Tag: Breeze-up

An Endless Pursuit Of ‘A Bit Of Magic’ For The O’Callaghans At Tally-Ho Stud

When Michelangelo sculpted David, you'd imagine he took the time to stand back, blow the dust off of his brow and marvel at his masterpiece, wouldn't you?

Like David, Tally-Ho Stud has taken years of hard chiseling but you must be living in Lalaland if you think Tony O'Callaghan is a man for slowing down and taking in all that has been achieved. 

If there's one thing O'Callaghan hates more than arrogance it's idleness. With 200 mares on the farm, considerably more yearlings and foals coming through the system, a sizable breeze-up consignment and, of course, the bread and butter that are the stallions to tend to, there isn't a whole pile of time left over in a day for slacking. 

But what drives a man, who has an uncanny knack of avoiding questions he doesn't want to answer–including those about his age–to attack each morning the same as his sons Roger, 43, and Henry, 41?

“I like action,” he says, unapologetically. “I do. They say there are two chairs you should never sit in; the electric chair and the armchair. They're not putting me into a bin any time soon! Why do some people live to do nothing? I can never understand it.”

The O'Callaghans live for the game. When Kodiac, the horse Roger describes as being “the man who paid for the place” strides out of his box, the lads wear a smile that neither sex nor drugs could supply. 

Tony O'Callaghan: “When the bad year comes, suck it up and move on.” | Tattersalls

Apparently “there's a queue of breeders” wanting to use Kodiac's Group 1-winning son Good Guess, who is new to the roster for 2024, but it wasn't always like this. Before Kodiac, Mehmas, Cotai Glory, Inns Of Court, Persian Force, Starman and now Good Guess, there were tougher times at Tally-Ho.

Blues Traveller and Mac's Imp are some of the earliest hard luck stories. Both stallions met a premature end just as their stock were starting to get going. Danetime, too, was on the cusp of becoming a proper stallion when he died whilst covering on Southern Hemisphere time in Australia. Red Clubs and more recently Society Rock are others who never got a fair crack.

“Danetime was when things started to happen for us,” Tony explains. “Then we got a list of them. Society Rock was doing well when he died and Sir Prancealot did okay as well, but Kodiac was the one who really took off.”

He added, “Danetime might have done the same thing, you know. He was only nine when he died. He had the winner of the Prix Morny two years running—Myboycharlie and then Bushranger. That was a shock when he died.”

So you could say it has been a triumph of perseverance?

“Oh we've kept at it. We've never changed direction. When the bad year comes, suck it up and move on.”

For many people in this industry, 2023 will go down as a bad year. The smaller breeder, who has been a huge part of the success story here, struggled on the whole. But if it's sympathy you're after at the O'Callaghan family's kitchen table, or as Tony's wife Anne describes it, “the engine room,” you've come to the wrong place. 

“It's up to you as a breeder to correct things and not go around blaming everyone bar yourself,” Tony says. “Some people will switch off and become disillusioned. I never get disillusioned no matter how bad the sales are. I never come home disillusioned. I come home blaming myself.”

There may be a lack of sympathy on offer but there's no shortage of encouragement. The business model is simple; try to make everyone–big or small–a winner.

Henry explains, “We're in this for the long haul and we don't take shortcuts. We try to treat people right and, if we both win, that's how you really succeed. There can be repeat business if that happens.”

It is an honourable way of conducting business. And it is one of the reasons why Ger Lyons named Tony The Gent after the man himself. A Whatsapp message to the trainer confirmed as much.

“He was, because in the dictionary beside the word gentleman, you see a picture of Tony O'C,” comes the reply from Lyons, swiftly followed by, “lovely family that.”

There can be a price to be paid when only dealing in facts, though. Some will confuse the no-nonsense approach to business as being cold but the reality is the complete opposite. 

It was this scribe's great pleasure to kill more than a few hours with Roger in Cincinnati Airport during a layover on the way home from the Breeders' Cup a couple of years back.

When a young couple across the bar endured a nightmare episode when both of their cards declined, it was Roger who thought nothing of jumping into action to settle the bill of the two people he'd never set eyes on before in order to prevent further blushes.

'That's my good deed done for the year,' he chirped, before sitting back down at the table. A chip off the old block.

The similarities between Roger and his old man was clear to be seen at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale last year as well. Less than 48 hours after Tally-Ho and Archie St George turned a $550,000 Into Mischief colt foal purchase into a $1.8-million yearling, O'Callaghan was back to the grindstone.

