Tag: Europe

Half-Brother to Stage Star Tops Day 1 of Goffs December NH Sale

The Goffs December National Hunt sale saw a leading €110,000 price for the top lot (157A, a wildcard entry) as the highest for a NH foal anywhere in 2023.

The session-topping lot by Walk In The Park (Ire) is a half-brother to multiple Grade I-scorer Stage Star (Ire) (Fame And Glory {GB}). Out of the graded-stakes winning jump mare Sparky May (GB) (Midnight Legend {GB}), the foal went to Richard Frisby, who also struck earlier for lot 101, a Blue Bresil colt, secured for €45,000.

David Cox of Baroda Stud, who consigned the colt on behalf of breeder Ruxley Holdings Ltd, said, “The late entry was made in order to strike while the iron is hot. Walk In The Park is leading the National Hunt sire table and Stage Star looked even better than last year when he won the Paddy Power Gold Cup last month impressively despite making a mistake.”

In total, 119 horses sold for a turnover of €1,957,000, up 27% from last season, with an average of €16,446, an increase of 8%. The selective market ruled the day, however, as the clearance rate came in at 61%.

The post Half-Brother to Stage Star Tops Day 1 of Goffs December NH Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Observations: Half-sister to Courage Mon Ami Set for Southwell Introduction

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Insights features the half-sister to G1 Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

18.00 Southwell, Nov, £6,600, 2yo, 7f 14y (AWT)
John and Thady Gosden trainee DANIELLE (GB) (Cracksman {GB}) is kin to five black-type performers headed by this year's G1 Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Her nine rivals include King Power Racing's fellow newcomer Midnight's Dream (Ire) (Cappella Sansevero {Ire}), a half-brother to last term's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye runner-up White Lavender (Ire) (Heeraat {Ire}), from the Roger Varian stable.

The post Observations: Half-sister to Courage Mon Ami Set for Southwell Introduction appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Arqana Session Topper to Alkas Stud

Carenot (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), a half-sister to the G1 Phoenix S. winner Dick Whittington (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), topped the third day of the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale in Deauville at €72,000.

The 10-year-old mare is a dual winner and her first three foals have all also won two races, including the Listed-placed Liberalist (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). Offered in foal to Earthlight (Ire) as lot 582 from Haras du Lieu des Champs, Carenot was bought by Whitehorn Bloodstock on behalf of Emir Alkas of Alkas Stud in Turkey.

Alkas's previous purchases at Arqana's December Sale include Naan (Ire) for €17,000. From that daughter of Indian Charlie he bred the 2020 G3 Solario S. winner Etonian (Ire) (Olympic Glory {Ire}).

Leading the weanling division was a colt by Galiway (GB) (lot 604), whose stock continue to prove popular with both Flat and National Hunt buyers. This son of the Group 3-placed Stormyra (Fr) (Stormy River {Ire}) is a half-brother to three winners and was signed for by Peter and Ross Doyle at €51,000 from the draft of JK Thoroughbreds. 

The colt's four-year-old half-sister Stormania (Fr) (Goken {Fr}) was sold immediately prior to her sibling as lot 603 from Haras de Colleville and, in foal to Galiway, she brought a bid of €35,000.

Though the figures from Monday's session are in stark contrast to those witnessed on Saturday, they are largely keeping pace with last year. From a slightly smaller comparative session, the clearance rate dropped by 4% to 75% for 187 of the 250 horses sold on the day. The median remained at €8,500, the average was up by 4% at €12,070, and with 29 fewer horses sold this year, the aggregate dropped 11% to €2,257,000.

With one session remaining at Arqana, the overall turnover looks set to follow the downward trend seen in Ireland and Britain so far this season.

The post Arqana Session Topper to Alkas Stud appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Letter to the Editor: Heed Stark Sales Warnings

With the Arqana sales closing out our breeding stock sales season, there were some very stark warnings for the industry in Europe. Plenty have highlighted the dire situation at the lower end of the market with a frightening number of mares failing to sell for even the covering fee of the foal inside them. However, it is also far from rosy at the top end of the market for our domestic product.

Analysing the 143 mares/fillies that sold for £200,000+ at the three main sales (Goffs November, Tatts December and Arqana), over half will be leaving European shores and travelling to Japan, Australia or America.

Obviously this is not an exact science as a number of lots were knocked down to agents or aliases. However, I'm fairly confident to within a 10% error margin with the figures.

 

Australian entities (including all Yulong pseudonyms) signed for the most number of £200k+ lots (35 in total over 24%) and spent over £20.1 million (21%).

The Japanese were stronger than ever and bought 17 lots (12%) and spent over £13.3 million (14%). The Americans bought 20 lots (14%) and spent over £9.2 million (10%).

English Studs bought 29 lots (20%) for a total of just over £20 million (21%). Were you to take out Juddmonte's two major purchases, Godolphin's sole purchase and Graham Smith-Bernal's continued significant support, this would look even more dire with only a little over £11 million spent.

Coolmore, as ever, reinvested heavily and helped keep Ireland high up in the list. In total, 23 (16%) of the £200k+ lots look likely to head to Ireland for an outlay of over £24.9 million (26%).

French interests bought 17 (12%) lots for £6.1 million (6%) while German studs bought just two.

While these figures alone are highly worrying, when comparing them to just ten years ago, you realise that we could be well past the tipping point.

Back then over 74% (in comparison to just 49% now) of the 136 fillies/mares that sold at the corresponding sales stayed in Europe. Furthermore, over 32% stayed in England whereas only a tick over 20% will stay in England from this year.

Such a rapid trajectory in the wrong direction needs to somehow be halted or we will lose our seat at the top table of the racing world.  The BHA and all factions of the racing hierarchy need to put self-interest to one side and work in cohesion to address the issue. Not only will we not be producing enough horses to fill the racing programme, but the quality will continue to slide in comparison to our counterparts in other jurisdictions.

Tom Pritchard-Gordon, Badgers Bloodstock

 

The post Letter to the Editor: Heed Stark Sales Warnings appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights