Stars Align For Hazelwood's Kingman Colt

NEWMARKET, UK—England's Indian summer was washed away by Sunday's ceaseless rain and a similarly damp start to Monday but the wet and windy conditions did little to dampen buyers' ardour as Book 2 of the October Sale began its three-day run.

In many ways, it picked up almost exactly where Book 1 left off, albeit at a more modest level. Newsells Park Stud is still out in front as the leading consignor, and the Maktoum family is collectively ensuring that the figures continue to read well during the second part of the October Sale, at least at the top end.

Last year, a Sea The Stars (Ire) colt from Italy's Le.Gi Stud set a new Book 2 record at 850,000gns and the second-most expensive yearling ever to sell from this section of the sale went through the ring on Monday. The son of Kingman (GB) didn't have so far to travel as lot 637 was offered by Adrian and Philippa O'Brien's Hazelwood Bloodstock, which is based just outside Newmarket at Red House Stud in Exning. His sale to Godolphin at 750,000gns was understandably a source of pride for the fledgling operation which is consigning at the October Sale for just the second year.

“All the stars aligned,” said Adrian O'Brien, who has already had the honour of topping the December Yearling Sale with a 400,000gns Kodiac (GB) filly during Hazelwood's inaugural sales season.

“One of the most satisfying things about it for us—for Philippa, for me and for the team—is that this is the first crop we've had from conception through to yearlings,” he added. “This colt has been so well liked. Everyone who saw him liked him, I can't remember being involved with a yearling who was more popular. He took it all enormously well and handled everything beautifully. As well as that, the mare is good, and the stallion has made such a good start.”

Raced by her breeder Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the colt's dam Reem (Aus) is bred on the magical Galileo (Ire)-Danehill cross but started her life on the other side of the world. She raced initially in her homeland of Australia before shipping to Dubai, where she won a listed race at Meydan for Mike de Kock and then spent a season in training in Newmarket. Her first foal Rasmee (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) won a Newcastle maiden in the sheikh's colours.

On A Par
The Kingman colt, who was knocked down to his sire's former trainer John Gosden, was one of 12  purchases for Godolphin through Stroud Coleman Bloodstock, one fewer than Sheikh Hamdan's baker's dozen. Collectively, the brothers were responsible for 3.97 million gns of the aggregate of 16,301,000gns (-2%).

The day's trade had a fairly frenetic feel to it but the strength of last year's sale was highlighted by the fact that even on a day when 45 yearlings sold for six-figure sums, the average and median figures were still down slightly. The average of 75,819gns represented a 2% drop while the median was down 8% to 55,000gns. The clearance rate of 85%, for 215 horses sold of 252 through the ring, was unchanged from 2017 when 214 sold.

Breeders Go Dutch
The most recent equine purchase by Whitsbury Manor Stud's Chris Harper was the 4-year-old daughter of Dutch Art (GB) named Suelita (GB) who had won four races in Italy and was bought at Tattersalls in 2013 for 21,500gns. Though told off at the time by his son Ed for “going rogue” and not consulting him on the purchase, Harper's judgement has now been vindicated in more ways than one. The mare's first foal by Cityscape (GB) is the Irish listed winner The Broghie Man (GB) and her third foal, a yearling filly by the venerable veteran Pivotal (GB) (lot 756), brought the hammer down at 425,000gns—the second-highest price for a filly in Book 2—in favour of Chris Richardson of Cheveley Park Stud.

“It was a foal share and we're very pleased to buy her,” Richardson explained. “At the age of 25, Pivotal has had another phenomenal year as the broodmare sire of six individual Group 1 winners and another Group 1 winner of his own in Lightning Spear (GB).”

Ed Harper added, “I suppose I'll have to buy dad a drink later.”

Suelita has a colt foal by Showcasing (GB) on the ground and is back in foal to the Whitsbury Manor Stud stallion.

SackvilleDonald Packs A Punch
SackvilleDonald was last year one of the leading buyers at Book 2 with 34 yearlings bought for more than 3.5 million gns and one half of the duo of agents, Alastair Donald, signalled his intent early on Monday morning when signing for a colt by Siyouni (Fr) (lot 574) from Kenilworth House Stud. The strong chestnut colt, a first foal, fetched 300,000gns, prompting a good start—in the sales ring at least— to the career of his dam, the dual listed winner and Group 3-placed Pelerin (Ire) (Shamardal). Newsells Park Stud can also take some credit for this colt as he was bred by the farm and was sold last year from their foal draft for 80,000gns.

Kenilworth House Stud manager Gerry Ross said, “He was very busy through inspections and of course Siyouni has had another brilliant year, headlined by the wonderful Laurens (Fr), but there is a lot of his damsire Shamardal in him too.”

Donald had been reluctant to identify his client through Book 1 but at last year's October Sale he made significant investment on behalf of the King Power Racing operation.

Among the 15 yearlings bought either by Donald or partner Ed Sackville on the day were two colts at 200,000gns apiece. Lot 649, a first-crop son of Coolmore's dual Guineas winner Gleneagles (Ire), represented a terrific pinhook for the Blue Wind Thoroughbreds syndicate, which is managed by Ed Player of Whatton Manor Stud and bought the grandson of listed winner Bombazine (Ire) (Generous {Ire}) for 32,000gns.

