By Brian Sheerin
Tim Cohen did not come halfway around the world to walk away from the Tattersalls table when the stakes get higher and the American-based agent did not blink in securing I'm A Gambler for 850,000gns on behalf of Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal on day two of the Autumn Horses In Training Sale.
I'm A Gambler (Ire) (No Nay Never), a typical Charlie and Mark Johnston-trained runner who has gone from strength to strength this season and was last seen winning a Listed event at Redcar, will continue his career in California.
Cohen said, “It's hard to find a solid three-year-old and he's obviously one of the highest-rated in the sale. Physically, he's beautiful. Certainly didn't want to go that far but also didn't want to come all this way and not use something worthwhile.”
“There are a few three-year-old stakes races left in California this year, but he has had quite a few races, so we will finish the year and then he can have a little break.”
Asked how high he thinks I'm A Gambler can go in America, Cohen joked, “He better go pretty high! He is a quality individual, has already proven that, so if we can maintain that and can enhance that, it will be even better. He does not have much left to prove to me.”
Charlie Johnson watched the sale on the rope and revealed that selling the nine-time winner made good sense financially for the Kingsley Park team and owners John Brown and Megan Dennis.
He said, “It was quite some theatre because bidders that seemed to drop out of the running suddenly came back for more. It just showed what high demand he was in. He's a phenomenal physical, a beautiful horse, and he's had no issues all the way through his career. He's been an easy horse to train as he's very sound and very tough and he's really taken off in the last four or five months. It's a phenomenal result.”
Johnson added, “Watching trade I thought he was going to make 400,000gns or maybe 500,000gns on a good day, so the end result is quite fantastic. Normally, you wouldn't sell good horses like that but the reality is, I spoke to John a few weeks ago and his dream campaign for next year would involve winning the Lennox S.
“The horse has just earned five, six or maybe even seven times the prize-money of that race for selling here. It leaves a huge hole in our yard to sell a 110-rated horse but economically it was a logical decision for the owner.”
' & go , ' #
This gelding by No Nay Never recently won a Listed race and was consigned by @Johnston_Racing. pic.twitter.com/sDNz7CAzUr
— TDN (@theTDN) October 25, 2022
The Johnson team have sold a total of 27 horses at the sale thus far for 1,270,500gns while Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal pushed spending to 1,215,000gns after buying Bellstreet Bridie (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}) for 260,000gns and Maltese Falcon (Ire) (Caravaggio ) on Monday.
Figures were up again on Tuesday. Trade reached 12,373,000gns on the day which represents a 10% rise on last year. The median was also up 22% to 25,000gns while the average rose 15% to 50,709gns.
The clearance rate was 93%, the same as in 2021, while the total spend for Monday and Tuesday together is 20,939,100gns.
'Very Ambitious' Wathnan Racing Flexes Buying Power
Wathnan Racing, one of the newest racing ventures in Qatar that is headed by Alban Elie De Mieulle, the multiple champion trainer in that jurisdiction, once again flexed its buying power when snapping up Persian Royal (GB) and Inverness (Ire), two of the most expensive horses sold on Tuesday.
That helped elevate Wathnan Racing's spending to 1,750,000gns across the two days. It was Roger and Harry Charlton's Persian Royal, a four-time winner by Al Kazeem (GB), who boasts a rating of 90 that made 450,000gns while Inverness (Highland Reel {Ire}) was sold for 380,000gns.
Wathnan Racing, for which Olly Tait has been buying on behalf of, acquired nine horses from the sale and were also in the running for the top lot I'm A Gambler for much of the bidding.
“Wathnan Racing is a new stable that has started up in Qatar,” Tait said after buying Persian Royal. “We want to have enough horses so that the stable can be successful.”
He added, “His form was excellent and he looks progressive. Not only is he progressive but he's super consistent. He's a nice horse for this season and hopefully many more seasons to come.”
Persian Royal raced in the familiar silks of John Deer, who also owned the sire Al Kazeem, a four-time Group 1 winner for Roger Charlton.
The Qatar Derby was identified as the likely target for Inverness, the second highest-rated son of Highland Reel with a mark of 94, who held on to top-lot status for much of the day.
Tait said of that dual winner, “He has very consistent, progressive form, and he will go on firm ground. He is a horse who could hopefully be competitive in the Qatar Derby.
“He is that level of horse. He wasn't inexpensive but that is what you have to pay for a horse of that quality. He is very willing and his form stands up very well.”
He added, “There is a big programme of racing in Qatar and Wathnan Racing is very ambitious, looking for horses who can win races at different levels. In time, a broader Middle Eastern campaign for the horses could be on the radar.”
Havana Grey's Best Boy Off To Qatar
Eddie's Boy (GB), the highest-rated son of crack first-season sire Havana Grey (GB), will continue his career in Qatar after selling online to Will Douglass of Charlie Gordon Watson Bloodstock and Al Wasmiyah Stud for 320,000gns.
A teak-tough two-year-old, Eddie's Boy has won three of his 10 starts this term, and is set to be kept on the go a little longer with December targets in Qatar pencilled into his diary by the new connections.
The Middleham Park-owned and Archie Watson-trained colt enjoyed his greatest day on a racecourse so far when landing a Group 3 at Chantilly last month and has amassed over £210,000 in prize-money.
Douglass said, “He is an absolutely cracking-looking horse and has danced every dance this year. He vetted brilliantly–you can't knock what he has done. He is well-made, strong and solid, and is going to do well in Qatar. I think he has the best two-year-old form in the catalogue.
“He will first aim for the Al Rayyan S., which is run in mid-December, and then for the Al Biddah Mile in early February. We have managed to buy the winner of that for the last seven years so there is no pressure!”
