Elation For Etreham As Well-Bred Dubawi Filly Makes €2.4m 

By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin

DEAUVILLE, France–As the co-breeder of the outstanding matriarch Urban Sea, Maurice Lagasse will forever be famed in the racing world but it is another family that has put his Gestut Zur Kuste in the spotlight of late, and on Saturday night his Dubawi (Ire) half-sister to two Group 1 winners topped the August Sale at €2.4 million.

Oliver St Lawrence is no stranger to plucking expensive yearlings from Arqana's flagship sale and it was his name on the docket for lot 214 after he outbid Anthony Stroud on behalf of Bahraini interests for the sibling of last weekend's G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. winner Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and his full-brother, the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye winner Wooded (Ire). The transaction put the seal on a memorable day for Nicolas de Chambure of Haras d'Etreham, who clinched the G2 Prix du Calvados with co-owner Craig Bernick and their filly Les Pavots (Ire) before racing back to the sales grounds to oversee a momentous evening for his Etreham draft, which consigned the filly on behalf of longstanding client Lagasse.

The filly's dam Frida La Blonde (Fr) is a daughter of the late Etreham stallion Elusive City and was co-bred by Lagasse before racing in his colours.

Reflecting on the family, and the filly's second dam Firm Friend (Affirmed), Lagasse said, “I loved her immensely. She was ordinary looking, but she broke her maiden at two at Evry, and she beat a very good filly in Sky Paradise, and then she won a Listed, she beat a Breeders' Cup winner in Lit De Justice, and a multiple graded stakes winner in Borodislew.  

He added of Frida La Blonde, “The dam is empty this year, but she should be going back to Wootton Bassett because Dubawi is too expensive.” 

 

After being slapped on the back by almost everyone who passed him on his way out of the ring, a beaming de Chambure added, “There was more excitement than pressure, and I'm glad she's going to a great home. Maurice was a friend of my grandfather and has been with us for many, many years, so it was a great thrill to have this filly for him.”

Etreham was also the vendor of Bucanero Fuerte at last year's sale, for €165,000 to Robson Aguiar, as well as €90,000 October graduate Wooded. 

St Lawrence, whose clients have purchased the filly as a future foundation mare, said, “She is a nice filly. She has her few little faults but so did her brother here last year. Hopefully he can go on and win a few more Group 1s; he won very easily the other day at the Curragh.”

He added, “We knew that she had to be making somewhere around two million-plus. I don't know how much more was in the tank. She's worth virtually that if she wins an ordinary race.”

The Sons Also Rise

It wasn't just the progeny of Dubawi that was in high demand as his stallion sons Night Of Thunder (Ire) and Ghaiyyath (Ire) played star roles with yearlings selling for €660,000 and €600,000 respectively. 

The Night Of Thunder colt (196) was consigned by Ecurie des Monceaux on behalf of breeder Guy Heald and benefited from a major recent update when his three-parts-brother Arabian Crown (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), who made €600,000 at this sale 12 months ago, won the Stonehenge S. for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby on Wednesday. 

The future looks bright for Classic candidate Arabian Crown, as indeed it does for the stallion sons of Dubawi, with Blandford Bloodstock's Richard Brown lauding Night Of Thunder after signing for the colt on behalf of his existing and successful client.

He said, “I thought this was an absolute smasher. Night Of Thunder, for me, is a stallion who is going to explode in the next few years. The mare has done it all–she had a very impressive two-year-old winner by Dubawi the other day.”

Blandford Bloodstock has signed for four yearlings for a total spend of €2,180,000 over the past two days and Brown added, “This colt has come from an exceptional farm. I haven't bought many horses from Henri [Bozo] over the years because I haven't been able to but the record of Monceaux speaks for itself. He's for the same existing client and he will go back to England and then we will make plans.”

It was Anthony Stroud, buying on behalf of Godolphin, who snapped up the Ghaiyyath colt from Haras des Capucines for €600,000. Out of Dubai Opera (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), an own-sister to Group 3 winner Lockwood (Ire), lot 195 was the third yearling Godolphin bought from as many offerings by the stallion on the day, having snapped up lot 176 and 160 earlier in the session. That worked out at a total spend of €1,365,000 on yearlings by Ghaiyyath by the powerful operation. 

 

 

Day Two Talking Points

  • The figures were similarly strong to those posted on Friday. Comparing Saturday's trade to the corresponding day 12 months ago, the aggregate, average, median and clearance rate all climbed. Of the 82 lots offered on Saturday, 70 were sold, resulting in an 85% clearance rate compared to 81% in 2022. The average also rose 2.6% to €239,914 and the aggregate was up 10.49% to €16,794,000.
  • Al Shaqab has certainly made its presence felt over the past few days. Sheikh Joaan Al Thani has been spotted on the sales ground and he clearly means business given the operation has already added eight yearlings for a total spend of €2,885,000.
  • Godolphin's support of Ghaiyyath (Ire) was noticeable with the operation signing for all three yearlings by the Darley freshman stallion for €1,365,000.
  • It was perhaps unsurprising for a sale held in Blue Rose Cen's home country, but the progeny of Churchill (Ire) held up well. He's hot at the moment, which was evident in the fact that three of his yearlings sold for an average of €226,667.
  • Helped by the rip-roaring €525,000 sale of the Sottsass (Fr) colt by Coulonces to Mitsu Nakauchida, the progeny of the Arc winner continued to make a big impression among buyers. He's had eight yearlings sell for an average of €227,125, which sees him performing favourably against a lot of proven sires.
  • It shouldn't go unnoticed the excellent start that Pinatubo (Ire) has made, either. He's holding up at a rock-solid €207,857 for seven yearlings sold over the past two days.
  • Romanised had just one horse in the sale but it was a notable one with a filly by the Irish 2,000 Guineas and Jacques le Marois winner, who stands at Haras de Bouquetot for €7,000, making €170,000 to Haras de Meautry. In an era where high-class sprinters are rushed off to stud much quicker than even classy milers like Romanised, it would be nice to see the former Ken Condon-trained star do well at stud. 

Family Ties Run Deep for Coulonces and Sottsass

As the last yearlings by the late Le Havre (Ire) go through the ring in Arqana, there was a special moment for his breeders the Sundstrom family, who, in partnership with long-term friend Charlotte Hutchinson, bred the most expensive member of the first crop of Sottsass (Fr). The colt (lot 183) out of Dalakania (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) will race in Japan after being bought by trainer Mitsu Nakauchida for €525,000.

Like Le Havre, Sottsass won the Prix du Jockey Club, and he also has close ties to Anna Sundstrom's Coulonces operation, in which she is assisted by her daughters Moa and Lillie.

“I thought Sottsass was one of the most tremendous racehorses, but also, when Moa was little, the first mare that she presented [at the sales] was Premiere Creation, who is the dam of the dam of Sottsass. So the dam of Sottsass was born at our place,” said Sundstrom. 

“It's been an amazing family and when we do our matings with Charlotte we take into account a lot of things that we think will be good for us. It's not always about the market, and this was very close to the heart.”

She continued, “Sottsass is a beautiful horse and we really wanted to use him. When [this colt] was born we then decided that we had to cover another mare with him and we have a stunning foal out of a Wildenstein mare that will come here next year, and we have mares in foal to Sottsass. There's a lot of emotion behind these coverings, there's always a story behind it.”

 

Wiping away tears, she added, “It's life-changing. [This colt is] so much like Le Havre. He has the same intelligence. I can't wait to see him run.”

Charlotte Hutchinson was for a long time a familiar face on the French scene and an integral part of Coulonces Sales. In recent years she has returned home to England but still keeps six mares in partnership with Sundstrom, including Dalakania, whom they bought from the Wertheimer family in 2014 for €16,000.

 “We have a long history and the whole team at Coulonces has done a great job prepping him. They are excellent at what they do,” Hutchinson said after making a star guest appearance on the shank to take the Sottsass colt through the ring, her smile growing wider as he neared his final sale price.

“Anna has made it possible for all of us. I'm working back at home with my family on the farm but it's nice to come back and be part of the team again.”

Superpowers Do Battle for Bourgeauville's Colt

Juddmonte and Godolphin locked horns for a colt by Camelot (GB) from the select draft of his breeder Haras de Bourgeauville, with Juddmonte's Simon Mockridge having the final say at €520,000 for lot 154.

The colt is the second foal of the treble winner Bella Bollide (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), herself a half-sister to Es Que (GB) (Inchinor {GB}), the dam of three group winners. The third dam Bellarida (Fr) (Bellypha {GB}) has also produced the Group 3 winner In Clover (GB) (Inchinor {GB}), who in turn is the dam of three Group 1 winners for George Strawbridge, including We Are (Ire) (Dansili {GB}).

“He's been very popular the whole five days he's been here,” said Philip Lybeck, who runs Haras de Bourgeauville with his parents Amelie and Robert Ehrnrooth. The family moved to France from their native Finland, and the farm close to Deauville has been in their ownership from 1992. 

Lybeck continued, “He's a homebred and his dam is a homebred, so it's now the second generation. We've had a lot of the family and we still have. It was two superpowers involved in the bidding and we are delighted that we could breed a horse good enough to attract them.”

