Basement Trade Shows Solid Core at Tattersalls

NEWMARKET, UK — “Trickledown” felt rather too contentious, given what was meanwhile happening to its proponents out there in the real world. In this environment, after all, the original label of “horse-and-sparrow economics” would always have conveyed the theory rather more intelligibly. Some alternative word was required on Friday, then, to describe how a rampant market at the front end of the Tattersalls October Sale was filtering somewhat more quietly into the base of the pyramid.

In the end, the second half of Book 3–in which momentum reliably ebbs relative to the catalogue's opening session–perhaps suggested “percolation” sooner than an outright “overflow”. But there was no mistaking the wholesome depth of a market far more vital, to many professionals, than the giddy transactions of the opening books.

In contrast with Thursday, when the median had remained unchanged on last year, a gain to 13,000gns from 10,000gns attested to really solid trade through this lower tier, backed up by a strong clearance rate of 83 percent. The average was also up, by 11 percent to 17,349gns, with overall turnover on the day up 17 percent to 3,903,600gns.

Combined, the two Book 3 sessions registered robust performance across the board. Total business advanced nine percent to 11,554,600gns, producing a corresponding gain in average to 24,428gns.

But the real neon number is the one posted for total business at the October Sale, with just Saturday morning's Book 4 to go. Trade to this point last year had reached 151,474,150gns. By last night it had soared 31 percent to approach a symbolic landmark at 199,006,100gns.

Woods Hangs In There For Joint-Top Lot

This was a day when trainers and their agents could finally attempt some old-fashioned “on spec” recruitment. Nonetheless a couple of fillies, respectively by Ten Sovereigns (Ire) and Aclaim (Ire), forced their purchasers as far as 90,000gns at either end of the day.

The Aclaim, consigned by Bearstone Stud as Lot 1959, was acquired by Dwayne Woods on behalf of his brother Sean. She's out of an unraced Kodiac (GB) half-sister to G1 St Leger runner-up The Last Drop (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), whose son Washington Heights (GB) (Washington DC {Ire}) had earned his first black-type at Ripon shortly before the sale. But her most conspicuous genetic distinction is perhaps the fourth dam, Irish Classic winner Sarah Siddons (Fr).

“The update was nice but much more importantly she's just a fabulous filly,” Woods said. “She'll make a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old, so it's all pretty good.”

The agent was speaking for many prospectors when adding: “It's been hard work this week. I'm happy with everything we have bought, but every time I got up to a big one I was underbidder—at least five of them over 200,000gns.”

Ten Out of Ten For Oakgrove Filly

The Ten Sovereigns filly [1708] that topped the morning trade arrived from John Deer's Oakgrove Stud and, with the docket signed by Jo Stone of Rabbah Bloodstock, will be joining local trainer Ismail Mohammed. She's out of Listed scorer Lady Grace (Ire) (Orpen), one of the farm's more mature mares who has produced a couple of stakes operators.

“We're delighted with the price, but she deserved to make it,” said Oakgrove manager David Hilton. “She could have been earlier in the sale and was a bit of a stand-out today. She has a pedigree, she's a good physical, moves well. We've been very happy with her all the way through. We wanted to get back to speed. Mr. Deer really likes the stallion, thought what he did at Newmarket was exceptional. We've used him again and I'm sure he's going to make it.”

On a busy day for the Chepstow farm, perhaps its outstanding page was offered by a Golden Horn (GB) colt [1704] out of a Kingman (GB) half-sister to its champion Al Kazeem (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). He was another purchase, at 40,000gns, by Dwayne Woods.

As for Ten Sovereigns, he registered another good sale for this grade when a filly from Deer Forest Stud made 50,000gns from Amanda Skiffington as Lot 1878. She will be joining Jane Chapple-Hyam.

