Tag: Breeze-up

The Next Bucanero Fuerte? Aguiar Lands 200k Wootton Bassett At Doncaster

Robson Aguiar showered Tuesday's Doncaster Premier Yearling Sale-topping Wootton Bassett (GB) colt with praise by comparing him to his Group 1 winner Bucanero Fuerte (GB) and said £200,000 could prove to be good value for the colt in time. 

The leading breeze-up handler, who also plays a major role in the Amo Racing operation, flew back to Ireland following inspections but lot 48 clearly made a lasting impression with Aguiar, who saw off stiff opposition for the Highclere Stud-drafted colt remotely.

Speaking after the sale, Aguiar said, “He really reminded me of Bucanero Fuerte when I bought him as a yearling. He's got a good loose walk, he's very athletic and has a good pedigree. If he works out I think he could be another Bucanero Fuerte. I see a lot of value in this horse at that price.” 

Bucanero Fuerte cost €165,000 at last year's August Sale at Arqana. He became an important first Group 1 winner for Amo Racing when landing the Phoenix S. at the Curragh and is as short as 8-1 with some firms for next year's 2,000 Guineas. 

Aguiar revealed that a number of options are open to his latest acquisition by the stallion and said the half-brother to Flying Childers S. winner Trillium was a standout for him in the sale. 

“I bought him for myself at the moment but we'll see, maybe later on I could have a partner in the horse,” he said. “I'll get him home, break him in and see how he's going before deciding what I do with him. He could breeze or race but I like him a lot and for me he really stood out in this sale.” 

Wootton Bassett continues to go from strength to strength and the Coolmore-based stallion's exploits on Tuesday came after a sensational August Sale at Arqana where 21 were sold for an average of €378,810.

Like Arqana, the trade at Doncaster was strong, with the opening day top lot one of 18 horses to make six figures. Of the 218 lots offered, 183 sold at a clearance rate of 84%. The aggregate was up 1% on last year at £9,082,000 while the average climbed 10% to £49,629 and the median stood at £36,000. 

 

 

Johnston Snaps Up Sister To Sacred Angel

Sacred Angel has proved herself one of the best horses in Charlie Johnston's stable this season in winning the G3 Princess Margaret S. at Ascot and the trainer went to £175,000 to secure her sister from Yeomanstown Stud. 

Last seen finishing fourth behind Vandeek in the Prix Morny, Nurlan Bizakov's Sacred Angel will now be aimed at the Cheveley Park, and her little sister was purchased on behalf of the same owner. 

Johnston explained of lot 160, “She's for Nurlan Bizakov who now owns Sacred Angel. Things have gone fantastic since he acquired her and we were delighted with her run in the Prix Morny. She will almost certainly go to the Cheveley Park next and let's hope lightning can strike twice as we were keen to get the sister.”

He added, “I think there are similarities and this filly is a bit more backward than Sacred Angel was at this time last year. She will get broken in fairly quickly now and then get turned away. She has the same athleticism as Sacred Angel. Delighted to get her.”

Sacred Angel came out of this sale last year and was originally knocked down to John Dance's Manor House Farm for £52,000. She won her maiden at Newmarket in the colours of the Titanium Racing Club before switching ownership to Bizakov. 

The Sumbe boss reaped immediate rewards when Sacred Angel landed the Princess Margaret and was then beaten just under five lengths by Vandeek (GB) in the Morny, a race which is sponsored by the French stud. 

Explaining how the relationship came about, Johnston said, “This is Sumbe's first year sponsoring the Morny and Nurlan was keen to have a runner in it. They were on the hunt for suitable horses in the months leading up to the race and Richard Knight [bloodstock agent] got in touch off the back of her winning her maiden at Newmarket.”

He added, “Could I have said to him that the filly was capable of holding her own in Group 1 company at that point? No. But we were already thinking that her next start would be in the Princess Margaret. It was a bit of a punt with regards to the Morny but it worked out fantastically well.”

Sacred Angel is out of Sacred Aspect (Ire) (Haatef), herself a speedy two-year-old for Ken Condon back in 2013 when landing a listed event over five furlongs at Tipperary.

 

 

'The Sire Is Absolutely On Fire' – Williamson Keen On Havana Grey Colt

Vandeek (GB) has flown the flag for the breeze-ups this season with a scintillating two-year-old campaign that featured Group 1 glory in the Prix Morny earlier this month and Norman Williamson pushed the boat out to secure what he hopes could be the next top colt by Havana Grey {GB}) for £120,000. 

