Tag: 2-year-old sale

Measured OBS June Sale Opens With a $290,000 Topper by Bolt d’Oro

OCALA, FL – The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds opened with a workmanlike session Tuesday as four horses sold for over $200,000, led by a filly by Bolt d'Oro who attracted a final bid of $290,000 from bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, acting on behalf of Greg and Caroline Bentley.

In all, 184 sold Tuesday for a gross of $7,107,500. The average of $38,628 slipped 2.4% from last year's opening session, but the median of $25,500 was up 27.5% from the 2021 sales record-tying figure of $20,000.

With 90 horses reported not sold, Tuesday's buy-back rate was 33.1%. At the close of business after last year's first session, the buy-back rate was 26.7%. It fell to 18.3% with the inclusion of post-sale transactions.

“It's been competitive all year,” Lanni said of the juvenile market. “It's been a very, very tough year. I love coming to June–not for the weather–but this is a typical June sale. They are out there, you just have to try to find them. There is a horse here for everybody. A horse at every level. You just have to get through them all.”

Seven horses topped the $200,000 mark at the 2021 opening session, led by a $425,000 daughter of Practical Joke. During the session, 196 horses grossed $7,756,400 for an average of $39,573 and a median of $20,000.

Tuesday's opening session of the June sale missed a break-out horse when hip 112, a daughter of Into Mischief, RNA'd for $625,000.

The June sale continues through Thursday with bidding beginning each day at 10 a.m.

A Bolt for Runnymede

Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni had been shopping all season long for a filly to purchase for Gregory and Caroline Bentley's Runnymede Farm and the Pennyslvania-based operation finally got on the board Tuesday in Ocala, purchasing a filly by freshman sensation Bolt d'Oro (hip 191) for $290,000 from the Niall Brennan consignment.

“We have been trying really hard all year to buy fillies for them,” Lanni said. “Good fillies are hard to find and they bring a lot. We have struck out all year trying to buy a filly for them.”

The bay filly is out of stakes winner Over the Edge (Thunder Gulch) and is a half to graded placed Top of Mind (Curlin). She worked a furlong in :10 flat during last week's under-tack show.

“This was a good filly,” Lanni said. “Bolt d'Oro made it easy for me to sell it to them. And she's got pedigree. But more importantly, she worked extremely well and she galloped out very well. She came back well. Typically when you do all of those things, it's going to cost a lot.”

The Bentleys, who have been involved in racing since the mid-1990s, won the 2014 GI Arlington Million with Hardest Core (Hard Spun) and were represented in the 2019 GI Preakness S. by multiple stakes winner Alwaysmining (Stay Thirsty). Greg Bentley is CEO of his family's software company, Bentley Systems.

Hip 191 was purchased by Ryston Stables for $75,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

Candy Ride Filly Heads West

A filly by Candy Ride (Arg) (hip 331) will be joining the Southern California barn of trainer Peter Eurton after selling for $240,000 to Exline-Border Racing.

“Some things just speak for themselves–the page, obviously, and how she breezed,” Justin Border, who did his bidding sitting alongside bloodstock agent Marette Farrell, said of the filly's appeal. “But, really, it's about her mind and how she comported herself all throughout the process. It seems like she was brought up right from the farm and from an excellent breeder. We can tell she's been brought up the right way. We're excited to take her out to California where she can do big things for us.”

The filly, who worked a furlong in :10 1/5, is out of Seaside Escape (Bernardini), a full-sister to multiple Grade I winner Cavorting who is the dam of Grade I winner Clairiere (Curlin).

“Her breeze was very flashy, but at the same time, you could tell she was doing it well within herself, which is something we always look for,” Border said. “A lot of horses have flashy breezes on a surface they'll never run on again the rest of their lives. We're much more interested in how they do it, and she did it the right way. She checked all the boxes for us.”

Bred by Paul Pompa, Jr., the bay sold for $12,000 as part of the late owner/breeder's dispersal at the 2021 Keeneland January sale. She sold to Joseph Klausa's Thoro Ventures for $75,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton October sale and was consigned Tuesday by Juan Centeno's All Dreams Equine.

“She has a very good mind,” Centeno said. “She is lovely and has an excellent pedigree. Everything came together and she performed well. And she was well-received at the barn. You are always nervous and excited at the same time at these sales. But I am very happy for the owner.”

