Highfield Princess took the Quinn stable on an extraordinary journey, winning 14 of her 39 career starts and earning close to £2 million in prize-money for her owner-breeder John Fairley. 

She tasted Group 1 success four times and mixed it with some of the fastest horses in the world. However, the Prix de l'Abbaye, Nunthorpe, Flying Five and Prix Maurice de Gheest scorer could not be saved after suffering an accident in her stable. 

A statement released by the Quinn team on Sunday morning read, “She suffered an inoperable fracture following an accident in her stable and, although over the past week she fought with the same extraordinary spirit she showed on the racecourse, last night lost her battle for life. We would like to thank Jonathan Anderson and the team at Rainbow Equine Hospital, who did everything possible to help the Princess and keep her comfortable.”

John Quinn added, “Highfield Princess took us all on the most remarkable journey. She possessed Group 1 ability but also a Group 1 attitude. Whether it was a routine canter or a big sprint race around the world she put one hundred per cent effort into what she did. I am grateful for all that she did for herself and for our team. We will miss her more than words can say.”

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This year was a big one for the 34-year-old. His family enjoyed its greatest success on a racecourse when homebred Thornbrook landed a listed contest in France for Joseph O'Brien.

Not long afterwards, the Tham family enjoyed its biggest day in the ring when a Night Of Thunder half-sister to Thornbook, out of their top producer Lillebonne, sold for a whopping 500,000gns at Book 1 at Tattersalls. 

Despite no racing background, Tham has cut his teeth from working with Irish Thoroughbred Marketing to developing a quality broodmare band. He has also embarked on pinhooking foals recently and added a €210,000 Night Of Thunder colt to the books at Goffs last week.

Good horses are what drives the native of Malaysia who, having studied Computer Science at University, adopts a mathematical approach to his racing and breeding endeavors without limiting himself to it.

In this week's Q&A, Tham sat down with Brian Sheerin at Park Paddocks where he explained how he became hooked on bloodstock, his approach to the December Foal Sale and much more. 

What's your background in the game?

I was just your regular student who loved to punt on horses. I got into the sport that way and have no background in horses. When I was at University, instead of studying for my final exams in Computer Science, I was punting on Cheltenham. I would have been a casual follower of the sport at that time but, the more racing I watched, the more fascinated I became. I thought, 'I really have to try and get into the industry somehow.' But, definitely, it was from punting on racing that the passion developed. 

Was there any particular horse responsible for developing that passion?

I am 34 now, so I wouldn't have been that young at the time, but Frankel (GB) was the first wow horse for me. I never really thought about pedigrees much until he came along. After Frankel, I became very interested in why certain horses are better than others. 

Were you a serious punter?

Yes, I started to get into it quite seriously. I approached races from a mathematical point of view and loved the puzzle of working out races. I have an analytical mind-as I said, I studied Computer Science and I also spent some time in real estate-and still like the punting side of things. But, the pinhooking and breeding has probably taken over. 

The breeding and pinhooking is another form of punting, isn't it?

It's all part of the problem solving aspect of racing that my mind has always been fascinated with. We have eight or nine broodmares in Ireland with some good friends of ours, Peter and Carol Henley, and we try to adopt a quality over quantity approach. Peter and Carol are based in Kildare and are very good breeders. They produce very good racehorses and we're delighted to have teamed up with them. 

How has your broodmare band and racing interests developed? You and your Dad have gone from owning fun handicappers like T For Tango, Our Manekineko and My Manekineko to winning listed races and breeding big-ticket lots at some of the premier sales.

My Dad [Terry] liked punting as well. He used to work in England in the seventies and eighties and would always tell me about Grundy and Bustino. We're originally from Malaysia but Dad got introduced to horses originally through punting and walking in and out of the bookies. Dad took me to a lot of race meetings when I was younger. So, our interest started out as a bit of fun and, even up until recently, it has been that way. Our family business is property. My Dad obviously wanted me to go into that but I was too contrary and wanted to have a career in horse racing. My older brother and older sister are helping him out with the property business and I'm helping him to waste money on horses! I've gone a different path and, while my family took some convincing initially, it's been going okay in the past number of years so hopefully that will continue. 

Doing okay might be an understatement. While people might not know a lot about you, they are probably aware of Thornbrook (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), who is the latest high-class performer that your mare, Lillebonne (Fr) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), has produced. 

Thornbrook has won her listed race but we do think she is capable of winning Group races next year, which is why she will stay in training. The whole story with the mare is just incredible. We've had successes with pinhooks and things like that but nothing quite like Lillebonne. 

How did you get into the family?

I am very good friends with trainer James Nash in Ireland. He has introduced me to a lot of good people in the industry, including Peter Henley. A lot of people I have met at the sales and in racing, they have been through James's connections. Peter is a very nice guy and I always liked the stock he produced-they all had good bone and looked like proper racehorses. I can remember he wouldn't shut up about this big Mehmas (Ire) colt he had going to Goffs one year. He was telling me for weeks and weeks that I needed to buy this horse. He turned out to be Magnanimous (Ire), who we bought for €50,000, and put into training with Joseph O'Brien. We got him sold for over €500,000 to Hong Kong where he has turned out to be a brilliant horse. After that, I bought into Lillebonne, and she has done it every year since, which is pretty incredible.

She has an excellent track record.

It's not normal. She has produced Seisai (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), Thornbrook, Magnanimous and, funnily enough, Micro Manage (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), who was probably the most talented of them all.  He had Group level talent but was very hard to keep sound. Seisai was sold to Lane's End last year and I understand she is going to visit Flightline, which is exciting. Then there was the Night Of Thunder (Ire) filly, who we sold for 500,000gns through Baroda Stud here at Book 1. That was another brilliant result with the mare. 