Bought alongside Mags O'Toole, Williamson had to fend off a strong challenge from Roderick Kavanagh, who transformed Vandeek from a 42,000gns yearling purchase into a 625,000gns breeze-up sensation at the Craven Sale. 

Williamson has never breezed a Havana Grey before but said he was keen to snap up the colt from Whitsbury Manor Stud with a view towards the premier sales in the spring. 

“He has been bought to breeze and we all saw what Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) did this year,” Williamson said. 

“The sire is absolutely on fire and I'm delighted to get him. He looks as though he might need a little bit of time but he's a great mover and he has size and scope.

“I haven't breezed a Havana Grey before–I haven't been able to buy one. We had to stretch to get this lad but that's what it has been like at all of the markets. The better ones are making a premium.”

Asked if the colt being by Havana Grey played an important part in the buying of lot 91, Williamson replied, “It is very important at the other end. Of course they have to breeze well but, the plus here–which gave me an extra kick–was the fact he is out of a Pivotal (GB) mare. That's a plus. But he has a lot of size and scope to him and I think in the spring he will turn into a fine horse. Hopefully.”

  • Who said the smaller sums don't make a big difference? For Billy Kelly, son of bloodstock agent Peter, his £36,000 Tasleet (GB) filly represented a sizable profit given he bought the horse for just 6,000gns as a foal at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale. The 18-year-old completed his leaving certificate this year and owned the Tasleet [lot 147] in partnership with Paul Winters. Asked what he planned on doing with the proceeds of the sale and Kelly's reply was “go again”.
  • David Loughnane has a £180,000 Blue Point (Ire) colt to look forward to next year after Ed Sackville purchased lot 197 on behalf of an unnamed British owner. The colt was consigned by Longview Stud and is out of the listed-placed So Hi Society (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}). Sackville said, “He was a real standout and the sire needs no introduction. He's out of a fast race filly and the pedigree goes back to a lovely Wildenstein family. He will be trained by David Loughnane, who has a good record with two-year-olds.”
  • Alastair Donald has had great success purchasing on behalf of PK Siu, notably with Stormy Antarctic (GB) (Stormy Atlantic) and more recently G3 Hampton Court S. winner Waipiro (Ire) (Australia {GB}). The top agent added lot 84, an Eathlight (Ire) filly from Jamie Railton's draft, for £160,000 on behalf of the owner.
  • Anna Sundstrom's good run continued when lot 60, a Havana Gold (Ire) colt purchased with Filip Zwicky at the Goffs November Foal Sale for €44,000, rocked into £85,000 to Howson and Houldsworth/Jamie Insole. The sale came off the back of a bonanza of results at Arqana for the Coulonces operator that included a €1 million Wootton Bassett colt to Yoshito Yahagi. Interestingly, Insole is the former assistant trainer to Charlie Hills and has recently joined Dr Richard Newland on the licence. The pair will operate a dual-purpose training facility.
  • As well as signing for a host of horses for his father Richard and landing the buy of the day in the shape of lot 121, Peter Fahey enjoyed a productive session in purchasing on behalf of Karl Burke, Kevin Ryan and Clive Cox. Fahey landed seven yearlings all told on Tuesday to the tune of £419,000 which represented something of a breakout sale for the young agent.
  • One of the more interesting stories to emerge from this sale last year was the strength of Richard Hughes and the trainer once again flexed his buying power by signing for four yearlings for £330,000. Hughes bought 11 yearlings for a total of £744,000 last year and his Tuesday purchases were headed by a £160,000 Sea The Stars (Ire) filly from Barton Stud.

 

 

Bromley Lands “Wish List” Mehmas For New Client And Classic-Winning Owner 

Classic-winning owner Phil Cunningham snapped up the services of ace agent Anthony Bromley of Highflyer to secure five yearlings for £422,000, headed by a Mehmas (Ire) colt from Tally-Ho Stud for £145,000.

The brief, according to Bromley, was simple; “fast ones,” for Cunningam, who owned 2,000 Guineas winner Cockney Rebel (Ire). In lot 97, the agent picked up a speedy-looking colt for Richard Spencer to go to war with next season. 

Standing alongside the trainer, Bromley said, “We've got three so far today. Two-year-olds and fast ones, that's the plan. Mehmas was on our wish list if we could get one. This looked like the archetypal Mehmas–all square, good bum on him, walks well, speedy family and the dam has had a good record. She was fast and there are some good ratings out of the dam.”

He added, “It just ticked all the boxes apart from the fact he was getting expensive! I don't normally spend that high but he was a proper two-year-old type and we really hope he can do well for Phil. Excited.”