Adios Charlie Filly for FSS Series

A speedy filly by Adios Charlie (hip 116) topped early returns at the OBS June sale when selling for $235,000 to the bid of Michael Sucher's Champion Equine. Consigned by Ocala Stud and bred by the O'Farrells, the bay 2-year-old worked a quarter-mile in a bullet :21 flat. She is out of stakes-placed Miss Melinda (Malibu Moon), a daughter of group-placed Black Escort (Southern Halo).

“She had all the metrics: breeze time, gallop out, vetted perfectly, and she is a beautiful physical horse,” Sucher's advisor Tom McCrocklin said. “Kind of all the things you hear all the time.”

The filly will join the South Florida barn of trainer David Braddy and will have a specific target this summer.

“He is kind of obsessed with winning the Florida Stallion Stakes and she is eligible for that series,” McCrocklin said of Sucher's plans for the filly. “He bought a really nice colt in April. He lives in South Florida and he's very bullish on trying to win those races.”

Sucher purchased a colt by Girvin (hip 112), also from Ocala Stud, for $300,000 at the OBS Spring Sale in April. Now named Commandant, the colt is working steadily at Gulfstream Park.

In addition to his Florida racing stable, Sucher is also an active pinhooker and breeding.

“Pinhooking, racing and breeding,” McCrocklin said of Sucher's Thoroughbred interests. “He owns a lot of mares, too, mostly in Kentucky. He keeps his mares with Martha Jane Mulholland in Kentucky and he bought a lot of broodmares over the last couple of years. So he's evenly distributed between breeding, he will sell some, he will pinhook, and he races as well. He's a great guy, loves the game and I am glad we have him in it.”

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Records Fall as F-T Midlantic Sale Concludes

TIMONIUM, MD – With a $3.55-million son of Bernardini providing the auction's biggest fireworks, the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale concluded another record-setting renewal in Timonium Tuesday.

At the conclusion of business, 391 horses had sold for a gross of $37,297,700–bettering the sale's previous high mark of $33,692,000 set just last year. The average of $95,391 was another record, bettering the mark of $94,375 set last year. The median dipped to $47,000, just 6% off the 2020 record of $50,000.

“Last year was such a wow year and, when I come to the next year, I always ask, can we exceed what we did last year,” said Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sales Director Paget Bennett. “And we certainly blew it out of the park. Next year could be tough. We are tickled to death with records for average and gross and record price for a horse sold in Maryland.”

The median was the auction's only statistic to fail to surpass its 2021 high-water mark.

“The middle market was a little tough,” Bennett admitted. “People were commenting that they couldn't sell a horse for $40,000 or $50,000, but they were selling them for $20,000. And then they were selling for $100,000 or $200,000. That was a surprise and some people asked where were the Maryland trainers. I guess they felt some were missing.”

Some buyers stepped in to take advantage of the softer middle market. David Meah of Meah/Lloyd Bloodstock was pleased with the six horses he is taking home from Timonium.

“I found a lot of very nice horses here,” Meah said. “It's a great sale. I think the market has leveled out a little bit, so it's a bit easier to buy, which is great for me personally. We managed to buy six so far, so we've been very happy with the market and what was on offer here.”

Meah continued, “It's been extremely hard to buy for the last 12, even 18 months, but I think it's just diluted a little bit now, come May. I found it a lot easier to buy horses this week.”

Raul Reyes's Kings Equine sold 25 of 33 horses through the ring this week and enjoyed a number of pinhooking scores.

“I think the market was great,” Reyes said.

Of a potentially soft middle market, he added, “It's been that way ever since I can remember.”

With an eye-catching :9 4/5 bullet breeze, hip 385 was no secret when he entered the sales ring Tuesday and when the dust had settled after a bidding duel between West Point Thoroughbreds and Gary Young, Young had secured the youngster for Amr Zedan for a sale record $3.55 million. The colt was the most expensive Thoroughbred ever sold at public auction in the state of Maryland, bettering the previous record of $1.8 million set by Gamine at the Midlantic auction in 2019. It was the eighth straight year that the Midlantic sale had produced a seven-figure juvenile.

