Good Day For The Vendors As Sea The Stars Colt Highlights Book 2 Opener

Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale piggybacked off last week's bonanza at Book 1 with Godolphin once again flexing its muscle for a 875,000gns Sea The Stars (Ire) colt on a day when all of the key figures were up on last year. 

Monday's trade carried on from the trends set at Book 1, with Godolphin accounting for two of the three top lots with the newly-formed Amo Racing and Al Shaqab partnership accounting for the other–a 600,000gns filly by St Mark's Basilica (Fr). 

But lot 597, the Sea The Stars colt out of black-type mare Bighearted (GB) (Farhh {GB}), who was consigned by Staffordstown Stud, was out on his own as the day's top lot. 

“The mare is actually catalogued in the December Sale and that will freshen things up,” said Staffordstown's Richard Frisby. “This colt was accepted for Book 1, but we felt that if we dropped him in here he would be a stand-out, and I think that is what has happened.”

Frisby added, “He is a fine first foal. Obviously he is a horse who will need a bit of time, but he has been bred to be a Classic horse. It is a family that has been very kind to us. Bighearted is in foal to Modern Games.”

Once again it was Anthony Stroud, the leading buyer on the day with 17 yearlings added to his haul-including two Sea The Stars colts on behalf of Godolphin-who came out best of a strong battle for the day one showstopper. It was Blandofrd's Richard Brown who pushed him furthest. 

“He is a very strong, well-made horse from Staffordstown,” Stroud said. “It's a wonderful family and he looks a nice staying horse for the future. For all of those reasons, he fitted the bill as a nice horse for Godolphin and he will go to Charlie Appleby, as will the Sea The Stars colt we bought from Norelands. He was a very nice horse as well. Two standout horses, really.”

Similar to Frisby, Norelands boss Harry McCalmont admitted that the decision to send the farm's Sea The Stars colt [542] to Book 2 was done in an attempt to stand out from the crowd. 

“We loved the horse,” McCalmont said. “He's a horse who could have been put in anywhere-he could have went to Goffs or he could have gone to Book 1. We decided to put him in here and we thank Mrs Tsui for sending us the mare. Delighted to get another good result for her and she's had a very good year. Sea The Stars goes from strength to strength.”

He added, “We had horses to split up. We usually bring very few to Book 1 because it's normally so selective. I wish I had 30 yearlings selling at Book 1 this year, though! But that's the decision we've made and it's worked out very well.”

The clearance rate stood at an impressive 90% [up 2% on last year] while the turnover climbed 3,066,000 million gns to 21,596,500gns. The average was up 18% to 103,829gns while the median dipped 6% to 65,000gns.

Amo And Al Shaqab Bag 600k St Mark's Basilica Filly

Alex Elliott revealed that Royal Ascot will be the dream for 600,000gns St Mark's Basilica filly whom the ace agent purchased on behalf of Al Shaqab and Amo Racing from Yeomanstown Stud. 

That partnership took Book 1 by storm last week and the powerful duo showed no signs of slowing down on Monday with a 840,000gns spend on two yearlings. 

But it was the Yeomanstown Stud homebred by St Mark's Basilica, out of Dark Angel (Ire) mare Angelic Light (Ire), herself a Listed winner, who stole the show. 

Elliott said, “She is an exceptional filly out of a Dark Angel mare, who is having more and more of an influence as a broodmare sire. She was one we very much honed in on. She's an early foal and I'd like to think that we can be thinking of Royal Ascot. It's a very good pedigree. St Mark's Basilica is obviously the unknown but he was a very good racehorse and he's got to have every chance at stud. If he keeps producing horses like that, I'm sure they are going to make big prices and have a big impact on the track as well.”

Yeomanstown Stud sold five horses between 400,000gns and 475,000gns but Monday's result put the cherry on top of what has been a profitable 10 days or so at Park Paddocks. 

Rob O'Callaghan commented, “It's a savage result. We knew she was a good filly but we weren't sure what to expect. If you asked me what she'd have made last week, I'd have said two or three hundred, but, since she started showing, she's just been a pure queen. She's been flat out the past free days and had a lot of vettings. It's just a great result. I haven't seen many horses by St Mark's Basilica but we sent the mare back to him on the strength of this filly. We've loved this filly since the day she was born.”