He added, “We're the only Finnish Thoroughbred breeders in the world as far as we know.”

 

 

The Next Blue Rose Cen? 

Superstar French filly Blue Rose Cen (Ire) has done her bit to raise the profile of Churchill (Ire) by storming to three Group 1 successes and American bloodstock agent Ben Gowans is hoping that he found the latest top-class filly by the sire on Saturday.

Gowans went to €340,000 to secure Camas Park Stud's Churchill filly [lot 151], who is a half-sister to six individual winners, including the Grade I winner Bayrir (Fr) (Medicean {GB}).

Gowans purchased the Churchill filly on behalf of Mark Grier, who was a late non-runner on the trip to Deauvlle for the sale due to illness, but the owner won't have to wait long to see his latest acquisition given she will race in America. 

Gowans said, “I work for Gainesway and they are very nice to allow me to do some business on the side. We are here for the first time on behalf of Mark Grier, who lives in New Jersey in the United States, and they have long been planning on coming over here to experience the sale. Unfortunately, Mark was diagnosed with Lyme Disease a few weeks ago so he couldn't make the sale, but his wife Jackie and son Jack are here and are having a great time. We're pretty happy with the filly we have bought them.”

He added, “Obviously Blue Rose Cen is a very good filly and Churchill seems to do well with fillies in particular. His stock is rising at the moment. This is a strong and athletic filly. She is well built and moves well. She's got the pedigree and she's got the looks. She will go back to America and she'll go to Arnaud Delacour in Fair Hill.”

Buy of the Day

By Brian Sheerin

Lot 168, B, C, Persian King (Ire)-Cap Verite (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire})
Vendor: La Motteraye Consignment
Buyer: Joseph O'Brien
Price: €70,000

Joseph O'Brien may have got himself a bit of value in lot 168, a nice colt by Persian King (Ire), who fetched €70,000. 

There is a lot to like about this colt on pedigree and looks. Offered by the La Motteraye Consignment, he is out of the listed winner Cap Verite (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and hails from a deep black-type family that includes the brilliant Tally-Ho Stud-based sire Mehmas (Ire).

A big-walking son of the French 2,000 Guineas winner, lot 168 boasts a big hip, plenty of power, and looks sure to run at two, but is likely to progress beyond his juvenile season. 

He has gone to one of the best hotels there is and is probably one to make a note of with regards to an Irish maiden this time next year or even beforehand. 

Of the nine Persian Kings to sell here at Arqana over the past two days, they have averaged €74,556, with Freddy Head going to €160,000 for a filly by him and Peter and Ross Doyle paying €135,000 for a colt by the freshman sire. 

Time might prove that the €70,000 outlay of O'Brien, operating at such a competitive sale, as being a decent bit of business for the horses purchased under the €100,000 bracket this week. 

Of those that made a lot more, the Sottsass (Fr) colt sold by Coulonces to Mitsu Nakauchida for €525,000 really was a belter. It will be fascinating to follow his career in Japan and he could be a high-class colt. 



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Rosy Glow Continues As Sun Shines On Arqana

DEAUVILLE, France–In weather that wouldn't have felt out of place for Arqana's August Sale, the sales ground in Deauville was bathed in warm sunshine on Tuesday while trade in the ring continued to be similarly encouraging.

There was a time when Elusive City, at €15,000, was the most expensive stallion at stud in France. Much has changed in the intervening decade and the former Haras d'Etreham stallion was lost to the local breeding industry when suffering a heart attack in 2019 after standing ten seasons in France. But he was remembered at Arqana on Tuesday when a member of his final crop provided one of the highlights of the second session. The colt out of the Allied Forces mare Forces Sweetheart brought a bid of €150,000 from Paul Harley which was enough to lead the second session of the five-day sale.

As a full-brother to G3 Prix Paul de Moussac winner National Service (Fr), the colt had plenty to recommend him on paper but it was his physical attributes that swayed Harley in favour of lot 252, as well as the lure of the €200,000 Criterium de la Vente de Yearlings d'Octobre Arqana.

He said, “I just thought he was one of the best horses today. He looks an athlete, a racehorse, with a good mind. His full-brother won as a 2-year-old and I suppose we will always have in the back of our minds the Arqana sales race on Arc weekend. It would be nice to have a run before then in September.”

Harley added, “It's not yet decided where he will be trained but he will stay in France.”

It was a good day for Anna Sundstrom of Coulonces, who consigned the colt and three of the six highest-priced yearlings of the session, including lot 253, a first-crop son of Coolmore freshman Sioux Nation, who sold for €87,000 to Marco Bozzi.

