Yulong out to repeat Hungry trick with purchase of Pivotal-line mares
Victorian farm fast out the blocks at Tattersalls July Sale, sourcing mares bound for Juddmonte’s champion stallion
True to form at breeding stock sales both in Australia and New Zealand and overseas, it was Yulong Investments that struck the first telling blow of the Tattersalls July Sale when winning out in a protracted bidding duel to land Le Designe (Siyouni) for 180,000gns (approx. AU$330,000) yesterday.
In 2016, Yulong ventured to the Tattersalls July Sale, purchasing Pivotal (Polar Falcon) mare Harlech for 60,000gns, who went on to produce their first Australian Group 1 winner in Vinery Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) and Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Hungry Heart (Frankel).
And the emerging global powerhouse again showed their affinity for the bloodline of the late Cheveley Park stallion when purchasing a daughter by the sire and another filly by his sire-son Siyouni.
Bidding online, Yulong showed their purchasing prowess to outlast underbidder Matt Houldsworth for three-year-old Le Designe, who is out of Group 3 winner and Irish 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) placegetter Oh Goodness Me (Galileo).
“Mr Zhang has had a lot of success with the cross, so we’ve come to get a bit more of the blood and hopefully we can replicate what we’ve done with Hungry Heart,” Yulong’s chief operating officer Sam Fairgray said.
“We’re looking for nice type fillies by good stallions with a bit of pedigree. It’s great to be able to get the types that we want and by stallions that we think will nick well with stallions back in Australia.”
Le Designe, who has raced once, finishing 12th of 12 in a novice race over a mile at Newbury last month, is a half-sister to the Australian-bred, three-time winner in South Africa Lloyd’s Legacy (More Than Ready), as well as Gymnast (More Than Ready), who is the dam of New Zealand stakes placegetter Victorem (Shooting To Win).
Also from the family is dual Australian Group 3 winner and Metropolitan (Gr 1, 2400m) runner-up Brimham Rocks (Fastnet Rock). She was catalogued as Lot 33.
Later in the day, Yulong went to 28,000 guineas (approx. AU$51,340) to secure Taaqat (Pivotal), a filly from the Rabbah Bloodstock offering with a deep US pedigree.
Placed three times from seven starts, the three-year-old is a daughter of the stakes placed Taaqah (Arch) and traces back to three-time Grade 1 placegetter Bright Candles (El Gran Senor), who is the dam of dual Grade 1 winner Grand Slam (Gone West).
The pair are likely to stay in the UK to be covered by Juddmonte’s Frankel (Galileo), in a bid to replicate the success earned with Hungry Heart.
“Those two mares will likely be covered by Frankel. They’re two nice mares and the plan would be to do that and then take them out to Australia,” Fairgray said.
“Some of the other mares will stay [in the northern hemisphere] and be covered by Lucky Vega in his second season here.”
Yulong were yesterday bullish in their support of Phoenix Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) winner Lucky Vega (Lope De Vega), and went to 450,000gns (approx. AU$870,00) to secure Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) mare Shining Bright, herself a daughter of US Grade 2 winner Lady Lara (Excellent Art) and a sister to UK Group 3 winner Changing Of The Guard.
The Yuesheng Zhang-owned operation also purchased a second Galileo mare in La Petite Reine for 18,000gns (approx. AU$33,000), a Kingman (Invincible Spirit) filly Eternal Summer for 20,000gns (approx. AU$36,670) and parted with 62,000gns (approx. AU$113,500) for a Camelot (Montjeu) filly named Married In A Fever, who is a half-sister to US Grade 1 winner Byrama (Byron) and Group 3 winner Klammer (Exceed And Excel). She will also be bound for Yulong’s Lucky Vega at the Irish National Stud.
Elsewhere during yesterday’s opening session, Blandford Bloodstock went to 540,000gns (approx. AU$942,000) for Shadwell’s well-related mare Rihaam (Dansili) and 200,000gns for Group 1 winner Chachamaidee (Footstepsinthesand).
The former smashed the previous record price for a lot at the Tattersalls July Sale, eclipsing the $460,000gns set at the 2010 midsummer auction by Business As Usual (Invincible Spirit), who went on to earn five wins on Hong Kong.
The unraced mare was bought in foal to Dark Angel (Acclamation) and is a half-sister to three Listed winners as well two stakes placegetters, while her dam is a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Bahri (Riverman) and a sister to Group 2 scorer Bahhare.
Rihaam has already produced the Listed-placed colt Ribhi (Dark Angel).
Tom Goff of Blandford Bloodstock, who was stood next to Coolmore’s MV Magnier when bidding, said: “I think she is by far the best mare here, she is a beautiful Dansili mare carrying to Dark Angel who is a great stallion.
“She is from one of Sheikh Hamdan’s best families, tracing to Bahri and lots of superstar colts and fillies, mares such as this really don’t grow on trees. The top Shadwell mares are as exciting as it comes, her new owners will definitely make the most of it.”
Trade developed steadily through day one of the July Sale, kicking into gear when the sought-after drafts from giants Godolphin and Shadwell went through the ring. At the time of publication, the sale average was hovering comfortably above the 30,000gns mark (approx. AU$58,000), eclipsing the 25,114gns achieved on day one last year.