Cairo Purchased By Kuwait’s Refai Alghuraban Ahead Of Dubai Turf Bid

Group 3 winner Cairo (Ire) (Quality Road) has been purchased by Refai Alghuraban, a leading owner in Kuwait. The deal was brokered by Avenue Bloodstock's Mark McStay.

Successful in the G3 Killavullan S. in 2022 for the Coolmore partners and trainer Aidan O'Brien, the bay was second in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas to Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) last May. He kick-started his 4-year-old campaign in his 10th lifetime start with a close runner-up effort in the $500,000 Listed Irish Marketing Cup in Doha, Qatar, in February. The son of listed winner Cuff (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and great grandson of blue hen producer Rafha (GB) (Kris {GB}) is pointing to the 1800-metre G1 Dubai Turf on Mar. 30.

“Cairo ran very well on his first start of 2024 in Doha last month and it's intended that he represent his new owner Mr Refai Alghuraban and his family in the Dubai Turf at Meydan on World Cup night,” McStay said. “Cairo is an extremely well-bred horse who has some excellent form, particularly his run behind Paddington (GB) in the Irish 2000 Guineas last season. As always, it's a very strong renewal of the Dubai Turf, but we're very hopeful for a big run in his new owner's colours. Mr Alghuraban is a leading owner in the gulf region.”

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McStay Extends to 220K Gns for Sea The Stars Filly at Tatts Online

Cloudbreaker (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}–Deveron, by Cozzene) realised a final bid of 220,000 guineas from Avenue Bloodstock's Mark McStay during Thursday's Tattersalls Online December Sale. The 3-year-old, who earned black-type in August when finishing second in the Listed Aphrodite S. at Newmarket, was also fourth in the King George V S. at Royal Ascot earlier in June. Out of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac placed Deveron, the Charlie Fellowes-trained filly is a half-sister to listed winners Lamar (Ire) and Haddaf (Ire).

“She's a lovely filly and has been extremely well trained by Charlie Fellowes,” said McStay of lot 59. “I inspected her [Wednesday] morning and was very taken by her–she's gorgeous looking with a great walk. It's a family I know very well from my days at Godolphin and Rabbah. I think it's safe to say that Sea The Stars is looking like being a very good broodmare sire. She's been bought for an Irish breeder with no mating plans yet, but we're delighted to get her.”

Fellowes added, “She was a very good racemare, she ran a massive race to finish fourth at Royal Ascot and got some black-type after that. We felt that the Online Sale worked really well for her because we felt she stood out, and we were delighted with the price we got for her. I am very much look forward to following her babies when they no doubt turn up at Tattersalls!”

Also included among Thursday's leading lots: 2-year-old Regal Defence (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) (lot 5), who finished an eye-catching third at Kempton on debut Wednesday night and realised 52,000 guineas to trainer Ian Williams. Recent Dundalk winner Never Cry Never (Ire) (No Nay Never) (Lot 52) was purchased for 21,000 guineas by Ger O'Leary from Fozzy Stack's Thomastown Castle Stables and the 4-year-old filly Reinitinruby (Ire) (Leading Light {Ire}) (Lot 125), a recent third in a competitive point to point, brought the same amount from Dan Astbury, acting on behalf of Stockton Hall.

At the close of bidding the Tattersalls Online December Sale realised a turnover of 566,800 guineas for the sale of 53 lots from 111 offered, at an average of 10,694 guineas. Almost 250 bidders registered for the sale from across Great Britain, Ireland, North America, Japan, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, and the Gulf region.

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Mehmas Colt Stars On Goffs Day One

KILDARE, Ireland–The opening day of the rescheduled Goffs November Sale got off to a lukewarm start on Friday, with present circumstances understandably impacting trade. Last year’s opening day was highlighted by a €100,000 session topper with seven foals selling for €50,000 or more, while 69.5% of the offered foals changed hands at an average of €17,957 and a median of €13,750. It was a slightly different story on Friday when only four foals reached or surpassed the €50,000 mark headed by a €75,000 session-topping Mehmas (Ire) colt. In total, 159 of the 254 (63%) offered foals changed hands for a total of €2,178,200, at an average of €13,786 and a median of €10,000. Allowances, of course, have to made for this being the most disruptive year in recent times, and it is expected that trade should take a leap forward in each of the next two sessions.