With a changed sale format over the last two years, since when the October Sale has been extended to five days, it is hard to make reliable comparisons on figures. But drawing a direct line to last year's sale, held just before France was plunged back into an extended lockdown, plenty of improvement in the trade is shown 12 months on. The aggregate of €3,865,500 was up by 25%, while the average rose by 39% to €36,814. The median improved from €20,000 to €29,000 and the clearance rate of 83.3%, from 105 of the 126 lots sold, was almost identical to 2020.

Christophe Ferland will take charge of Jedburgh Stud's smart daughter of Iffraaj (GB) (lot 258) on behalf of Swedish owner Finn Blichfeldt, who has enjoyed success on the track in France this year with juvenile winner and listed runner-up Hot Queen (Fr) (Recorder {GB}). Blichfeldt also breeds in the country under the name AB Ascot.

Ghislain Bozo went to €140,000 for the owner/breeder to secure the first foal of Gaviota (Fr) (Rio De La Plata). The dependable Iffraaj has already worked well with the family as the mare is a half-sister to his son and Group 3 winner Dibajj (Fr). The further family also includes the King's Stand S winner Chineur (Fr), as well as the G1 Prix du Jockey Club runner-up The Summit (Fr), by Iffraaj's son Wootton Bassett (GB). 

“She's very racy, with a lot of quality,” said Bozo. “The family has a lot of speed and she will one day have a good profile for a broodmare. Christophe Ferland will train her for my Scandinavian client AB Ascot.”

Roughly an hour after Carlos and Yann Lerner had provided Almanzor (Fr) with his first black-type performer in the G3 Prix des Reservoirs runner-up Queen Trezy (Fr), the father-and-son training team was in action at Arqana and bought a yearling by the same sire for €130,000. Lot 242 is the second foal of Et Toi Et Moi (Fr) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), a winner at three for Jean-Claude Rouget and out of a half-sister to five black-type winners. 

Al Wukair (Ire), Haras de Bouquetot's son of Dream Ahead, has sired more winners than any other freshman sire in France this season with eight to his name, and one of his second-crop daughters ended up among the six-figure yearlings on Tuesday when sold for €110,000 to Mandore International and John Hammond.

The half-sister to listed winner Mouillage (Fr) (Toronado {Ire}) is out of the Cape Cross (Ire) mare Hazely (GB) and was consigned as lot 270 by Normandie Breeding. She will race in partnership for Al Shaqab and Gerard Augustin-Normand.

Al Wukair's stablemate Zelzal (Fr), by Sea The Stars (Ire), has also made a promising start with his first runners this year, with his six winners headed by the treble scorer and listed victrix Zelda (Fr). At Arqana over the last two days, five of his yearlings have sold for an average of €94,800, with David Redvers having bid €170,000 on Monday for a half-sister to listed winner Bebeautiful (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) from Haras d'Haspel, the breeder of Native Trail (GB).

The G3 Prix des Reservoirs, run at Deauville an hour before the start of Tuesday's sale, was won last year by subsequent G1 Qatar Prix de l'Opera winner Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire}), who, with Sealiway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), has provided two Group 1 winners in a fortnight for the Haras de la Gousserie and trainer Cedric Rossi. The result of this year's race had a bearing on the October Sale as Wednesday's session features a half-sister to the winner Rosacea (Fr) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) as lot 377, who is set to sell in the first half-hour of trade at around 2:30pm. The daughter of Tamayuz (GB) is consigned by her breeder Haras de la Perelle and is out of a winning Zamindar half-sister to the GI EP Taylor S. winner Reggane (GB) (Red Ransom).

Wednesday's session at Arqana begins at 2 p.m. local time.

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Keeneland December Digital Sale: Is This Our Future?

When the owners of Fancy Green (Fr) (Muhtathir {GB}-Fancy Stone {Ire}, by Rainbow Quest) decided to enter her and seven others into Keeneland’s December Digital Sale, they did so with years of personal experience with the technology and methods that made digital buying and selling possible.

“We are international owners,” said Majdolin Shatrit, the Executive Director of Marbat LLC, based in Saudi Arabia. “We don’t live in America or Europe, and so we’ve used this method for a long time.”

Indeed, the offering of Fancy Green (Fr), who sells as hip 21 in Tuesday’s sale (full catalogue here), represents a quantum leap forward for an increasingly international marketplace with a technology accelerated by the global pandemic of COVID-19.

Fancy Green (Fr) is boarded at Anna Sundstrom’s Haras du Grand Chene in Survie, France, about an hour south of Deauville. The 10-year-old mare’s second foal was the Group 1 Criterium de Saint Cloud winner Mkfancy (Fr) (Makfi {GB}) (video). She is in foal to Coolmore Ireland’s Saxon Warrior (Jpn), whose first foals are being well received all over the world.

