By Emma Berry
NEWMARKET, UK–Sea The Stars (Ire) provided a showstopper on day one and repeated that feat during the second session of Book 2 when Longview Stud's half-sister to the Group 3 winner Feliciana De Vega (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) (lot 1048) was bought by Roger Varian for 700,000gns.
For an unnamed owner already in Varian's Newmarket stable, the chestnut is a son of the dual listed winner Along Came Casey (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}), who has already been represented by three previous six-figure offspring, including the four-time winner Abnaa (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).
“We tried for the Sea The Stars colt who topped the sale yesterday,” Varian said. Quite a few horses this week have that real Book 1 quality.
“The stallion can't do much wrong at the moment, the mare was a stakes winner and has bred a very good one already. We had to dig deep to get him, but we are delighted.”
The consistent demand for offspring of the stallions of the calibre of Sea The Stars, Frankel (GB), Night Of Thunder (Ire) and Dark Angel (Ire) has fuelled strong trade since the start of the October Yearling Sale, and if Monday's start to Book 2 was a little hesitant, trade roared back into life on Tuesday. Turnover was up by 26% for one fewer yearling sold on the same day last year, with 23,366,000gns paid for 217 yearlings at a clearance rate that remained steady at 88%. The average was also up by 26% at 107,677gns, while the median rose by 8% to 70,000gns.
Breeder Noel O'Callaghan's Mountarmstrong Stud was responsible for one of the late highlights of the evening when the second foal of his French listed winner Asidious Alexander (Ire) (Windsor Knot {Ire}) was the subject of a bidding tussle between Ben McElroy, Richard Brown and Jamie McCalmont, with the latter coming out on top at 575,000gns for Coolmore.
The colt was yet another expensive yearling by Darley's increasingly popular Night Of Thunder (Ire), whose Book 2 average is currently running at 178,400gns for 20 sold, putting him at the top of the sires' list so far this week.
# , @varianstable buys this colt by Sea The Stars @AgaKhanStuds from @longviewstud. He is out of the G3 placed Along Came Casey. pic.twitter.com/IvrzLH6bDf
— TDN (@theTDN) October 11, 2022
Chasemore Colt to Hong Kong
A strapping bay son of Starspangledbanner (Aus) provided another sale-ring highlight for Chasemore Farm when selling for 550,000gns to the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC).
Standing only metres part, the HKJC representative Mick Kinane and Dr. Jim Hay exchanged bids for a time, with Kinane finally having his way for the brother to the Group 3-placed juvenile Breege (GB) and out of a half-sister to one of Starspangledbanner's best runners, The Wow Signal (Ire).
Chasemore's Andrew and Jane Black bought the colt's dam Wowcha (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) as a yearling at Goffs UK and she went on to win as a 3-year-old, before producing two winners with her first two runners, including Breege, who this season has been placed in both the G3 Princess Margaret S. and G3 Prestige S.
Chasemore's manager Jack Conroy said of lot 1008, “The Wow Signal was an unbelievable racehorse and the mare was lovely and scopey so it made a lot of sense to send her to Starspangledbanner. Breege has obviously really helped the pedigree as well.
“[The colt] has been incredibly popular–I've never had so many vettings on a horse, even in Book 1. Sadly we lost the mare last November but she has left us Breege.”
Chasemore sold four horses at Book 1, all for six figures and led by a 750,000gns Kingman (GB) colt out of Wall Of Sound (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}).
Reflecting on the stud's good run, Conroy added, “I'm really proud of the job the team has done last week and this week. Every horse is prepped exactly the same, from Book 1 to Book 3, and we have had a lot of comments on how well they look. We take a lot of pride in that.
“It's an incredibly busy week and our Book 3 horses have just arrived but hopefully we can celebrate on Champions Day. A Group 1 win for [homebred] Brad The Brief would be a nice way to round off the week.”
Starspangledbanner ended up with two yearlings in the day's top eight as nine lots later (lot 1017) came New England Stud's half-sister to the listed winner Mrs Gallagher (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), bred by ORS Bloodstock and Stanley House Stud, who was signed for by Hugo Merry at 340,000gns.
# ,
This colt by Starspangledbanner @coolmorestud is Hong Kong bound after being bought by @HKJC_Racing from @chasemorefarm. pic.twitter.com/AJ9HqKswRE
— TDN (@theTDN) October 11, 2022
Suhail Back for a Frankel
In an increasingly familiar refrain, Frankel (GB) also featured prominently on Tuesday's leaderboard, with two of his yearlings occupying spots in the top five.
