Classy Godolphin Runners to be Sold at ERA Racing in Dubai Sale

Royal Ascot and Dubai Carnival winners feature among 48 lots set to be offered by Godolphin at the 2024 Emirates Racing Authority (ERA) Racing in Dubai Sale, which will be staged at Meydan Racecourse on Tuesday, March 26, four days before the Dubai World Cup meeting.

Godolphin have sold over 450 horses at the ERA Racing in Dubai Sale since it was introduced in December 2015. They include the former Charlie Appleby trainee North America (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who later won at the top level for Satish Seemar having been bought for AED140,000 (approximately €35,000) in 2016.

Drafted (Field Commission) was another high-profile graduate after being purchased for just AED40,000 (€10,000) in 2017 as he went on to become a five-time winner at Meydan, notably landing a pair of Group 3 races at the track. He was trained by Doug Watson, who has since enjoyed more success with a similar recruit in Golden Goal (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), a Group 2 winner following his sale for AED210,000 (€53,000) in 2018.

Of the 48 lots consigned by Godolphin this year, 22 of them are by Dubawi, including the five-year-old Secret State (Ire) (lot 41), who gained his biggest success when winning the 2022 King George V H. at Royal Ascot. His sire is also represented by the likes of Goldspur (Ire) (lot 32), who won the G3 Zetland S. at Newmarket as a juvenile and still has relatively few miles on the clock for one of his age, and First Ruler (GB) (lot 36), a full-brother to Ghaiyyath (Ire) who was successful at last year's Dubai Carnival. Venetian Style (GB) (lot 40), who topped the 2021 Tattersalls December Foal Sale at 1.8 million gns, is also catalogued after being placed recently at Chelmsford.

As for proven performers at the 2024 Carnival, Ruling Dynasty (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) (lot 46) is set to go under the hammer having been among the winners at Meydan as recently as last month, while Highbank (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) (lot 47) should also attract plenty of interest having been beaten just a length when filling the runner-up spot on his most recent outing at the track.

“Marie Sullivan [Godolphin's bloodstock sales manager] said that these are the best of the horses that Godolphin are selling,” summed up Sam Shinsky, the ERA's head of integrity and regulation. “They sell a lot of horses, but the best ones that they're going to sell are kept for this sale.

“I think there are 22 sons of Dubawi and they're obviously well sought-after, versatile horses who go on both surfaces. A lot of the time with these horses–as we've seen with North America–they're untried on dirt, so some of them really take to it and end up having a second lease of life out here. Every year a decent horse or two comes out of it. This year we've got 48 lots and I'm sure something from it will go on to be a success.”

The ERA Racing in Dubai Sale was first introduced with the main objective being to increase racehorse ownership within the UAE. As such, there is a condition in place which prevents horses purchased at the sale from being exported until the completion of the 2024/25 racing season [April 2025].

Explaining why the restriction is in place, Shinsky added, “These horses could be sold back in the UK and probably make more money there. But the idea is to try and increase or maintain our thoroughbred population and give people who are living over here–or anybody who wants to race a horse over here–an opportunity to buy a well-bred horse at a discounted rate compared to what you'd have to pay elsewhere.”

Mike Kaye, the founder and principal of Touch Gold Racing, is a big advocate of what the ERA is trying to do with a sale which has been the source of two of the syndicate's most successful horses, Raven's Corner (Ire) (Raven's Pass) and Leading Spirit (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}).

G3 Dubawi S. winner Raven's Corner was bought for AED135,000 (€34,000) by trainer Satish Seemar in 2016, while Leading Spirit was secured for AED400,000 (€101,000) in 2018 and now has his sights set on the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen on World Cup night having guaranteed his place in the field with victory in the G3 Mahab Al Shimaal on Super Saturday.

“It's a great opportunity for a syndicate like us,” Kaye said of the sale. “The horses are very well-bred and every sale produces a few horses that go on to be competitive at Group level and even run on World Cup night.

“The sale has definitely become more popular, and the prices seem to rise year on year, but hopefully we'll still be able to find some value. More importantly, the sale helps boost the quality of the local horse population, so it's definitely important that they continue to enforce that the horses can't be immediately exported to race elsewhere.”

Looking ahead to this year's sale, Kaye added, “We'll do the work as usual and then see how the prices are. There are plenty of nice types on paper, but you never really know until you see them in the flesh whether they look like they will take to training and racing on dirt. It would certainly be nice to find another Raven's Corner or Leading Spirit, though!”

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Observations: Highbank On Show at Leicester

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 TDN Rising Star Highbank (Ire).

2.30 Leicester, Novice, £9,000, 2yo, 7fT
HIGHBANK (IRE) (Kingman {GB}) may have blotted his copybook in Newbury's Haynes, Hanson & Clark Conditions S. last month, but Godolphin's TDN Rising Star is back to show that his impressive Newmarket debut success in July was no one-off. Charlie Appleby opts for a confidence boost for the 750,000gns Book 1 purchase from the family of the German stars Boreal (Ger) (Java Gold) and Borgia (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}), who if his debut performance is a guide will be heading for big targets next term.

