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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