Player said, “We knew we had struck lucky when we bought this colt as a foal here last year. He was a lovely foal, but he has turned inside out through his prep. We had a lot of interest in him and Gleneagles should make up into a top stallion. We're thrilled that Alastair bought him and wish his new connections the best of luck.”

The second of the 200,000-guinea colts (676), also by a Coolmore Classic winner, Australia (GB), was bought from breeder Michael Gaffney of Churchtown House Stud.

“Australia oozes class and we wanted to give the mare the best possible start,” said Gaffney of the first foal of the Aga Khan-bred French winner Sannkala (Fr) (Medicean {GB}), who in now back in foal to Australia with a Zoffany (Ire) foal at foot.

Pinhooking Joy
Kitten's Joy was represented by a 700,000gns Book 1 filly and the Hill 'n' Dale Farms resident was back among the leading lots as Book 2 got underway with a Jamie Railton Keeneland pinhook, which progressed from a $77,000 weanling to a 280,000gns yearling.

Lot 683 had been knocked down to Hunter Valley Farm in Lexington and reappeared here through Railton's 24-strong consignment.

“We found him on top of the hill at Keeneland and he is a pretty spectacular horse. I am so pleased for all those who have invested and trusted me with their money,” Railton said after selling the colt to Harry Sweeney of behalf of Japan's Paca Paca Farm.

The colt was bred by former trainer Jean Etienne Dubois from the winning Super Saver mare Save Our Oceans, a daughter of the GIII Santa Ysabel S. winner Atlantic Ocean (Stormy Atlantic).

Red-letter Day For Murphy
In February last year, Jimmy Murphy of Redpender Stud bought the Royal Applause (GB) mare Selva Real (GB) for €40,000 at Arqana while the 6-year-old mare was carrying to Mastercraftsman (Ire). Two months later she foaled a colt and another 18 months on as lot 691, the colt handsomely rewarded his breeder's investment when selling for 280,000gns to Philippa Mains on behalf of American owner Jon Kelly.

The offspring of Mastercraftsman have made racing headlines on plenty of occasions this season, notably his four-time Group 1-winning daughter Alpha Centauri (Ire), but she is not alone. A Raving Beauty (Ger) has won two Grade 1 races in America, while Saint Emilion (NZ) won at the top level in New Zealand.

“He's gorgeous and he'll be going to Jessica Harrington. Let's hope Jessie can do with this Mastercraftsman as she did this year with Alpha Centauri,” said Mains, a former assistant to Amanda Skiffington who is setting up her own racing club, Main Line Racing, in November. The club is to be run on a lease arrangement with Whitsbury Manor Stud, in similar vein to Hot To Trot Racing, which leased the 2017 G2 Queen Mary S. winner Heartache (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) from Whitsbury Manor.

Selva Real is a daughter of the G1 Moyglare Stud S. runner-up Silca Chiave (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), herself a half-sister to Eddie Aldridge's champion racemare Golden Silca (GB) (Inchinor {GB}) and G1 Darley Prix Morny winner Silca's Sister (GB).

Newsells Park Colt For HKJC
During a strong Book 1 market, the Hong Kong Jockey Club team signed for five yearlings last week and added another to that quintet when going to 250,000gns for a Gestut Fahrhof-bred Oasis Dream (GB) second foal of the listed winner and G1 Premio Lydia Tesio runner-up Path Wind (Fr) (Anabaa) (566). It is the first visit to Tattersalls for the team since the death of Nick Columb in August, just ahead of the start of the European yearling season.

“I'm here without Nick and his loss leaves a huge gap,” said Mark Richards. “He achieved such a lot in the industry, as an owner he won the Caulfield Cup with Imposera and Tristarc, and Golden Slipper with Courtza. He was also chairman of Australia's Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners' Association. He is greatly missed.”

The transaction brought a positive start to Book 2 for last week's leading vendor Newsells Park Stud, which sold another Oasis Dream colt (523) to Juddmonte. This, too, was the second foal of his dam, the mare in question being Nancy O (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), a daughter of GI Del Mar Oaks and GI EP Taylor S. heroine Arravale (Arch) whose stakes places include the GI Frizette S.

Hot, Hot, Hot
Leading the way for the first-season sires on Monday was Qatar Bloodstock's Hot Streak (Ire), who had three yearlings sell for an average of 130,000gns. Angus Gold appears to be a big fan, having signed for two of the trio on behalf of Shadwell.

Lot 533 headed the list at 200,000gns, the Lynn Lodge Stud offering having been pinhooked from his breeder Peter Molony as a foal for €56,000 at Goffs by Eddie O'Leary. The son of the Elusive City mare Never In (Ire) is a half-brother to the Italian winner Notturno Ligure (Ire) (Casamento {Ire}).

Gold's second purchase was another pinhook, this time by the O'Callaghans of Tally-Ho Stud, who bought lot 601 for 55,000gns as a foal and have benefited from updates from his older half-brothers. The current juvenile from the mare Poyle Dee Dee (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), Could Be King (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), won a Limerick maiden on Oct. 13 and 3-year-old Poyle George Two (GB) (Sepoy {Aus}) has been placed twice since the catalogue was printed. Their yearling half-sibling, bred by Cecil and Alison Wiggins, was sold for 150,000gns. Joseph O'Brien was the buyer of the third Hot Streak colt (659) for 40,000gns.

Another six yearlings by the stallion, who stood his opening season at Tweenhills Farm & Stud for £7,000, are slated to sell through the next two days of Book 2. Tuesday's session will begin at 10am.