Basement Trade Shows Solid Core at Tattersalls

NEWMARKET, UK — “Trickledown” felt rather too contentious, given what was meanwhile happening to its proponents out there in the real world. In this environment, after all, the original label of “horse-and-sparrow economics” would always have conveyed the theory rather more intelligibly. Some alternative word was required on Friday, then, to describe how a rampant market at the front end of the Tattersalls October Sale was filtering somewhat more quietly into the base of the pyramid.

In the end, the second half of Book 3–in which momentum reliably ebbs relative to the catalogue's opening session–perhaps suggested “percolation” sooner than an outright “overflow”. But there was no mistaking the wholesome depth of a market far more vital, to many professionals, than the giddy transactions of the opening books.

In contrast with Thursday, when the median had remained unchanged on last year, a gain to 13,000gns from 10,000gns attested to really solid trade through this lower tier, backed up by a strong clearance rate of 83 percent. The average was also up, by 11 percent to 17,349gns, with overall turnover on the day up 17 percent to 3,903,600gns.

Combined, the two Book 3 sessions registered robust performance across the board. Total business advanced nine percent to 11,554,600gns, producing a corresponding gain in average to 24,428gns.

But the real neon number is the one posted for total business at the October Sale, with just Saturday morning's Book 4 to go. Trade to this point last year had reached 151,474,150gns. By last night it had soared 31 percent to approach a symbolic landmark at 199,006,100gns.

Woods Hangs In There For Joint-Top Lot

This was a day when trainers and their agents could finally attempt some old-fashioned “on spec” recruitment. Nonetheless a couple of fillies, respectively by Ten Sovereigns (Ire) and Aclaim (Ire), forced their purchasers as far as 90,000gns at either end of the day.

The Aclaim, consigned by Bearstone Stud as Lot 1959, was acquired by Dwayne Woods on behalf of his brother Sean. She's out of an unraced Kodiac (GB) half-sister to G1 St Leger runner-up The Last Drop (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), whose son Washington Heights (GB) (Washington DC {Ire}) had earned his first black-type at Ripon shortly before the sale. But her most conspicuous genetic distinction is perhaps the fourth dam, Irish Classic winner Sarah Siddons (Fr).

“The update was nice but much more importantly she's just a fabulous filly,” Woods said. “She'll make a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old, so it's all pretty good.”

The agent was speaking for many prospectors when adding: “It's been hard work this week. I'm happy with everything we have bought, but every time I got up to a big one I was underbidder—at least five of them over 200,000gns.”

Ten Out of Ten For Oakgrove Filly

The Ten Sovereigns filly [1708] that topped the morning trade arrived from John Deer's Oakgrove Stud and, with the docket signed by Jo Stone of Rabbah Bloodstock, will be joining local trainer Ismail Mohammed. She's out of Listed scorer Lady Grace (Ire) (Orpen), one of the farm's more mature mares who has produced a couple of stakes operators.

“We're delighted with the price, but she deserved to make it,” said Oakgrove manager David Hilton. “She could have been earlier in the sale and was a bit of a stand-out today. She has a pedigree, she's a good physical, moves well. We've been very happy with her all the way through. We wanted to get back to speed. Mr. Deer really likes the stallion, thought what he did at Newmarket was exceptional. We've used him again and I'm sure he's going to make it.”

On a busy day for the Chepstow farm, perhaps its outstanding page was offered by a Golden Horn (GB) colt [1704] out of a Kingman (GB) half-sister to its champion Al Kazeem (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). He was another purchase, at 40,000gns, by Dwayne Woods.

As for Ten Sovereigns, he registered another good sale for this grade when a filly from Deer Forest Stud made 50,000gns from Amanda Skiffington as Lot 1878. She will be joining Jane Chapple-Hyam.

Another Zoustar Breeze Project for Tally-Ho

The booming market has naturally raised the stakes uncomfortably for pinhookers, who were duly relieved to be active at this more accessible tier. One for whom the breeze-ups are on the agenda is the daughter of Zoustar (Aus) brought here as Lot 1930 by Jamie Railton, acquired for 77,000gns by Tom Biggs of Blandford Bloodstock on behalf of Tally-Ho Stud.

“She's a lovely filly,” the agent said. “She's from a very fast, precocious family and that seems to be what is working best with the Zoustars. She's also a half-sister to a pretty decent and precocious horse in [juvenile stakes-placed] Lambeth Walk (GB) (Charm Spirirt {Ire}).”

