Givemethebeatboys the Star of Goffs London Sale at £1.1m

By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin

“Everyone who is anyone” assembled at Kensington Palace ahead of one of the great weeks in world racing, and Goffs will be hoping that the star of its London Sale on Monday night will go on to be one of the stars of Tuesday afternoon at Royal Ascot. The G3 Marble Hill S. winner Givemethebeatboys (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) led allcomers when sold for £1,100,000 to Con and Neil Sands of Bronsan Racing. He will remain in training with Jessica Harrington and heads almost immediately to the G2 Coventry S.

Generally 10/3 third-favourite for the Coventry, Givemethebeatboys is set to be ridden by Frankie Dettori but he will not now carry the colours of Theresa Marnane, whose husband Con and daughter Amy bought the dual winner for just €11,000 at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale last November.

Amy Marnane said, “It's completely surreal, really, to buy Givemethebeatboys for €11,000 and then for him to not get into a breeze-up sale, and then to go on to win his maiden so impressively at Navan, and then to win the Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh. It was won by Blackbeard last year, and has been won by Caravaggio, it's a fantastic race to win.”

She continued, “Goffs put on such a show. Everybody who is anybody is here and we just hope that the horse goes on to win the Coventry tomorrow. Mrs Harrington and Kate Harrington have been a huge part of this horse's career and they are so excited to see him run tomorrow, which gives us huge confidence in him.”

Kate Harrington confirmed that the colt will return to her family's stable. She said, “We're delighted for Bronsan Racing to have bought such an exciting horse in Givemethebeatboys and let's hope he can go and do them justice in the Coventry. He will stay in training with us after Ascot which is very exciting.”

The Marnanes will not be without a runner at Royal Ascot, however, as they retained the recent Tipperary winner Supersonic Man (GB), another son of Bungle Inthejungle who is declared for Wednesday's Windsor Castle S., at £270,000.

“He'll go close,” said a delighted Con Marnane, while his daughter added, “We didn't sell Supersonic Man but we are very excited to see what he can do on Wednesday. He's not just a small, sharp two-year-old, he's a big, robust horse who will go on and hopefully we'll have a lot of fun with him throughout the summer.”

It was nine years ago that the racing crowd first descended on London on the eve of Royal Ascot for the sale of a select group of Thoroughbreds, plenty of whom had some smart entries for the week ahead. It is a unique concept in Europe, and as much a lavish cocktail party as it is a horse sale. But since that inaugural event of 2014, the boutique auction, which has been tweaked and trimmed in the process, has sold 148 lots for just shy of £37 million. That tally was boosted by the £3,770,000 bid on Monday, when, from 21 lots offered, including breeding rights to Havana Grey (GB) and Soldier's Call (GB), 11 were sold at an average of £342,727 and median of £250,000.

Other highlights of the sale include:

  • No Nay Mets (Ire) won a Royal Ascot qualifying race on his sole start at Gulfstream Park for trainer George Weaver and Bergman Family Racing.  Not only has he had his airfare paid by Ascot Racecourse, but he has now netted his owners £800,000 before even setting foot on a racecourse again. The No Nay Never colt, who was bred by Coolmore and sold as a yearling by Baroda Stud at Arqana for €180,000, was bought by Liam Culman's Tuckernuck Stables.
  • Gai Waterhouse has supported the Goffs London Sale since its inaugural year and she and co-trainer Adrian Bott purchased two lots on Monday assisted by bloodstock agent Johnny McKeever. The first, bought in partnership with Craig Thompson's Mount Hallowell Stud, was Cuban Dawn (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), bought for £300,000 from his breeder Jim Bolger and co-owner Teme Valley Racing. The three-year-old colt has finished second in two of his three starts during May, having made his debut in the Listed Tetrarch S., in which he was fourth behind subsequent Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}). Teme Valley was also the co-owner, with Ballylinch Stud, of Waterhouse's other purchase, New Endeavour (Ire). The New Bay (GB) gelding was sold for £260,000 and is entered for both the Britannia and the Buckingham Palace S. on Thursday for Roger Varian.
  • Ocean Vision (Ire) (U S Navy Flag) was knocked down to Marquee Bloodstock, with bloodstock agent Martin Buick acting on behalf of Ramiro Restrepo, best known for purchasing Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic). It is understood that the three-year-old will remain with his trainer Tim Donworth in France for the immediate future but the plan is for the colt to continue his career in America. Ocean Vision, who was sold for £250,000, was one of three French-trained horses to be offered at the sale. He won the Listed Prix de Pontarme in May among his four victories from 10 starts for Jonathon Kirkland and Geraldine Ryan.
  • Joseph O'Brien's useful dual-purpose campaigner Nusret (GB) was knocked down at £300,000 to Jayne McGivern of Dash Grange Stud, who also owns his sire Golden Horn (GB). The four-year-old, a multiple winner on the Flat and over hurdles for Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, holds an entry for Friday's Duke of Edinburgh S.
  • Breeding rights to last year's champion first-season sire Havana Grey and one of this season's leading lights of the freshman division, Soldier's Call, were offered at the start of the sale. They were bought respectively for £205,000 by China Horse Club and £80,000 by Oliver St Lawrence.