Bromley also picked up a Mohaather (GB) colt from Barton Stud for £70,000 and an Advertise colt from Lynn Lodge Stud for £40,000 on behalf of his new client and praised the stock on offer at the sale. 

He said, “The vendors have really supported the sale well and they are being rewarded with what looks to be pretty decent trade. It must be said that the sales race [Harry's Half Million] is a great incentive.”

After purchasing the Mehmas, Bromley and Spencer landed another colt Mohaather (GB) [lot 185 for £95,000] and one by Kodiac (GB) [lot 156 for £72,000].

Buy Of The Day

The River Boyne (Ire) colt that Peter Fahey sourced from Tara Stud for just £15,000 looks well bought. 

A ball of speed, he is exactly the type of yearling that Henry Beeby spoke of as being synonymous with this sale. 

By first-season sire River Boyne, who won his Grade I in America before returning home to Tara Stud, the colt will be trained by the agent's father Richard. 

At £15,000, he can run in the lower class maidens in the north of England and he looks early so can be expected to be out in the first few weeks of the season. 

He's not that light on pedigree, either. Out of a Manduro (Ger) mare Princess Eva (Fr), herself a half-sister to Covert Love (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}), she has already produced a black-type winner, albeit in Italy. Given the strength of the trade at Doncaster on Tuesday, the River Boyne colt looks decent business. 

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Oliver St Lawrence bought a quality-looking Mohaather filly from Barton Stud for £75,000. 

Although above the average for the Tuesday trade, lot 125 boasts a good pedigree being a half-sister to the listed winner and Group 2-placed Sir Boris (Ire) (Due Diligence).

The filly was one of the nicest offerings by Mohaather to hit the sale ground this week and one to keep track of, for sure.

There is a strong chance, however, that the best transaction of the day did not happen on the sales ground at Doncaster, but a couple of miles down the road in an antique shop in the town centre. 

For just forty quid, bloodstock agent Peter Kelly unearthed a vintage top hat that should have cost many multiples of that initial outlay. Hats off, Peter!

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Vendor Buyback To Royal Ascot Prospect – Gaenari Leaves Dias Dreaming 

While records were being broken at the Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Sale on Friday, leading breeze-up handler Diego Dias showed that there is always another way to get a horse sold when sending out Gaenari (Ire) (Inns Of Court {Ire}) to finish second in the opening maiden on Guineas weekend. 

It was just over a month ago when Dias was forced to buy back Gaenari after she failed to put in the breeze he felt she was capable of doing. Devoid of any other options, Dias, backed by Star Bloodstock's Matt Eves, threw a set of silks on the filly nobody wanted at Doncaster. 

It looks to be a shrewd move now, given the filly was beaten just a neck by the fast-finishing Joseph O'Brien-trained Nemonte (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) in that six-furlong Curragh maiden. 

Dias and Eves are now dreaming of Royal Ascot with the filly and the Brazilian native says that he hopes to secure a sale before the G2 Queen Mary S. 

“It was almost a dream start,” Dias commented on his first ever runner. “The filly ran really well and was only caught in the last few strides. We brought her to Doncaster but she didn't put in the breeze that we knew she could and then nobody wanted her. She went into the ring and there was absolutely nobody for her–not one bid–so we bought her back for £3,000.”

He added, “We knew she was better than she showed at Doncaster. At the end of the day, horses are not machines and, sometimes they just don't turn up on the day. But on her homework at home, we knew that she had the potential.”

Gaenari was bred by Tally-Ho Stud, who sold the horse at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale for £23,000 to Byron Rogers and Star Bloodstock.

Of course, it is not the first time Eves has thrown a set of silks on a horse, with eagle-eyed observers remembering that it was his light blue and purple colours that were carried initially by Joseph O'Brien's listed winner Lady Penelope (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) a few years ago. 

Dias said, “I bought Gaenari with Byron Rogers at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale for £23,000 off Tally-Ho Stud. We had no other option but to race her and I just appreciate that Matt sent her to me. 

“We were quietly confident that she would run well, even though it looked a good maiden, and I think we will go to Royal Ascot with her now. The Queen Mary would suit her because she is a very quick filly.”

He added, “She could be sold before Royal Ascot. She is for sale and, if someone were to buy half of her and she stay in training with me, that would be the ideal option but we'll see what happens in the next few days.”

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“Crying Shame” – Tally-Ho Pays Tribute To Record-Breaker After Freak Accident

Tally-Ho Stud's Roger O'Callaghan has paid tribute to the record-breaking Harry Angel colt who sold for £500,000 at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale on Tuesday but died less than two days later in a transport accident.