The agent added, “Plans are a bit up in the air at the moment, but we have found that it works better to leave the horses here for the December race and run them off the plane, then leave them in Qatar for the later race.”
That would suggest that Eddie's Boy will stay in training with Watson for that December target in Qatar.
Middleham's Tim Palin said, “A 45,000gns buy at Tattersalls to selling today, there is a certain synergy there, we have sold really well and it is just a privilege to be dining at the top table and selling at the top table.
“Horses such as him and The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) show that even for the cheaper sort of horse, if you club together and share the expense, you can achieve and get to the best places. He has been a fantastic success story under Archie's tutelage.”
On Breeders' Cup bound The Platinum Queen, who was a 57,000gns Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up purchase, he added, “She travels to America on Saturday for her Breeders' Cup assignment. We are looking forward to a fantastic race. She is favourite, we could do with a good draw, it is not imperative but important.
“Hollie Doyle is booked. Let's hope we can go over and serve it up to the Americans in their own back yard. We will have around 20 members heading over.”
High Definition To Embark On Hurdles Career
He was once talked about as a leading Derby contender at Ballydoyle but now High Definition (Ire) will have major targets over jumps to aim for after Coolmore sold the 2020 G2 Beresford S. winner to join Joseph O'Brien for 350,000gns.
⭐️ , , !
The son of Galileo was consigned by @coolmorestud and has been bought by @mcstayagent for existing clients for 350,000gns. He'll go to @JosephOBrien2. pic.twitter.com/ka6f9fv1w7
— TDN (@theTDN) October 25, 2022
High Definition won twice for Aidan O'Brien but showed snippets of top-class form, including when second in this season's G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh, and Mark McStay secured the Galileo (Ire) colt for an existing client at Owning Hill.
Celestial Halo (Ire), Supasundae (GB) and Windsor Park (Ire) rank among Galileo's best sons to have gone down the National Hunt route and McStay confirmed that he secured the 117-rated Flat performer for that sphere.
“He is for an existing international client and he goes to Joseph O'Brien to go jumping,” McStay said afterwards.
Another Coolmore-consigned wildcard, the Group 3-winning Aikhal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), sold to South Africa's leading bloodstock agency Form Bloodstock for 150,000gns.
McStay's Avenue Bloodstock also signed for Aidan O'Brien's 107-rated dual winner Glounthaune (Ire), part-owned by the late Evie Stockwell, for 135,000gns. Bjorn Baker Racing and Clarke Bloodstock were also down as buyers for the Kodiac (GB) colt.
Despite having a number of withdrawals, Coolmore have sold 14 horses for over 1.5 million across the opening two days of the sale, highlighted by Monday's 410,000 sale-topper Waterville.
King's First Winner Sold As Australian Interest Amplifies
A number of The King's high profile runners, including Just Fine (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who provided him with his first winner as an owner at Leicester earlier this month, sold strongly.
The 99-rated Just Fine, trained by Sir Michael Stoute to win three races, changed hands for 300,000gns to Johnny McKeever on behalf of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
McKeever said, “It has been a while since I have bought one from the Royal Studs. Gai Waterhouse trained for the late Queen and will be thrilled to be getting a horse that she owned.
“Sea The Stars is one of my all-time favourite racehorses and sires. I rate him up there with all the great ones and, except for Frankel, is one of the best staying stallions in the world.”
He added, “We are looking for good quality horses and Sir Michael recommended him very strongly. I don't know if there have been many by Sea The Stars in Australia, but this horse's level of form is pretty good, and he has the right profile. We have tried on a few others-we were underbidders on Chairman and this morning on Inverness.”
Fellow Stoute-trained Royal runners Theme Park and Naval College sold similarly well. Theme Park (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) was knocked down to Jamie Piggott and Nigel Tinkler for 200,000gns while Sackville Donald bought Naval College (GB) (Dartmouth {GB}) for 185,000.
Chairman (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}) proved one of the highlights on Monday when selling from Freddie and Martin Meade to Ciaron Maher and David Eustace for 400,000gns and the Australian trainers were back for more on Tuesday.
Will Bourne, the bloodstock executive for the powerful training partnership, struck for Ruling (Ger) (Camelot {GB}), fourth behind Monday's session-topper Waterville (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the Irish Cesarewitch last month, for 300,000gns.
“He is a nice athletic horse and will go to Ciaron's Sydney operation,” Bourne said. “He is a genuine stayer. He has had a break but has come back well and he has the perfect profile for the Sydney Autumn Carnival.
“The carnival can really accommodate a horse like him and there is a lot of prize-money on offer. We are looking for five or six horses in total this week but it is a very buoyant market and they are hard to buy.”
The strength of the trade took its toll on many, but not Ronald Rauscher, who described himself as pleasantly surprised about being able to pick up the 106-rated Earl Of Tyrone (Ire) (Australia {GB}) for 300,000 on behalf of Australian Bloodstock.
Earl Of Tyrone has improved 29lbs since joining Paddy Twomey this season and Rauscher said he is hopeful that there can be more to come.
He said, “The objective is staying races in Australia. I know where he has come from and who trains him very well-he was obvious for us. I thought there might be a bit more action on him, so I am not unhappy where we landed. He is a very nice horse, very correct, very well looked after.”
Rockingham Runner-Up Captures Imagination
The Rockingham S. runner-up Kyeema (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) captured the imagination with Chinese owner YP Cheng going to 360,000gns for the William Haggas-trained gelding.
Kyeema was purchased under the name of Domeland and, while a trainer has yet to be decided upon, Roy Cheng revealed the 102-rated sprinter would head to Australia.
He said, “My boss really liked this horse. He will be heading to Sydney. We are not sure about a trainer yet.”
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