Another Zoustar Breeze Project for Tally-Ho

The booming market has naturally raised the stakes uncomfortably for pinhookers, who were duly relieved to be active at this more accessible tier. One for whom the breeze-ups are on the agenda is the daughter of Zoustar (Aus) brought here as Lot 1930 by Jamie Railton, acquired for 77,000gns by Tom Biggs of Blandford Bloodstock on behalf of Tally-Ho Stud.

“She's a lovely filly,” the agent said. “She's from a very fast, precocious family and that seems to be what is working best with the Zoustars. She's also a half-sister to a pretty decent and precocious horse in [juvenile stakes-placed] Lambeth Walk (GB) (Charm Spirirt {Ire}).”

Tally-Ho found one of the high achievers of the last breeze-up cycle in this catalogue last year, when Hamish Macauley Bloodstock signed an identical docket for a filly by the same stallion. Sold on to Atlas Bloodstock at Arqana for €110,000, she is now celebrated as GI Cheveley Park S. winner Lezoo (GB).

This lady's prospects of emulating that success are enhanced by granddam Roo (GB) (Rudimentary), responsible for a series of black-type performers and/or producers including the dam of G1 Sussex S. winner Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}).

Clodovil Bows Out

A touching footnote was the sale of the last yearling to come under the hammer by Clodovil (Ire), now enjoying his retirement at Rathasker Stud. The daughter consigned by his home farm as Lot 1798 was bought for 37,000gns by Julie Wood's Woodstock, doubtless with a view to emulating Manderley (Ire)–another of his greys, who ran a close fourth in the G1 1000 Guineas at 100-1 after Wood bought her from Rathasker in Book I of the 2012 sale.

“She's a lovely filly,” said Rathasker's Maurice Burns. “She had the same way of going as all of Clodovil's progeny. They have a bit of spark and are very genuine. People who had any of his stock always returned and came to the door at the sales to see his stock. It was just age that caught up with him.”

Clodovil's legacy at Rathasker is in the hands of his son Gregorian (Ire), while his record as a broodmare sire has recently been topped off by G1 Haydock Sprint Cup winner Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}).

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Value Sires Part 6: Proven Sires

As breeding sheds prepare to swing open their doors in the coming weeks, we bring you the final installment of our 2021 Value Sires series. Gone are the days of dissecting sales averages and speculating on the comments of the judges; these elder statesmen have proven their mettle on the racecourse, and a few of them are even available at their lowest ever fees.

While value exists in all price brackets and for all budgets, we have chosen to limit the scope of this analysis to stallions standing in Europe for £/€20,000 and below, selecting two sires apiece that stand between 15,000 and 20,000; 10,00 and 12,500 and below 10,000. As we have covered in depth the sire crops up to those which have first-crop 3-year-olds this year, stallions highlighted here will be those with at least two crops of racing age fully behind them.

Selecting the final six was far from an easy exercise. There were many worthy candidates, and in addition to the raw data likes percentages of winners and stakes winners and overall career performances, other factors taken into consideration included price point and the current trajectory of the horse's career.

15,000 to 20,000

This price bracket must be one of the most intriguing of them all: it includes not only the ever-reliable Iffraaj (GB) and Nathaniel (Ire) at a career-low fees, but also the incredibly popular Dandy Man (Ire) and the rising talent Make Believe (GB). But two stallions stand out in this price range on both percent of stakes winners to runners and winners to runners: Oasis Dream (GB) (£20,000) and Mastercraftsman (Ire) (€15,000).