The Harry Angel colt was sold to trainer Michael O'Callaghan, who held off the persistent challenge of Amo Racing's Kia Joorabchian as underbidder.

Roger O'Callaghan told TDN Europe on Saturday morning, “It's a crying shame but accidents happen. We'll never know how good he really was.”

The horse was pinhooked by Tally-Ho Stud for €38,000 at the 2021 Goffs November Foal Sale before breaking the record for the most expensive breeze-up horse ever purchased at Goffs UK.

His dam won the Listed Stonehenge S., and her half-sister is responsible for dual group winner Twilight Jet (Ire) (Twilight Son {GB}). Michael O'Callaghan also signed for Twilight Jet from Tally-Ho Stud two years prior.

 

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Market Reflections: Booming Trade But Is Goffs UK In The Right Slot?

Leading vendor Eddie O'Leary has said that Tuesday's record-breaking trade at Goffs UK would have come as a huge relief to vendors who expressed concern about the bolstered catalogue resulting in a watered down trade.

However, the Lynn Lodge Stud boss also suggested that the figures could be even better if the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale returned to its original slot before the Craven Sale at Tattersalls to maximise a horse's chance of getting to Royal Ascot. 

There are eight weeks between the the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale and Royal Ascot, which is not enough for a sale that promotes itself as being number one at producing fast and early horses, according to O'Leary. 

That argument has been countered by Goffs chief executive Henry Beeby, who says that a record of seven Royal Ascot winners in as many years for its graduates speaks for itself, and explained that the ground in late March on Town Moor would be less than ideal for breezing.

O'Leary said on Wednesday, “I'm a big believer that Doncaster should return to its original slot before the Craven. If it was before the Craven, they could market it as the Royal Ascot two-year-old sale, the first domestic sale of the year where you can get the sharp horses. 

“The way things are at the moment, you can get a big horse at the Craven and then go up to Doncaster to look at the real sharp horses. To me, that's completely the wrong way around.”

He added, “There are just eight weeks between Doncaster and Royal Ascot. Buyers have to take the horses home and they could have a snotty nose after the sale, they also have to be named and then they need to run well if not win a maiden before you can think about Ascot, so a lot needs to be crammed into those eight weeks. 

“If you flipped it by two weeks, then you have 10 weeks until Royal Ascot, and that would make a huge difference. A lot of sharp horses have gone to the Craven in recent years because it is the first sale of the year so that meant that Tattersalls got the real sharp horses as well as the mid-season types.”

While Beeby agrees that, in an ideal world, graduates of the sale would have more time to pull themselves into shape before the royal meeting but he is choosing to adopt a 'if it's not broke don't fix it' approach after booming trade.

He said, “Eddie makes a good point but there are two things to consider. First of all, we've got an unbelievable Royal Ascot record in recent times with the sale in its current slot. We are proving that, as long as the vendors support us with the horses that they have been, that's all that matters. 

“There have been seven Royal Ascot winners from the past seven years of this sale and that speaks for itself. The second thing to consider is that the ground is always a major issue at any breeze-up. It was good breezing ground this year but those extra couple of weeks make a heck of a difference to the ground, which in turn has a real impact on what happens in the sales ring.”

Beeby added, “I completely understand what Eddie is saying but we have a good slot, have just smashed every single record and are pumping out Royal Ascot winners. One thing my dear old father used to say was, when you've got something right, don't be messing around with it. Keep it the way it is.”

Daniel Creighton: 'Demand For Royal Ascot Runners Helped The Market'

Daniel Creighton | Goffs UK

Top bloodstock agent Daniel Creighton, who bought multiple Group 1 winner and superstar mare Laurens (Fr) (Siyiouni {Fr}) at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, maintains that Tuesday's trade is an illustration of the demand for Royal Ascot two-year-old runners and said that he was bowled over by the fact 33 horses realised £100,000 or more.

“My main takeaway from the sale was the amount of horses who made six figures,” Creighton said. “I can't remember so many six-figure horses at the Doncaster breeze-up sale. The market was extremely hot for horses who were deemed acceptable.”

He added, “The polarisation of the ones they want and the ones they don't is probably increasing to some degree as well. 

“Doncaster obviously has a very good record at producing horses for Royal Ascot and they were probably helped by the amount of people who want that two-year-old who is ready to go and maybe end up at the royal meeting. That's definitely swinging the market in their favour.”