“It just goes to show people can feel confident about bringing that type of horse to the marketplace here in Maryland,” Bennett said of the record colt. “My goal has always been to have two seven-figure horses, but I will take a $3.55 million one. I hope we get him on the cover one day.”

Bernardini Smashes Records in Timonium

A colt by Bernardini (hip 385), who advertised himself with a :9 4/5 work last week, ignited a bidding duel between West Point Thoroughbreds and bloodstock agent Gary Young in the Midlantic sale ring Tuesday. Young, doing his bidding out back while standing alongside advisor Charlie Boden and trainer Bob Baffert and on the phone with Saudi businessman Amr Zedan, answered every bid from the West Point team doing its bidding at the back of the pavilion to ultimately secure the colt for a sales-record $3.55 million.

“Obviously we thought he was a standout and other people did as well,” Young said. “Mr. Zedan was on the phone with me. Originally, we were going to go to $2.5 million, but he just kept answering. He said, 'Up to $2.5 million, it's yours. After that, you've got to have me on the phone.' I kept asking and he kept answering.”

The juvenile was consigned by Becky Thomas's Sequel Bloodstock on behalf of his breeders Chester and Mary Broman. He is out of G Note (Medaglia d'Oro), a daughter of graded winner Seeking the Ante (Seeking the Gold) and half to stakes winner Mineralogist (Mineshaft), as well as to the dam of this year's GII Rebel S. winner Un Ojo (Laoban).

“He did everything,” Young said. “He went :9 4/5 and in the videos, sometimes horses when they straighten up the backstretch they are pretty well spent, but he just kept firing up the backstretch. His third furlong was super.”

On behalf of Zedan, Young purchased a son of Uncle Mo (hip 206) for $2.3 million and a colt by Justify (hip 11) for $600,000 at the OBS Spring sale last month. At the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream, Zedan purchased a colt by Nyquist (hip 62) for $700,000.

All four purchases reflect Zedan's desire to get back to the GI Kentucky Derby, where he was represented last year by the ill-fated Medina Spirit (Protonico).

“You don't think of Bernardinis as :9 4/5 horses, as much as he's been a good sire for a long time, you think of horses that run longer,” Young said. “And that's what Mr. Zedan wants. He has Derby fever. That's his main focus. We will know in about five or six months how this turns out.”

Young said Tuesday's acquisition would likely conclude Zedan's 2-year-old purchases this year.

Hip 385 is the most expensive Thoroughbred sold at public auction in the state of Maryland, surpassing the $1.8 million set by Gamine at this sale in 2019. It was the eighth consecutive year that a horse selling at the Midlantic 2-year-old sale sold for seven figures.

Longtime New York breeders, the Bromans began selling select offerings as part of an estate planning program four years ago. The planning got a jump start with the $2-million Chestertown (Tapit), who topped the 2019 OBS March sale and is campaigned by a partnership that includes West Point Thoroughbreds and the Bromans themselves. Chestertown's half-brother by Into Mischief sold for $1 million at this year's March sale.

“It's huge,” Sequel's Carlos Manresa said of Tuesday's record-setting result. “It just goes to show how much the Bromans can be rewarded for the time that they have put into breeding these mares and keeping these families. It's especially wonderful to have Mr. Broman here for the sale. Whenever we feel like we have something that we think is really going to be exciting, he likes to be here for it. This was certainly an event that called for him to be here.”

Describing the colt's progression, Manresa said, “He's always been really calm around the barn. He is really well behaved and really well mannered. He gallops so calmly, but when we asked him to go fast, he went really fast.”

The colt became the first horse in a decade to shade :10 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds when he worked during last week's under-tack show.

“We knew he would go fast, we just didn't know he'd go quite that fast,” Manresa admitted. “We never expected a :9 4/5, but we were very pleased that he gave it to us.”

Manresa said the result was gratifying for the entire Sequel team.

“Any time you can be part of a horse that brings seven figures, it's really special,” he said. “Not just for me, but for everyone at the farm. Everyone is watching from home and they are all texting me and congratulating us, from the grooms, to the guy who does our track, to the blacksmith that does his feet every month. It's a wonderful team.”