Where does that rank in terms of achievements in the sport?

It's by far the best result we've had. We got a touch out of Magnanimous but it was special to share the success with the Henleys at Book 1. Full credit has to go to them because Carol sourced the mare for 40,000gns here in 2013. Carol is an excellent judge of a mare and I have learned a lot from her. 

And how did the link with Joseph come about? 

We got a horse for my Dad, Uncle Henry, who was a pretty average jumper but we got to know Joseph through that and we got on very well with him. Joseph is young but is very intelligent, driven and is an incredible horseman. I wouldn't describe myself as a horseman but I can ask Joseph anything and he will help me. I rely on the best horsemen I know and surround myself with the best people who know what they are doing. 

You might not label yourself as a horseman but plenty of people have described you as a good judge. How have you gone from having no background in the game to breeding and pinhooking to a high level?

One of the first agents I followed was a guy called Justin Bahen. I got to know him through James Nash and he mainly works the horses-in-training sales for the Hong Kong market. I can remember being green as grass with Justin. I know I was not a good student but I still follow a lot of the stuff he did and adopt similar processes to how he shortlists horses, what to look for and what not to look for. He was quite particular and I'd say I am quite particular as well. But the key was just getting out there and looking at as many horses as I could. I'd go to every sale and look at every horse I could. Over time, you pick it up. It's only recently that I became confident in my own abilities to judge a horse.

That's handy because you spent €210,000 on a Night Of Thunder colt last week at Goffs!

The main focus is breeding but I want to supplement that with pinhooking and will aim to buy a couple of foals each year. It's funny, the first sale I ever went to was at Goffs and I went around with Bobby O'Ryan. I can remember it was the time of No Nay Never's first foal crop and I liked a filly by him. I bought her with Bobby and that was my first pinhook. 

And did you turn a profit?

No, but she was a Group 2 winner. Her name was Nay Lady Nay (Ire) and she won four times for Chad Brown. Her full-brother Arizona (Ire) came out the following year and she ended up selling for $1.7 million. It's a mad game. 

Will you try and buy another foal here at Tattersalls?

I'll be trying but it won't be easy. I tried on a few on Wednesday but got outbid. I'll try again on Friday and have plenty on the list. The market is very sire dominated. You need to be by the right sire-Havana Grey (GB), Blue Point (Ire), Pinatubo (Ire), Night Of Thunder, that kind of thing. It's very sire focussed and I need to factor that into my pinhooking. Everything by the big sires will make a little more than it should. The yearling market was tricky enough this year and, apart from the Night Of Thunder filly, we had a pretty average year. 

With all of that in mind, how will you approach the next few months in terms of doing up mating plans for your mares?

Lillebonne needs a good cover but we don't go too high on the sires. She is in foal to Saxon Warrior, so we'll have a sibling to Thornbrook, but we don't like to stretch ourselves. We've a few nice mares coming through who, hopefully, will be the next Lillebonne. We'll see. There's a lovely mare there called Statuesque (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who we bought off Cheveley Park here in 2019 for 52,000gns. She has been producing really good stock. We bought her in foal to Le Havre (Ire), who turned out to be Beechwood (Ire). She won her maiden for John O'Donoghue and looks a promising filly. Statuesque has a really nice Space Blues (Ire) filly who is probably the best foal on our farm. We'd give her a good shot. 

You say you approach everything with an analytical mindset but how do you apply mathematics to breeding horses?

It's all probability, isn't it? You have a good sire and a good dam, you've got a good chance. But, anyone who works solely on stats, the proper horsemen will just run rings around them. You need to understand where you are looking. It's good to have things in the background about certain sires and statistics can be good at times but nothing is more important than looking at the physical attributes of a horse.

Given numbers are your forte, how have you viewed the market in recent times?

The domestic market is a bit of an issue. The health of the industry over here is a big worry. Take for example the Night Of Thunder filly we sold at Book 1, almost all of the vets were on behalf of American buyers. Very few trainers in Britain and Ireland had orders and that can't be healthy because the racing product is going to suffer. There are some very good trainers in Britain and they don't seem to have orders. Obviously, I am a racing fan, and I think racing in Britain and Ireland is the most entertaining. I live in London and never miss Royal Ascot and go to Sandown quite regularly as well. Prize-money is a big problem and, if the talent drain continues for another 10 years, we're going to weaken the product quite significantly. It's turning into an exporting business. Book 1 is the best of the best over here in England but the majority of the big horses were being sold abroad. That has to be a big worry. We still have amazing stallions and brilliant owner-breeders over here so that's the positives. 

And what are your own aims going forward?

To be involved in good horses. Like everyone, I'd love to be involved in a Group 1 horse. It might take a long time but that's the aim. I just want to be involved in good horses, be that buying them or selling them. My Dad supports me and, as I said, it took a long time to convince him about the idea. We buy nice fillies and race them with Joseph. If they're good enough, they feed into the broodmare band, and the hope is that we keep on breeding nice horses. There are some very good breeders around, the likes of Lodge Park Stud, Ballyphilip Stud, those kinds of guys are people to look up to. I just try to emulate those guys. We've a lot of good people helping us out so hopefully one day it happens. This is a great game, full of interesting people and some fascinating characters. I don't know how I got down this road but I am hooked. It's one big puzzle and I love it. 

