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Tattersalls Ascot July Sale Topped By Resilience

Aclaim (Ire)'s Resilience (GB) (lot 55) topped the one-day Tattersalls Ascot July Sale on Tuesday. The 3-year-old gelding, consigned by Mill House Racing, Ltd., was snapped up by Nick Bradley Racing bidding online for £60,000. Rated 85, he won over five furlongs at Windsor in June for previous trainer Tony Carroll, who had bought Resilience originally for 20,000gns out of the Tattersalls February Sale.

Bradley, who was at Beverley races with two runners, said, “He has been bought to go to new trainer Craig Lister, who is based near York.

“Craig was at the sale and looked at our short list. This horse is a real speed ball and is qualified for the Windsor £75,000 series. We might start him off at Goodwood over five furlongs in a race for 3-year-olds rated 0-95. Further down the line he could be one for races like the Epsom Dash.

“Craig is in need of Saturday horses and this could be one.”

The second dearest lot on the day was Crush And Run (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) (lot 45), who sold for £38,000 to Al Jasra Stud. Consigned by Weathercock House Stables, he has won once over the all-weather at Lingfield in February and is a half-brother to listed winner Primo Uomo (Ire) (Strategic Prince {GB}).

“Crush And Run might run once or twice more in the UK and then will ship to Qatar,” said Ahmad Kobeissi, the father of Newmarket trainer Hilal Kobeissi. “The boys liked him and he looks the sort to go on faster ground and cope with the sharp tracks.”

Headed for the jumping sphere, Jimmy Fyffe picked up Vintage Valley (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) (lot 22) for £32,000. Lightly raced with only three starts to his name for Andrew Balding's Park House Stables, the grey gelding is rated 65 and is from the family of G3 Lillie Langtry Fillies' S. heroine Gravitation (GB) (Galileo {Ire}).

“I have a number of jumpers for this upcoming season and I wanted a 3-year-old to go juvenile hurdling,” said Fyffe, who was bidding online. “I watched this horse's races online and he looks as though a bit of softer ground will suit. Andrew Balding recommended him highly, and he goes now to Donald McCain. He looks a scopey type and hopefully he can jump.”

Of the 77 lots offered, 70 sold (91%) for a gross of £468,000. The average was £6,686 and the median was £3,200. This was the first Ascot July Sale conducted since 2019 due to the covid pandemic.

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Japanese Globetrotters Boost Record JRHA Select Sale

Clearance rates narrowly in excess of 95% for both days of the Japan Racing Horse Association (JRHA) Select Sale speak to the consistent demand for fledgling racehorses in the country where the leading bloodstock auction has once again set new high markers in all sectors of the market.

At the final count, 447 foals and yearlings (from 469 offered) changed hands for a new record aggregate of ¥25,762,500,000 (£159m/€187m), up 14% on last year's previous high. The average also increased significantly, by 12%, to ¥57,634,228 (£355,000/€419,000) for the sale as a whole. The foal session's contribution to that overall tally on Tuesday was ¥12,892,500,000 (£98m/€116m) spent on 225 foals from the 236 offered. That figure represented an 18% increase, while the average of ¥57,300,000 (£353,000/€417,000) was up by almost 12%.

“It was a record-breaking market here last year and I did not expect to beat it this year,” said leading breeder Teruya Yoshida of Shadai Farm, who is also the chairman of the JRHA. “The market was very strong from the top end through to the bottom end, and I am very impressed with the depth of buyers. High demand for young horses was kept thoughout the two days and the clearance rate of 95.3% is unbelievable.”

He added, “I am very happy to see that so many people are interested in enjoying ownership of racehorses and very glad to witness that they are very keen to make a big investment in the bloodstock market.”

Just as Ireland and Britain have lost the influential Galileo (Ire) and Pivotal (GB) from the stallion ranks in recent years, the Japanese breeding scene is now contemplating life after the big-hitters Deep Impact (Jpn) and King Kamehameha (Jpn), both of whom died in 2019.

Duramente (Jpn), a Classic-winning son of King Kamehameha, had been starting to hint at his own prowess, but he was lost to an attack of colitis last August leaving 629 foals from his four seasons at stud. With his eldest runners now four, Duramente is responsible for this season's G1 Japanese 1000 Guineas and G1 Oaks winner Southern Stars (Jpn), as well as Titleholder (Jpn), a member of his first crop who claimed last year's G1 Japanese St Leger and has added another two Group 1 wins to his record this season in the Tenno Sho and Takarazuka Kinen.

