate of 82% was up by two points on the same day last year after 126 horses were marked as sold. The median remained static at 150,000gns and the average was down just 3% at 263,952gns. The turnover for the day was 33,258,000gns (-5%).

For Book 1 as a whole, both the average and median contracted by 13% to 223,266gns and 130,000gns respectively. The clearance rate dropped, but only slightly, to 79%, through the sale of 369 of the 466 horses offered across three days. At the final count, the aggregate stood at 82,385,000gns, which was a reduction of 20% on 2019.

Prize Purchase

Until the final session, Book 1 had been dominated by Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation, which had accounted for 25% of the turnover of the first two days. Coolmore had been relatively reserved in its spending this season but, with some desirable Galileo fillies on offer in particular, MV Magnier certainly made his presence felt as Book 1 drew to a close. His first major acquisition of the day was lot 374, the lone Galileo filly from Barronstown Stud.

David and Diane Nagle had bought her dam, the dual Grade II winner Prize Exhibit (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), for 775,000gns at the December Sale of 2017 and her own good race record had plenty to recommend her. But subsequent Group 1 updates in her immediate family have come in the ensuing seasons and, once you throw in Galileo (Ire) as her first covering sire, the resultant filly had the wow factor that elicited a high-stakes bidding match between Coolmore and Qatar Bloodstock—which would be seen again later for the day's top lot.

MV Magnier and his colleagues had taken up their usual spot in the bidders' section and initially had opposition across the ring from their old friend Demi O'Byrne, who has been active at the European sales this season on behalf of Peter Brant. But as the bidding climbed, David Redvers jumped in with an offer of 2- million gns, until eventually giving way to Magnier.

The pedigree of the filly in the spotlight had been enhanced this season by her dam's full-brother Mohaather (GB), winner of the G1 Sussex S. for Sheikh Hamdan and now a new stallion at his Nunnery Stud. Two summers ago another sibling, Roodle (GB) (Xaar {GB}), had provided one of the best stories of the year when her son Accidental Agent (GB) (Delegator {GB}) won the G1 Queen Anne S. for trainer Eve Johnson Houghton and her mother Gaie, who has nurtured this family for generations and also bred Prize Exhibit.

“David Nagle has been saying for ages what a lovely filly she is and we are very lucky to have been able to buy her with Michael [Tabor], Derrick [Smith] and Georg Von Opel,” said Magnier.

Looking to the future, he added, “Galileo is such a good broodmare sire and a filly like this is a collector's item. Sheikh Hamdan's good horse is also there [on the page].”

Eleven lots later Magnier was back in action, outbidding Angus Gold for the full-brother to the young Yeomanstown Stud stallion Invincible Army (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). Bred by Tinnakill Bloodstock and Jack Cantillon, the colt (lot 385) had been an expensive foal purchase by Mimi Wadham and Violet Hesketh at 375,000gns but he rewarded the young consignors with their best pinhooking result to date when he brought the hammer down at 600,000gns.

“We bought him for a pinhooking syndicate and we own a part of him with clients. He's a standout, he just hasn't put a foot wrong,” said Wadham, who has been consigning with Hesketh for three years under the WH Bloodstock banner. “Let's hope he is as good as his full-brother.”

Coolmore will also take charge of lot 468, a colt by No Nay Never out of the speedy Group 3 winner Strut (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who was sold at 650,000gns through Newsells Park Stud as part of the dispersal of the late Lady Rothschild's Waddesdon Stud.

Dream Of Dreams's Sister To America

Another man with his eye on a regally-bred daughter of Galileo was Mike Ryan, whose list of 15 purchases at Tattersalls this week was headed by the last of them, the half-sister to G1 Haydock Sprint Cup winner Dream Of Dreams (Ire) (Dream Ahead). Her sale price of 1.4-million gns provided a decent boost for Chippenham-based Old Mill Stud in its early days of ownership by Ibrahim Araci, who bred the filly (lot 510).

“I thought she was unbelievable. The first time I saw her was Saturday in the rain and she blew me away. She looks a real runner,” said Ryan. “I'm delighted we got her because how many more years are we going to see Galileo's yearlings? She'll go back to the States but I can't disclose the client at this stage. Hopefully we'll see her at Saratoga next summer, and hopefully we'll see a picture of her on the wall like that one of Newspaperofrecord over there.”

He added modestly, “It was a no-brainer. There's no real skill picking a filly out like that.”

The agent, whose purchases in Newmarket in recent years include the aforementioned dual Grade I winner Newspaperofrecord, said of this year's sale, “It's held up very well. I've been runner-up to Shadwell, Godolphin, Roger Varian, Henri Devin, and we've run hard on some horses. But we've bought some very nice horses and I'm pleased with what we've got. Obviously it was worth the trip as I've got some good clients and, as I've said before, with no disrespect to America or Japan, this is the best sale in the world to buy good grass horses. We've been very lucky here.”