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One of those came in the Lockinge S., won by his son Modern Games (Ire), who joins him at stud in Newmarket at a fee of £30,000 after notching a total of five top-level wins, including in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in 2021 and last year's Breeders' Cup Mile.

Another of Darley's sons, Night Of Thunder (Ire), remains at the head of the Kildangan Stud roster and his fee is also unchanged at €100,000. The sire of 30 individual juvenile winners this year, Night Of Thunder is also represented by the brilliant sprinter Highfield Princess (Fr), who secured another Group 1 victory in the Prix de l'Abbaye. He covered 170 mares this year.

Of Darley's other new stallions for 2024, Triple Time (GB), the Group 1-winning son of Frankel (GB) is introduced at £10,000, while the former European champion 2-year-old and Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Native Trail (GB) will stand in Ireland at €17,500.

Cracksman (GB) was responsible for the top-rated horse in Europe this year in the unbeaten Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Ace Impact (Fr), and his fee is unchanged at £17,500, while Teofilo (Ire), represented by Group 1 winners in Australia, Canada and Germany in 2023, is also unchanged at €30,000.

Blue Point (Ire), who is set to be the champion first-season sire of 2023, has sired 41 individual winners to date, including G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Rosallion (Ire). Another of his sons, the G2 Flying Childers winner Big Evs (Ire), is favourite for Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Blue Point's fee has risen from €35,000 to €60,000 after covering 190 mares this year.

Too Darn Hot (GB) has also had a fee increase, from £40,000 to £65,000, with his first-crop runners having included seven black-type performers, headed by G1 Moyglare Stud S. winner Fallen Angel (GB). Too Darn Hot was sent 157 mares this year.

Sam Bullard, Darley's director of stallions, said, “The young stallions on the roster are our future and they continue to make compelling viewing. With the two most successful freshmen in 2023, it is exciting to have Pinatubo (Ire), Ghaiyyath (Ire) and Earthlight (Ire) with 2-year-olds next year, we are so lucky to be standing these horses.”

Darley's full list of European fees:

DALHAM HALL STUD, UK

Dubawi (Ire) £350,000
Too Darn Hot (GB) £65,000
Palace Pier (GB) £45,000
Pinatubo (Ire) £35,000
Modern Games (Ire) £30,000
Farhh (GB) Private
Cracksman (GB) £17,000
Triple Time (GB) £10,000
Harry Angel (Ire) £10,000
Iffraaj (GB) £10,000
Masar (Ire) £10,000
Perfect Power (Ire) £10,000
Territories (Ire) £10,000

KILDANGAN STUD, Ireland

Night Of Thunder (Ire) €100,000
Blue Point (Ire) €60,000
Teofilo (Ire) €30,000
Ghaiyyath (Ire) €25,000
Native Trail (GB) €17,500
Space Blues (Ire) €16,000
Earthlight (Ire) €15,000
Naval Crown (Ire) €10,000
Raven's Pass €7,500

HARAS DU LOGIS, France

Victor Ludorum (Ire) €15,000
Cloth Of Stars (Ire) €5,000

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“We always thought that the St. Moritz white turf races were so cool, so appealing,” Restrepo said.

In a few months, the three will be in St. Moritz, but not as fans but as owners. At this week's Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale 2023 they bought a horse named Cumulonimbus (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) with the specific goal of sending him to Switzerland to compete in the biggest race of the meet, the Feb. 18 Grosser Preis von St Moritz. The horse cost 150,000 guineas.

The race will be contested at a mile-and-a-quarter and the purse is 100,000 Swiss Francs, which equals about $110,000 U.S.

“Last year, we decided to forget about going in there as fans,” said Restrepo, part owner of 2023 GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic). “We decided why don't we try to win this thing. We spent the year putting our heads together and tried to figure out the best way to approach it.”

Part of that approach is to involve a large contingent of friends and colleagues. The three decided to sell 50 shares in the horses and Restrepo said that about 40 have already been sold.

“We wanted to put forth a strong investment to acquire a prospect who we could have some fun with running in Switzerland and, also, going forward, run in a couple of other international races and just have fun,” Restrepo said. “We want to put 40-50 horsemen together and put aside the competition and the egos. We want this to be more a brotherhood and sisterhood of horsemen, whether its consignors, owners, breeders, someone who works for a sales company. We just want to make this a fun thing. We spend all year fighting each other in sales ring and on racetrack. Here is a chance for all of us to come together under one banner as equal shareholders and have a great time competing in a unique international race.”

But how do you find the right horse for a race that is not run on dirt, grass or a synthetic surface, but on snow? What is there to go on?

The group put European bloodstock expert Martin Buick, the brother of jockey William Buick, in charge.

“Martin Buick helped us out through the process,” Restrepo said. “We were going through potential horses in this horses of racing age sale and looked at previous horses that won this race and their ratings. We did our homework and Martin was our eyes and ears on ground.”

Restrepo said winners of the Grosser Preis von St Moritz tend to be close to the pace early because those in the back can be hindered by what can be a heavy kickback of snow. Considering the conditions, you also need a horse with proven stamina. Restrepo believes that Cumulonimbus is a perfect fit for the race.

“This one fell in our lap,” Restrepo said. “He has the style for it. He's won handicaps with Frankie Dettori and Hollie Doyle up, so you know he has some class. He just kind of fit the bill.”

Cumulonimbus has been turned over to U.K. based trainer George Baker, no stranger to the White Turf races. He won the 2020 Grosser Preis von St. Moritz with Wargrave (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

“This is something fresh, something new that we wanted to try,” Restrepo said. “What could be better than to spend a weekend of racing with a good group of people? This race is a bucket list item for a lot of people. It's easy to see why and we'd love to win it.”