The late stallion featured prominently among Monday's yearling results and, with a member of his final crop he topped the final day when the second foal of the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks winner Champagne Anyone (Street Sense) brought the hammer down at ¥320 million (£1.97m/€2.33m). The colt (lot 393) was offered by Shunsuke Yoshida, the son of Northern Farm owner Katsumi Yoshida who is now in his second year consigning, and was bought by Red Horse.

The death of Giant's Causeway was also much lamented, and this year's Select Sale has featured the first yearlings of his talented son Bricks And Mortar, a four-time Grade I winner, including the Breeders' Cup Turf, and one of four sires imported to Japan from America for the 2020 breeding season. His 11 yearlings in the sale were led by lot 104, a colt from the dual Group 3 winner and Classic-placed Maximum De Paris (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) who sold for Y135 million (£831,400/€982,800) from Shadai Farm to Hirosaki Toshihiro.

The 8-year-old stallion was also represented by 13 foals on Tuesday and these included the day's second-top lot (325). The graduate of Northern Farm was offered alongside his dam Awake (Jpn), a Group 2-placed daughter of Daughter Impact (Jpn) from the family of the globetrotting Stella Veloce (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}), and was sold for Y310 million (£1.9m/€2.25m) to Tetsuhide Kunimoto.

“I visited Northern Farm several times in the last few months and found that this colt, out of Awake, kept improving. That is what I like about him,” said Kunimoto. “To be frank, I do not know who [will be] the next leading sire, though I think Bricks And Mortar is a very suitable stallion for racing in Japan, as he is a turf champion himself and most of his yearlings look like sharp and speedy turf horses. This colt lets me have a dream.”

The Australian four-time Group 1 winner Mosheen (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) had her name in lights on Monday when her Maurice (Jpn) colt topped the yearling session at ¥450 million (£2.7m/€3.25m), and she made an appearance herself on Tuesday in the company of her colt foal by Epiphaneia (Jpn). Offered as lot 367 by breeder Katsumi Yoshida of Northern Farm, her youngest offspring was also in demand and sold for ¥300 million (£1.84m/€2.18m) to Ver Co Ltd. Epipheneia, whose leading offspring include the Fillies' Triple Crown winner Daring Tact (Jpn), was also the sire of another of the day's bestsellers, lot 353, another from Northern Farm and out of the GI Del Mar Debutante S. winner She's A Tiger (Tale Of The Cat). The top-priced filly among the foals, she was knocked down to Hiroyasu Takeuchi, racing manager of Nicks Co Ltd for ¥280 million (£1.72m/€2.03m).

“I studied her pedigree and am convinced she should have inherited a lot of speed,” said Takeuchi. “She is very valuable as future broodmare as well and I believe she is worth paying this amount of money.”

Fifteen foals by Epiphaneia were sold on Tuesday for an average price of ¥111,100,000 (£684,000/€808,800).

Fourteen members of the first crop of G1 Japanese 2000 Guineas winner Saturnalia (Jpn) were for sale on Tuesday and the stock of the son of Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) received a thumbs-up from buyers, with two ending up among the top 10 lots of the day. These included lot 339, a three-parts-brother to G1 Mile Championship winner Stelvio (Jpn) (Lor Kanaloa {Jpn}) who fetched ¥300 million (£1.84m/€2.18m). Their dam L'Archetto (Jpn) (Falbrav {Ire}) had also provided one of the leading yearlings of the opening day–a colt by Rey De Oro (Jpn) who sold for ¥220 million. Both youngsters were bought by Kaneko Makoto of Deep Impact fame.

Concluding his review of the two-day sale, Teruya Yoshida added, “The quality of mares we have in Japan is very high and the quality of young horses offered here yesterday and today was very high as well. Japanese-bred horses are running very well in international races in the USA and Middle East, and I understand that it helps to boost this market.”

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Disqualification Option Introduced in Whip Review

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has published its much discussed Whip Consultation Report, which, in a first for major racing jurisdictions, introduces the potential for a horse to be disqualified if a jockey has used the whip four or more times above the permitted level. The ProCush whip can be used seven times in a Flat race and eight times over jumps, and the current rules will be amended to restrict use for encouragement in the backhand position only.

