Roaring Book 2 Trade Bucks Trend at Tattersalls

NEWMARKET, UK—Apparently there's a global pandemic in progress, but that didn't thwart the appetite for bloodstock at Tattersalls on Tuesday as the second session of Book 2 bucked trends in what has been a tricky sales season to date.

“Considering what else is going on in the world, we are very lucky this is going ahead,” said David Cox of Baroda Stud after selling one of the day's most successful pinhooks.

It is a sentiment that has been repeated often in recent weeks as the yearling sales have continued while parts of Europe have been plunged back into strict local lockdowns. So far, East Anglia has avoided such restriction and business at Park Paddocks has progressed almost as normal. The fact that trade in Book 2 has so far been apparently immune to outside forces is nothing short of extraordinary. In fact, one buyer went as far as describing the market simply as “bonkers”.

Not all pinhookers have fared well, of course, but that is always the case and at the top of the market on Tuesday there were some very encouraging results for those who had taken a chance on pricey foals last November and December.

The international array of breeders behind some of the yearlings on offer at Tattersalls also fared better than most might have hoped for several months ago, as Godolphin and Shadwell continued their support of the October Sale, along with King Power Racing and American interests including Peter Brant and Craig Bernick.

As the near 12-hour session drew to a close, the comparative figures for both aggregate and average were up on last year. Turnover of 17,987,500gns marked a small improvement of 4%, while the average of 84,448gns was up 1%. The median showed a 20% decline at 52,000gns and the strength of demand was underlined by a clearance rate of 85%.

Top Lot For Godolphin

Andrew Stone's St Albans Bloodstock has enjoyed notable success as the breeder of Postponed (Ire), who is now resident at Sheikh Mohammed's Dalham Hall Stud and the Godolphin supremo will be hoping for similar success for Stone's Lope De Vega (Ire) colt out of a Galileo (Ire) half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Simply Perfect (GB) (Danehill), who topped Tuesday's session at 675,000gns.

“We can't take the credit really, we just put the gloss on over the last nine weeks,” said consignor Julian Dollar of Newsells Park Stud. “The credit must go to breeder Andrew Stone and the farm which foaled and raised the colt.”

Sold as lot 945, the grey is a son of 3-year-old winner Loch Ma Naire (Ire) who has produced two dual winners from her first two runners. The colt also hails from the same family as Postponed, with whom he shares his third dam Birch Creek (GB).

Of the strong start to Book 2, Dollar added, “I actually think there was value to be found last week, but I'm not complaining. The sale seems to have taken off incredibly this week. It's fantastic, and thanks to all the people who are prepared to take their hands out of their pockets and spend big money on racehorses. Long may it continue.”

Late in the session, Anthony Stroud signed for a colt by another Ballylinch Stud stallion, New Bay (GB), whose runners have made an impressive start this season and who was represented by his second group winner on Saturday in Saffron Beach (Ire).

Lot 1037 was bred at Ballylinch from the Listed Radley S. winner Need You Now (Ire) (Kheleyf), who has already produced a dual winner to Lope De Vega in Peruvian Summer (Ire). New Bay has now had seven yearlings sold through Book 2 for an average of 160,143gns with this colt his most expensive to date at 400,000gns.

Commenting on the success of the Ballylinch stallions, stud director John O'Connor said, “We are delighted with the way the market is receiving them but the reason the they are selling well is that they are getting winners in the right places and the right types of tracks and the right stakes races. That is what it is all about in the end. Sales should be about racing.”

Stroud also signed for another of the Newsells Park Stud draft on behalf of Godolphin. Lot 843, the Siyouni (Fr) colt out of the G3 Oh So Sharp S. winner Havant (GB) (Halling), was bred by James Wigan and sold for 300,000gns.

Classic Prospect For Bernick

A major Australian breeder selling to a leading American owner-breeder highlights the international aspect of the October Sale which has continued into Book 2. There was no shortage of support from the other side of the Atlantic during Book 1, even though many American owners were unable to travel, and Irish agent Hubie de Burgh played a pivotal role in the transaction of lot 954 from John Camilleri to Craig Bernick of Glen Hill Farm.

The Norelands Stud-consigned Frankel (GB) filly was full of beans during her prolonged spell in the ring, with the hammer finally coming down in de Burgh's favour at 460,000gns. She hails from a family to which the agent has already given his seal of approval, having bought her dam Love Is Blindness (Ire) (Sir Percy {GB}) for Camilleri at the 2016 Goffs November Sale for €380,000. It is also one rippled with Classic influences as the dam's half-brother is Sven and Carina Hanson's Prix du Jockey Club winner Reliable Man (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and their granddam is the treble Oaks winner Fair Salinia (GB) (Petingo {GB}).

“She's by one of the great sires of the modern era and there are Classic winners in her page, she could be a Guineas or an Oaks filly,” said de Burgh. “On top of that she is a beautiful filly from a top farm where I keep a lot of stock, and I've known her since she was a foal.”

Florida-based Bernick has a select string of horses in training in Britain and Ireland, including the G1 Nassau S. runner-up One Voice (Ire) (Poet's Voice {GB}), who is entered for Saturday's G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. His latest acquisition will join maiden winner Sloane Peterson (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) at Fozzy Stack's stable.

De Burgh added, “Craig is a great lover of the horse industry and is going to be a great breeder. He has some wonderful stock in Europe already and wants to collect this quality of bloodstock because he is thinking 20 years ahead. Hopefully she will be one of the foundation mares in the broodmare band. Craig is developing an Australian operation, European and American; it is very exciting.”

