A juvenile filly by What a Winter (SAf) brought R800,000 (£37,797/€45,051/$50,687) to top the Bloodstock South Africa November 2-Year-Old Sale at the TBA complex in Germiston on Saturday. Purchased by Hollywood Syndicate, the full-sister to G2 Camellia S. and G3 Man O'War Sprint winner Celestial Love (SAf) (What a Winter SAf) was consigned by Hemel 'N Aarde Stud as lot 29.
The sale's priciest colt was lot 49, a son of Querari (Ger), who went to Greg Bortz for R750,000. A half-brother to the stakes-placed duo of Twinkle Toes (SAf) (Captain Al {SAf}) and Light On Her Toes (SAf) (Gimmethegreenlight {Aus}), the trio is out of Grade 1 winner On Her Toes (SAf) (Western Winter).
At the end of the day's trade, 135 lots were sold for a gross of R18,800,000 (£888,464/€1,058,616/$1,190,758). The average was R140,299 and the median was R100,000 (£4,725/€5,632/$6,336). For the complete results, please visit the Bloodstock South Africa website.
Japanese champion Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) signed off her career with her second consecutive G1 Mile Championship victory, her sixth top-level score, at Hanshin on Sunday. She is the first horse to win back-to-back Mile Championships since Daiwa Major (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) in 2006/07.
Tabbed the heavy favourite at 70 cents on the dollar, the 5-year-old mare was content to race near the rear of the field as Ho O Amazon (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) sped through fractions of :23.70 and :47.60. Jockey Christophe Lemaire had a ton of horse under him at all points in the race, and steered Gran Alegria out widest of all as the field entered the straight. Asked for her run, she responded under confident handling and steamed home to win easily by three-quarters of a length as much the best. Group 1 winner Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}) closed from midpack to report home second, a half-length to the good of Danon the Kid (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}).
“I am relieved and happy,” said Lemaire, who was winning his 40th Japan Racing Association Group 1 and 1,500th race in the JRA's jurisdiction. The most important mission for me in her last run of her career was to bring out the best performance, her true form and she did just that. We were positioned a little further back but it didn't worry me much and she has this really good finishing speed at the stretch like she showed today.
“She's been a special horse since a 2-year-old, winning all those big races and today she showed us again that she's of a different class. I will miss her.”
A group winner at two and third in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. against males in December of 2018, Gran Alegria made just three starts at three, taking the G1 Japanese 1000 Guineas in the spring and the G2 Hanshin Cup at the end of the year and was named Japanese Champion 3-Year-Old Filly. At four, Gran Alegria won three of her four appearances, starting with a second in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen in March. She ended her year with three straight Group 1 wins-the June 7 Yasuda Kinen, Oct. 4 Sprinters S. and Nov. 22 Mile Championship en route to year-end honours as the Japanese Champion Sprinter/Miler. In 2021, she returned with a fourth in the Apr. 4 G1 Osaka Hai, prior to a victory in the G1 Victoria Mile on May 16. Second defending her Yasuda Kinen title in June, she ran third in the 2000-metre G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) on Oct. 31.
Pedigree Notes
Gran Alegria is, in terms of Group 1 wins, the second most decorated progeny of the late Deep Impact (Jpn) after Gentildonna (Jpn), who has 53 Group 1 winners in total. The Northern Farm-bred is among his 179 worldwide black-type winners and 144 group winners. Tapit's broodmare sire career is going from strength to strength, and he also has the listed stakes winner and Group 3 placed Arusha (Jpn) by Deep Impact. Fifty-three progeny out of his daughters have won a black-type race, 24 of them are group winners and his very best so far has been the Mile Championship heroine from his seven Group 1 scorers.
The first reported foal out of the dual Grade I-winning turf star Tapitsfly, who also won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf back when it was a listed race, Gran Alegria has a winning 4-year-old full-brother named Blutgang (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Her dam sold for $1,850,000 to Katsumi Yoshida out of the Fasig-Tipton November Sale in 2012. Tapitsfly's full-sister Flying Tipat (Tapit) was stakes placed at Indiana Downs, while the fourth dam, the winning Pink Dove (Argument {Fr}) was a half-sister to the 1990 GI Arlington Million hero Golden Pheasant (Caro {Ire}), who also took the Japan Cup in 1991.
Other half-siblings to Pink Dove are Group/Grade 3 winners Seewillo (Pleasant Colony), and Trial By Error (Caro {Ire}). At stud, Pink Dove foaled two stakes winners-Moonshine Hall (Spinning World), third in the GIII Toronto Cup H. and Malli Star (Baldski), a dual stakes winner and runner-up in the GI Del Mar Invitational Oaks. The latter went on to produce Japanese stakes winner Bella Rheia (Jpn) (Narita Top Road {Jpn}), Classic-placed and third in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup.
Sunday, Hanshin, Japan MILE CHAMPIONSHIP-G1, ¥252,920,000, Hanshin, 11-20, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:32.60, fm.