Patience Pays for Kinder

Breeders Ralph Kinder and Erv Woolsey had no hesitation when taking home their American Pharoah filly (hip 443) after she RNA'd for $145,000 at the OBS March sale following a :10 1/5 work over the synthetic surface in Ocala. Rerouted to Maryland, the filly worked a furlong in a bullet :10 flat over the dirt last week and rewarded the partners' decision when selling for $500,000 to trainer Cherie DeVaux.

“She did not like the surface down there, she didn't relax over the surface,” Kinder said of the OBS work. “She's a better horse on the dirt. She galloped out great here and her video was off the chart.”

The filly is out of Jordan's Henny (Henny Hughes), who won the 2018 GIII Hurricane Bertie S. and placed in four additional graded races for Woolsey and Kinder, and is a third generation product of their breeding program.

“We raised her and still have her granddam–all three generations–that's the third generation,” Kinder said. “We were a little hesitant to sell her because we race as well.”

Asked why the partners had decided to sell the filly, Kinder laughed and said, “Economics.”

Another Filly for Black Type Team

The Black Type Thoroughbreds partnership has already had success buying gray fillies from Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables consignment and went back to that formula when purchasing a daughter of Malibu Moon (hip 487) for $500,000 Tuesday in Timonium. The group, founded by Jake Ballis, purchased Grade I placed Up in Smoke (The Big Beast) for $230,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale.

“We love fillies,” Black Type's Maddie Mattmiller said after signing the ticket on the filly alongside Ballis and television personality Jonathon Kinchen, a newcomer to the partnership. “We have had good luck with gray fillies off of Ciaran Dunne. He has always given us good advice when we've found one we like over there.”

Hip 487 is out of Lorelei True (Unbridled's Song), a half-sister to graded winner Sparky Ville (Candy Ride {Arg}). The juvenile's third dam is Win Crafty Lady (Crafty Prospector), who produced Harmony Lodge, Graeme Hall and Win McCool.

“She was a big filly with a ton of leg under her,” Mattmiller said of the filly's appeal. “She looks like she can go two turns. She carried herself well and she has good pedigree behind her, out of an Unbridled's Song mare.”

The Lehigh Bloodstock pinhooking partnership that includes Dunne and Kirk Wycoff purchased the filly for $110,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

A newcomer to the Black Type partnership, Kinchen also teamed up with Ballis and Mattmiller to purchase a colt by Mosler (hip 454) for $165,000 earlier in the session.

“I've known Maddie and Jake for a long time, so when I decided to do this, I was obviously going to do it with their guidance,” Kinchen said. “We are excited about it. [Hip 487] will go to New York and likely be with George Weaver. We can keep an eye on her all summer while we are up in Saratoga. It should be a lot of fun.”

Mattmiller added, “We love Jonathon's support. We are excited to have him in the Black Type team. We have a good group of guys, so Jonathon only adds to that excitement.”

Reyes Scores With Bolt d'Oro Colt

Raul Reyes of Kings Equine cashed in on the popularity of first-crop sire Bolt d'Oro Tuesday in Timonium when selling a colt by the Spendthrift stallion (hip 364) for $500,000 to Holly and David Wilson. Reyes purchased the youngster for $40,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“He looked really nice, very strong and very handsome,” Reyes said of his initial impressions of the colt. “I got lucky. He was late on a day in the sale and I had a chance to buy him right. He kept developing the right way. He got bigger and he never went the other way.”

Out of Australian stakes winner Forever Discreet (Aus), the dark bay colt worked a furlong in a bullet :10 flat during last week's under-tack show.

“Every year, I try something different,” Reyes said of his approach to the Maryland sale. “You don't always hit it. I brought the Bolt d'Oro, a first-year sire, and he did great. You never know what horse is going to work out. Just when you think you've got it, it goes different.”

Eight juveniles by Bolt d'Oro sold at the two-day auction for an average of $309,625, topped by a $675,000 colt sold by Pike Racing to Spendthrift Farm and Frank Fletcher Racing during Monday's first session.

 

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Bahrain Boost For Arqana As Zoffany Colt Sets The Pace

By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin

DEAUVILLE, France–It wasn't until the wild-card selection after the end of the main catalogue that the day's top lot walked the ring at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale, and that honour went to Willie Browne's Mocklershill team and their colt by the late Zoffany (Ire), who sold for €550,000.