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Best of all was the victory in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe for the unbeaten Ace Impact (Ire), a member of the first crop of Cracksman (GB). That stellar performance was backed up by a first-crop Group 1 winner for Blue Point (Ire), who is leading the first-season sires' table and supplied the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner, Rosallion (Ire), a homebred for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid. Furthermore, the hugely likeable Highfield Princess (Fr) gained yet another Group 1 success in the Prix de l'Abbaye, and the daughter of Night Of Thunder (Ire) could head next to the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita.

“To have three Group 1 winners by the stallions without Dubawi being one of them was new territory for us,” admits Sam Bullard, Darley's director of stallions.

“Ace Impact has been a high-profile 3-year-old through the whole summer. Obviously we were rooting for him and, by God, he was good. I watched it with [Cracksman's breeders] the Oppenheimers and they were so thrilled. It was lovely to see.

“Cracksman was obviously very good, and is the highest-rated son of Frankel, and he has had four 2-year-old winners since Sept. 16, so that is important too. One swallow doesn't make a summer, but there is plenty to back it up. Definitely his best book of mares was in 2023, too.”

With Blue Point out in front on 39 individual winners, he looks unlikely to be caught in the freshman championship, but Darley's Too Darn Hot (GB) has also made an eye-catching start with his first runners, and now has four group winners to his name.

“Too Darn Hot's runners were never going to be precocious but sure enough, once he got to August and September, away he went,” Bullard adds.

“It's been a long time coming but we are so lucky to see this success for sons of Dubawi and Shamardal. Earthlight's yearlings sold well last week in Goffs and we have Pinatubo's first yearlings here as well, and Ghaiyyath.

“It's been great to see both Dubawi and Shamardal do well for other studs too, with Lope De Vega, and Zarak for the Aga Khan. There are plenty of them and I think that's what really excites our principal, the idea that he's got horses who really are breed-shaping, who are making a difference to the long term of the breed. That really gives him a buzz.”

On the back of Blue Point's success this year, Darley will soon launch a “ground-breaking” feature on its website which will facilitate the sale of select breeding rights in its stallions. The project will launch on the weekend of the Darley Dewhurst S., with a breeding right in Blue Point the first to come onto the market.

“We have an auction site on the MyDarley website for any breeders who want to register,” Bullard explains.

“There are no breeding rights in Blue Point at the moment. There will never be more than 30, but we're going to sell one, and if there's a demand, we'll sell more.”

Darley will release further details on this unique feature in the coming weeks.

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DEAUVILLE, France–As the co-breeder of the outstanding matriarch Urban Sea, Maurice Lagasse will forever be famed in the racing world but it is another family that has put his Gestut Zur Kuste in the spotlight of late, and on Saturday night his Dubawi (Ire) half-sister to two Group 1 winners topped the August Sale at €2.4 million.

Oliver St Lawrence is no stranger to plucking expensive yearlings from Arqana's flagship sale and it was his name on the docket for lot 214 after he outbid Anthony Stroud on behalf of Bahraini interests for the sibling of last weekend's G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. winner Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and his full-brother, the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye winner Wooded (Ire). The transaction put the seal on a memorable day for Nicolas de Chambure of Haras d'Etreham, who clinched the G2 Prix du Calvados with co-owner Craig Bernick and their filly Les Pavots (Ire) before racing back to the sales grounds to oversee a momentous evening for his Etreham draft, which consigned the filly on behalf of longstanding client Lagasse.

The filly's dam Frida La Blonde (Fr) is a daughter of the late Etreham stallion Elusive City and was co-bred by Lagasse before racing in his colours.

Reflecting on the family, and the filly's second dam Firm Friend (Affirmed), Lagasse said, “I loved her immensely. She was ordinary looking, but she broke her maiden at two at Evry, and she beat a very good filly in Sky Paradise, and then she won a Listed, she beat a Breeders' Cup winner in Lit De Justice, and a multiple graded stakes winner in Borodislew.  

He added of Frida La Blonde, “The dam is empty this year, but she should be going back to Wootton Bassett because Dubawi is too expensive.” 

The Dubawi half-sister to recent Group 1 winner Bucanero Fuerte and Wooded is knocked down to @OStLawrence for €2.4m @InfoArqana. Big result for @Haras_d_Etreham. pic.twitter.com/x1PptIxUpv

— Brian Sheerin (@BrianSheerin91) August 19, 2023

After being slapped on the back by almost everyone who passed him on his way out of the ring, a beaming de Chambure added, “There was more excitement than pressure, and I'm glad she's going to a great home. Maurice was a friend of my grandfather and has been with us for many, many years, so it was a great thrill to have this filly for him.”

Etreham was also the vendor of Bucanero Fuerte at last year's sale, for €165,000 to Robson Aguiar, as well as €90,000 October graduate Wooded. 

St Lawrence, whose clients have purchased the filly as a future foundation mare, said, “She is a nice filly. She has her few little faults but so did her brother here last year. Hopefully he can go on and win a few more Group 1s; he won very easily the other day at the Curragh.”

He added, “We knew that she had to be making somewhere around two million-plus. I don't know how much more was in the tank. She's worth virtually that if she wins an ordinary race.”

The Sons Also Rise

It wasn't just the progeny of Dubawi that was in high demand as his stallion sons Night Of Thunder (Ire) and Ghaiyyath (Ire) played star roles with yearlings selling for €660,000 and €600,000 respectively. 

