Clearpoint to Stay in UK After Heading Final Day at Tattersalls 

NEWMARKET, UK — The 91-rated Clearpoint (GB) (Ardad {GB}) bucked the trend of a number of the more expensive lots sold on Friday at Tattersalls and is to remain in the UK to continue his racing career.

The four-year-old will switch stables from Charlie Fellowes to Simon Hodgson, who bid 75,000gns on behalf of PCF Racing for the four-time winner. The sprinter (lot 338) is entered for Sunday's Listed Kachy S. at Lingfield. 

Hodgson said, “He has been bought for John Whelan of PCF Racing. I don't know if we will run on Sunday, we will need to chat about it. John is a big supporter of his trainers and he has lost some good sprint handicappers so has been looking to replace them. This was the only horse we had on the list today that we felt was worth having a look at. John is in his 80s and he loves going racing.”

If Hodgson does decide to send his new charge to Lingfield on Sunday, Clearpoint would be a fitting winner of the race named in memory of Kachy (GB), who, like Clearpoint himself, was bred by Fiona Denniff, who was seen chatting with the Hampshire-based Hodgson after he had signed for the horse.

It was a relatively quiet final day of the February Sale. The promising wildcard Billy Webster (Ire) didn't meet his reserve, and a handful of horses behind Clearpoint exceeded the 50,000gns mark, with several of them off to race in the Middle East. Of those, First Encore (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), offered as lot 280 from Ed Walker's stable, was bought by agent JD Moore for 62,000gns.

“He is for trainer Hamad Al Jehani in Qatar,” said Moore of the 81-rated three-year-old. “He has the recent Qatar Derby winner Jeff Koons in his stable and he has been very lucky at Tattersalls. [The horse's] form is rock solid, he looks progressive with a lovely profile and he has been very well produced by Ed Walker and his team.”

The biggest change in this sale from last year's edition was the fall in clearance rate. In recent years the trade for horses in training even at the lower end of the market had picked up notably but this trend did not continue over the last two days. The second-day clearance rate of 77% was an improvement on the opening session, and overall it settled at 73%, down from 84% in 2023. The average and median were both up slightly on last year, at 14,315gns (+3%) and 7,250gns (+4%) respectively.

From a smaller catalogue, there were 98 fewer lots sold than in 2023 which naturally led to a downturn in the aggregate, which was 2,863,000gns (-31%). 

“The sale-topping 200,000 guineas Shadwell broodmare Taqaareed and the 125,000 guineas Juddmonte colt Retort were the obvious highlights of the 2024 Tattersalls February Sale. Taqaareed is the second-highest price at this fixture since 2018 and Retort is the third-highest-priced colt in training ever sold at the Tattersalls February Sale, with both of them demonstrating the sustained domestic and international demand for quality breeding stock and horses in training,” said Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony at the close of trade.

“As ever the overseas contribution has been notable. Buyers from throughout Europe and the Gulf region have been out in force, the 125,000 guineas colt Retort is heading to Australia and North African buyers have again been conspicuous. Domestic British and Irish buyers, both Flat and National Hunt, have been the mainstay of the sale, but the smallest February catalogue since 2014 has unsurprisingly produced turnover some way short of last year's impressive figure and the clearance rate, while eminently respectable, has not matched the customary market-leading levels that we would aspire to at sales of this nature.  Nevertheless, the average and median have both held up well with small increases in both categories, and the National Hunt fraternity has a rare and immediate opportunity to look forward to, with the outstanding Andy and Gemma Brown Dispersal taking place this coming Monday, 5th February at Tattersalls Ireland.”

 

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July Cup Preferred Target for Perfect Power but Clearpoint Ruled Out of Newmarket

Connections of G1 Commonwealth Cup scorer Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) are favouring a tilt at the G1 July Cup over travelling to France for the G1 Prix Jean Prat, provided the ground is suitable at Newmarket.

Although Perfect Power produced a scintillating performance to win the Commonwealth Cup on ground described as good-to-firm, connections of the Richard Fahey-trained speedster are adamant that the three-time Group 1 scorer wants easier going. 

Perfect Power is reported to have bounced out of his Royal Ascot win in tremendous form by Bruce Raymond, racing manager to owner Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum, who revealed the July Cup is the preferred target over a trip to Deauvillle this weekend. 

Raymond told TDN Europe, “We want to go to the July Cup but a decision will be made after the horse works tomorrow [Tuesday] morning. We know he's going to work well, and while we want to run him in the July Cup, we're just a little bit worried about the ground and how much water they're going to put on it before Saturday.”

He added, “Hopefully they will put lots on it because it's going to be quite warm this week and there doesn't appear to be any rain forecast. We'd prefer to go to Newmarket because the Prix Jean Prat is over seven furlongs. He actually came out of Ascot better than he did the 2,000 Guineas, which is a good sign. He's in very good form.

“He's favourite for the July Cup and, while I presume he'd be favourite for the Prix Jean Prat, we'd rather run him over six furlongs in the July Cup. We're all hoping he runs at Newmarket but, if it comes up like the road, then we could face a difficult decision.”

One horse who definitely won't be lining out at Newmarket this week is the exciting Clearpoint (GB) (Ardad {Ire}), also owned by Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum, who had been as short as 7-2 with some bookmakers for the G2 July S. on Thursday. 

Like Perfect Power, Clearpoint is trained by Fahey but a dirty scope means that the promising colt will not put his unbeaten record on the line at Newmarket this week.

Raymond said, “Clearpoint scoped dirty and definitely won't run in the July S. We could look at the Richmond S. as an alternative.” 

 

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