Oliver St Lawrence had kept his powder dry for much of the day, but having warmed up with a €520,000 bid for a Siyouni (Fr) colt from Longways Stables, he went strong again for the session leader, with both colts having been purchased for a friend of Bahraini trainer Fawzi Nass. They will be trained in Britain by Roger Varian and Charlie Hills, respectively.

Of the top lot (148), St Lawrence said, “Roger Varian saw this horse this afternoon and really liked him. They just seemed to be getting harder to buy all day. He's a big, strong horse with a big shoulder on him and he went very well and did the ninth-fastest time.”

Bought at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale for 80,000gns, the half-brother to G2 Kilboy Estates S. winner Lemista (Ire) (Raven's Pass) was unsold at $65,000 when put through the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Having led allcomers in Deauville, the colt was naturally the star of the Mocklershill draft, which ended the day as leading vendor with eight horses sold for €1,690,000.

They included a brother to Group 1-winning juvenile Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (No Nay Never), lot 55, who was bred by Camas Park, Lynch Bages and Summerhill, and bought by Ross Doyle for €300,000.

“He is a very good-looking and imposing horse, like his sire, and this is the type of horse he throws,” said Doyle. “The sire is also having a very good season. He's just a very nice horse who was bought for an existing client.”

The sale's figures contracted slightly from last year's record-breaking turnover and median, but the latter figure, at €100,000, was only the second time in the auction's history that a six-figure median had been recorded. The average of €131,777 was down by 4%, and the aggregate dropped by 10% to €13,573,000, with five fewer horses sold this year compared to last. The clearance rate of 84% was recorded from 103 horses sold from 123 put through the ring.

 

Another 'Lucky' Siyouni For Longways

Mick Murphy and Sarah O'Connell already had good reason to love Siyouni (Fr) and their “lucky sire” delivered again when their colt by the French champion left the ring with a price tag of €520,000. Oliver St Lawrence saw off a range of potential purchasers, which included Sheikh Fahad Al Thani and Alastair Donald, and confirmed that the colt out of a full-sister to crack sprinter Mecca's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), had been bought for a Bahraini owner.

“He was a horse that caught our eye. I wasn't expecting to have to pay that sort of money for him but it has been a tough day to buy the horse one wants to buy,” St Lawrence said. “He came up there very nicely and hopefully he justifies our confidence. He'll go to Charlie Hills.”

Vendors Murphy and O'Connell of Longways Stables have previously topped the Goffs UK Breeze-up Sale with a Siyouni 2-year-old and they also sold Le Brivido (Fr) here in Deauville for €105,000 six years ago. Beaten a short-head in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, he went on to win the Jersey S. at Royal Ascot.

“I love Siyouni,” said O'Connell, who was navigating the sales ground on crutches while awaiting hip surgery. “He's even a lucky sire for us and we've always had two or three by him every year from the word go.”

Despite turning this 200,000gns yearling into an expensive breezer (lot 124), the couple remarked that the breeze-up season has not been all plain sailing for vendors.

“It hasn't been a great year,” said Murphy. “We came here slightly up but we had a fair bit of money tied up in these horses so it is a relief to have sold him well.”

O'Connell added, “Everyone had expected there to have been a bit more of a buzz today. We had plenty of people looking in the last few days but the sale has been a little quieter than we thought it would be.”

 

Grove Has Good One Ready

Brendan Holland has rightly earned a reputation for being one of the best at his craft and, in producing a More Than Ready colt (lot 70) from a $90,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland in September to a €450,000 breeze-up star, he enhanced his already excellent record at this particular sale.

Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland secured the colt and revealed that he viewed him as more of a dirt performer in the making.

Donohoe said, “He's a beautiful-looking horse, very intelligent, and he did a fantastic breeze. He looks to have a fantastic temperament.”

He added, “We liked everything about him to be honest. Plans are undecided, but he could race on turf or on the dirt. He's probably more of a dirt-type horse so he will probably end up in the Middle East.”

Holland has topped this sale four times in the past and sold The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {GB}) and Ocean Atlantique (American Pharaoh) under his successful Grove Stud banner.

He said, “This horse has done really well from when he was a yearling. He's an exceptionally good-looking horse who breezed well. So far, so good. This sale has been lucky for me and we've had plenty of success on the track with horses we've brought here.”