The Night Of Thunder colt (196) was consigned by Ecurie des Monceaux on behalf of breeder Guy Heald and benefited from a major recent update when his three-parts-brother Arabian Crown (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), who made €600,000 at this sale 12 months ago, won the Stonehenge S. for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby on Wednesday. 

The future looks bright for Classic candidate Arabian Crown, as indeed it does for the stallion sons of Dubawi, with Blandford Bloodstock's Richard Brown lauding Night Of Thunder after signing for the colt on behalf of his existing and successful client.

He said, “I thought this was an absolute smasher. Night Of Thunder, for me, is a stallion who is going to explode in the next few years. The mare has done it all–she had a very impressive two-year-old winner by Dubawi the other day.”

Blandford Bloodstock has signed for four yearlings for a total spend of €2,180,000 over the past two days and Brown added, “This colt has come from an exceptional farm. I haven't bought many horses from Henri [Bozo] over the years because I haven't been able to but the record of Monceaux speaks for itself. He's for the same existing client and he will go back to England and then we will make plans.”

It was Anthony Stroud, buying on behalf of Godolphin, who snapped up the Ghaiyyath colt from Haras des Capucines for €600,000. Out of Dubai Opera (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), an own-sister to Group 3 winner Lockwood (Ire), lot 195 was the third yearling Godolphin bought from as many offerings by the stallion on the day, having snapped up lot 176 and 160 earlier in the session. That worked out at a total spend of €1,365,000 on yearlings by Ghaiyyath by the powerful operation. 

€600,000 from @godolphin secures lot 1️⃣9️⃣5️⃣, a colt by first crop sire #Ghaiyyath @DarleyEurope out of DUBAI OPERA from the family of Group performer LOCKWOOD. He was offered by @HarasCapucines at the #AugustSale. pic.twitter.com/AR2VUNo00H

— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) August 19, 2023

Day Two Talking Points

• The figures were similarly strong to those posted on Friday. Comparing Saturday's trade to the corresponding day 12 months ago, the aggregate, average, median and clearance rate all climbed. Of the 82 lots offered on Saturday, 70 were sold, resulting in an 85% clearance rate compared to 81% in 2022. The average also rose 2.6% to €239,914 and the aggregate was up 10.49% to €16,794,000.
• Al Shaqab has certainly made its presence felt over the past few days. Sheikh Joaan Al Thani has been spotted on the sales ground and he clearly means business given the operation has already added eight yearlings for a total spend of €2,885,000.
• Godolphin's support of Ghaiyyath (Ire) was noticeable with the operation signing for all three yearlings by the Darley freshman stallion for €1,365,000.
• It was perhaps unsurprising for a sale held in Blue Rose Cen's home country, but the progeny of Churchill (Ire) held up well. He's hot at the moment, which was evident in the fact that three of his yearlings sold for an average of €226,667.
• Helped by the rip-roaring €525,000 sale of the Sottsass (Fr) colt by Coulonces to Mitsu Nakauchida, the progeny of the Arc winner continued to make a big impression among buyers. He's had eight yearlings sell for an average of €227,125, which sees him performing favourably against a lot of proven sires.
• It shouldn't go unnoticed the excellent start that Pinatubo (Ire) has made, either. He's holding up at a rock-solid €207,857 for seven yearlings sold over the past two days.
• Romanised had just one horse in the sale but it was a notable one with a filly by the Irish 2,000 Guineas and Jacques le Marois winner, who stands at Haras de Bouquetot for €7,000, making €170,000 to Haras de Meautry. In an era where high-class sprinters are rushed off to stud much quicker than even classy milers like Romanised, it would be nice to see the former Ken Condon-trained star do well at stud. 

Family Ties Run Deep for Coulonces and Sottsass

As the last yearlings by the late Le Havre (Ire) go through the ring in Arqana, there was a special moment for his breeders the Sundstrom family, who, in partnership with long-term friend Charlotte Hutchinson, bred the most expensive member of the first crop of Sottsass (Fr). The colt (lot 183) out of Dalakania (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) will race in Japan after being bought by trainer Mitsu Nakauchida for €525,000.

Like Le Havre, Sottsass won the Prix du Jockey Club, and he also has close ties to Anna Sundstrom's Coulonces operation, in which she is assisted by her daughters Moa and Lillie.

“I thought Sottsass was one of the most tremendous racehorses, but also, when Moa was little, the first mare that she presented [at the sales] was Premiere Creation, who is the dam of the dam of Sottsass. So the dam of Sottsass was born at our place,” said Sundstrom. 

“It's been an amazing family and when we do our matings with Charlotte we take into account a lot of things that we think will be good for us. It's not always about the market, and this was very close to the heart.”

She continued, “Sottsass is a beautiful horse and we really wanted to use him. When [this colt] was born we then decided that we had to cover another mare with him and we have a stunning foal out of a Wildenstein mare that will come here next year, and we have mares in foal to Sottsass. There's a lot of emotion behind these coverings, there's always a story behind it.”

Emotional moments for breeders Charlotte Hutchinson (leading up) and Anna, Moa and Lillie Sundstrom after their Sottsass colt sold for €525,000 to Mitsu Nakauchida. pic.twitter.com/2JDOAN9pGM

— Emma Berry (@CollingsBerry) August 19, 2023

Wiping away tears, she added, “It's life-changing. [This colt is] so much like Le Havre. He has the same intelligence. I can't wait to see him run.”