A simple, 'well done in America, Roger,' was met with a, 'now on to the next one,' in that inimitable droll tone. Insatiable. 

Tony and Anne O'Callaghan | Tattersalls

Anne comments on what drives her boys, “We're the lucky ones. We're the ones who have something to achieve and to look forward to every day. Imagine grinding your way to work behind the wheel after having dropped your kids to creche. You're having your cup of coffee, or maybe a cigarette, and listening to the droning bad news on the radio. We get out of bed, roll down the hill, step out into the yard, and bingo. Light on. Let's get at it.”

Henry concurs and provides his own insight into the motivation behind this winner-producing machine, when saying, “You have a chance of a bit of magic. That's the great thing about this business. When you're involved with a good horse, there's no better feeling.”

The hope is that Good Guess, who claimed the notable scalp of 2,000 Guineas winner Chaldean when storming to Prix Jean Prat glory at Deauville last summer, can be the latest good horse that the O'Callaghans will be associated with. 

The horse had been on Tally-Ho's radar ever since Cheveley Park Stud flagged that they had a good Kodiac at the Tattersalls October Book 1 Yearling Sale in 2021. They were right. 

Good Guess went on to make 420,000gns to Sebastien Desmontils and the O'Callaghans have been tracking his progression ever since. In fact, so sure they were that Good Guess would be a good fit at Tally-Ho, a deal was done not long after he had crossed the line in front in that Group 1. 

“Sure he'd be whipped from underneath you,” says Tony, explaining why there wasn't even time to hop on a plane to get the deal done. Instead, it was trashed out on the phone. “These things are done quickly.”

Good Guess | Scoop Dyga

Good Guess | Scoop Dyga

It has been well-reported that, in order to secure Good Guess, a lot of money needed to change hands. 

“You've got to try and win the lottery. Pay your money, take your chance,” is how Roger sums up the transaction. Henry adds, “It's grand when you're right. There's never a bad time to buy a good horse but then there's never a good time to buy a bad horse. If you can buy a good horse, what you pay for it ultimately doesn't matter. The economics of this game, it's unique, isn't it?”

He adds, “Given how much stallions are costing at the moment, you need them to work in order for the whole thing to make economic sense. It's a big test of how bad you want a horse if you are prepared to send it a clatter of your own mares.”

Good Guess, along with the rest of the stallion roster at Tally-Ho, won't be lacking in that department. 

Tony explains, “When the stallions do well, it's huge. But, when the stallions do bad, it's an absolute nightmare. When they don't click, you suffer. There's a queue up for Good Guess but we'll support him as well. It's very simple; back your own.

“The way it works is, you look after everyone else first. Whenever we can get a slot for him, we'll send him a mare. We'll send him between 30 and 50 of our own mares but we won't know how many until the end of May. “

On what makes Good Guess an attractive stallion proposition, he adds, “Sure you could see below, his action and his physique. The bone structure is there and he has a nice big eye and a nice head. He floats around the yard there. Those are his strong points. Everyone who has come to see him, they all love him.”

Could he be the heir to the throne?

“Never,” says Tony, half-insulted. “I don't think we'll ever get an heir to that horse. We'd love one. But I don't think we'll ever find another Kodiac.”

And with that, the master of Tally-Ho leaves the table to tend to more pressing duties in the yard. He's not one for sitting, you know. But was he always like that?

“I'll never forget I was covering a mare with Dad,” Roger recalls. “He was holding the mare and I had Danetime. When Danetime went to get up on the mare, she reared. Dad had the lead rope wrapped around his thumb and the thumb went with the lead rope. Severed it. Straight off. 

“I'll never forget it. And then, when he went into the hospital, all he was telling me was, 'I'm really sorry.' I was saying, 'what are you sorry for?' 

“Anyway, he did a night in hospital but was back in the yard the following morning. He had a big bandage on his hand out cleaning water troughs that day. But what happened next? Didn't the f**king bucket fall over and of course he went to grab it. Bang. It bounced off the thumb. 

“Oh Jesus, I'll never forget it. The poor f**ker nearly died with the pain. But as soon as he could get back going, he was out in that yard. You can count the number of days on one hand that Dad has taken off work in his life. Seriously. He just loves it.” 

And that, ladies and gentleman, is the difference. 

Tony O'Callaghan on…….