More Than Ready stands at WinStar Farm in Kentucky and has had 12 horses break $1 million in career earnings. Holland's offering by the stallion is out of the unraced Sweet Lollipop (Candy Ride {Arg}), a half-sister to Danny Boy (Harlan's Holiday) and Meal Penalty (Tale of the Cat), who were genuine black-type performers in America.

 

 

Breeders' Cup-Winning Owner Buys Cracksman Filly

One of the main talking points in the build-up to this sale was the amount of international clients knocking about and Dean Reeves, who campaigned and now stands former GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno), made his presence felt by securing a Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) filly (lot 132) for €420,000.

Agent Stephen Hillen signed for the filly who will join Christophe Clement and, flanked by the leading owner, the pair could scarcely hide their delight afterwards.

Hillen said, “I saw her on the farm in Yorkshire about a month ago and really liked her. I think Cracksman could be a top sire. There have been a few by him breeze really well already and she's probably going to go a mile and a quarter. We think she's pretty exciting and she may not start until the autumn. Thrilled to get her. Well done to Dean.”

And with that, Reeves took the mic, where he outlined some ambitious plans for his new recruit. He said, “It's very exciting. We really wanted to get a nice filly to send back to the States and she fit a lot of the criteria. We think she will be very successful. The breeding is there for her to make a future broodmare so it's very exciting.”

Reeves added, “We'll take our time with her and Christophe is as good a trainer as you can find. He does a great job for us and Steven has done a wonderful job in selecting the horses. We've been very successful and that bodes well. My wife is here and we've met some wonderful people this week. Hopefully this filly will make us look pretty smart. We'll be back.”

The filly from the first crop of Darley's young son of Frankel (GB) was consigned by Church Farm and Horse Park Stud, who enjoyed a successful day as the second-leading vendor with 10 juveniles sold for an average of €150,800.

Also among their bestsellers was one of the early highlights when Anthony Stroud bid €300,000 for the second lot through the ring, a Sea The Stars (Ire) filly from the family of Group 1 winners Jakkalberry (Ire) (Storming Home {GB}) and Crackerjack King (Ire) (Shamardal). The agent revealed that she will be trained in Newmarket by John and Thady Gosden.

 

Power Play

Tom Whitehead's Powerstown Stud posted a pair of decent returns within half an hour of each other when two colts each sold for €280,000 to Dubaian and Saudi Arabian owners, respectively.

Colm Sharkey, acting on behalf of a client from Dubai, signed for lot 74, a well-bred Shamardal colt out of the G3 Prix de Ris-Orangis winner Thawaany (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) who was bought as a yearling for 92,000gns from the Shadwell draft at the Tattersalls December Sale.

“He's for a client in Dubai and he was the only horse we wanted from a very short list. He vetted well and breezed well, and cost a bit more than we thought but my client was keen to have him,” said Sharkey of the colt whose dam is a half-sister to the G1 Irish St Leger and G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Granddam Chelsea Rose (Ire) (Desert King {Ire}) won the G1 Moyglare Stud S. and has produced five black-type performers.

When lot 82 passed through the ring shortly afterwards, it was his American bloodlines that were the deciding factor for agent Marco Bozzi, who went to €280,000 on behalf of his undisclosed Saudi client. Whitehead had paid $60,000 for the son of Good Magic when buying him from breeder Hermitage Farm at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Three years earlier the breeders had bought his dam, the stakes winner Vieja Luna (Street Hero) in that same ring for $160,000.

“He's a horse that we went to see last week in Ireland. He's for a new Saudi client and this is the horse we wanted absolutely,” said Bozzi. “He passed the vet, he passed everything, and the pedigree is right. They love [Good Magic's sire] Curlin in Saudi.”

Bozzi also bought lot 23 for €125,000 from Powerstown Stud, which was third overall on the leading vendors' table but led by average, with five sold for €223,000.

 

Double Delight for Derryconnor Stud

Katie McGivern had good reason to be quietly confident when she spoke to the TDN on the eve of the sale but, as every horseperson knows, it's never wise to be too confident before the horse has crossed the line in front, or exited the sale ring after selling well. For McGivern's Derryconnor Stud, the latter happened twice in three lots when the only two horses she had brought to Deauville rose sharply in value after posting professional and fast breezes on Thursday.