Creighton is in the rare position to comment on the market given he owns a share in a number of breeze-up horses with Katie McGivern of Derryconnor Stud and also lays claim to a notable track record as a buyer. 

He admits that he was operating from a small but select list at the Craven Sale and, after leaving Tattersalls empty-handed, struck at Goffs UK when securing a Night Of Thunder (Ire) colt consigned by Norman Williamson of Oak Tree Farm for £155,000. 

He said, “I tried to buy at the Craven but I couldn't get the horses I wanted. They made too much money. To be honest, there weren't many on my list at the Craven and anything that I really wanted, they were too expensive. I'm looking to buy a good horse who can run at two. My brief is to try and buy a Group horse.”

Creighton, who operates alongside Josh Schwarz under CS Bloodstock, added, “I also believe that the clock still has a huge influence on what horses are making. A lot of people are determined by it. I can't speak for everyone but there are a lot of other things to take into account when buying a horse.”

Like Eddie O'Leary, who relayed that numerous outfits were feeling the heat on the eve of the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale, Creighton explained how Tuesday's results would have come as a huge relief to many. 

He said. “I think there were a bit of nerves on Monday evening, for sure. These vendors have a lot of money invested and put a lot of effort into getting the horses there. It's good to see that the market has improved from Dubai and again from the Craven. It's gone on an upward trajectory and hopefully that will continue at the Guineas Sale at Tattersalls next week and then on to the Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Sale and Arqana as well.”

O'Leary pointed to the fact this year's catalogue featured 26 more horses compared to last year and 40 more than what was offered in 2021 as one of the main causes for concern with vendors. 

That opinion was shared by Brendan 'Blarney' Holland in these pages with Emma Berry following the Craven Sale, with the Grove Stud maestro expressing a belief that there were just a finite number of horses to be put on the market. 

Those comments came off the back of an overall clearance rate of 76% for a bolstered Craven catalogue that featured 38 more horses compared to 12 months ago. 

However, Holland's theory may have been kicked to the curb at Doncaster on Tuesday, with a healthy clearance rate of 84% recorded for its beefed-up sale.

O'Leary commented, “It is great to see a positive market and the success the breeze-up horses have had on the track has fuelled it. What Blarney Holland, John Cullinan and others have done in recent times, it's been fantastic for all of us. They have proved that a lot of good racehorses can be sourced from the breeze-ups and the racetrack has been the best advertisement of that. Goffs worked very hard to get the clients in at Doncaster and the proof was in the results. It was a good sale.” 

He added, “We were all very nervous because of the increase in numbers. We were worried there would be a watered down trade but there were a lot of serious players at Donny who wanted to buy nice horses and that was good. A few years ago, there might have been a couple of big players but there were five, six or seven big-hitters playing on Tuesday. 

“The good horses remain hard to buy and there are a lot of people who tell me that they still haven't bought yet. Time is running out, that's why Doncaster should revert to its original slot in the calender.”

Strength Of The Middle Market A Notable Takeaway

The record-breaking Harry Angel (Ire) colt consigned by Tally-Ho Stud and knocked down to Michael O'Callaghan for £500,000 will have grabbed the headlines and helped the average climb 29% to £63,396 but it was the strength of the middle market that also pleased Beeby. 

There were buyers at Doncaster from Australia, Denmark, Dubai, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Sweden, which ensured horses at every level found new homes.

Beeby commented, “The team did a great job in making sure that we had buyers there for every type of horse. Michael Orton and Bernard Condren in particular spent time in Scandinavia and Italy with our agents Philip Zwicky and Gianluca Di Castelnuovo to make sure that we had people there for the middle market. Not only was there a very high clearance rate but, also, for the odd horse who didn't sell in the ring, we got a lot of private sales done afterwards. That was important.”

He added, “At the higher end, vendors sent us some really good horses and really got behind us in giving the sale great support. As Roger O'Callaghan said to me before the sale, 'we brought the horses, now it's your job to get them sold.' After the sale, Roger said, 'you did your job and we did ours.' It's pure teamwork between the vendors and the auction house to make sure we get as good a sale as we possibly can.

“From a personal point of view, my father [Harry] started breeze-ups in Europe back in 1977, so that's 45 years ago. I'd have loved to have been able to tell him that we just sold a breeze-up horse for £500,000 at Doncaster. I don't think he'd believe me. He'd have a big smile on his face, that's for sure. 

“It wasn't just about that, though, as we had some really good touches for the established people like the Willie Brownes and Blarney Hollands of this world but also the young lads like Shane Power of Tradewinds Stud. It was wonderful to see it.”

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