Charlotte Hutchinson was for a long time a familiar face on the French scene and an integral part of Coulonces Sales. In recent years she has returned home to England but still keeps six mares in partnership with Sundstrom, including Dalakania, whom they bought from the Wertheimer family in 2014 for €16,000.

 “We have a long history and the whole team at Coulonces has done a great job prepping him. They are excellent at what they do,” Hutchinson said after making a star guest appearance on the shank to take the Sottsass colt through the ring, her smile growing wider as he neared his final sale price.

“Anna has made it possible for all of us. I'm working back at home with my family on the farm but it's nice to come back and be part of the team again.”

Superpowers Do Battle for Bourgeauville's Colt

Juddmonte and Godolphin locked horns for a colt by Camelot (GB) from the select draft of his breeder Haras de Bourgeauville, with Juddmonte's Simon Mockridge having the final say at €520,000 for lot 154.

The colt is the second foal of the treble winner Bella Bollide (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), herself a half-sister to Es Que (GB) (Inchinor {GB}), the dam of three group winners. The third dam Bellarida (Fr) (Bellypha {GB}) has also produced the Group 3 winner In Clover (GB) (Inchinor {GB}), who in turn is the dam of three Group 1 winners for George Strawbridge, including We Are (Ire) (Dansili {GB}).

“He's been very popular the whole five days he's been here,” said Philip Lybeck, who runs Haras de Bourgeauville with his parents Amelie and Robert Ehrnrooth. The family moved to France from their native Finland, and the farm close to Deauville has been in their ownership from 1992. 

Lybeck continued, “He's a homebred and his dam is a homebred, so it's now the second generation. We've had a lot of the family and we still have. It was two superpowers involved in the bidding and we are delighted that we could breed a horse good enough to attract them.”

He added, “We're the only Finnish Thoroughbred breeders in the world as far as we know.”

On behalf of @JuddmonteFarms, @SackvilleDonald goes to €520,000 to secure lot 1️⃣5️⃣4️⃣ a colt by Camelot?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Camelot @coolmorestud out of the maternal family of WITH YOU and WE ARE. He was offered by Haras de Bourgeauville at the #AugustSale. pic.twitter.com/5oOvJKbBQ9

— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) August 19, 2023

The Next Blue Rose Cen? 

Superstar French filly Blue Rose Cen (Ire) has done her bit to raise the profile of Churchill (Ire) by storming to three Group 1 successes and American bloodstock agent Ben Gowans is hoping that he found the latest top-class filly by the sire on Saturday.

Gowans went to €340,000 to secure Camas Park Stud's Churchill filly [lot 151], who is a half-sister to six individual winners, including the Grade I winner Bayrir (Fr) (Medicean {GB}).

Gowans purchased the Churchill filly on behalf of Mark Grier, who was a late non-runner on the trip to Deauvlle for the sale due to illness, but the owner won't have to wait long to see his latest acquisition given she will race in America. 

Gowans said, “I work for Gainesway and they are very nice to allow me to do some business on the side. We are here for the first time on behalf of Mark Grier, who lives in New Jersey in the United States, and they have long been planning on coming over here to experience the sale. Unfortunately, Mark was diagnosed with Lyme Disease a few weeks ago so he couldn't make the sale, but his wife Jackie and son Jack are here and are having a great time. We're pretty happy with the filly we have bought them.”

He added, “Obviously Blue Rose Cen is a very good filly and Churchill seems to do well with fillies in particular. His stock is rising at the moment. This is a strong and athletic filly. She is well built and moves well. She's got the pedigree and she's got the looks. She will go back to America and she'll go to Arnaud Delacour in Fair Hill.”

Buy of the Day

By Brian Sheerin

Lot 168, B, C, Persian King (Ire)-Cap Verite (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire})
Vendor: La Motteraye Consignment
Buyer: Joseph O'Brien
Price: €70,000

Joseph O'Brien may have got himself a bit of value in lot 168, a nice colt by Persian King (Ire), who fetched €70,000. 

There is a lot to like about this colt on pedigree and looks. Offered by the La Motteraye Consignment, he is out of the listed winner Cap Verite (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and hails from a deep black-type family that includes the brilliant Tally-Ho Stud-based sire Mehmas (Ire).

A big-walking son of the French 2,000 Guineas winner, lot 168 boasts a big hip, plenty of power, and looks sure to run at two, but is likely to progress beyond his juvenile season. 

He has gone to one of the best hotels there is and is probably one to make a note of with regards to an Irish maiden this time next year or even beforehand. 

Of the nine Persian Kings to sell here at Arqana over the past two days, they have averaged €74,556, with Freddy Head going to €160,000 for a filly by him and Peter and Ross Doyle paying €135,000 for a colt by the freshman sire. 

Time might prove that the €70,000 outlay of O'Brien, operating at such a competitive sale, as being a decent bit of business for the horses purchased under the €100,000 bracket this week. 

Of those that made a lot more, the Sottsass (Fr) colt sold by Coulonces to Mitsu Nakauchida for €525,000 really was a belter. It will be fascinating to follow his career in Japan and he could be a high-class colt. 

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The infraction occurred in Saratoga's sixth race July 20, a 5 1/2-furlong MSW turf sprint for 2-year-old fillies. He was aboard Parade Ring (Ire), (Night of Thunder {Ire}), a 44-1 first-time-starter who finished third.