Shadwell Swoops For Too Darn Hot Sister To Group 1 Favourite Kalpana

There was a time when Shadwell made Book 2 its own and, while a return to those levels of spending may not be in the pipeline, the legendary operation went to 425,000gns to secure a Too Darn Hot (GB) half-sister to the highly-promising Group 3 winner Kalpana (GB) (Study Of Man {GB}).

That outlay would look very good value come Saturday afternoon, with Juddmonte's Kalpana as short as 7-4 to win the G1 Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot on Sunday. 

Shadwell's Angus Gold commented, “The dam [Zero Gravity (GB) (Dansili {GB})] has done well with slightly lesser stallions but, when she went to a good stallion [Study Of Man], she came up with the goods. Obviously if Kalpana could win a Group 1 on Saturday that would be a huge update. Too Darn Hot is doing very well and we had a nice horse Alyanaabi (Ire) by him last year who finished second in the Dewhurst.”

It was Richard Brown who sourced Zero Gravity on behalf of Whatton Manor Stud, who cleared over 1 million gns on Monday, for just 35,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale in 2021.

Whatton Manor's Ed Player said, “Richard helps us buy mares and he picked this one-at the time there was a very good half-sister in Dermot Weld's yard. Apparently she had been working incredibly well and we bought her on the back of that. But she got injured and never ran so we thought we were in trouble.”

He added, “But thankfully Kalpana has come out and with the amazing update, so the mare has proved she can do it. Kalpana has got a very good chance on Saturday, but I think next year, when she strengthens up, she could be a very nice filly. It is a dream to get a nice update like this and it helps.”

Talking points

• Prominent breeze-up handler Eddie Linehan put his name in lights this year with Hotazhell (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), who he sold to Jessica Harrington on behalf of the Silverton Hill Partnership at the Craven Sale for 200,000gns, won the G2 Beresford Stakes. It was no surprise to see the County Cork native pledge allegiance to the stallion and snap up another Too Darn Hot colt for 105,000gns from Baroda Stud.
• Study Of Man (Ire) has just 57 yearlings in his current crop and those who hit the market on Monday weren't missed. Joseph O'Brien went to 210,000gns to buy a fantastic model of a colt by the stallion, bred by Anthony and Victoria Pakenham, deep into the session from Jenny Norris, while Anthony Stroud bought another colt from Staffordstown earlier in the sale for 140,000gns. Johnston Racing, Andrew Balding and Billy Jackson-Stops were other noteworthy figures to sign for yearlings by Study Of Man on a day where he averaged 88,200gns for five lots sold. Due recognition for one of the best young stallions in Europe.
• The American buyers played a massive part in the record-breaking trade at Book 1 but there were a couple of new international names on the buyers' sheet on Monday, including US-based trainer Kenny McPeek, who bought an Ardad (Ire) filly from Kilmoney Cottage Stud for 150,000gns.
• Ben McElroy was another US-based buyer keen to get in on the action at Book 2. Having acquired four yearlings at Book 1 on behalf of Stonestreet Stables, McElroy added fillies by Zoustar (Aus) and Blue Point (Ire) to the team for 115,000gns and 200,000gns early doors. He said, “We said we'd strike early as we expect things to be strong. Like a lot of people, we found the competition tough last week so we're happy to get two on the board already. Hopefully they will look good value later.” McElroy went on to add another Blue Point filly to his shopping cart for 220,000gns from Barton Stud later in the evening.
• Blandford Bloodstock's Richard Brown went to 425,000gns earlier in the session to secure a Night Of Thunder filly consigned by Highclere Stud on behalf of Saeed Suhail. “I am a big fan of the stallion and he had a great weekend,” the agent said. “He [Suhail] bought two fillies here last year and they both ran on the same day at Haydock and won impressively. Saeed is here today. I showed him the filly out in the parade ring and he fell in love with her. She is an outstanding individual and out of a Shamardal mare. We were keen to buy a Night Of Thunder.”
• For all of the millions MV Magnier has spent at the sales, he had never bought a horse by Mehmas (Ire). That was until Monday when Coolmore bought a colt by the Tally-Ho Stud-based sire for 350,000gns. Magnier confirmed the colt would be joining trainer Roger Varian. He said, “Roger O'Callaghan has been telling us for a very long time how good a stallion he is. You have to listen to him sometimes!”