Twenty recommendations were submitted by the Whip Consultation Steering Group to the board of the BHA and all were given approval. The key recommendations will lead to the development of a review panel responsible for evaluation of all rides and any necessary sanction or action, and increased penalties for offences. This will include the doubling of jockey suspensions in major races when the whip is used above the permitted level.

The steering group was comprised of a range of industry professionals, including jockeys, trainer, members of the media and representatives of government and horse welfare bodies. According to a press release by the BHA, the panel's recommendations are “designed to be considered as a package of measures based on the following core principles and objectives”.

These are listed as:

Developing rules which foster more considered and judicious use of the whip for encouragement.
Improving the style and perception of whip use.
Greater focus on education and improving standards.
Greater consistency in application of the rules.
Introducing a penalty framework which acts as an effective deterrent against misuse.

Further technical discussions will now take place with jockeys and industry participants to consider practical or logistical considerations relating to the new rules, which are likely to come into force in the autumn, though no specific date has yet been fixed.

The discussion period will finalise details such as the exact working of the review panel, and the training and education required for both jockeys and stewards ahead of the new rules coming into play. There will also be a 'bedding-in' period to allow for a transition once the new rules have been implemented.

David Jones, chair of the Whip Consultation Steering Group, said, “I would like to offer my thanks to everyone who took part in this process, from the members of the Steering Group who brought their considerable, wide-ranging expertise to the table in a manner of collaboration and positivity, through to everyone who took part in the consultation.

“It is our view that, as a result of this process, we are continuing to evolve standards of whip use, through a regulatory approach that will be demonstrably and visibly fair in terms of what they ask of our horses and the spirit of fair sporting competition.”

He continued, “It is inevitable that there will be those who think we have gone too far, and those who think we have not gone far enough. I ask only that the considerable expertise that has provided its input to this process, and the scale of the task in finding consensus across such a broad range of complex factors, be considered as part of any discussion about these proposals.”

PJ McDonald, one of two jockeys on the steering group along with Tom Scudamore, commented, “While as jockeys we would prefer not to have seen penalties for whip offences significantly increased, we also have to accept that steps needed to be taken to prevent breaches of the whip rules.

“I am pleased that the introduction of the review panel will increase consistency of officiating, and focus not only on penalties but also improving standards of riding. The introduction of disqualification for certain offences is a major step, but I think we all share the same hope and expectation which is that it is a rule that will rarely, if ever, need to be used as it will serve as a significant deterrent to jockeys using the whip too frequently.”

The review has also been welcomed by World Horse Welfare's chief executive Roly Owers, another member of the steering group, who said, “It would have been easy for racing to carry out this review in its own bubble, but by including an equine welfare organisation within the steering group itself they showed they were willing to consider other views and be asked some fundamental questions. While the group did not agree unanimously on all the decisions which were made, the whole process was a thorough one and racing should be commended for this approach.”

With a note of caution, he added, “Racing of horses, like all horse sport, can only continue to take place if the sport maintains the support of the public, which will require everyone in racing to justify their use of the whip in the context of horse welfare, and show that they can be trusted to adhere to and enforce these rules.”

The full report can be viewed here.

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Marine Moussa Joins Arqana

The Arqana bloodstock department has been bolstered by the appointment of Marine Moussa, who will be in charge of organising and coordinating the company's online sales.

A graduate of the Godolphin Flying Start, Moussa has a well-rounded knowledge of the racing and bloodstock industry having previously worked for the Aga Khan Studs in France, Lane's End Farm in the U.S., and Australia's Segenhoe Stud. She has also worked for trainers Francis Graffard, and Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, rival sale houses Inglis and Tattersalls Ireland, as well as completing a stint at Weatherbys.

Moussa said, “I am delighted to be joining the Arqana team and I am looking forward to taking my first steps with one of Europe's leading auction houses. I have learned a lot from my previous experiences and this is a logical next step for me. I would like to thank Eric Hoyeau, Freddy Powell and Ludovic Cornuel for this opportunity and their trust.”

Arqana's bloodstock director Ludovic Cornuel added, “We are very happy to welcome Marine to the bloodstock team. Her many years of experience in France and abroad are important assets for our team. Marine will be in charge of organising and coordinating online sales, and her arrival perfectly reflects Arqana's desire to strengthen its online sales offer and improve its quality of service.”

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