Arc-Winning Owner Still In Play

Peter Brant of White Birch Farm had already recruited 10 yearlings through the Goffs Orby and Tattersalls Book 1 sales and his agent Demi O'Byrne remained in action on Tuesday when signing for two of the day's more expensive horses.

Lot 840, one of the great pinhooking successes of the sale, was offered by Gerry Ross of Kenilworth House Stud, who bought the Showcasing (GB) colt with “a bunch of mates” for 70,000gns in December. By the time O'Byrne had finished trading bids, his new valuation came in at 310,000gns.

“He is a great walker and Alastair Pim said he had one of the best walkers he had seen through the two weeks,” said Ross of the son of the unraced Harlequin Twist (GB) (Acclamation {GB}), a half-sister to Listed Magnolia S winner Miblish (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}). “A foal will never lose its walk. He was flat to the boards here all week and his last show was as good as his first. He has been a pro so far, hopefully he will continue.”

Referring to the strong trade through the first two days of Book 2, he added, “Nobody can be confident at the minute and a week ago I would never have dreamt of that sort of money. Yesterday's trade was the best it has been all year. No vendor is going into the ring with their chest out, but at least you have a bit more confidence.”

A little later O'Byrne went to 300,000gns for lot 853, from the first crop of Group 1-winning miler Ribchester (Ire) and out of an unraced Teofilo (Ire) half-sister to listed winner Pelerin (Ire) (Shamardal). Her dam, Hint Of Pink (Ire), was represented by her first winner when the Andre Fabre-trained Parchemin (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) struck on debut at Compiegne on Oct. 1.

The May-foaled filly was bred in partnership by Norelands Stud and Patrick Robinson, co-author of the book Horse Trader, which chronicles Robert Sangster's rise to prominence as an owner and breeder.

“Her half-brother winning in the last week or so that was big plus, timing is everything in this business,” said Harry McCalmont of Norelands Stud. “A couple of years ago Patrick wrote a book called Lone Survivor which became a blockbuster movie. Patrick decided to retire and take up breeding horses, and gave me a few quid to spend on horses. I am delighted for him.”

Shadwell Steps In

Sheikh Hamdan has had a terrific season on the racecourse and after a quiet start to the sales season, the operation has played a significant role in the buoyancy of Book 2. The sheikh's racing manager Angus Gold has signed for 24 yearlings over the last two days for almost 3.3 million gns, including Chasemore Farm's Kodiac (GB) colt out of the G3 Albany S.-placed Ilaunaglass (Ire) (Red Clubs {Ire}) at 280,000gns.

Gold's purchase of lot 878 brought a broad smile to the face of Henrietta Egan of Corduff Stud, who bred the son of Teofilo (Ire) from her sole mare Island Remede (GB) (Medicean {GB}).

“This is the mare's first foal and I wanted to send her to a proper stallion,” she said. “He is beautiful yearling and I am so delighted he has gone to such a fabulous owner.”

Egan bought the mare, a dual winner and G3 St Simon S. runner-up, for 43,000gns and sold her first offspring to Shadwell for 260,000gns.

Egan added, “She has a beautiful Camelot filly foal and is in foal to Phoenix Of Spain, but on the back of that we might have to go back to Teofilo.”

Camelot Back-up Plan Works Out

Breeders Frank Antonacci and David Reid bought the 10-year-old Oratorio (Ire) mare Matorio (Fr) through Mick Flanagan for 125,000gns in 2017 and her first mating planned by the partners resulted in a good touch on Tuesday when her Camelot (GB) filly sold for 340,000gns to Simon Crisford. The trainer signed for lot 986 in the name of Gainsborough Thoroughbreds.

“The mare is at Baroda and she went to No Nay Never but didn't take and was transferred to Camelot,” explained consignor David Cox, who boards the mare for her owners who also have a share in No Nay Never. Later attempts at getting the mare in foal to the sire of recent G1 Cheveley Park S. winner Alcohol Free (Ire) have resulted in a colt foal and she is now carrying again to No Nay Never.

Matorio was herself the winner of three races as well as finishing second in the G2 Prix du Muguet, and she enjoyed a decent update on the first day of racing in France following the coronavirus shutdown when her half-brother Batwan (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) won the G3 Prix de Saint-Georges.

Baroda Stud has sold eight Book 2 yearlings so far for an average of 118,125gns and they include the most expensive Bated Breath (GB) yearling sold at auction (lot 828). The half-brother to G3 Molecomb S winner and young Norman Court Stud stallion Rumble Inthejungle (Ire) was bred by Patrick Gleeson and was pinhooked by Baroda as a foal for €95,000. Returned to the ring at Tattersalls he was bought by Anthony Stroud for 280,000gns.

Ringfort Colt for HKJC

Ringfort Stud has enjoyed a tremendous season on the racecourse as the breeder of Group 2 winners Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Ubettabelieveit (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Miss Amulet (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}), and a colt from its draft was the pick of the day for the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Lot 1006, a May-born son of Fastnet Rock (Aus) and the first foal of the well-bred Miss Liguria (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) fetched a bid of 240,000gns from Mick Kinane. The mare has a Hong Kong connection herself as she was bred by the late John Pearce, who resided there for much of his life. She is a half-sister to the listed winners Miss Cap Estel (GB) (Hernando {Fr}) and St Jean Cap Ferrat (GB) (Domedriver {Ire}) and a granddaughter of the G2 Sun Chariot S winner Miss Beaulieu (GB) (Northfields).