So why a digital sale based in America?

“The travel restrictions were the main reason,” said Shatrit. “The sales were not as good this year, as everyone knows, especially in Europe, and we found the Keeneland Digital Sale to be a good opportunity to show the filly to everyone in Europe, Australia, America-all over the world.”

“COVID has changed a lot about our lives, and about this business,” said Shatrit. “For years, in France and all over Europe and America, people have been traveling to buy horses, and it’s very difficult to stop that trade because of travel restrictions. I think this digital sale is very helpful if people really think about it in the correct way.”

Sundstrom, whose Coulonces Consignment sells horses all over Europe, said that the digital sale will be an interesting test, and that Fancy Green is the perfect mare for the situation.

Fancy Green (Fr)’s son Mkfancy (Fr) wins the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud

“With what’s going on around the world, it’s going to be very interesting to see if it works, how it works, what kinds of interest it will get,” she said. “And obviously, Fancy Green is such a high-profile mare, having produced a Group 1 winner. She’s in foal to Saxon Warrior and the buyers are mad about them. They’re looking like the real deal, those foals. So she’s a good candidate to do this and she’s such a beautiful mare and I think it’s enough to see in the videos and pictures, that she’s very correct, in great form and shape. It’s very exciting.”

Indeed, her location provides some interesting choices and opportunities for a buyer anywhere in the world.

“She’s here in France, and she’s due at the end of January which means she can foal down, she can be covered again, wherever the buyer may be, they can breed her back in Europe to a top stallion. And then, brought to America, Japan or Australia, in foal to Dubawi (Ire) or Kingman (GB) or Frankel (GB), it could be quite a nice opportunity. If I lived in America, I would be interested in that.”

But as the world has moved more and more to online sales over the past decade, the Thoroughbred trade has been slower to adapt.

Said Shatrit, “I think that people don’t want to buy horses from digital sales because they are not used to it. It’s a tradition, they love to go to sales, we love to see the horses.” But, she said, because of their Saudi Arabian base and the additional burden their location puts on travel, Marbat has conducted its business in this way for years, with the advice of bloodstock David Ingordo, who selects potential racehorses for the group, and Kris Stuebs, who chooses their broodmares.

“We call our agent, they take videos, pictures, send veterinary reports, and based on what we see we decide on whether we want to buy this horse or not and we put a budget based on what we see. I think now, people should start wanting to conduct their business in this way. When you have a horse’s physical information, his height, his weight, his full vet records, I think this information is enough to buy horses even if you can see the horse physically or not.”

Marbat is also offering Fancy Green’s yearling colt by Myboycharlie (Ire), along with a yearling by Constitution, among several others.

“Her yearling is also in the sale,” she said. “You can see how pretty, how strong he looks. People love him in the pre-training center. They’re all very sound.”

But Fancy Green is clearly the star of their show. “This broodmare is really beautiful and a top producer. Her first foal is a multiple winner, her second foal is a Group 1 winner. Her blood is free of Northern Dancer and Mr. Prospector which makes it easy for an owner to breed her to any type of stallion. She can stay in Europe until she has the foal. She can go to any of the top horses at Coolmore, or Dubawi, Frankel, Sea The Stars (Ire)-sires who do very well everywhere; Australia, America. She has the potential to do whatever the owner wants.”

Marbat and its owner, Sheikh Abdullah Almaddah, have successfully campaigned horses such as Green Mask (Mizzen Mast), a $150,000 OBS Spring purchase by Ingordo on their behalf who went on to win over $1 million.

Through Stuebs, they have acquired a number of successful broodmares, including Rote, whose progeny have sold for up to $1,250,000, and Miss Challenge, who produced a then-record Saratoga New York bred in 2013 at $430,000.

“We want to do this, we love this, have a great passion for it, but it’s very difficult to be able to travel to every sale in Europe and America,” said Shatrit. “This makes it easier for us to look at horses. We look at almost every horse that goes through the sale, then we pick our horses based on pedigree and conformation, then we request more information.”

Accelerated by COVID, digital sales, said Shatrit, really are the future, and should remain when the pandemic has abated.

“I really encourage horsemen everywhere to look at this sale,” she said. “These sales are very important even if we go back to our normal life, because it’s nice to buy horses everywhere. Maybe you don’t have to travel to Australia to buy a horse from there. The digital sale gives the chance to everyone-the owner and the seller–to conduct business in a very easy and safe environment.”

Bidding for the December Digital Sale begins Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 10 a.m. EST.

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Yearling Vendors Start Counting the Cost

DONCASTER, UK–Having put on a brave enough face on the opening day, the first auction of an improvised European yearling sales calendar hastened to its conclusion on Wednesday as though downing a necessary but deeply unpleasant medicine.