The Equibase chart explained that Parade Ring was “a bit fractious in the gate prior to the start, was backed out and reloaded, chased along the inside just off the pace, came under coaxing near the quarter pole, angled three to four wide into upper stretch, dug in under a drive, then came under a very active right handed rein and came inwards bumping Neom Beach (Omaha Beach) solidly off stride just outside the sixteenth marker, came in again, the rider continuing to go to the right handed rein encouragement nearly using it as a crop and brushed with that same foe seventy yards from home before prevailing in the battle for the show honors.”

Neom Beach finished fifth. There was an inquiry but no disqualification.

Carmouche is 5-for-37 at the Saratoga meet. He's the third jockey there this season penalized three days for careless riding, joining Flavien Prat (who will serve his days Wednesday through Friday this week) and Tyler Gaffalione (who has been granted a stay pending the outcome of an appeal).

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So impressed is Hannon by Godolphin's freshman sire, whose first runner–Action Point (Ire)–was a winner, he has predicted that he will struggle to get near the progeny of Blue Point at the sales in the coming years. 

Alongside the leading bloodstock agents Peter and Ross Doyle, Hannon has amassed a team of over 100 two-year-olds to go to war with this season, of which he has revealed to TDN Europe the ones who have been showing up best at home. 

He said, “I have five or six Blue Points that all go very well and a Dandy Man (Ire) colt who I really like that will be out soon. There's also a lovely Soldier's Call (GB) colt, owned by Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah, who cost £60,000 at Donny [the Premier Yearling Sale]. 

“I have a £200,000 Dark Angel (Ire) colt belonging to Al Shaqab who was also picked up at Donny, a New Bay (GB) filly belonging to Amo Racing who is pretty sweet and a lovely Kodiac (GB) colt called Odin Legacy (Ire) who cost  €575,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale. He's a smashing horse.”

Hannon added, “I have a nice Havana Gold (GB) colt called Notta Nother. Havana Gold is an excellent stallion, as good as any of them, and he is a real trainers' stallion. He's going to be a big loss. Of the younger stallions coming through, I really like the Soldier's Call colt that I have and I liked Soldier's Call as a racehorse as well. 

“I love the Blue Points. They are all pretty similar-looking and you can see the Shamardal coming out in them but they all go nicely. I don't think I will be able to afford many of these Blue Points next year–he could have a big year which will make them very expensive next year.”

Mehmas (Ire) and Night Of Thunder (Ire), who Hannon trained to record major honours with, have sky-rocketed in value since they retired to stud, with the handler revealing that even he now struggles to get near their offspring at the sales. 

But negotiating the sales has been made a great deal easier for the Hannon team through their long-standing relationship with Peter and Ross Doyle, according to the trainer, whose approach to the yearling sales is unrivalled given most of the stock is bought on spec. 

Richard Hannon and Ross Doyle | Tattersalls

Hannon said, “Peter and Ross Doyle are top-class. Ross and I are great mates and have worked together for 25 years now–like our fathers did before us. It's been a great relationship and a very natural one. Ross fits exactly what we want and is a great asset to our business as I hope we are to his. We've been together a long time and not many of those trainer-agent relationships last as long.”

He added, “There's a lot of competition out there now. We can't afford to buy the pedigrees so we have to look for the individuals. The old 20 grand is now 60 grand. We need those horses in the cheaper bracket as that's what owners want with two-year-olds. It's also very exciting owning two-year-olds and they will always sell. We sold all of our yearlings last year. I thought it would be a lot harder to get it done but thankfully we did.”

Hannon is well-represented in terms of numbers in all of the early-entry sales races. The team have targeted and been successful in those races in recent years, with Gubbass (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and Shouldvebeenaring (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) being prime examples, and he described the plotting and dreaming that is involved in relatively cheap yearling purchases at this point of the season as one of the most exciting aspects to racehorse ownership. 

“This is the best time of year. Owners want to come and see their horses and everyone is full of hope ahead of another new season. The horses can change very quickly at this time of year and can transform into racehorses from little babies overnight. A bit of sun on their back and when they hit a bit of grass, you can see a massive change in their attitude, their appearance and their work.”

On other two-year-olds who are showing up well, he added, “I've got a nice Profitable (Ire) colt for Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah who cost £68,000 at the Premier Yearling Sale, a lovely Kodiac filly for Middleham Park Racing, a very nice Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) called Local Hero who only cost 37,000gns at the Tattersalls Somerville Sale. He belongs to Michael Pescod and is a fantastically-nice mover.

“We've a couple of nice two-year-olds by Advertise (GB). There's a filly there out of Raggety Ann (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) by him and she's a real nice type but might just need some time. 

“Mehmas is another fantastic stallion. We have five or six of them this year and we always try and buy a few. Night Of Thunder is another but they have become very hard to buy now as well.”

While Hannon has over 100 two-year-olds to work with, he revealed that he will be on the lookout for talent at the breeze-up sales, including at the Craven Sale next week, which is where Mehmas (Ire) was sourced for just 170,000gns by the Doyles back in 2016.

“If we see something that we think is good value, Ross will buy it, but I really don't have much interest in the ones who do the fastest times at the breeze-ups,” Hannon explained. “I really don't believe in that. The fastest horses are never the best horses–it's all about how long they can do it for. 

“Doing it over two furlongs is a false economy. All you want to see is a nice-moving horse who looks like it's not a squeezed lemon. It needs to have a bit of scope and a good attitude as well. But when it comes to the breeze-ups, we buy off the same sort of people every year. They are people we know and we know the horses that they produce have not been gunned at home.”

It's not all about the two-year-olds for team Hannon this season as Trillium(GB) (No Nay Never), who beat The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) in the G2 Flying Childers at Doncaster last season, headlines a strong team of three-year-olds for the year ahead. 