HOW THEY FARED

1.20 Killarney, Mdn, €18,000, 2yo, 8f 60yT
Water Nymph (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), the half-sister to the Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), was rushed up early into a prominent position after a tardy break but faded out of contention in the straight to be sixth.

1.55 Yarmouth, Novice, £9,950, 2yo, 7f 3yT
Pherenikos (Ire) (Shamardal), the half-brother to Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), showed up well for a long way but paid for his early keenness late to be touched off for what would have been a deserved second placing.

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Son Of Dubawi Steals The Show At Newbury

Put in his place when five-lengths second to TDN Rising Star Flying Honours (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in Salisbury's Listed Stonehenge S. over a mile last time Aug. 19, Jeff Smith's Stormbuster (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}–Barshiba {Ire}, by Barathea {Ire}) took a step forward on Friday to dominate Newbury's storied Haynes, Hanson & Clark Conditions S. Breaking well under David Probert to lead his three rivals, the 6-1 shot put another of Godolphin's TDN Rising Stars Highbank (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) into the red approaching two out and powered through the closing stages to inflict a five-length defeat on that much-vaunted rival.

“We thought from day one that he could be very useful and with each run he has been getting there and getting there,” the owner-breeder commented of the Andrew Balding-trained colt. “I thought we bumped into one at Salisbury and was pretty hopeful today. He's in the [G1] Futurity at Doncaster and if he runs again this year, that will be the race. I see him as a mile-and-a-quarter horse next year, but if he wins the Futurity he could go for the Guineas.”

Barshiba was a classy performer for Smith, winning the G2 Lancashire Oaks twice and four listed contests as well as placing in the G2 Summer Mile and G2 Hardwicke S. Her first foal was Dubawi's Arabian Queen (Ire), who caused one of the biggest upsets of recent times when denying Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) in the 2015 G1 Juddmonte International, while the other of her trio of Dubawis, Cosmopolitan Queen (GB), is now the dam of the stable's highly-regarded winning juvenile filly Frankness (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Barshiba's yearling filly is by Too Darn Hot (GB).

5th-Newbury, £20,000, Cond, 9-16, 2yo, c/g, 8fT, 1:40.67, gd.
STORMBUSTER (GB) (c, 2, Dubawi {Ire}–Barshiba {Ire} {MGSW-Eng, $588,780}, by Barathea {Ire}) Lifetime Record: 4-1-1-2, $24,029. O-Mr J C Smith; B-Littleton Stud (GB); T-Andrew Balding.

 

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Kingman’s Highbank Earns TDN Rising Star Tag At Newmarket

Charlie Appleby sent out Godolphin's subsequent GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) to garner last term's renewal of Newmarket's Discover Newmarket British EBF Maiden S. and the local operation has another likely sort to go forward after 750,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 graduate Highbank (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) powered to 'TDN Rising Stardom' with a taking display in this year's edition of the seven-furlong heat. Settled off the tempo in seventh through halfway, the 4-1 chance made eyecatching headway inside the final quarter mile to gain control passing the furlong marker and quickened clear in impressive fashion to account for stablemate Bold Act (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) by 3 3/4 lengths.

“He is a horse that we have got a bit of experience with the family with having had Bay Of Poets,” explained trainer Charlie Appleby. “Whatever he did today there was going to be marked improvement. He had done some good work at home and I told [rider] Jack [Mitchell] to teach him to race the right way. Today was a learning day and his class prevailed. He travelled very well and picked up well. I've not had chance to speak to Jack, but visually it was impressive. We liked Bold Act too, so hopefully that is a useful pointer, amd we will keep him at seven [furlongs] for the moment. I think he has got a lot of natural speed and we will probably look at something like the [G3] Solario S. [at Sandown]. I need to have a chat with the lads before making any firm decisions.”

Highbank is the latest of seven foals and fourth scorer out of a winning half-sister to G3 St Leger Italiano victor Burma Gold (Ire) (Java Gold) and Listed Prix Finlande runner-up Burma Sea (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), herself the dam of G3 Prix Eclipse winner Devil (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}). The April-foaled bay is a half-brother to Listed Prix Pelleas victor and G2 Al Rashidiya runner-up Bay Of Poets (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). Bristol Bay's full-sister Burning Heights {Ire}) is the dam of G3 Killavullan S. scorer Blue De Vega (Ger) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and the second dam of G2 Premio Lydia Tesio victrix Angel Power (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Highbank's second dam Bougainvillea (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}) is a full-sister to G1 Deutsches Derby and G1 Grosser Preis von Baden heroine Borgia (Ger) as well as being a half-sister to  G1 Deutsches Derby and G1 Coronation Cup-winning sire Boreal (Ger) (Java Gold).

1st-Newmarket, £8,000, Mdn, 7-23, 2yo, 7fT, 1:27.30, g/f.
HIGHBANK (IRE), c, 2, by Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Bristol Bay (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire)
2nd Dam: Bougainvillea (Ger), by Acatenango (Ger)
3rd Dam: Britannia (Ger), by Tarim (GB)
1ST-TIME STARTER. (750,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Godolphin; B-Lynch-Bages & Camas Park Stud (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $5,187. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

 

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