The top lot for much of the day was lot 853, a colt bred by Andrew Rosen and Edward Easton from September Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire})) and, at 450,000gns, he became the latest yearling to be recruited by agent Richard Brown on behalf of owner Saeed Suhail, the owner of Desert Crown (GB).
“We tried on a load of Frankels last week and didn't get close,” said Brown. “He is an immature horse, he needs a little bit of imagination, but there is a lot of improvement to come, he is a big frame. He will be given plenty of time and hopefully will reward us as a 3-year-old.”
A Book 1 graduate herself, September Stars, a half-sister to Group 3 winner Teodoro (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Group 1-placed Altruistic (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) from the Wildenstein family of Arcangues and Aquarelliste (Fr), went on to win at stakes level in California for Patrick Gallagher. Her current 2-year-old, a filly by Kingman (GB), is in training with Roger and Harry Charlton.
Like Watership Down Stud, Fittocks Stud also enjoyed a good week during Book 1, and the Cumani team returned to the limelight on Tuesday when selling a Frankel filly (lot 974) out of a Lawman (Fr) half-sister to the treble Group 1 winner and Japan-based sire Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}). Following a theme from Monday, the filly had her roots in a family which has been well cultivated by Andreas Putsch at Haras de Saint Pair, who bred both her dam Via Lazio (GB) and granddam Via Medici (Ire) (Medicean {GB}).
Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland saw off both Shadwell and Juddmonte to buy the filly at 425,000gns.
“We bought Via Lazio in 2019 carrying to Zoustar (Aus). She is a young mare and from a great family, and she is in foal to Time Test (GB) with a Sea The Moon (Ger) filly this year,” said Sara Cumani of Fittocks Stud.
“We put the [Frankel] filly in Book 2 because we thought she might be a little bit lost with the great big Frankels in Book 1. We couldn't be happier with that result. She is a real pocket rocket, we wish the new connections the best of luck.”
Peter Harris Strikes for Ballyshannon Colt
Peter Harris has seen his colours carried to glory by two juveniles trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam this year and the former trainer and breeder has been reinvesting in some yearlings this week at Tattersalls, including lot 991, a colt by Sea The Stars (Ire) bought from Ballyshannon Stud for 350,000gns. Anthony Stroud signed for the first foal of the G3 Fairy Bridge S. winner Waitingfortheday (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}), and he had also been responsible for the purchase of Audarya (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who carried the Harris silks to Group 1 glory in the name of Peter's daughter Alison Swinburn.
Having confirmed that Jane Chapple-Hyam will take charge of the colt, Harris said, “I like first foals because you start with a clean sheet. I always ignore first-season sires as 75% of them are no good, but statistically a mare's first and second foals tend to be better–that's my theory anyway.”
James Hughes of Ballyshannon Stud, who consigned the colt on behalf of breeder Angela Roche, said, “He has gone to a good home, and it is fantastic result for a first foal. The credit has to go to the staff at home: they have reared him and from the feedback we have been getting, we've done okay.”
Hughes purchased the Kildare-based Ballyshannon Stud with his mother Fiona, who died last year. “She would have got a great kick out of this,” he said. “It would have been great to have had her here too.”
Ballyhimikin's Beauty
A Ballyhimikin Stud yearling towards the top of the charts is a familiar sight at Tattersalls, and James Hanly's dependable outfit delivered again on Tuesday with lot 930, a colt by Night Of Thunder (Ire), who will go into training with John and Thady Gosden after being bought at 340,000gns by Anthony Stroud. The agent also purchased the colt's full-sister this time last year for the more modest sum of 38,000gns.
“He is a beauty, the sire didn't do any harm either–I should put up a statue of him,” said Hanly, who raced the colt's dam Syndicate (GB) (Dansili {GB}), having bought her through Stroud from Juddmonte as a 3-year-old for 25,000gns.
“The pedigree has really come good since we bought her. My friend John Feane trained her and won with her in England. She showed a lot of ability.”
The mare's two full-brothers, Runnymede (GB) and Stipulate (GB) are both stakes winners, and the further family also includes the G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Mutual Trust (GB) (Cacique {GB}).
Smart Fillies Signed Up By Breeders
Big owner-breeders joined the buyers' bench on Tuesday with Cheveley Park Stud, who were “on the hunt for sharper types” going to 320,000gns for lot 862, Tally-Ho Stud's sister to Indestructible (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who has twice finished runner-up to G1 Dewhurst winner Chaldean (GB), in the G3 Acomb S and G2 Champagne S.