Tally-Ho found one of the high achievers of the last breeze-up cycle in this catalogue last year, when Hamish Macauley Bloodstock signed an identical docket for a filly by the same stallion. Sold on to Atlas Bloodstock at Arqana for €110,000, she is now celebrated as GI Cheveley Park S. winner Lezoo (GB).

This lady's prospects of emulating that success are enhanced by granddam Roo (GB) (Rudimentary), responsible for a series of black-type performers and/or producers including the dam of G1 Sussex S. winner Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}).

Clodovil Bows Out

A touching footnote was the sale of the last yearling to come under the hammer by Clodovil (Ire), now enjoying his retirement at Rathasker Stud. The daughter consigned by his home farm as Lot 1798 was bought for 37,000gns by Julie Wood's Woodstock, doubtless with a view to emulating Manderley (Ire)–another of his greys, who ran a close fourth in the G1 1000 Guineas at 100-1 after Wood bought her from Rathasker in Book I of the 2012 sale.

“She's a lovely filly,” said Rathasker's Maurice Burns. “She had the same way of going as all of Clodovil's progeny. They have a bit of spark and are very genuine. People who had any of his stock always returned and came to the door at the sales to see his stock. It was just age that caught up with him.”

Clodovil's legacy at Rathasker is in the hands of his son Gregorian (Ire), while his record as a broodmare sire has recently been topped off by G1 Haydock Sprint Cup winner Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}).

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Advertise and Aclaim Leave National Stud for Manton

Young stallions Advertise (GB) and Aclaim (Ire) will leave the National Stud to stand at Martyn Meade's Manton Park Stud from the 2023 covering season. 

The G1 Prix de la Foret winner Aclaim has made a successful start to his stud career, and was represented by a Classic winner from his first crop when the George Boughey-trained Cachet (Ire) won the 1,000 Guineas. 

Advertise, who was trained, like Aclaim, by Meade, was a Group 1-winning sprinter in three different countries and has his first yearlings at the sales this autumn.

“We would like to thank the team at The National Stud for their energy and commitment to Advertise and Aclaim since the start of their stallion careers,” said Meade. “It has been an ambition for these two horses to return to Manton ever since they were trained here and we are now in a position to welcome them home to continue their time at stud.”

National Stud CEO Anna Kerr added, “The National Stud is delighted to have launched the careers of two such exciting young stallions, it has been very rewarding for the whole team to see what a strong start both Aclaim and Advertise have made to their stud careers. They both have bright futures ahead of them and we wish them every success at Manton Park.”

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Seven Days: Never Again

It was a weekend in which the Scat Daddy sire-line shone through, at Newmarket and in Deauville, with Group 1 victories for his grand-daughters Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Tenebrism (Caravaggio).

No Nay Never now has five crops of racing age and has twice supplied the winner of the July Cup: first Ten Sovereigns, who is now his stud-mate at Coolmore, and now Jeff Smith's Alcohol Free, whose transformation from miler to sprinter has added an interesting element to what is unfurling into an extraordinarily good season.

The 4-year-old filly did of course win a Group 1 at six furlongs as a juvenile, just over the dyke from the July Course when landing the Cheveley Park S. on the Rowley Mile. But, following her G3 Fred Darling S. in 2021, she then logically stepped up to a mile and looked every bit the star at this trip, winning the Coronation S. and then defeating 2,000 Guineas winner Poetic Flare (Ire) in the Sussex S., for which she will return to Goodwood at the end of the month. 

Her July Cup victory on Saturday brought up a second Group 1 success in two days for Rob Hornby, who started his riding career with Andrew Balding at Kingsclere, a yard which has been synonymous with Jeff Smith's colours, most notably through another fast female, his great homebred sprinter Lochsong (GB) (Song {GB}).

Hornby, who secured his first Group 1 victory aboard Scope (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) at Longchamp last October after battling back from injury, could have been forgiven the odd grumpy moment after being replaced on Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the Irish Derby. Westover duly won in the hands of Colin Keane, and days later Scope was put down after being injured on the gallops at Ralph Beckett's stable. Two weeks on from the Irish Derby, however, it was the quietly-spoken Hornby's chance to shine, first on Prosperous Voyage (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in the Falmouth S., and then for his old boss Balding with Alcohol Free in the absence of the suspended champion jockey Oisin Murphy. Hornby's rewards were well deserved. 

