‘We couldn’t do it without him’ – Sheikh Mohammed leads the Godolphin charge at Book 1 with 19.625 million guineas spend
Sheikh Mohammed has cut an understated figure standing by the Tattersalls parade ring over the three days of Book 1. Dressed in his customary sportswear and often in conversation with John Gosden, David Loder or other members of his inner sanctum, the ruler of Dubai could almost blend into the crowd if not for the discreet presence of his close protection.
However, there has been nothing low-key about Godolphin’s spend during the blue-chip sessions of the October Yearling Sale.
A total of 23 new recruits have been added to the racing stable, which in turn has seen 19.625 million guineas pumped back into breeders’ pockets. That eight-figure investment means Godolphin topped the Book 1 buyers’ table by clear water.
Five of those yearlings cost a seven-figure sum, including the sale’s top lot, the Sea The Stars colt out of Crystal Zvezda who fetched 3.7 million guineas on day one.
The buying spree also took in a Wootton Bassett colt out of Time Tunnel who headed trade during the concluding session on Thursday at 1.9 million guineas. The Juddmonte team provided the sheikh’s most determined adversary, but were ultimately left as the frustrated underbidder.
The colt, a half-brother to German Listed winner Topanga, continued a fine week for the Cumanis’ Fittocks Stud.
“Wootton Bassett needs no introduction and he’s from a very good farm,” said Godolphin talent scout Anthony Stroud. “Our team and our leader thought he was an exceptional horse. We had to wait until the end to get him but we’re delighted we have.”
Expanding on Sheikh Mohammed’s attendance at Tattersalls, Stroud said: “We couldn’t do it without him. Words can’t really express how those of us who work for him feel about him, as should everyone who works in this industry, whoever you are, whether you’re an auctioneer or a groom. Every year he keeps coming here, including during the Covid years, and I can’t really express our gratitude enough. He really enjoys it and we depend on him for his eye.”
The leading agent has been the busiest buyer on the sales ground, not only at the centre of Godolphin’s activities but also buying under his Stroud Coleman Bloodstock agency, which signed for 23 lots for an outlay of 8.255 million guineas.
“I’ve been buying for KHK Racing, for Peter Harris and various other clients,” he said before sharing his perspective on the Book 1 market. “The top end seems good but I’m sure it’s tricky elsewhere. Although the average is very good considering the economic climate in Britain, and I think the figures stack up very well generally, polarised is probably the right word.
“When you go to America, there are so many people investing. It’s a smaller market here: it’s us, the Coolmore team and obviously Amo Racing. It’s important to have competition, whether that’s in the sales ring or on the racecourse. It’s vital to have that, but this is just the way it is at this stage in time.”
Fittocks Stud ended Book 1 as the leading consignor by average, with five lots sold for a mean price of 1.27 million guineas and an aggregate of 6.35 million guineas. Three of those five ended up inside the sale’s top ten, led by the Frankel colt out of Innevera who brought 2.2 million guineas from Godolphin on day two.
“It’s been a fantastic week and everything’s come together at the right time,” said Luca Cumani, who bred the Wootton Bassett colt with Andrew Stone of St Albans Bloodstock.
“We had three very beautiful horses to sell. I’m so glad people appreciated them, and I’m so thankful to the people who bid on them. And I’m especially thankful to my staff because they’ve done an incredible job preparing these horses. You’re always hoping but you can never be sure of having results like this.”
He added: “They don’t all work out like this one. A lot of people have been telling me it’s a patchy market and there are a few vendors who’ve been disappointed, but I’m in a very fortunate position that I can’t complain at all.”
Lascelles lands another blue-blooded filly
Agent Henry Lascelles occupied eighth spot on the leading spenders’ table having signed for four fillies for an outlay of 2.95 million guineas. The priciest of the quartet came on Thursday when he went to 1.1 million guineas for the Night Of Thunder half-sister to Prix de l’Abbaye heroine Makarova.
The seven-figure filly was bred by Jeffrey and Phoebe Hobby’s Brightwalton Bloodstock and sold through Barton Stud.