The most expensive foal of the day saw two branches of a very prominent bloodstock family battle it out with Tally-Ho Stud’s Tony and Roger O’Callaghan eventually getting the better of Grangemore Stud’s Guy O’Callaghan, who was standing with his brother Robert. Lot 279 is by the all-conquering Mehmas (Ire), who the successful bidders stand, and is the second produce out of the unraced Lope De Vega (Ire) mare Vida Amorosa (Ire), who was purchased in this ring in 2017 for just €1,200. Offered by Derek Veitch’s Ringfort Stud on behalf of breeder Tom Lacy, the chestnut colt continued the fine run of form for Ringfort this year both on the track and in the sales ring.

“He’ll come back for sale as a yearling and is a sweet colt,” Tony O’Callaghan said afterwards. “We sold his half-bother earlier in the year but this fella is a better model. The sire has been amazing and we are delighted to have him,” he added.

Mehmas was also responsible for a colt (lot 286) signed up by Paula Flannery late in the session for €40,000.

There has been plenty of publicity the past few weeks about Starfield Stud’s new stallion Far Above (Ire), and a half-brother to that G3 Palace House S. winner led proceedings throughout much of the session on Friday when selling to Avenue Bloodstock’s Mark McStay for €70,000. Lot 73, a son of Dawn Approach (Ire), was consigned by Clare Manning’s Boherguy Stud and is out of the winning Shamardal mare Dorraar (Ire), whose group-winning sprinting son has been her only runner so far. After signing the buyer’s docket Mark McStay commented, “He’s a lovely horse and I’ve had some luck with the sire before. He’s been bought for an existing client who might keep him to race rather than to sell next year.”

Boherguy has 11 foals catalogued this weekend and having got her sales week off to a good start, Clare Manning said, “We sold him on behalf of a client and he is a lovely, professional horse and it was great for our client to get a result like that. It’s a nice start for ourselves as well and hopefully it will continue that way as we have some lovely foals to sell over the next few days.”

Mark McStay was back in the fray later on when he went to €60,000 to secure a colt by Dandy Man (Ire) offered by Arglo House Stud. Lot 208 is a grandson of the G3 Park Express S. winner Danehill Music (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and the dam Rip Van Music (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) has bred a winner from her first and only runner. “He’s been bought for a pinhooking syndicate to be re-sold through Baroda Stud next year,” reported McStay. “He is a lovely foal, one of the standouts today and Dandy Man (Ire) has had another solid year. I didn’t think I’d have to give as much for him as I did but hopefully he’ll be worth it,” he added.

An attractive daughter of Sea The Moon (Ger) caught the eye of Grove Stud’s Brendan Holland and was eventually knocked down to him for €50,000. The Castlebridge-consigned lot 86 is the first foal out of the unraced Exploitation (Ire) (Excelebration {Ire}), who is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Rythmique (Ire) (Casamento {Ire}).

Paul McCartan has a habit of striking gold with his pinhooks and it will be interesting to monitor the exploits both in the sales ring and on the track of lot 81. This Mastercraftsman (Ire) filly was bought by the McCartan’s Ballyphilip Stud for €45,000. Offered by Galbertstown Stables, the Liz O’Leary-bred filly is closely related to GI Matriarch S. winner Off Limits (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), while her yearling full-brother made 55,000gns at Tattersalls in October. The dam Eccellente Idea (Ire) (Excellent Art {GB}) also got off to a winning start as a broodmare this year when her second produce won as a 2-year-old in Norway.