1–GRAN ALEGRIA (JPN), 121, m, 5, by Deep Impact (Jpn) 1st Dam: Tapitsfly (MGISW-US, $1,495,503), by Tapit 2nd Dam: Flying Marlin, by Marlin 3rd Dam: Morning Dove, by Fortunate Prospect
O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Kazuo Fujisawa;
J-Christophe Lemaire. ¥133,444,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 3yo
Filly-Jpn, Ch. Sprinter-Jpn, Ch. Miler-Jpn, 15-9-2-2. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Schnell Meister (Ger), 123, c, 3, Kingman (GB)–Serienholde
(Ger), by Soldier Hollow (GB). O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern
Farm (Jpn); ¥52,984,000.
3–Danon the Kid (Jpn), 123, c, 3, Just a Way (Jpn)–Epic Love
(Ire), by Dansili (GB). (¥100,000,000 Wlg '18 JRHAJUL).
O-Danox Inc.; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥33,494,000.
Margins: 3/4, HF, NO. Odds: 0.70, 3.60, 15.10.
Also Ran: Indy Champ (Jpn), Ho O Amazon (Jpn), Salios (Jpn), Darlington Hall (GB), Soind Chiara (Jpn), Catedral (Jpn), Cadence Call (Jpn), Rainbow Flag (Jpn), Lotus Land, Grenadier Guards (Jpn), Kurino Gaudi (Jpn), Ripresa (Jpn), Sound Kanaloa (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
In a race where the final time was outside the standard of Class 3 handicap horses and well over a full second slower than what typical group-level milers put up, reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) employed a galactic late turn of speed to win for the 15th straight time and for the 18th time in 19 career starts, successfully defending his title in Sunday's G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile at Sha Tin Racecourse. The 6-year-old has not tasted defeat in almost 2 1/2 years and has now drawn to within two of the legendary Silent Witness (Aus)'s record 17-race winning streak. The next hurdle is the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile in three weeks' time.
Wrangled back to last after leaving the widest berth in the field of seven, Golden Sixty, first-up since winning the G1 FWD Champions Mile in late April, fell into a good rhythm as Blake Shinn sent Southern Legend (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) through to lead through an opening 400 metres in :26.19 (standard :24.80), as Waikuku (Ire) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) tracked from second. Positions were unchanged as Southern Legend took them into the final half-mile, having gone just :50.35 (standard :47.70) for the first 800, as Golden Sixty continued to race in a detached last.
The task at hand looked desperate midway on the turn, with the pace about to go in for the sprint home. But Vincent Ho, who always rides the gelding with supreme confidence, went for his mount in earnest at the top of the straight. He switched him to the grandstand side, was hand-ridden into the final furlong, went to Waikuku and fellow BMW Hong Kong Derby winner Sky Darci (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) at the 150 and edged clear to win cosily. Golden Sixty covered his final half-mile in a wicked :43.20, with a final 400 metres in an equally spectacular :21.59.
Golden Sixty now owns a record-equalling 18 Hong Kong wins, joining Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock {Aus}) and the aforementioned Silent Witness.
“He definitely wasn't at his best today and we're still building him up,” the winning rider said. “After this race he should be pretty close to his top form. We'll see how he pulls up and do some recovery work on him and get him ready for the Internationals.”
Golden Sixty had heretofore been allowed to do only the necessary in his morning trials, but had won no fewer than three of those heading into this comeback run.
“Golden Sixty's morning trackwork has been quite impressive, he's more mature than last season,” commented victorious trainer Francis Lui. “I discussed it with Vincent and he seemed happy with the training and how he was behaving at trackwork.”
Bred in Kentucky by Manganaro LLC, Gaudeamus was purchased by Newmarket International from the Lane's End consignment for $60,000 at the 2005 Keeneland September sale. Trained by Jim Bolger for his wife Jackie, Gaudeamus posted her most important victory in the 2006 G2 Debutante S. at Leopardstown. Bred to the late Pivotal (GB) to Southern Hemisphere time in 2007, Gaudeamus produced her first foal, a colt, for Bob and Rosemary Scarborough's Wood Nook Farm in the Australian winter of 2008.
Gaudeamus was purchased for A$160,000 by Josh Hutchins Bloodstock carrying the foal that would become Golden Sixty at the 2015 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale. The mare's first Australian foal of note was Igitur, who went on to be third in the 2017 Listed Tasmanian Derby, and a few months later, Gaudeamus was bought back on a bid of A$75,000 in foal to Choisir at the National Broodmare Sale. That offspring, Rainbow Connection (Aus), was runner-up in the 2021 G3 Hawkesbury Guineas, and the decision to retain the mare looks sufficiently wise in retrospect.