Asked how he found watching the bidding, Jeffrey Hobby said: “Exhausting! I’ve always really liked her, I was 50-50 about selling her. I think she’s an absolute belter and she’s gone to a fantastic home. Hopefully she’ll go to Ed Walker because he knows the family well. I couldn’t be happier.”
Not only did the dam, the Sea The Stars mare Vesnina, breed Hobby’s first Group 1 winner, she also produced the Group 3-placed Nina Bailarina. Night Of Thunder has already clicked with the family as Nina Bailarina is the dam of this year’s smart two-year-old Midnight Tango, who is due to contest the Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket on today..
“There’s loads going on and it’s a very exciting family,” said Hobby, who paid 68,000gns for the dam back in 2015. “We were just so lucky to get hold of Vesnina at the July Sales. Matt Coleman dug her out for me and what a journey it’s been. It’s what you dream of when you build a farm.”
Lascelles remained tight-lipped about the identity of his client, but said: “The market has been very strong but we’ve managed to buy most of the fillies we’ve tried on. I think we’re done now but I think it’s going to carry on being strong into next week. I’ve been hearing about this Night Of Thunder filly all year so I’m really excited to get her.”
Burke bends the budget for Night Of Thunder colt
The 16th and last seven-figure lot at this year’s Book 1 arrived late on Thursday when Karl Burke went to a round 1 million guineas for the Night Of Thunder colt out of Wild Rye from Ballyhimikin Stud.
The winning dam is a sibling to five black-type performers, including Group 1 scorer Zambezi Sun and Zero Gravity, who in turn is the dam of Kalpana.
The youngster was bred by Dunchurch Lodge Stud Company and was making his second appearance at the sales having been pinhooked by McKeever Bloodstock and Ballyhimikin at 175,000gns last November.
“That was a lot more than we thought we’d have to go to but he’s a beautiful colt,” said Burke. “He’s by a fantastic sire. We’re starting to get a few of those Night Of Thunders and they’re doing well for us, so hopefully he will as well. They’re not necessarily two-year-olds, you have to take your time with them, but this fella could be anything.”
Burke has enjoyed notable success with Night Of Thunder’s son Zeus Olympios, who was last seen winning the Group 2 Joel Stakes in the colours of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid.
He added: “To be honest, I went past the budget, but luckily I checked my phone and I’d got the instruction to keep going. That was great. He’s for an existing owner in the yard.”
Burke and his daughter Kelly signed for six lots across the three sessions for a combined spend of 2.735 million guineas.
Reflecting on his three days at Park Paddocks, the leading trainer said: “The first day was really tough and I thought it was going to be a bad week. I only got one the second day but also got sent a couple, and then today’s all fallen into place.”
Night Of Thunder ended the sale with 22 sold lots having generated an average price of 611,135gns. His current yearling crop was bred at a fee of a fee of €100,000.
TBT Racing take long-term view
Airlie Stud enjoyed a banner result on day one when Godolphin paid 1 million guineas for the Too Darn Hot half-brother to the farm’s Moyglare Stud Stakes heroine Skitter Scatter.
A Sea The Stars filly out of the Group 1 winner was among the offerings on Thursday, and she provided the Rogers family’s operation with another noteworthy trade when bringing 625,000gns.
Bloodstock agent Ed Sackville, standing with Simon Sadler of TBT Racing, signed the ticket before saying: “She’s been bought for TBT Racing and will be trained by Ed Walker. TBT Racing was keen to buy into some foundation pedigrees and to have some more Classic-type fillies. Hopefully that’s what she’ll become.”
TBT Racing’s blue, orange and white colours have been carried to some notable victories this season, with Noble Champion claiming the Jersey Stakes, Qilin Queen landing the Group 2 Prix de Malleret and Ten Bob Tony striking in the Group 3 John Of Gaunt Stakes.