Immortal Beloved

Another Coronation S. winner was involved in the production of Sunday's G1 Prix Jean Prat winner as Tenebrism, by far the leading light of Caravaggio's first crop, is a daughter of the great Kilfrush Stud-bred Immortal Verse (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), who, a year after her racing career ended, put in another star turn when topping the Tattersalls December Mare Sale at 4.7 million gns. The foal she was carrying then, Literary Society (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), retired winless but his subsequent siblings have made up for that as all four of racing age are winners. These include Immortal Verse's current 2-year-old, Statuette (Justify), who became a TDN Rising Star when winning on debut at Navan in May, and then confirmed that early promise with victory in the G2 Airlie Stud S. on Irish Derby weekend. Like Tenebrism, she races for a partnership which involves her breeders Merriebelle Stables and Coolmore, along with Westerberg.

Mehmas a Friend to Lacy Family

There was a pleasing touch of symmetry to the victory of Persian Force (Ire) in Thursday's G2 July S. Like his sire Mehmas (Ire), he had won the conditions race at Newbury on Lockinge day before running second in the G2 Coventry S. and then triumphing at the July meeting. Furthermore, both father and son were bought by Peter and Ross Doyle to be trained by Richard Hannon. Mehmas went on to win the G2 Richmond S. and end his career with placings in the G1 National S. and G1 Middle Park S. before quickly establishing himself as one of the most exciting young sires in Europe.

There is also a sense of deja vu for Persian Force's breeders Tom and Barry Lacy. We featured their Ballyheashill Stud in Rhode, Co Offaly, after the Weatherbys Super Sprint win of Persian Force's full-brother Gubbass (Ire) last season. Now the Lacys' 8-year-old mare Vida Amorosa (Ire) has come up with another good 'un.

“She has just the two foals on the ground to have hit the track and both of them are pretty good, and Persian Force looks better than his brother last year,” Barry Lacy told TDN on Monday. “We just took a chance on Mehmas because we really liked him and we just happened to hit the right sire at the right time.”

For the mare's third mating, the Lacys returned to Tally-Ho Stud, sending her to Inns Of Court (Ire) who has his first yearlings at the sales this year. Like Persian Force, the Inns Of Court colt was bought as a foal by the team at Tally-Ho.

Lacy continued, “She has a very nice yearling now at Tally-Ho and he was the nicest of the three foals. If he turns out to be a good racehorse next year we can start to say perhaps it's down to the mare, but at this moment in time we are going to say that it's all about the stallion.

“It does take two to tango but I am trying to keep my feet on the ground, and I do think Mehmas is a very good sire, and he looks like he's going to turn out to be one of the better sires in the country.”

Casting his mind back to Persian Force as a youngster, he added, “He was just such a likeable individual and so relaxed. I wish I could tell you a special story about him as a foal but he was just very straightforward and nothing was an issue. If they were all like him it would be easy. He was just one of those horses who you hoped everything would work out for him and so far it has.”

As her Inns Of Court colt was foaled relatively late, Vida Amorosa missed last year's covering season and is now in foal to another Tally-Ho Stud newcomer, Starman (GB).

“If everything goes well with the foaling, the obvious thing would probably be to go back to Mehmas,” said Lacy.

The family also received a boost over the weekend from Garrus (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), who remains a force to be reckoned with at the age of six and won the G3 Prix de Ris-Orangis at Deauville. His dam Queen Of Power (Ire) is a Medicean (GB) half-sister to Vida Amorosa.

Harris Back in Winner's Enclosure

Prior to last Thursday, no horse had run in the name of Peter Harris in Britain since 2015, although we have seen his distinctive silks carried to Group 1 glory by Audarya (Fr) Wootton Bassett {GB}), who is owned by by his daughter Alison Swinburn. Harris's own name made a reappearance last week alongside the promising Gleneagles (Ire) colt Mill Stream (Ire). The half-brother to last season's G2 Richmond S. winner Asymmetric (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) was bred by Redpender Stud, who sold him as a yearling for 350,000gns, and won on debut at Doncaster for Jane Chapple-Hyam. 

A former breeder and trainer, Harris, now 88, had notable success with his homebred G1 Middle Park S. winner Primo Valentino (Ire) (Primo Dominie {GB}) and his half-sister, the G2 Cherry Hinton S. winner Dora Carrington (Ire) (Sri Pekan). The latter was one of 43 horses which formed the dispersal of Harris's Pendley Farm Stud stock at Tattersalls in 2010.