Golden touch 

This is not Alex and Shane Power's first mention in this section and it certainly won't be their last. The brothers behind Tradewinds Stud enjoyed another big day in the sun when selling a Cotai Glory (GB) colt, bought as a foal for €52,000, to Anthony Stroud for 280,000gns. 

“The great thing about this industry is that the buyers give young people a chance. Without that, we'd be goosed,” Alex opened up afterwards. “So a big thanks goes to Anthony Stroud. We've been lucky to get a few touches this year and it's important. This was one of our best results to date and he was just a very well-reared foal when we bought him. I think the breeder was from Cork and you can't beat the land down there. We're delighted.”

Lot 501 is a half-brother to three individual winners, including Thanks Monica (Ire (Teofilo {Ire}), who placed in the Oyster Stakes for Ralph Beckett. 

Special mention must go to John Foley of Ballyvolane Stud, who himself is no stranger to this section either. The word was out that he was expected to get many multitudes of the €28,000 he spent on lot 625, a belter of a Gleneagles colt, and in the end the gavel fell on a whopping 280,000gns to Amanda Skiffington on behalf of MV Magnier. Some shooting. 

Buy of the Day

There was plenty of six-figure action during a strong start to Book 2 but one yearling who may well look to have been a value buy in the years to come is Newsells Park Stud's filly by Camelot (GB) out of an Oasis Dream (GB) half-sister to Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). She was sold as Lot 599 to agent Billy Jackson-Stops and trainer Tom Clover for 70,000gns. While that price certainly does not constitute a cheap buy, it was was some way below the day's average.

Enable being on the page naturally points to this being a Juddmonte family, which has recently been enhanced by the G3 Prix de Penelope winner Agave (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who is out of another of the dam's half-sisters, Contribution (GB) (Champs Elysees). Under the third dam Apogee (GB) (Shirley Heights {GB}) can be found another raft of black-type winners including the G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Flintshire (GB) (Dansili {GB}). 

That's a deep pedigree to have behind a filly whose sire has provided this year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Bluestocking (GB) from another Juddmonte family – and a little bit of Sadler's Wells inbreeding certainly didn't hurt Enable. Furthermore, Tom Clover has already proved that he is more than capable of honing the career of a classy filly granted the ammunition. 

Thought for the day

One leading Newmarket-based trainer summed up trade on Monday evening pretty well. After exchanging pleasantries, I asked if he had had any luck in the ring. “Nothing but bad luck,” came the reply. It was another good day to be a vendor at Park Paddocks.

Pinhooking Fortunes on Monday

Of the 258 horses catalogued during Monday's session, 59 were pinhooks, and after one withdrawal, 58 horses visited the ring. A total of nine did not meet their reserves and were buy-backs, leaving 49 yearlings marked as sold. Of the latter group, 30 made a profit ranging from 4,000gns to 243,567gns.

Ballyvolane Stud offered lot 625, a son of Gleneagles (Ire) who sold to Amanda Skiffington on behalf of M V Magnier for 280,000gns, realising the highest return (243,567gns) among the lots sold for a profit. The colt was a €28,000 Goffs November foal.

Nineteen lots lost money. The 49 pinhooks marked as sold were acquired for 3,380,461gns as foals and made 5,021,000gns on Monday representing a 48.5% return.

We have multiplied the price of the foal by 1.1 and added a running cost of 12,000gns (for foals bought in guineas) or €15,000 (for foals bought in euros) for keep, feed, veterinary, shoeing, sales prep and sales entry fees. Depending on whether someone has their own farm, or where they choose to board a horse, will obviously mean that costs for each individual can vary significantly.

It is worth noting that sometimes a horse can appear to be bought and sold by different names but have actually not changed ownership at all.