Hannon said, “I have a very nice unraced three-year-old filly called Maman Joon (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). She could be a lovely mile-and-a-half filly. There's another lovely three-year-old filly called Mammas Girl (IGB) (Havana Grey {GB}) for Amo. 

“I've got Trillium as well and she's in great nick. She wants to go a little too fast sometimes but we'll probably start her off in the Sandy Lane or the Merriebelle. That's a Commonwealth Cup trial at Ascot so we'll take things from there with her.”

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“I'm very happy with her,” Quinn said. “She's been back in for a while, she's in good nick and we'll start her off at York in the Duke of York. She came back in towards the end of January, so she's been in a while and York will soon come round. We'll see how we go, but after York you'd be looking at Royal Ascot and on from there.

“With a bit of luck we'll roll the dice with her as it's her last year.”

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Of the 2017 lots offered, 128 were sold, which represented a clearance rate of 59% and an aggregate spend of €2,056,250. The average for day one of first sale for 2023 at Goffs was €16,064 with Cox explaining that the nice horses had no trouble in finding new homes.

He said, “A few people said to me that the horses we had here stood out. The Sottsass was a good, straightforward colt who had good X-rays and a good scope. He was a homebred of China Horse Club and sold very well to Tally-Ho Stud. He'd plenty of fans–he had six or seven vets and there was plenty of action on him.”

Baroda offered 11 horses on Wednesday, of which nine were sold to the tune of €321,000 at an average of €35,667. They included another China Horse Club homebred by New Bay (GB) (lot 186), knocked down to Camas Park for €85,000, and a Magna Grecia (Ire) filly (lot 200) snapped up by MAB Agency for €58,000.

Cox added, “The New Bay was another homebred by China Horse Club and the sire is flying so he definitely attracted plenty of attention before selling to Camas Park. The Magna Grecia filly was lovely. She's a homebred by the Niarchos family and the half-sister [Burning Topic (Ger) (Ulysses {Ire})] is doing well in France.”

He added, “This is a sale where, if you put a good foal in here, it will stand out and sell well. We're happy with how the day went.”

Rogues Snap Up Night Of Thunder Colt

One of the major subplots to the 2022 sale season was the strength of Night Of Thunder (Ire)'s progeny at public auction and the Rogue's Gallery Syndicate, best known for owning listed winner Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), gave €110,000 for a colt by the Darley sire.

The Night Of Thunder colt was consigned by Ringfort Stud and signed for by the syndicate's Tony Elliott, who was standing alongside bloodstock agent Billy Jackson-Stops. Elliott revealed that lot 109 would be offered for resale later in the year.

He said, “This horse has been bought to pinhook. We had three for pinhooking last year and we've three this year as well. We've got some nice horses.”

Elliott added, “We thought he was the standout and it was exactly what we wanted to give for him. That would have been our last bid I reckon.

“We're really pleased to get him because he's a lovely-looking horse and, being by Night Of Thunder, he could be anything. Sometimes we buy them back into the syndicate, which we did last year with a Zoustar (Aus).

“If we really like this lad and he's going the right way we could look at buying him back into the syndicate. There's two syndicates–a pinhooking syndicate and a racing one. We've got some nice horses for the coming years.”

Shared Wish For Shamrock Thoroughbreds And Team Valor

The Joseph O'Brien-trained Dundalk winner Tosen Wish (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) (lot 35) provided some early interest when selling for €100,000 to Shamrock Thoroughbreds and Team Valor.

Tosen Wish overcame a 469-day absence to win a seven-furlong handicap off 82 at Dundalk last week, justifying 9-4 favouritism in the process.

The 4-year-old, who is now two from three, boasts a rating of 89 and will be aimed at a turf campaign by Ado McGuinness, according to the trainer's assistant Stephen Thorne.

He said, “Tosen Wish won well on the polytrack at Dundalk last week. He'd been off for a good while but we made plenty of enquiries about him and put the picture together and I think he's a nice lightly-raced horse moving forward. We've partnered up with Team Valor on this one so it is an exciting new partnership and hopefully he will be lucky for us.”

Asked how the new partnership with Barry Irwin's Team Valor came about, Thorne added, “We made contact with him and we've had a few conversations with him. He's obviously seen the success Ado has had on the track. He's a dual Group 1-winning trainer now and we're delighted to have Team Valor on board. We were waiting to find the right type of horse to pitch to Barry and he obviously liked him. He was a standout at this sale by a mile. I thought we'd get him a little cheaper but there was strong competition in the ring. We've no major plans but I think he'll be a nice horse for the turf.”

Tosen Wish was consigned by Castlebridge, who also offered the placed Arabian Legend (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) (lot 37), sold for €48,000 to Italian owner Mr. Ciampoli to be trained by Grizzetti Galoppo.

Another horse with form, the Cormac Farrell-trained and consigned Seven Hills (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) (lot 40C), who placed a couple of times at Dundalk, sold for €40,000 to the New Racing Factory.

Walk In The Park Colt Comes Up Trumps

The Flat-bred weanlings may have dominated but once again the progeny of Walk In The Park (Ire) proved to be in high demand with Coolmore's Gerry Aherne going to €56,000 to secure a well-bred colt (lot 209) by the sire from Thistledown Stud.

The colt is out of a sister to Felix Desjy (Fr) (Maresca Sorrento {Fr}), a classy performer for Gigginstown House Stud and Gordon Elliott at one point, and was the highest-priced National Hunt-bred lot through the ring on Wednesday.

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