Rob Speers, who manages the racing and breeding interests of the Araci family, said of the daughter of Vasilia (GB) (Dansili {GB}), “She's been a very special filly ever since she was born. She has a wonderful pedigree: Galileo on a fast family and Dream Of Dreams has given it a Group 1 update. We wish her new owners the best of luck. Obviously when you breed a filly like this there's part of you that wishes she would be running in our colours but we still have her mum and one of her daughters at the farm and anything this filly does on the racecourse will help the family.”

Born A Queen

Eddie O'Leary is a noted pinhooker of foals and yearlings but his Lynn Lodge Stud had a red-letter day with a filly bred by his brother Michael's Gigginstown House Stud when the daughter of Kingman (GB) joined the rarefied clutch of seven-figure Book 1 yearlings. Offered as lot 416, the first foal of the Dream Ahead mare Sante joined the long list of Godolphin purchases this week when Anthony Stroud came out best in the bidding at 1.45 million gns.

“She's made a queen's price but she was always a queen,” said O'Leary of the grand-daughter of Zeiting (Ire) (Zieten), whose black-type offspring include group winners Combat Zone (Ire) and Scottish (Ire) as well as Zut Alors (Ire), the dam of G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Precieuse (Ire).

Mags O'Toole bought Sante on O'Leary's behalf in 2018 for 310,000gns when she was carrying the filly.

O'Leary added of Sante, who was a winner at three and listed-placed in Germany, “I thought she was a great physical and the Kingman cover was very appealing. I hope Sheikh Mohammed is very lucky with the filly.”

Stroud signed for 22 yearlings on the sheikh's behalf over the three days of Book 1, with Thursday's purchases including lot 376, Cheveley Park Stud's colt by Dubawi (Ire) out of a Galileo daughter of the Thompsons' champion racemare Echelon (GB) (Danehill). He was bought for 800,000gns, while lot 445, the Lordship Stud-bred colt by Sea The Stars (Ire) out of Smoulder (GB) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}), a half-sister to Classic winner Legatissimo (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), was recruited at 680,000gns.

Lope De Vega's X-Factor

Overnight between the second and third days of Book 1 a graduate of last year's October Sale, Aunt Pearl (Ire), set a new track record when winning the GII Jessamine S. at Keeneland and the enthusiasm shown for her sire Lope De Vega (Ire) showed no sign of abating in the ring at Tattersalls.

The leading light on Thursday was another from a very well received Highclere Stud draft, lot 460, who sold to David Redvers of Qatar Bloodstock for 825,000gns. The colt, out of the Sea The Stars (Ire) mare Starlet (Ire), was bred by Lord Halifax and is a half-brother to Group 3 winner Love Locket (Ire) (No Nay Never) and listed winner Raakib Alhawa (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). His third dam Kasora (Ire) is responsible for the dual Derby winner High Chaparral (Ire) and Chenchikova (Ire), the dam of this season's G1 Prix de Diane winner Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

“We were underbidder on almost everything, so it's been a very frustrating day,” said Redvers. “The market has been very resilient for the top-end stock and this was a horse that we loved from the moment we saw him. He has a stallion's pedigree and the mare has produced 100% stakes horses. That's exactly the sort of horse that we are looking to add to the team. We have a lot of homebreds going into training this year and we've just been selectively trying to acquire horses to slot into areas where we might have a little bit of weakness.”

Highclere's Lady Carolyn Warren commented, “We are absolutely delighted to have consigned such a special colt and we are incredibly grateful to Sheikh Fahad and David Redvers and we hope that he's very lucky for them. Lord Halifax bred him at his Garrowby Stud and their stud groom Alan has done a marvellous job in rearing him there. John bought the mare for Lord Halifax carrying the 2-year-old so it's lovely. We go back a long way and it's very special to have done that for Lord Halifax, and for all the team at home who have prepared him so well.”

Lope De Vega's transatlantic appeal has been enhanced not just by Aunt Pearl but by Klaravich Stables' champion juvenile filly Newspaperofrecord (Ire), and another of his progeny may be making his way to America after lot 412 was bought by Demi O'Byrne on behalf of Peter Brant's White Birch Farm at 450,000gns.

Oneliner Stables made a splash last year at Tattersalls with its pricey pinhooks and this was another good result for the Lowry family's Tipperary operation. Bought for 180,000gns last December, the colt is the first foal of the treble winner and listed-placed Sagaciously (Ire), whose fourth dam Saganeca (Fr) also features as the dam of the celebrated Shastye.

“He came from a very good farm, from George Kent in Waterford, and we have just tried to do everything for him to the best of our ability,” said Oneliner's Gerard Lowry. “We are very into the stats and we take a very analytical approach to our selections but at the same time you have to have the individual. This has been a shocking year for everybody but it is the same year for all of us and people have kept their heads up and produced the horses for this sale to the highest standard. We just have to hold our nerve and do the best we can for the animals.”

Lot 367, the Lope De Vega colt out of a half-sister to 2000 Guineas winner Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), continued the good week for Floors Stud, who sold two of the top three lots on Tuesday, when selling to Shadwell for 400,000gns.