Marco Bozzi was in play again at €230,000 for the filly from the first crop of Sioux Nation, the Coolmore sire who has galloped off to a great start at stud with five winners from 15 runners. It would be no surprise to see this sleek, near-black filly out of Sparks (Ire) (Elusive City) join the list of winners before too long. Robustly made with an easy walk, lot 64 is the second foal of her dam, who is a half-sister to G1 Prix d'Astarte winner Marbye (Ire) (Marju {Ire}), who has in turn produced the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) winner Marcellina (Jpn).

Having paid 36,000gns for the Sioux Nation filly at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, McGivern pushed the boat out to €68,000 to secure the filly by Siyouni (Fr) at the Goffs Sportsman's Sale. Her boldness was rewarded with a winning bid of €160,000 from Nicolas de Watrigant of Mandore International Agency for lot 66, out of the winning Sea The Stars (Ire) mare Stars So Bright (Ire).

“Until you go through the ring and people fall in love with them you can never be sure. I'm still shaking at the moment but I'm sure when I reflect on it I still won't believe it,” said McGivern.

“I've always said that the good ones can cope with all the pressure and they don't let you down, and these two didn't. All the team at home have worked so hard and they'll be delighted.”

De Watrigant also signed for lot 114, a Tally-Ho Stud-consigned daughter of Exceed And Excel (Aus), at €360,000.

He said, “We really fell for her. Physically she stands out and she went well in her breeze, showing a lot of quality. She's by a very good sire and I've bought her for MV Magnier, so she will be joining Coolmore.”

 

Barberini's Expert Eye For A Well-Bred Filly

A huge amount of patience is required to find the right horse at the sales but, in Federico Barberini's case, he had been waiting for Mocklershill's lot 49 ever since he saw the Expert Eye (GB) filly at the Tattersalls December Sale.

He explained, “I thought she was a gorgeous individual and I actually remember her from the Tattersalls December Sale. She really caught my eye last year so I remembered her. She has done really well since.”

Another consigned on the day by Mocklershill, the filly, who cost 85,000gns at the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale and came back through the ring on Friday for €240,000, is out of an unraced Oasis Dream (GB) half-sister to the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Queen's Trust (GB) (Dansili {GB}), from a strong black-type family which includes treble Grade I winner Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}).

Barberini added, “She comes from a very nice family and came highly recommended. The sire is going well with his first 2-year-olds and they are nice horses who look to have the scope to be more than one-hit wonders.

“She's for Apple Tree Stud, good clients based in Gloucestershire, and the plan is that she will be a very nice racehorse and then a broodmare for the farm. A trainer is yet to be decided.”

 

Amo Racing Continues Investment

Amo Racing swooped for Aguiar Bloodstock's Good Magic filly (lot 18) out of the Grade II-winning mare Luna Vega (Malibu Moon) at €280,000, with Kerri Radcliffe signing on behalf of the prominent owners.

Between Britain and Ireland, Amo Racing has enjoyed 16 winners already this season, including Queen Olly (Ire) (No Nay Never), who became a 'TDN Rising Star' after scoring impressively at York on Thursday.

Radcliffe hopes the Good Magic filly can prove another good acquisition and said, “She has been bought on behalf of Amo Racing who are having a great time at the minute.”

As well as being a Grade II winner, Luna Vega was Grade I-placed in America, and is the granddam of Shesawildjoker (Practical Joke), who won at stakes level as a 2-year-old in America last year.

Arqana President Eric Hoyeau and Executive Director Freddy Powell said, “We're delighted to be back at Deauville. The sale took place in very good conditions, notably thanks to the work and professionalism of our vendors to bring their horses in the best shape. We must also salute the quality of the track at Deauville and the sun that was with us. The market was solid, without extravagance, with a very international dimension. Our buyers came from the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Scandinavia, some of whom made the trip to Deauville for the first time.”

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Zoffany Colt New €550k Top Lot At Arqana

Already in action for a €520,000 Siyouni (Fr) colt (lot 124) earlier in the day, Oliver St Lawrence added a €550,000 Zoffany (Ire) colt (lot 148) near the end of the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale. A member of the Mocklershill draft, the February-foaled bay and new topper is a half-brother to dual group winner Lemista (Ire) (Raven's Pass), who was also third in the GI Beverly D. S. at Arlington Park.

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