Speaking at the conclusion of the London Sale, Goffs Group chief executive Henry Beeby said, “We are delighted with today's London Sale, which saw strong demand from an international audience capped by a dream result for the connections of Givemethebeatboys. We are delighted for the Marnane family and wish new owners Bronsan Racing the very best of luck in the Coventry Stakes tomorrow. The chance to offer the dream of a Royal Ascot runner is very special, and everyone at Goffs will be shouting as loud as anybody for Givemethebeatboys, or indeed any of the other Ascot runners from today's sale, over the next few days.”

He added, “For Goffs to be here in the grounds of Kensington Palace welcoming so many friends and colleagues from international racing is something we are very proud of.  It's what we're all about – the business of buying and selling top-class horses but making it as enjoyable a process as possible. Of course we cannot deliver an event of this level without the incredible support of our partners and I wish to thank our title sponsor Privat 3 Money who have helped bring the sale to a new level, along with Ascot, Chateau Leoube, Ampito and IYC who have been tremendous supporters of the London Sale for many years now, while we were delighted to welcome two new partners this year in Aston Martin and Hofmeister.”



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‘We Have Come Here to Win’: Internationals Take on Ascot

NEWMARKET, UK– They've arrived. The young, the fast, the young and fast. From America, Australia, and Sweden, members of the international contingent for this year's Royal Ascot are now safely ensconced in temporary lodgings, their presence in the UK adding an extra sparkle to what is always one of the most special weeks of the sporting year. 

Cannonball (Aus) (Capitalist {Aus}) and Artorius (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) have separate sprint engagements, in the G1 King's Stand S. and G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S. respectively, and with no fear of rivalry next week, the two made happy companions as they strolled along Newmarket Heath on Thursday morning.

A day after Cannonball's strong work on the track at Ascot, his co-trainer Peter Snowden remains delighted with the colt's preparation for his first start outside Australia next Tuesday. It's hard to fault the three-year-old. With a gleaming deep chestnut coat and relaxed demeanour, he looks to have taken the travel and change of scenery in his stride, and he will have Brett Prebble, who won the G3 Maurice McCarten S. on Cannonball in March, back in the saddle.

A year apart in age, Artorius and Cannonball previously shared the same training duo Anthony and Sam Freedman, with the latter having been moved to the Snowdens after his last start of 2022. For the next couple of weeks they are stabled alongside each other in a wing of Charlie Fellowes' Bedford House Stables. 

Sam Freedman has returned to Newmarket with Artorius, who spent a fair portion of last year in Europe, finishing third in both the G1 Platinum Jubilee S. and G1 July Cup before going on to Deauville to run sixth  behind Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest.

There's talk of “unfinished business” from Freedman, who says that the four-year-old colt is thriving. He currently tops the market for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S. a week on Saturday. He's not the only Aussie challenger for that prize as The Astrologist (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}), who has been in town for a while at Marco Botti's yard, will make his third British start at Ascot, having most recently finished runner-up to Jumbly (GB) in the G3 John of Gaunt S. at Haydock last weekend.