One would be hard-pressed to nominate a sire in this price range that has compiled a body of work over a career that compares with Oasis Dream's. The 21-year-old former G1 July Cup winner was fast out of the gate with his first crop and soon established himself as a world-class sire, with the likes of Midday (GB), Muhaarar (GB) and Power (GB) among his 17 Group 1 winners. The dark bay stood for up to £85,000 at Juddmonte's Banstead Manor Stud, and is this year down to a career-low £20,000. His 9.5% rate of stakes winners to runners puts Oasis Dream in a class with sires that stand for many multiples of his fee, and he likewise gets 66% winners/runners. The dip in his fee goes hand-in-hand with the reality that his numbers of stakes winners have leveled off in recent seasons, but an average of seven per season since 2016 is still nothing to scoff at, and he is still turning out Group 1 winners, with three of his 17 having come since 2016: Muarrab (GB) won the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen as a 7-year-old in 2016 while  Pretty Pollyanna (GB) and Polydream (Ire) won the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest, respectively, in 2018. Oasis Dream has sired 122 stakes winners and his daughters have produced 58 stakes winners and five Group 1 winners. He had a remarkable year in 2020 alone as a broodmare sire, with G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Siskin, G1 Melbourne Cup winner Twilight Payment (Ire), G1 Cox Plate scorer Sir Dragonet (Ire) and G1 Prix Saint-Alary victress Tawkeel (GB) on his honor roll in addition to standout juveniles Miss Amulet (Ire) and Chindit (Ire). A mark of his consistent brilliance is that Oasis Dream is still well-supported in the sales ring, too: his 29 yearlings sold in 2020 averaged €86,669/£76,604. It's hard to imagine a horse in Oasis Dream's price range with a better chance to get a breeder anything from a sales horse to a potential broodmare or a top-class runner.

The six years younger Mastercraftsman (Ire) is following a similar trajectory; in fact, he has an average of 9.6 stakes winners per crop, versus 8.7 for Oasis Dream. From eight crops of racing age, the grey has supplied 77 stakes winners (6.3% of starters) and he gets winners at a rate of 62.3% (of starters). Mastercraftsman has 15 Group 1 winners, just two off Oasis Dream, and he likewise gets them at the highest level: Alpha Centauri (Ire) was champion 3-year-old filly and won the Coronation S., Falmouth S., Irish 1000 Guineas and Prix Jacques le Marois; The Grey Gatsby (Ire) took the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Irish Champion S., and Amazing Maria (Ire) and A Raving Beauty (Ger) each won a pair of Grade/Group 1s apiece. Mastercraftsman's 2021 fee of €15,000 is his lowest since 2013, and his crop bred off the back of Alpha Centauri's championship season will be 3-year-olds when his 2022 crop are going to the yearling sales.

10,000 to 12,500

There are plenty of horses in this price range across Britain, Ireland and France that offer eye-catching stats-with Coolmore stalwart Footstepsinthesand (GB) and French up-and-comer Galiway (GB) certainly among them-and once again we landed at Coolmore and Juddmonte for our top two choices: Bated Breath (GB) (£12,500) and Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) (€12,500).

A Group 2-winning sprinter for Roger Charlton who was second in four Group 1s, Bated Breath marked himself out early as a prolific source of high-class winners, his first three crops including the likes of G2 Rockfel S. and G3 Albany S. winner Daahyeh (GB), G2 Railway S. winner Beckford (Ire), G2 Dahlia S. and G3 Prix Minerve S. winner Worth Waiting (GB) and G2 Boomerang S. and G3 Jersey S. scorer Space Traveller (Ire). The bay has continued to build on those results, and in 2020 notched his first Group 1 winner in the GI Matriarch S. victress Viadera (GB). Bated Breath's juveniles had another outstanding year, too, in 2020, highlighted by Makaloun (GB) winning the G3 Prix de Conde and Cairn Gorm (GB) taking the G3 Prix de Conde. His winners to runners ratio is 60.2%, and the crop bred after his first successful season with 3-year-olds are three themselves in 2021. His yearlings are providing a return for their breeders and pinhookers, too: 53 sold at auction last year realized an average of €50,018/£44,162 that was 4.4x their £10,000 covering fee.