Horses were ushered through the ring at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale with a briskness that spoke of a pragmatic willingness, among vendors, to clarify the extent of the damage. The clearance rate for the session was duly maintained at 84% across the two days. Albeit trading a marginally smaller catalogue, it says everything that this session finished well over two hours earlier than had the previous one. As Macbeath says: “If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well it were done quickly.”

Everyone knew it was going to be tough, and that nobody is to blame. All we can do is hope that the tempest in the global economy, in a pandemic year, abates sooner rather than later. As things stood, however, the indices were predictably grim.

Turnover for the second session was down 43% on last year, from £7,889,500 to £4,525,000; yielding a £30,782 average that declined 29% from £43,349, and a median slipping 25% to £24,000 from £32,000. Given somewhat stronger returns the previous day, that equated across the whole sale to a 38% slump in aggregate, to £11,503,500 from £18,468,000; a 27% loss in the £34,034 average from £46,519; and a 23% dip in a £27,000 median from £35,000.

As Goffs UK managing director Tim Kent observed, this had been one of the most anticipated editions of this sale in recent years.

“But not in the way that we normally prepare for a sale,” he said. “And we share everyone’s collective relief that we have been able to conduct the sale, and provide an opening to Europe’s yearling sales circuit during these difficult times.

“There is no doubting that trade across that last few days has not been straightforward, but the important thing is that horses are getting sold and the collective view from vendors and purchasers has been that this was a ‘good’ sale, even though ‘good’ may currently be difficult to quantify. We obviously missed some key faces who were active last year but there were a significant number of success stories over the last two days, including some spectacular pinhooks, and we must remember these moments as we reflect what has been achieved.

“Despite the two days proving predictably difficult, we echo what has been said many times this week, that we are lucky to hold sales and continue to trade despite the challenges that face us and our industry. It has been encouraging to see so many people descend on Doncaster and to see a respectable clearance rate upheld over the two days.

“Full credit to our vendors who have adapted to the market to facilitate trade and we now look forward to the Goffs Sportsman’s and Orby Sale which will take place here at the end of this month.”

As Kent indicated, this auction was always going to be exposed after finding itself shuffled to the front of the calendar. And the fact that it has so flourished in recent years only gave it farther to fall. Last year, it processed 35 six-figure transactions. The three recorded yesterday took the total this time round to just 12.

There will be anxiety, naturally, about the complete absence of the firm that had topped aggregate purchasing here in each of the previous five years. But Shadwell’s boss is a human being like everyone else, and it would be most ungrateful–after decades of priceless support from his whole family–for anyone to forget that the debt is owed to him by the industry, and not the other way round. For all most of us can know, his inaction this week may be governed by factors extraneous to the industry’s present difficulties.

That said, those preparing for elite sales ahead will be hoping that the whole market does not take its lead from the physical appearance of the ring here, with only sporadic green ticks among all the black crosses marking those sections of the benches to be left vacant to keep bidders safely apart.

Some vendors did make a stand, refusing to allow a nice horse to go too cheap–a description that even extended to the highest bid of the day when lot 322, a Cotai Glory (GB) half-sister to multiple Group winner A’Ali (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}), was bought in for £150,000. The new plan? “She’ll win a group race,” promised Daniel Creighton of consignors Salcey Forest Stud. “And they’ll all rue the day they didn’t buy her.”

By the same token, many other vendors will doubtless end up shaking their heads over the derisory reward they had to accept for subsequent high achievers. But one of the most seasoned sages on the circuit put it best. “Look, you couldn’t sell a kid’s bike at the moment,” he said. “Yet people are here selling racehorses. There’s trade, and trade is good.”

That was something you heard a lot. Lady Carolyn Warren of Highclere Stud summed things up well. “Yes, it’s been tough,” she said. “But we ought to be pleased that we’re able to sell horses at all. And with that in mind we must all be respectful of the ‘rules and regs’, going into such a busy sales season. But there are nice horses here, and the trade has been solid.

“Yes, we’ve had to adjust our sights a bit, but hopefully people will realize that the opportunities that are out there now; opportunities, to compete at the top level, that maybe weren’t there before. There could be better value around now than for many years, so we’ve just got to hope that people feel more encouraged to have a go.”

£115,000 Havana Gold Colt Tops Session

The top price of the day was paid by Oliver St Lawrence, who gave £115,000 for the Havana Gold (Ire) colt presented by Mountarmstrong Stud as lot 303.

He is out of Majestic Missile (Ire) (Royal Applause {GB})’s stakes-placed half-sister Majestic Alexander (Ire) (Bushranger {Ire}), whose three previous foals onto the track have all won, two also gaining black-type.