Caught U Looking

I'd been watching her going around the back ring at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale and was wondering whether or not I should bid for her. Next thing, she went into the ring and Peter Nolan bought her for Noel Meade. I said I'd take her. They told me the most I could have was a half, so I took half. She's a nice filly. I'm hoping she will go on this season but we'll see, won't we? I'm hoping she'll stay a mile plus. We could have sold her 10 times over but we'll roll the dice. I'd be hoping she can stay a mile-and-a-half. That's what I'd like. She has plenty of size and scope. It would be nice to have a runner in the Oaks. 

Working the sales

There are people giving out about the industry but, when they go to the sales, they are fiddling around and they wouldn't do any homework. A lot of the trainers are like that. Willie Mullins started with eight or nine horses. Gordon Elliott started with one or two. When you go to the sales, do you go to zone in or you go to be sociable for the day? You can only do one or the other. You can't do both. If you want to buy something, you have to pay attention, not be in and out of the bar. I've nothing against that but it's gone a bit like that. The sales are competitive. We're there to work.

National Hunt

We always had National Hunt horses going back years ago. I quite like National Hunt horses. As the fella says, what do you do in January? I always felt the first day of Spring was Thyestes Day. Long ago, when we were young, Thyestes Day marked the start of Spring. 

Polarisation

It is gone polarised but you can always sell a nice horse. It's always been the model first for me. If you can get the sire as well, then you are away. The model will always get you out of trouble, though. 

 

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Trainer Cormac Farrell Buys Famous Copper Beech Stables

There is a new name over the door at Copper Beech Stables, one of the finest training establishments in Ireland, with trainer Cormac Farrell confirming that he has taken over the yard from Michael Halford.

It was last February when Halford, who had sent out almost 500 winners from Copper Beech Stables in 16 full seasons, including Group 1 scorer Casamento (Ire), announced that he had taken the decision to combine forces with Tracey Collins under the banner of Conyngham Lodge. 

Farrell, a respected trainer in his own right but perhaps best known for trading horses at the point-to-point and breeze-up sales, bought the property alongside business partner and well-known owner Douglas Taylor shortly after that announcement. 

The new owners are already up-and-running at Copper Beech Stables after Farrell sent out two winners on the track in recent months. However, the trainer explained that he will be concentrating predominantly on trading at the point-to-point and breeze-up sales rather than running horses from the famous yard for the foreseeable future.

He said, “Douglas and I are lucky that we were able to come in and buy Copper Beech Stables. It's an incredibly exciting venture and the facilities here are second to none. We have put our own stamp on the place and upgraded some of the facilities further with a schooling strip and a Wexford sand gallop to train the point-to-point horses. It's hugely exciting for us.”

Farrell, who used to form part of Leamore Horses alongside Anna Calder, enjoyed something of a banner first year when consigning under his own name as CF Bloodstock in 2023. He topped the Tattersalls Guineas Sale when his Zoffany (Ire) colt, later named Bracken's Laugh (Ire), sold for 200,000gns to Ted Durcan and Richard Hughes on behalf of Bernadine and Sean Mulryan. 

Bracken's Laugh: sold for 200,000gns | Tattersalls

Along with Bracken's Laugh, who was a stylish winner of his maiden on debut at Newbury and wasn't beaten far in a Group 1 on his only other start, Farrell secured some notable results at the Tattersalls Craven Sale when three horses sold for a combined figure of 510,000gns. 

“We've had some good horses through our hands and topped the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale last year,” he said. “That was my first year operating under my own name as CF Bloodstock so that meant a lot. Bracken's Laugh was bought by Ted Durcan and Richard Hughes and he could be a very nice horse going forward for connections.”

He added, “When Anna [Calder] and I had Leamore Horses, we met Douglas and have just been very lucky together. Douglas is rowing in alongside me on this venture and has invested in Copper Beech Stables. We've had some nice Jet Aways (GB) together and, the first one we bought, Jet Plane (Ire), has gone on to win plenty of races. Jet Powered (Ire) is another and, while he has had his issues, he could be a nice horse for Nicky Henderson.”

Farrell is said to have almost 60 horses fully moved into Copper Beech Stables, with the lion's share of those being prepared for the breeze-ups and the remainder for point-to-points. There are just a handful of horses to run on the track, but that is not to say the trainer would be against adding more numbers for that sphere in time.

He explained, “It's working well and, as I said, last year was my first operating under CF Bloodstock so hopefully we can build on it in 2024. Douglas is involved in many of our horses but we have lots of other investors, too. 