The 17-year-old Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) has carved out a truly remarkable stud career that has seen him sire Group 1 winners all across the world and across a great variety of trips. His 13 top-level scorers range from Guineas winners Homecoming Queen (Ire) and Romanised (Ire) to G1 Australian and New Zealand Derby scorer Mongolian Khan (NZ) to G1 Oakleigh Plate victress Sheidel (Aus) and GI Santa Anita Sprint Championship winner Rich Tapestry (Ire). They can be fast and precocious-like he was as a G1 Phoenix S. and G1 Jean-Luc Lagardere S. winner-but also have plenty of scope to train on. Holy Roman Emperor sires stakes winners at a rate of 6.1% of his starters (he averages 8 stakes winners per crop), and winners at 66.2%. He is still producing the goods and is this year available for the second-lowest price he has ever commanded.

Below 10,000

At last we deviate away from the Danzig sireline as we land on Raven's Pass. The G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. and GI Breeders' Cup Classic-winning son of Elusive Quality has long had his books restricted at Kildangan Stud-his crops of racing age average 57 foals apiece–but he will certainly have his admirers; he is currently turning out stakes winners at a rate of 8.3% of his runners, and winners at 62.6%. His 2-year-olds of 2021 were bred off the back of his career-best season in 2017 when he provided 12 stakes winners, four of which were group winners including the G3 Prix Imprudence scorer and G1 Prix Rothschild second Via Ravenna (Ire). The chestnut has supplied three Group 1 winners: the G1 Sprinters S. winner Tower Of London, who was also a Group 2-winning 2-year-old on the competitive JRA circuit; G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Royal Marine (Ire) and in 2020 the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 victor Matternhorn (Ire). Raven's Pass is available for four figures for the first time in 2021: he stands at Kildangan Stud for €7,500.

Our second selection in this price bracket also resides in Co. Kildare: Rathasker Stud's elder statesman Clodovil (Ire). The 21-year-old Clodovil is the sire of 25 stakes winners and, remarkably, had one of his finest years yet in 2021 with six black-type winners headed by his third Group 1 winner, the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and Prix Francois Boutin victress Tiger Tanaka (Ire). In fact, 2020 was a notable year for Clodovil's juveniles, he having also sired the G3 Molecomb S. winner Steel Bull (Ire). Clodovil is siring black-type winners/runners at a rate of 4.6%, and winners at a rate of 65.2%; those are pretty attractive numbers for a €5,000 fee-like Raven's Pass, Clodovil is at his lowest-ever fee. It is worth noting that Clodovil's triple group-winning son Gregorian (Ire) is also available at Rathasker at the same fee, and he has gotten off to a promising start with five stakes winners from his first three crops to race, including last year's G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte winner Plainchant (Fr) and G3 Summer Fillies' S. victress Queen Jo Jo (GB).

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Rathasker Stud Announces Reduced Fees

Rathasker Stud has released the 2021 covering fees for its four stallions, with all bar one having been dropped in price.

Bungle Inthejungle (GB), sire of this season’s G3 Cornwallis S. winner Winter Power (Ire), who has won four of her nine races in a busy juvenile campaign, will stand at €8,000, down from €12,000 in 2020.

The stud’s stalwart Clodovil (Ire) was represented by a new Group 1 winner this season in the Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Tiger Tanaka (Ire) and he has had his fee reduced from €8,000 to €5,000.

Clodovil stands alongside his son Gregorian (Ire), who has also enjoyed stakes success in France this year via G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte winner Plainchant (Fr), and he too will stand at €5,000, his fee having been dropped from €6,000.

Completing the quartet is Coulsty (Ire), a son of Kodiac (GB) whose first-crop runners this year have posted a strike-rate of 43%, and he remains unchanged at a fee of €4,000.

Commenting on his roster, stud owner Maurice Burns said, “We are very pleased to offer four proven stallions at Rathasker Stud for 2021. This year has been a difficult year for many breeders and in acknowledgment of this we have taken the step to reduce or maintain all our stud fees for 2021.”

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