Coolangatta (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) has kept her distance from Newmarket despite it being the former home town of her co-trainer David Eustace. His father James was spotted on board his hack as Cannonball and Artorius sauntered past on Thursday, perhaps keeping tabs on one of the filly's main opponents for the King's Stand on Tuesday.

Artorius and Cannonball on Newmarket Heath on Thursday | Emma Berry

 

Over on the other side of town in the Heath Stud yard at the National Stud are George Weaver's two juveniles No Nay Mets (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Crimson Advocate (Nyquist), each of whom won their respective Royal Ascot qualifying races over five furlongs at Gulfstream Park on May 13. Under the watchful eye and guiding hand of Blair Golen, riding the saintly Angus, borrowed for ponying duties from Jamie Lloyd, the filly then the colt had a gentle canter on the 'Between the Ditches' turf gallop and seemed unfazed by their new surroundings.

More on his toes on his first morning out on the Heath was the Kenny McPeek-trained Classic Causeway, ridden by the evergreen 72-year-old Danny Ramsey. Last year's G1 Belmont Derby winner looks set to take on Adayar (Ire), Luxembourg (Ire)  and co in what will be an intriguing edition of the G1 Prince of Wales's S., some 23 years after his late sire won the St James's Palace S., ushering in a run of five Group 1 victories through the summer of 2000.

Meanwhile, No Nay Mets is set to take part in what looks to be one of the hottest contests of the week, the G2 Norfolk S., a race his sire won a decade ago. Prior to that, he has an engagement in the Goffs London Sale on Monday.

“We have just been getting him accustomed to things,” said Golen. “Everything we run on in America is pretty much flat, so we have been taking him out on the seven-furlong stretch here to get him used to things.

“We have come here to win. In American racing, there is very rarely a big field, so that is a big challenge. Luckily, we have Frankie Dettori riding him and, if anybody knows how to ride the course, it is definitely him. So I think that is to our advantage. It means everything to have him riding and, if that makes Wesley Ward jealous, then even better.”

While McPeek arrives in the UK on Friday, Ward touched down on Wednesday afternoon, shortly before his horses arrived at Stansted airport and made the brief onward journey to Chelmsford City Racecourse, where they will stay until early next week. 

The quartet of runners, which was joined by a stable pony who is reportedly named Shanahan, contains one whose progress from his dazzling debut will be of huge interest next week and beyond. American Rascal (Curlin) is of course a son of the much vaunted Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy), a dual winner at Royal Ascot in the G2 Queen Mary S. and G1 King's Stand S. Her firstborn has big shoes to fill.

Keeping Norfolk S. entrant American Rascal company is the Chasemore farm-bred Fandom (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), who has returned to not far from where he was born to run, most probably, in the Windsor Castle S.

The maiden Bundchen (Gun Runner) is Queen Mary-bound with the help of Joel Rosario, while Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}), who was runner-up in that race two years ago, returns for the King's Stand. 

Ward has stolen a march on all visiting trainers for Royal Ascot by saddling 12 winners at the meeting since his first–and second 24 hours later– in 2009. No Nay Never was his next four years later. 

Recalling his meeting the late Queen in the royal box following that victory in 2013, Ward said, “What was great about it was she did most of the chatting. When you first get up there you are nervous and she just starts firing questions at you and it puts you so at ease. She was just picking my brain and asking all these questions about how I train, how I came here and asking about all the success I had.

“It was unbelievable how much knowledge she had, not just of racing but myself–I couldn't believe the Queen of England even knew who a trainer like myself from a different country like America was and what I had accomplished.

“You would think she would just be coming to the races and focused on English racing and everything else she had going on in her life. She was just a wonderful person.”

She was indeed. The final Group 1 race of the meeting will be named in perpetuity in memory of the monarch who, for almost 70 years, cleared her diary for the week of Royal Ascot. The pandemic interrupted Queen Elizabeth II's attendance in recent years, and her absence from the royal procession next week will be keenly felt. The show goes on, however, and from the opening race named to commemorate Queen Anne, who founded the racecourse that is now one of the most famous in the world, right through to the longest Flat race in the calendar, the Queen Alexandra S., action of the highest calibre will be played out in front of a global audience.

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