“We have a mixture of point-to-point and breeze-up horses here and, while we do run a few on the track, invariably they would be horses that either missed a sale or failed to sell for whatever reason. 

“I like to trade horses, predominantly, and, while we'd be open to taking more horses to train for the track, we're always looking at those who have some upside and might be traded on at some point. You have to do that in Ireland in order to survive.”

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Havana Grey Lights Up Book 2 With 425k Colt Knocked Down To Anthony Stroud

It seems as though Michael Fitzpatrick and Havana Grey (GB) have something in common with the lord himself as turning water into wine comes natural. 

Time and time again, the man behind Kilminfoyle House Stud produces pinhook after pinhook in a similar fashion to how Whitsbury Manor Stud's emerging force seems to transform whatever pedigree he touches. 

The latest transformation played out on Tuesday evening of Book 2 at Tattersalls when a colt by Havana Grey (lot 1020), who Fitzpatrick purchased as a foal under the banner of JC Bloodstock for 82,000gns here in December, sold to Anthony Stroud for 425,000gns. 

Stroud knows a thing or two about high-class sons of Havana Grey, having paid 625,000gns for the unbeaten two-year-old sensation Vandeek (GB) from Glending Stables at the Tattersalls Craven Sale back in April. 

Like Vandeek, Tuesday's sale-topper will be trained by Simon Crisford, but will carry the colours of HH Shaikh Nasser, according to Stroud. 

He said, “Havana Grey has done terrifically-well. This is a very well-balanced horse who moved particularly-well.”

Asked if parallels could be drawn between this colt and Vandeek, Stroud responded, “Well, with Vandeek, we were lucky enough to see him breeze. This horse has the credentials to be a very, very nice horse. He's got a pedigree and is by a stallion who is on the upgrade and doing really well.”

He added, “Havana Grey is a very exciting young stallion and, from what he has had, he's done very well. He's doing a great job. This colt is for HH Shaikh Nasser and is going to Simon Crisford.”

The Havana Grey colt is a full-brother to high-class two-year-old Elite Status (GB), who made 325,000gns at this sale last year. Elite Status may not have been a match for Vandeek when they met in the Morny and the Middle Park, but he has confirmed himself a classy juvenile in his own right when landing a Group 3 in France, and it was on the strength of him showing up on the track this season that Fitzpatrick snapped up his little brother at auction from Whitsbury. 

He explained, “I bought this colt as a foal solely on the full-brother. I sold him [Elite Status] last year and loved him. Whitsbury Manor is a great breeder and this horse is a pleasure to do anything with. My thanks go to Anthony Stroud and I wish the new owners the very best of luck.”

Fitzpatrick added, “I also can't thank my staff enough–Pamela, Hannah and Santos. It is only for them, the work they do, I actually think they are made of iron!”

“When you have a Havana Grey yearling, it gives you a chance,” – Joe Foley

That wasn't the only big-ticket Havana Grey bred by Whitsbury through the ring on the day as a filly (lot 981) consigned by Ballyphilip Stud was knocked down to Joe Foley standing alongside Steve Parkin earlier in the session for 280,000gns. 

That particular filly netted her connections a nice packet as she was sourced as a foal at Goffs last November for just €68,000.

Foley commented, “She's a very good example of what the stallion can throw. As we all know, he's made an outstanding start, he's on the way to superstar stallion status. We have a good two-year-old by him this year called Queen's Guard (GB). When you have a Havana Grey yearling, it gives you a chance.”

He added, “I like the fact she's out of a Showcasing (GB) mare. I like the idea of him as a broodmare sire and the pedigree goes back to Blue Duster. It's a good, fast family and one I like.”

 

 

Pinatubo Continues To Pack A Punch As McElroy Provides More Amo For Kia

Amo Racing's Kia Joorabchian has been showing some love to Ben McElroy this week with the American-based bloodstock agent signing for a 325,000gns Pinatubo (Ire) colt among others on behalf of the owner.

That transaction came just 24 hours after McElroy featured alongside the list of buyers for the Pinatubo filly that was also acquired on behalf of Amo on Monday for 110,000gns. Needless to say, McElroy described himself as a fan of Darley's young stallion. 

McElroy said of lot 939, “He is a very imposing colt, a great mover with great strength. He carried himself well the two or three days of showing and is just a lovely horse. I actually thought he might cost maybe a bit more than he did. Maybe the aggressive bidding helped out on that a little bit.