Epic Debut

Another more recent dispersal, that of Lady Rothschild's Waddesdon Stud, saw the G1 Pretty Polly S. winner Thistle Bird (GB) (Selkirk) bought by James Wigan on behalf of George Strawbridge for 750,000gns when in foal to Kingman (GB). The mare's resultant foal, Epictetus (Ire), made his debut at Newmarket on Friday and became the latest runner in Europe to earn a TDN Rising Star badge when cruising to the line in front with his ears pricked. 

All of Thistle Bird's five foals of racing age are winners, and they include current 3-year-old Jumbly (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}), who has remained within the Rothschild fold and won last year's Listed Radley S. before finishing runner-up this spring in the G3 Fred Darling S. Her yearling colt is by Lope De Vega (Ire). 

Leigh's Influence Continues To Be Felt

Putting herself firmly in the frame to take leading broodmare honours this years is Godolphin's Modern Ideals (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), who is the dam of G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Modern Games as well as Friday's G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. victrix Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}). Moreover, in May her 4-year-old son Modern News (GB) (Shamardal) won the Listed Royal Windsor S. and was subsequently second in the G3 Diomed S. at Epsom.

Their grand-dam Epitome (Ire) (Nashwan) was, like Gossamer (GB) (Sadler's Wells), acquired by Sheikh Mohammed when he bought the breeding operation of the late Gerald Leigh, who died 20 years ago last month. Modern Ideals was the seventh of Epitome's 14 foals, born three years before her half-brother Ultra (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}), winner of the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and now resident at Haras du Logis. 

The aforementioned dual Group 1 winner Gossamer, a sister to Barathea (Ire), turned out similarly to be a great addition to the Godolphin/Darley fold, breeding the G1 Racing Post Trophy winner Ibn Khaldun (Dubai Destination) among three black-type performers.

Aclaim Breezing Up the Table

The National Stud resident Aclaim (Ire) can now count two special fillies among his first crop following the emphatic win of Royal Aclaim (Ire) in the Listed City Walls S. at York. The James Tate-trained 3-year-old is now unbeaten in three starts, having got the better of no less a star than Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) when breaking her maiden in May 2021. But she was then absent from the racecourse for more than a year, and didn't return until June 11 at Bath when she won her second novice contest with ease.

Both she and Aclaim's 1,000 Guineas winner Cachet (Ire) graduated from the breeze-ups, bought from the Craven and Guineas sales respectively for the same sum of 60,000gns. Earlier in the year, Nancy Sexton spoke to Ellie Whitaker and Tegan Clark of WC Equine who consigned Royal Aclaim in their first draft of only two fillies on behalf of breeder Pier House Stud.

Aclaim now sits in second place in the European second-season sires' table behind Churchill (Ire), sire of the Prix du Jockey Club and Eclipse S. winner Vadeni (Fr). Though ahead on prize-money, that pair falls behind Zarak (Fr) when it comes to the number of stakes winners, with the Aga Khan Studs stallion leading that division on five.

Wedding Bells at the Double

It was a hectic week for the bloodstock press pack at a roasting edition of the July Sale at Tattersalls, and particularly so for two members, who were also counting down to their wedding days on Saturday. TDN's own Alayna Cullen married amateur rider and assistant trainer Ross Birkett on the same day that Racing Post sales reporter James Thomas was also trying to juggle reciting his wedding vows with keeping an eye on the July Cup result.

To Ross and Alayna, and James and Molly, we send our congratulations and best wishes for much future happiness. 

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Cachet to Attempt 1000 Guineas Double

Trainer George Boughey told At The Races Friday that he would attempt the English-French Guineas double with G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas heroine Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}). The 'TDN Rising Star' will travel to ParisLongchamp for the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches on May 15. The race comes just 14 days after her English Guineas win.

Sunday, after the Guineas, her trainer George Boughey said the filly would be pointed to the June 17 G1 Coronation S. at Ascot for her next start, her next step on her way to a start in the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland in the autumn, saying she loved fast ground. But Friday, he reversed course.

“Next weekend, we are going to run in France,” he told At The Races. “As long as the track doesn't turn into a quagmire, that's our plan. This morning, she was in great form. All the lights are green. She's got an extraordinary mind.”

Only four fillies in history have successfully attempted the double: Imprudence II (Fr) (Canot {Fr}) in 1947, Miesque (Nureyev) in 1987, Ravinella (Mr. Prospector) in 1988 and Special Duty (GB) (Hennessy) in 2010. Last year, Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) was beaten by Coeursamba (Fr) (The Wow Signal {Ire}) at ParisLongchamp after having won at Newmarket.

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