“We’re all looking for a Royal Ascot 2-year-old, of course we are,” St Lawrence said. “And he does look a really strong, sharp type. Actually we hadn’t originally intended to buy him: he was on the radar, and I showed him to Fawzi [Nass] yesterday, but we hadn’t had him vetted. But then the trainer said how much he liked him, and we re-evaluated today. Of course it helps that he comes from breeders who do such a good job.”

St Lawrence diplomatically left the trainer in question anonymous, pending formal confirmation of the horse’s destination. Gentlemanly conduct, from one who described his mask-fetchingly adorned with sports cars–as more suitable for a second-hand car salesman. True to his own profession, however, he professed that even so depressed a market remained challenging.

“It’s still tough enough,” he said. “I know all bloodstock agents say that, and the market overall is a bit down. I’m not sure there are quite the horses here they’ve had in the last couple of years. Doncaster do a great job, and there are some really nice ones here. But I suspect some of the vendors have made a percentage call, with sales moving around and this one ending up first.”

Another Diamond for Middleham Park?

The embers of a cold market were stoked into life when the day’s second and third six-figure sales were achieved from its closing half-dozen lots. First of these was lot 418, a Showcasing (GB) filly bought by Middleham Park for £110,000–a good result for W.H. Bloodstock, having made €58,000 from Peter and Ross Doyle at Goffs last November.

“She was our nap of the sale, really,” said Middleham Park’s Mike Prince. “She just looks a lovely racing filly. Showcasing’s had a great year, and the mare has already produced [a dual winner] by Raven’s Pass. She’ll be going to Mark Johnston, so let’s hope she can follow in the footsteps of Marie’s Diamond (Ire).”

An apt turn of phrase, regarding that daughter of Footstepsinthesand (GB), who achieved a Group 1 podium in the Queen Anne S.

Encouragingly, Prince reported plenty of interest in Middleham Park syndicates from investors looking forward to getting back on the racetrack.

“We’ve bought five here,” he said. “One apiece for Mark, David O’Meara, Keith Dalgleish, Karl Burke and Richard Hannon. Our guys have got a taste for it, and as long as they’re buying, we’re buying.”

“It’s a very resilient industry,” concurred colleague Tom Palin. “We’ve been through two recessions and racing just seems to come back stronger than ever.”

A Brother to Make up for the One That Got Away

The very last horse into the ring, likewise, put a more heartening signature on proceedings. Certainly one of the best pedigrees of the sale had been reserved for last, the Dark Angel (Ire) colt (lot 423) out of multiple stakes winner Swiss Dream (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) being a brother to group scorer Yafta (GB).

That horse had made £280,000 here four years ago, when likewise consigned for breeders Lordship Stud by Highclere Stud. Given that he ended up running for Sheikh Hamdan, whose buying team was absent this time, £100,000 from Ed Sackville arguably represented an equivalent result in this market. Sackville was completing some business-like shopping over the two days for Tom Dascombe.

“It’s a nice story because [Dascombe’s landlord] Michael Owen was under-bidder on Yafta,” said Highclere’s Lady Carolyn Warren. “So I really hope that this one will be just as successful, if not more. He’s a lovely-moving colt who sailed through his preparation.”

Owen, the former England striker, has evidently managed to interest more of the North West’s football community in his Cheshire yard: Burnley midfielder Jack Cork had earlier been standing alongside Sackville when the agent gave £88,000 for another Dark Angel (Ire) colt, presented as lot 350 by Yeomanstown Stud.

This one, too, has a lively page: out of a stakes-placed half-sister to G2 Queen Mary and G2 Prix Robert Papin winner Signora Cabello (Ire) (Camacho {GB}); and the third dam is a half-sister to Classic winner Las Meninas (Ire) (Glenstal).

“It’s a lovely female family, going back to the tremendously fast Kingsgate Native (Ire) (Mujdail), and with a recent Royal Ascot winner on the page,” Sackville said. “SackvilleDonald have always been admirers of Dark Angel, including Art Power (Ire) who’s running for Alastair [Donald] in the GI Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock on Saturday.”

Dascombe’s partnerships are famously convivial and Sackville confirmed that his clients “have been very loyal and supportive–especially in these difficult times.”

Albeit even this price would represent a fairly marginal gain on Dark Angel’s fee, the mating is certainly paying its way: the colt’s sister realized €275,000 as a yearling at Goffs last October.

Murphy Hopes for New Dawn

This market is a teasing one for breeze-up pinhookers: there’s value, for sure, but they are betting on confidence returning to the economy as soon as next spring. For Mick Murphy of Longways, however, £95,000 for a Night Of Thunder (Ire) colt (lot 346) was too tempting to resist.