Roundhill Stud has also been in the news of late when consigning the top lot at the Goffs Orby Sale last week and a Lope De Vega colt from that same family caught the attention of Alastair Donald, who bought him at 230,000gns. Lot 373 is a full-brother to the G1 Prix Ganay winner Zabeel Prince (Ire) and three-parts-brother to Australian Group 2 winner and successful young stallion Puissance De Lune (Ire) (Shamardal). At Goffs, another three-quarter sibling, Princess De Lune (Ire) (Shamardal) featured as the dam of the £450,000 top lot, a filly by Oasis Dream (GB).

Lope De Vega's 24 yearlings to have sold through Book 1 returned an average price of 265,583gns.

Another Star For Gosden?

John Gosden has had plenty of success with the offspring of Sea The Stars (Ire), notably through Oaks winner Taghrooda (Ire), champion stayer Stradivarius (Ire) and Irish Oaks winner Star Catcher (GB), and he has at least two daughters of the Aga Khan Studs stallion joining his stable from Book 1, including lot 474. The half-sister to listed winners Dawn Of Hope (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and Ayrad (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) was bred by Diomed Bloodstock and offered for sale through Lodge Park Stud.

“She's bred on the same Sea The Stars-Sadler's Wells cross as Taghrooda and John Gosden will train her,” said Charlie Gordon-Watson, who bought the daughter of Sweet Firebird (Ire) for 700,000gns.

Father And Son Picks For Shadwell

Philipp Stauffenberg enjoyed a decent pinhooking success on Wednesday when selling a daughter of Wootton Bassett (GB) for 600,000gns and his final offering at Book 1 was on behalf of breeders Heike Bischoff and Niko Lafrentz of Gestut Gorlsdorf, and by their homebred stallion Sea The Moon (Ger). The colt (lot 446), a half-brother to G3 Prix Fille de l'Air winner Powder Snow (Dubawi {Ire}) and out of a Sadler's Wells half-sister to Lammtarra (Nijinsky), was bought for 480,000gns by Angus Gold on behalf of Sheikh Hamdan.

The Shadwell team was bolstered by 10 yearlings from Book 1, bought for 3.04-million gns. These included lot 506, a colt by Sea The Moon's sire Sea The Stars (Ire), who was bought from Fittocks Stud for 625,000gns.

Bred by Luca and Sara Cumani in partnership with Andrew Bengough, the colt is a full-brother to The Path Not Taken (GB), who was bought by Klaravich Stables from Book 1 in 2018 and won her sole start for Chad Brown at Keeneland last year.

Marsha's Brother To Juddmonte

It was confirmed on Thursday that a private sale had been arranged for the Frankel (GB) half-brother to Group 1-winning sprinter Marsha (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), who had been offered as lot 295 during the second session and bought in at 1-million gns. The colt will now race in the same famous silks as his father after being bought by Juddmonte for 850,000gns. The son of Marlinka (GB) (Marju {Ire}) was bred by the Elite Racing Club and consigned by Furnace Mill Stud.

Mahony Acknowledges 'Commerical Realities'

Concluding his assessment of Book 1, Edmond Mahony added, “In terms of the market, none of us can pretend that all is plain sailing and a slightly lower clearance rate reflects prevailing commercial realities from which none of us are immune, but we can also reflect on a resilience and sustained demand for quality yearlings in spite of the wider challenges. Book 1 of the 2020 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale has yet again produced the highest price for a yearling sold in Europe and North America, as well as the highest-priced yearling filly in the world and three of the ten highest prices ever at this fixture. Inevitably the market is down, in broad terms to around the levels of 2015 after a sustained period of growth, but the global appetite for our sport remains intact and buyers from throughout the world, albeit in reduced numbers, have made a huge contribution to Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale, as have the British and Irish buyers who continue to recognise this particular yearling sale as the key fixture in the European yearling sales calendar. Success-fueled demand from American and Australian buyers has been very evident from start to finish and the support and commitment from throughout the Gulf region, in particular Dubai, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, continues to be hugely influential and massively appreciated by the whole industry.”

He continued, “The significance of the lucrative October Book 1 Bonus, arguably greater than ever, has also been a feature of the sale and having distributed almost £5.5-million in bonus prize-money to date, it has been rewarding to see so many owners, trainers and syndicates actively pursuing future bonus winners. Opportunities to win significant prize money have never been more crucial and the importance of incentives such as the £20,000 Book 1 Bonus, as well as the Great British Bonus, should not be underestimated in the current climate.

“Equally significant has been the outstanding quality of the yearlings on offer this week. This was without doubt the cream of the European yearling crop; a true showcase for so many of the best yearlings to be found anywhere in the world and we must pay tribute to the breeders and consignors. The market may not fully reflect the quality of the horses at Park Paddocks this week, but everybody should be applauded for what they have achieved in the face of extraordinary challenges and we will now turn our attention to Books 2, 3 and 4 of the October Yearling Sale which are catalogues with all the ingredients to appeal to buyers at all levels of the market.”