“He's been bought for Amo Racing and will go back to Robson [Aguiar] who will assess him for Kia. We will decide on a trainer next spring. We bought a beautiful filly by the stallion yesterday and he seems to be getting really nice stock. Pinatubo was a great racehorse and I think this colt has a great chance.”

The Pinatubo colt was sold by Ballyhimikin Stud. Aguiar and Hamish Macauley, who have bought plenty of horses on behalf of Amo before, also featured among the list of buyers. But the relationship between McElroy and Joorabchian is a newer one.

The agent explained, “We'd always meet up with Kia at the races down through the years and maybe we even bid against each other when we were in America last year. Robson bought a horse [Valiant Force (Malibu Moon)] who turned out to be Kia's first Royal Ascot winner at Keeneland last year. Between Saratoga and Keeneland, we bought a few horses for Kia this year and we've bought a few here for him as well.”

He added, “Robson really rated this horse very highly and I suppose it will be Robson who decides how he fits in with all the yearlings heading into next year.”

McElroy, Macauley and Amo went on to snap up another colt by up-and-coming Darley-based stallion Earthlight (Ire) for 325,000gns. But the real story here was how Jimmy Murphy of Redpender Stud transformed the colt (lot 1013) from a 78,000gns foal here in December to the major payday in the ring on Wednesday. 

“He was a good-looking horse and we took a chance-plenty of others don't work out so well,” a beaming Murphy reported afterwards. “Earthlight is a son of Shamardal and he is from a very good dam line. We were lucky that Selenaia (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) [Grade 3 winner] came up in the first dam and then Lake Forest (GB) (No Nay Never) in the second dam won the Gimcrack.”

Murphy added of the Earthlight colt, who was bred by Derek Iceton of Tara Stud, “He is very much a two-year-old and is a precocious type of horse. Hopefully we will see him at Royal Ascot.”

Fellowes To Train 350k Wootton Bassett Colt

Charlie Fellowes has a Wootton Bassett (GB) colt to look forward to training next year after owner Paul Hickman shelled out 350,000gns on the WH Bloodstock-drafted yearling who is bred on the same cross as Group 1 winner Al Riffa (Fr).

The Wootton Bassett colt (lot 915) was bred by Westerberg and is out of Galileo (Ire) mare Beluga (Ire), a half-sister to Derby winner Pour Moi (Ire) and a sister of the Group 3 winner and Irish Derby third Dawn Patrol (Ire).  

He was bought by Will Douglass, agent for Charlie Gordon-Watson, who was standing alongside Fellowes to the right of the rostrum. The winning bidders held off the challenge of Richard Ryan who was on the phone atop of the stairs. 

“It's not been as easy as the market would suggest,” Douglass commented. “This week has been a lot better. He's a very special horse and has been bought for an English owner called Mr Hickman. He's had horses with Charlie for a few years and is involved in Cloudbreaker (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).”

Douglass added, “We bought a few for him last year and got a Frankel [colt for 250,000gns] here last week. We also underbid one at Deauville for a lot of money. It's not easy. When you follow those nice horses through, you're competing against countries, not just people. If you want to get in, it's really tough.”

Beluga has a Wootton Bassett colt foal and is in foal to Camelot (GB). She is also a sister to Listed winner Kissed (Ire).

 

 

Talking Points

  • What a day for Whitsbury Manor Stud. Not only did Havana Grey earn the plaudits of major buyers Anthony Stroud and Joe Foley but the stud also bred the respective lots that both men signed for. That's what you call a good day at the office. 
  • As good as Havana Grey performed on Tuesday, it must be said that Pinatubo continues to impress. Of the 10 yearlings through the ring by Darley's hot prospect, they averaged 128,600gns. What's more impressive is the fact that Pinatubo has posted a bigger average–150,250gns—than any other stallion on day one and two of Book 2. 
  • Edgar Byrne played a major role at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale when signing for a €115,000 Kameko colt to join Scandinavian-based trainer Niels Petersen. The same connections were active at Book 2 on Tuesday when landing a Dark Angel (Ire) colt from Yeomanstown Stud for 145,000gns. The colt (lot 816) is a brother to Fantasy Lady (Ire), winner of the Listed Staffordstown S. and not beaten far in an Irish 1,000 Guineas for Paddy Twomey.
  • The clearance rate remained strong on Tuesday at 86%. However, compared to this corresponding day's trade 12 months ago, the average fell 18% to 88,171gns while the median dropped 6% to 66,000gns.
The Golden Touch 

By Georgia Cox 

Lot: 976
Filly by Havana Grey (GB) – Chloris (GB) (Dansili {GB})
Bred by Hascombe and Valiant Stud
Consigned by Hazelwood Bloodstock
Purchased by Ross O'Sullivan 

Chloris admittedly did little to write about on the track herself, but she has shown promise as a broodmare with her first foal Royal Elysian (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) placing in three of her four starts to date. Of course Dansili is well known for his success as a broodmare sire. 