Shadwell paid the same amount for lot 847, a filly by Too Darn Hot (GB) from Newsells Park Stud's signature family of Shastye (GB) (Danehill). The yearling's dam Secret Sense (Shamardal) is a half-sister to the Galileo (Ire) Group 1 winners Japan (GB) and Mogul (GB), and to Group 2 winner Secret Gesture (GB).
“She looks a very tough filly, there is a masculine look about her and plenty of Shamardal,”said Shadwell's Angus Gold. “We are trying to find fillies with pedigrees, she has one of the best pages in the book.”
Coolmore Purchase to Kingsclere
Hillwood Stud has had a successful first two days at Book 2, with Tuesday's offerings including a Lope De Vega (Ire) filly sold for 300,000gns to Alex Elliott on behalf of MV Magnier.
“She'll go to Andrew Balding,” the agent confirmed. “The brother is not a bad horse–he won a Newmarket maiden–and the mare was rated 100 and is by Sea The Stars. It's a great staying family, she'll take a bit of time and I'm delighted to get her.”
The dam Yarrow (Ire) emanates from the Ballymacoll Stud family that included 2000 Guineas winner Golan (Ire) and Derby runner-up Tartan Bearer (Ire), and her second foal, the juvenile Tenerife Sunshine (GB), is the Newmarket winner in training with Mark and Charlie Johnston.
Pinhookers In Clover
Among several notably good pinhooks during the second session, the brothers David and Tom Brickley of And Erin Stud deserved a gold star to go with their considerable profit made on lot 873. Bought for 50,000gns last year, the Exceed And Excel colt did of course benefit from several striking updates from his half-brother, the 'TDN Rising Star' Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), the winner of the G2 Mill Reef S. who is owned by KHK Racing.
Oliver St Lawrence bought the 2-year-old colt at the breeze-ups, and he returned for the yearling, going to 270,000gns on behalf of associates of Fawzi Nass.
“He is an absolute dude of a horse, an absolute dude,” said Tom Brickley. “Sakheer came up, too, and the stars aligned, it is exciting stuff.
“He has been straightforward all the way through and we think he is a champion. Let's hope he's an Ascot 2-year-old for next year–we've never been to Royal Ascot.
The colt, who was bred by Conor and Deirdre Cashman's Drumlin Bloodstock, is out of Shortmile Lady (Arcano), who, along with Sakheer is also responsible for the Group 3 winner Lemista (Raven's Pass).
Barry Mahon and Michael Fitzpatrick also know their stuff when it comes to pinhooking and the Mahon family's Mountain View Stud sold a smart son of Darley freshman Masar (Ire) for 240,000gns to Ed Sackville.
Consigned as lot 925, the son of Sweet Lady Rose (Ire) (Shamardal) was bred by David Botterill and sold as a foal for 32,000gns.
Masar's nine yearlings sold through Book 2 so far have averaged 100,444gns.
Havana Grey is Gals' Best Pal
An all-female pinhooking syndicate named The Gals Gals had an excellent first foray into the yearling market, turning their 21,000gns foal into a 150,000gns yearling. Their cause was helped by the fact that the colt was by one of this year's leading first-season sires Havana Grey (GB), but there was plenty of collective experience among the four young women who picked him out at Tattersalls last December and produced him for Book 2.
Led by Kildaragh Stud's Alice Kavanagh, the Gals Gals team consists of Florence Cain, Nicola Short, and Fay Cort, all of whom work in the bloodstock industry in various roles.
“The girls came together last year and we thought about buying a foal together,” said Kavanagh. “We were beaten on a couple, but were successful buying him towards the end of the sale. We are all heavily involved in the industry and wanted to pool our money together and have a go at pinhooking. We have been extremely lucky with how well Havana Grey has done, we couldn't have expected that and it was a pretty risky year to go with a first-season sire. We were incredibly lucky he has done so well and this colt was liked as soon as we got here.”
Cort added, “I think it's going to be a big night. There will be some champagne drunk, but it is well earned.”
The colt (lot 900) is out of Speculating (Ire) (Xtension {Ire}), a half-sister to the hardy Group 3-winning stayer Danehill Kodiac (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), and was bred by Josh Cameron.
“We will have a really nice supper and then think about reinvesting,” noted Kavanagh.
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