Sackville said the emerging ownership vehicle would be turning its attention to breeding its own stock in due course
“Breeding is something that has to be of interest because they’ve got the likes of Qilin Queen and Ombudsman’s full-sister Synchronicity, who was bought here last year [for 900,000gns], and some other nicely bred fillies who all look exciting,” he said.
Airlie Stud offered three yearlings across the three sessions and sold all three for receipts totalling 1.945 million guineas.
Shadwell stallions in demand
Shadwell had two stallions with progeny hitting the Book 1 market for the first time, and the pair duly supplied the two most expensive lots by first-season sires.
Leading the way was the Baaeed colt out of Turret Rocks who fetched 625,000gns from Shadwell when presented by Corduff Stud. The May Hill Stakes-winning dam has bred three winners, including Jersey Stakes scorer Age Of Kings.
“Obviously we’re keen to support the stallion wherever possible,” said Shawell racing manager Angus Gold. “We’ve got some very nice Baaeeds at home. Interestingly most of them are fillies so we were keen to buy a colt if we could. We saw all of them and rated him very highly. He’s a big powerful horse and seemed to have the temperament of his father, and the same backend. I just hope he’s got a quarter of the engine!
“It was very hard to know who was going to be involved on a horse like him, some people don’t like first-season stallions and what have you, and he was probably worth more to us than to some. I’m thrilled to get him though.”
Shadwell’s principal Sheikha Hissa has been on the ground at Tattersalls throughout the three days, and cast her eye over the lots on offer by Baaeed and fellow Shadwell stallion Minzaal.
“Sheikha Hissa has seen every single Baaeed in the sale,” said Gold. “It’s exciting times as these are the first stallions we’ve had under her watch. At the moment she doesn’t want to be spending too much money when we have 30 homebred yearlings to put into training, and we’re trying to concentrate on quality. But, just like Sheikh Hamdan, she enjoys sitting up at the ring and looking at horses around the grounds.”
Baaeed stands at Beech House Stud, where his debut book was covered at a fee of £80,000. The champion son of Sea The Stars had a dozen Book 1 lots sell for an average of 237,915gns.
Shadwell filled the role of underbidder when the Minzaal half-sister to July Cup hero Mill Stream made 550,000gns to the bid of Amo Racing. The youngster, who is also a half-sister to Richmond Stakes winner Asymmetric, was bred and sold by Jimmy Murphy’s Redpender Stud.
“She’s a very good looker and she’s by Minzaal whose stock, in my opinion, seem to have great minds,” said Murphy. “He trained on well as a racehorse and he surely has potential as a stallion. The mare has been outstanding; it’s all there on the page. We wish Amo the best of luck, not just with her but all their purchases.”
Explaining how he came to own Swirral Edge, whose progeny have generated Tattersalls yearling receipts worth 1.505 million guineas, Murphy said: “I bought her off the trainer David Brown. She’s an outstanding mare. I’d tried for years to buy into the family but I could never get into it. I ended up being smart by mistake!”
Concluding remarks
At the conclusion of Book 1, Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony commented: “Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale consistently showcases the finest British, Irish, French and German bred yearlings to a global audience and this year’s renewal has been no exception. Longview Stud’s Sea The Stars colt out of Crystal Zvezda and Newsells Park Stud’s Frankel colt out of Aljazzi, which realised 3,700,000 guineas and 3,600,000 guineas respectively, are the two highest priced yearlings in the world this year.
“A remarkable 70 lots have sold for 500,000 guineas or more as we have welcomed buyers from throughout the world to Park Paddocks. As ever, the support from the Gulf region has been a feature as has the large number of American buyers who have purchased more than 40 yearlings.
“Last year’s renewal of Europe’s premier yearling sale was widely regarded as one of the more remarkable sales of recent years, bucking the trend of earlier yearling sales that autumn with wide margin increases in all the key metrics. Those results saw the bloodstock market take a significant upturn over the last twelve months and whilst a drop in average and median were to be expected with the larger catalogue, it has been gratifying to return figures that are second only to last year’s record renewal.
“We now turn our attention to Books 2 and 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale which begins on Monday.”