Chloris is a third-generation representative of a family nurtured by esteemed owner-breeder Anthony Oppenheimer, and further back the family also includes the Wildenstein-bred Prix du Jockey Club and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Peintre Celebre. Her half-sister Bartzella (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) was a convincing listed winner for William Haggas. 

The exploits of the progeny of young stallion Havana Grey speak for themselves, and that no doubt had a hand to play in this filly realising 140,000gns. The hammer fell at five times the price of 28,000gns, which was originally paid when she last walked through the ring just ten months ago at the December Foal Sale. Katie Walsh was the final bidder and signed for the filly in the name of her husband, trainer Ross O'Sullivan.

Buy of the Day

Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock doesn't miss very often and in lot 987, a Lope De Vega (Ire) colt bought from Cheveley Park Stud for 210,000gns, he looks to have sourced another nice prospect. 

For a start, the sire doesn't need any explaining and the mare, who was black-type herself, is a sister to Alice Springs (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). 

Whether this colt runs in the Wathnan Racing silks, the major owner that Brown has been buying on behalf of recently, or any number of the major clients that the top agent represents, he could be one to keep an eye on for next year.

Thought for the Day 

Is it any wonder why we're all running around with little pot bellies on us in the height of sales season? Whether it's the toasted sandwiches and the carrot cake at Newsells or the breakfast down at Castlebridge, it's hard to resist some of the [free!] grub on offer at Park Paddocks. Just wait until the Tweenhills van arrives in December! We'll be rolling out of Newmarket for Christmas.

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Pinatubo Leads Way At Goffs With 180k Colt To Godolphin

Pinatubo (Ire) hardened his reputation as one of the most exciting young stallions in Europe at the Doncaster Premier Yearling Sale when a colt by the freshman sire led the day two trade when selling to Godolphin at £180,000.

With Anthony Stroud and the rest of the regular Godolphin buying team nipping away from Goffs early to make it to Germany for the BBAG Sale at the weekend, Jono Mills was left in charge of securing the Pinatubo colt from Longview Stud. 

Mills said, “He was bought on behalf of Godolphin. The buying team are on their way to Germany. I was just talking to Anthony [Stroud] and David [Loder] on the phone and this colt is obviously a lovely Pinatubo and comes from a good farm. He is a lovely individual and we were very keen on him.”

He added, “The buying team have all been here and liked him and I was just the conduit to wave the finger, basically. He's by a proper young stallion and fingers crossed he will be a good racehorse for us.”

Lot 405 boasts a strong pedigree being a half-brother to Group 3 winner Al Raya (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) and out of listed winner Fig Roll (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}).

Clive Cox landed the second Pinatubo to sell at Doncaster on Wednesday in the shape of lot 428, consigned by Barton Stud, for £90,000. 

The trainer described himself as a fan of the sire after what proved to be a productive two days at Doncaster where he added five two-year-old prospects to his team for next year to the tune of £392,000. 

Cox said, “Really pleased. I liked the Pinatubo colt as an individual and admired the sire when we were racing against him. Hopefully he is a nice athletic horse to look forward to.”

After a strong opening day's trade with notable footfall, the sales ground did clear out from mid-afternoon on Wednesday with many top buyers jetting off to Germany, but the figures remained strong.

Of the 414 lots offered, 355 sold at a clearance rate of 86% while the aggregate was up 2% to £16,262,000. The average also climbed 4% to £45,809 while the median stayed the same on £35,000.

Goffs UK Managing Director Tim Kent commented, “It's been a fantastic few days in Doncaster with an incredible atmosphere generated by the huge number of people who've visited our vibrant sales complex over the last few days. Vendors have been quick to say that we are missing no one, the car park has been full since the weekend, and our party on Sunday night set the atmosphere nicely for the week ahead.