“Gorgeous horse,” he said. “For me, the nicest in the sale. I saw him Sunday morning and didn’t think I’d get him. He’s an exceptionally correct individual, for a Night Of Thunder, who’s obviously very much in demand. I just hope he’s fast! He has the pedigree to be.”

The dam, indeed, is an unraced sister to G1 July Cup winner Fleeting Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). In previous years, perhaps, competition from absent friends such as Shadwell would have put a colt like this beyond reach. As it was, he was Murphy’s fifth purchase of the sale.

“But generally the ones you want are still making money,” Murphy said. “The top end looks after itself. There’s always someone to buy a nice horse. I suppose the market is down, without the likes of Shadwell. But let’s just hope they’re buying next April.”

Aguair Upgrading for next Stage of His Odyssey

As the son of a Derby winner out of an Oaks winner, Ulysses (Ire) might not seem the most obvious of the new stallions for the breeze-up pinhookers. But not enough people grasp how class can tell in any environment. Credit to Robson Aguiar, then, for stretching to £92,000 for lot 255, a February colt by Cheveley Park’s rookie out of a winning sister of listed sprinter Feet So Fast (GB) (Pivotal {GB}).

After all, Ulysses won two Group 1 races over 10 furlongs, and his deep Classic pedigree will doubtless gain a bit of commercial spice from some of those zippy Cheveley Park mares. This colt’s dam was a case in point, albeit recently culled from the farm, as she is out of another of its black-type dashers in Splice (GB) (Sharpo {GB}), whose seven winning foals–besides Feet So Fast and her sister–include G2 Lowther S. winner Soar (GB) (Danzero {Aus}).

“He will probably be a horse for later on, for seven furlongs, but he is a very nice and scopey type,” Aguair said. “I’m trying hard to improve the horses, to keep things going forward, and it’s not easy: nicer horses will still sell well. I have tried for a few that I could not get. But I have some people who are investing with me, and I will keep a half.”

The Brazilian has certainly established his eye for a young prospect at a lower level. One graduate of his nursery is Alicestar (GB) (Charming Thought {Ire}), found for just £10,000 as at Tattersalls Ascot last August. She won on debut at Yarmouth in July, and seeks black-type for David Simcock in the G3 Unibet Dick Poole S. at Salisbury on Thursday.

Mother Takes Pride

Anna Sundstrom of Coulonces Sales had another happy tale to tell when following up the top price of the opening day with the £85,000 sale to Hillen-Ryan of a Caravaggio colt, lot 355.

Having co-bred Tuesday’s Starspangledbanner (Aus) sale-topper with head girl Charlotte Hutchinson, she revealed that this one was all the work of her 19-year-old daughter Moa–who, just like Hutchinson the previous day, led up her charge.

“Moa has done an amazing job with her and deserves every penny,” Sundstrom said. “She bought the dam privately the night before [her subsequent group-winning half-brother] Peace Envoy (Fr) (Power {GB}) won first time out. She had obviously done her homework, and now the mare has a lovely Starspangledbanner colt foal and is in foal to Sioux Nation (Scat Daddy).”

“Very well produced colt,” said Kevin Ryan, congratulating her consignor. “Athletic, with a lot of quality.”

The selective cross-Channel raids of Coulonces to South Yorkshire have paid wonderful dividends, both in the ring and on the track, above all through Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). When she won the G2 May Hill S. on the adjacent track in 2017, it was just the first downpayment on the spectacular dividends she achieved as a £220,000 graduate of this sale the previous year.

Lloyd Excels in Premier Sale Debut

Let’s end on a positive note. It would be misleading to construe the figures, severely depressed as they are, as causing universal despair. Horses were brought here by resilient and realistic people, and the skills of their presentation remain undiminished.

Jamie Lloyd of Far Westfield Farm will have been speaking for many, then, when he concluded his first experiment in selling at this sale with the sale of an £80,000 Exceed And Excel (Aus) filly, lot 414, to Richard Brown.

“It’s been great,” he said. “I’m very glad we came. I brought six and sold five, including an Acclamation (GB) for £95,000 and a Showcasing (GB) for £80,000, which was great–we were supposed to sell that one as a foal, but he wasn’t up together enough.”

The mating that produced this filly had been directed by the dam’s half-sister, Group 3 winner Sound Of Silence (GB), also by Exceed And Excel.

“I bought the dam off Darley, off the track for 25 grand, before Sound Of Silence had run,” Lloyd said with a grin, before reiterating his broader satisfaction. “They’ve managed to get lots of people here and, given what the market’s like, they’ve done a brilliant job.”

 

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