Early in the day John Walsh acquired lot 15, a filly by Churchill (Ire), for €42,000. Offered by Oak Lodge & Springfield House Stud, the foal is the second produce out of Alambra (Ire) (Shamardal) a winner in Italy and placed four times in stakes company. The same price was given for lot 255, a colt by Footstepsinthesand (GB) purchased by Tally-Ho Stud.

The Murphys of Redpender Stud are noted judges of bloodstock, and they put their faith in lot 180, a colt by Fast Company (Ire). Offered by Ballyogue Stud, the first produce out of Nisma (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) from the family of group winner and Classic-placed Wind Chimes (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) was knocked down to Kilkenny based Jimmy Murphy for €40,000. “We haven’t had one by the sire before but he’s a proven stallion and this is a good foal with a nice pedigree so hopefully he can come back successfully next year,” he said.

Murphy swiftly added another foal to his 2021 pinhooking team when securing lot 182, a Dandy Man (Ire) filly, for €29,000.

The sale resumes on Saturday morning at 10a.m.

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Jetting In For The Fresh Prince Of The Ring

NEWMARKET, UK—There may have been one significant Prince Of Lir (Ire) colt missing from those originally consigned for the Tattersalls Ascot Breeze-up but the Ballyhane Stud resident still made his presence felt as the sire of three of the top eight lots of the sale.

The G2 Norfolk S. winner The Lir Jet (Ire) was withdrawn by Robson Aguiar and sold privately ahead of the delayed auction but that hold up has worked in other people’s favour. Heading the list of those who found themselves in the ring on Thursday afternoon was lot 13, the colt from Knockanglass Stables out of the listed-placed juvenile winner Harvest Joy (Ire) (Daggers Drawn), who sold for 92,000gns to Mark McStay of Avenue Bloodstock.

“He’s a lovely horse and we are delighted to have bought him,” said McStay, who was acting on behalf of a group of owners with Joe Parr, who is in his first season training in Newmarket.

“We thought he was one of the nicest horses on the sales ground and he compared very favourably with those in the Craven Sale, both on type and on the time he did for his breeze. He was prepared very well by Thomond O’Mara, who recommended him highly.”

Bred by John Hutchinson, the colt was bought by O’Mara for €10,000 at the Goffs February Sale.

McStay added, “He might have been considerably cheaper ten days ago had it not been for The Lir Jet but we hope he might be the next one. The horse is eligible for the new Ballyhane Stakes at Naas so hopefully he can go over and win some of Joe Foley’s money.”

Peter Swann was the man who raced Prince Of Lir—a Norfolk S. winner and breeze-up graduate himself—and, while Swann had to play the role of underbidder on the sale’s top lot, he picked up number two on the list, another colt by the sire for whom he has an understandable fondness. Sold for 70,000gns, lot 23 was consigned by Mickey Cleere of MC Thoroughbreds. A son of the six-time American winner Little Italy (Proud Citizen), he was bred by Gerard Mullins.

Matt Coleman did the bidding on behalf of Swann’s Cool Silk Partnership and said, “We missed out on The Lir Jet but Peter was very keen to buy a Prince Of Lir colt for Robert Cowell to train as he also trained the sire.”

Prince Of Lir ended the sale as the leading sire with an average of 44,800gns for five sold.

The Cool Silk team also picked up a first-crop son of Pearl Secret (GB) (lot 85) for 45,000gns and ended the sale as leading buyer with three bought for 130,000gns. The Pearl Secret colt was another with particular significance for Swann as he is out of Bertorizzia (Fr) (Bertolini), an unraced half-sister to Cool Silk’s GI QIPCO British Champions Sprint winner Sands Of Mali (Fr) (Panis), himself a £75,000 purchase from the second edition of the Ascot Breeze-up Sale.

Despite a much denuded catalogue—after 39 withdrawals only 57 juveniles were offered for sale—the figures for what is usually the breeze-up season opener held up pretty well. Fifty horses (88%) sold for a total of 1,000,440gns, for a 21% improvement in the median to 15,750gns and an average which held steady at 20,009gns.

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