“In the ring it has been great to see the sale make advances in turnover and average, with the latter growing 4% to £45,809 which is the third-highest figure achieved in the history of this sale. The number of six-figure lots also grew on last year, moving to 28 for the two days, and despite not having an obvious standout lot, the top of the market was very strong with plenty of bidders looking for what they believed to be the best horses on offer and frenzied bidding at the very top.”

He added, “The term 'Donny Rockets' has been widely used in advance of the sale and buyers were quick to congratulate the Goffs team on the selection of horses as that is exactly what they found over the last two days. The rebranded Harry's Half Million sales race at York is something else that has certainly captured the imagination of buyers and we look forward to seeing our rockets contest the £500,000 race next year and we wish everyone the best of luck with their new purchases.”

 

 

Tate Stays Late For Twilight Son Colt

James Tate had reason to stay at Donny for the bitter end on Wednesday and landed himself a Twilight Son (GB) colt (lot 444) from Tally-Ho Stud for £160,000. Tate had to fight off a persistent challenge from Anthony Bromley, an increasingly prevalent figure at the major yearling sales, to land the colt for an existing client. 

The visibly delighted trainer said of the colt, who is the second foal out of black-type Invincible Spirit (Ire) mare Ice Gala (GB), “He's an extremely good-looking horse. Let's hope he's as fast as he looks. I've had one Twilight Son, who was a winner. This is the same cross as Twilight Calls (GB) so, if he was as good as him, that would be good.” 

Elliott And Jackson-Stops Join Forces For New Partnership

Two of the leading agents in Britain, Alex Elliott and Billy Jackson-Stops, combined to land a Mehmas (Ire) colt and a well-bred Mayson (GB) filly for a cumulative figure of £215,000 for a new partnership of owners that will support trainers George Scott, Andrew Balding and possibly Ralph Beckett. 

The Mehmas colt was purchased on day one from Tally-Ho Stud and is out of black-type Kodiac (GB) mare Lady Aria (GB) while the Mayson (lot 359) boasted a big pedigree being a sister to dual listed winner and Group-placed Dance Diva (GB). She was consigned by Luke Barry's Manister House Stud.

Elliott commented, “She has been bought for a new partnership between Billy Jackson-Stops and I. We are buying a couple of horses to go to George Scott, Andrew Balding and potentially Ralph Beckett as well. We got two for George this week, a Mehmas [lot 8 for £95,000] and we got the Mayson, who was our pick. George loved her and we wanted to have a go on her. She's a full-sister to a stakes horse and is a beautiful physical. If she stubs a toe, she's still got residual value with her page.”

Asked if the partnership was one set up with a view towards trading, Elliott said, “No, it's not. It's two owners who will hopefully enjoy a bit of success this year.”

That sale capped a productive week for Barry who sold 11 yearlings for £603,000 and Elliott described trade as being “fair” before explaining that the vendors who brought the right types to the market got well-paid. 

He said, “I think it has been very fair. It's been a very fair market to buy horses at and Goffs have done their usual great job and you can see from the turnout that everybody loves coming here. Some good horses have been on show and vendors are being rewarded if they bring the right horse. “

 

Talking Points

  • Classic-winning owner Phil Cunningham clearly meant business when he snapped up the services of top bloodstock agent Anthony Bromley for this sale. Cunningham, who will forever be associated with 2,000 Guineas winner Cockney Rebel (GB), spent £617,000 on seven yearlings through Bromley this week. 
  • Oliver St Lawrence enjoyed a productive two days at Doncaster and his £570,000 haul across five yearlings was headed by a £170,000 Dark Angel (Ire) colt (lot 338) from Yeomanstown Stud. That colt is a brother to Juliet Capulet (Ire), winner of the G2 Rockfel S., and was bought on behalf of Fawzi Nass. St Lawrence said, “Lovely colt and the mare has done well with Dark Angel. He looks a ready-made two-year-old and could get us to Ascot. A nice type.”
  • Andy Lo made the trip from Hong Kong a worthwhile one by signing for lot 181, a Ten Sovereigns (Ire) colt from Camas Park Stud for £70,000. The young agent signed for the colt on behalf of Hong Kong-based David Fenn, who plans on leaving the horse in Britain before eventually shipping it back to his home country. Lo explained, “This is the first horse I have bought at Doncaster and it is also David's first horse. I used to work in a bank but I have started buying horses for friends and owners back in Hong Kong and enjoy it. I am hoping to go to the Orby as well.” He added, “The plan for this colt is to go into training with George Peckham and then, hopefully, come back to Hong Kong in time.”
  • Peter and Ross Doyle remained as powerful as ever at Doncaster in signing for 17 yearlings for just shy of £1 million. To be precise, the top agents spent £988,000 and interestingly picked up two Kamekos, two by Shaman (Ire) and one more unproven sire in Earthlight (Ire).
  • The Shaman colt (lot 336) that the Doyles bought off Tinnakill House for £36,000 represented a right touch for the stud's Tom Murphy, who bought the horse as a foal for €16,000 at the Goffs February Sale.  

Atomic Racing Reinvests

It has been a banner year for Atomic Racing, the commercial syndicate that has horses in training with Kevin Coleman in Ireland and managed by bloodstock agent Sean Grassick, who purchased his first two yearlings of the season following some notable sales with form horses recently. 

Uluru (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), an impressive winner on debut at Gowran Park in July, netted the syndicate a major payday when selling to Team Valor to be trained by Joseph O'Brien.

Atomic's Churchill (Ire) colt Bladon (Ire) will also continue his career with O'Brien after OTI snapped up the colt after his eye-catching debut at Killarney.

Signing under O'Byrne and Grassick, the bloodstock agent picked up a Golden Horde (Ire) filly (lot 219) for £32,500 from Kildaragh Stud this week and a Masar (Ire) filly (lot 342) for £38,000 from The National Stud. 

Grassick commented, “It's nice to get on the board for Atomic Racing and we bought two lovely fillies. The Golden Horde is a lovely, scopey filly while the Masar is one for the back end and could be a nice trading prospect. That's the type of horse we like to try and buy. We weren't really looking for the early and speedy types.”

He added, “We've had a lot of interest in the syndicate from prospective investors since Uluru won. Uluru and Bladon are gone to Joseph O'Brien and we hope they are lucky because we want to be known for selling good horses.”

Folland-Bowen Bloodstock Continues Donny Love Affair

It was at this sale last year where Folland-Bowen Bloodstock burst onto the scene with a Land Force colt selling for £85,000.

The burgeoning operation eclipsed that figure on Wednesday with a Mohaather (GB) filly out of Blue Geranium (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) (lot 327) selling to Johnny McKeever and Charlie Hills for £105,000 

Natalie Folland, who runs the operation alongside her partner Matt Bowen, said, “She was sold on behalf of her breeder Jane Keir, our former landlord at Elkington Stud, and we're delighted for her. She's a very loyal client. When we left to set up at Fonthill Stud she said she'd close up and send her mares to us as she didn't want anyone else looking after them.”

She added, “The filly prepped beautifully and we thought she might make 40 or 50 thousand, but you never really know what you've got until you bring them to the sales, and she's been showing well all week; she's never put a foot wrong. In fact, the more shows she did, the better she got. We love selling at Doncaster, and that's the second year in a row we've had a bit of a touch.”

Buy Of The Day

There were a couple of interesting fillies to sell on Wednesday, not least the Masar (Ire) that Sean Grassick bought from The National Stud for £38,000.

Masar has yet to catch fire in his debut season at stud and this filly does not look as though she will be bolstering his record with juveniles but she does look like she will be okay in time. 

At the money, Grassick can't have gone too far wrong with a filly who could be worth a lot more than that if she manages to place in a maiden in Ireland at the back end next year or even as a three-year-old. 

She has been bought for the Atomic Racing Syndicate and will be trained by Kevin Coleman. It's an owner-trainer axis that has advertised an uncanny knack at finding value and trading horses with form in recent times. This filly could be the latest smart recruit for the team. 

Away from the Masar, Peter Trainor may well have found himself a bit of value in the Ardad (Ire) filly (lot 423) he bought from Browne Brothers Bloodstock at 22,000. 

At least Trainor will know if he got the value or not pretty soon given that the Ardad's half-sister Graceful Thunder (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) runs in a Group 3 at ParisLongchamp on Thursday. 

Already a listed winner for Amo Racing and George Boughey, Graceful Thunder is a 3-1 chance to boost the pedigree in that Group 3. It could prove an interesting 24 hours for Trainor. 

Thought For The Day

After another strong yearling sale for Havana Grey (GB) with three yearlings selling for six figures or more, one has to wonder what Whitsbury Manor Stud will set the fee at next year. 

It was a question that generated much debate in the early hours of Wednesday morning in the Earl Of Doncaster Hotel  and it seems as though many top judges feel Havana Grey is worthy of a decent bump following another excellent year. 

 

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