Gaudeamus's yearling filly by Capitalist (Aus) sold to All Winners Thoroughbreds for A$425,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast sale. Gaudeamus missed to Trapeze Artist (Aus) for 2020 and was bred to Wootton Bassett (GB) late last month. This is also the female family of champion Bosra Sham (Woodman), her champion full-brother Hector Protector and French Classic winner Shanghai (Procida).
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong BOCHK PRIVATE WEALTH JOCKEY CLUB MILE-G2, HK$4,750,000 (£453,485/€540,386/A$842,728/US$609,666), Sha Tin, 11-21, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:34.55, gd.
1–GOLDEN SIXTY (AUS), 128, g, 6, by Medaglia d'Oro 1st Dam: Gaudeamus (GSW-Ire, $179,846), by Distorted Humor 2nd Dam: Leo's Lucky Lady, by Seattle Slew 3rd Dam: Konafa, by Damascus
(A$120,000 Ylg '17 MMGCYS; NZ$300,000 2yo '17 NZBRTR). O-Stanley Chan Ka Leung; B-Asco International Pty Ltd (Qld); T-Francis Lui K W; J-Vincent Ho C Y; HK$2,707,500. Lifetime Record: Horse of the Year, Ch. Middle Distance Horse, Ch. 4yo, Ch. Miler & MG1SW-HK, 19-18-0-0, HK$80,633,100. *1/2 to Igitur (Aus) (Helmet {Aus}), SP-Aus, $137,392; and Rainbow Connection (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}), GSP-Aus. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Waikuku (Ire), 123, g, 6, Harbour Watch (Ire)–London Plane (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (€33,000 Ylg '16 TISEP). O-Jocelyn Siu Yang Hin Ting; B-Shane Molan; T-John Size; J-Zac Purton; HK$1,045,000.
3–Sky Darci (NZ), 123, g, 5, Darci Brahma (NZ)–Strictly Maternal (NZ), by O'Reilly (NZ). (NZ$160,000 Ylg '18 NZBJAN). O-Jessica Kwan Mun Hang; B-M W Freeman & D G Price; T-Caspar Fownes; J-Joao Moreira; HK$546,250.
Margins: 1, 1HF, 1. Odds: 15-100, 14-1, 9-1.
Also Ran: More Than This (GB), Southern Legend (Aus), Champion's Way (Aus), Preciousship (Ire). Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
Lucky Patch Train Rolls On In Jockey Club Sprint…
For the second straight time at group level, Lucky Patch (NZ) (El Roca {Aus}), bet down in the late stages, claimed the scalps of some higher-profile sprinters, punching his ticket to the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint with a mild upset in Sunday's G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint.
Computer Patch (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) and favoured Courier Wonder (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) eyeballed one another early on, as the in-form Jerry Chau settled the outposted Lucky Patch, winner of the Oct. 17 G2 Premier Bowl H. when last seen, about midfield and racing mostly with cover through the opening 600 metres. Traveling with his head on his chest on the back of Premier Bowl runner-up Super Wealthy (Aus) (Epaulette {Aus}) around the turn, Lucky Patch went on the attack four off the inside in upper stretch, gathered up a wayward Courier Wonder with a half-furlong to race and held sway as the hulking Naboo Attack (Aus) (Warhead {Aus}) made belated progress down the centre. Sky Field (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}) boxed on for third. The comebacking Wellington (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}), last year's G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize hero, raced near the back of the pack and came home seventh, beaten three lengths.
“It's my best win in Hong Kong,” said winning jockey Jerry Chau, who is a graduate of the HKJC Apprentice Jockeys' School like Vincent Ho. “We were lucky, they went fast early and I had a chance to get in and get cover. It's very exciting.”
Pedigree Notes:
Lucky Patch is one of three stakes winners, two at group level, for his sire, a son of Fastnet Rock (Aus) who stands at Westbury Stud in New Zealand. Gerry Harvey's Barramul Stud acquired Lucky Patch's dam in foal to Mossman (Aus) for A$50,000 at the 2011 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale. Gould is also the dam of Lucky Patch's 4-year-old full-sister Escudo (NZ), the 3-year-old filly Kattegat (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) and a yearling colt by the latter sire. She was bred back to El Roca.
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong BOCHK PRIVATE BANKING JOCKEY CLUB SPRINT-G2, HK$4,750,000 (£453,485/€540,386/A$842,728/US$609,666), Sha Tin, 11-21, 3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:07.98, gd.
1–LUCKY PATCH (NZ), 123, g, 5, by El Roca (Aus) 1st Dam: Gould (Aus), by Danehill Dancer (Ire) 2nd Dam: Charming (Aus), by Sir Tristram (Ire) 3rd Dam: Captivation (Aus), by Vain (Aus)
(A$40,000 Ylg '18 MMJUN). O-Patch Syndicate; B-G Harvey; T-Francis Lui KW; J-Jerry Chau C L; HK$2,707,500. Lifetime Record: 17-7-3-3, HK$14,106,540. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Naboo Attack (Aus), 123, g, 5, Warhead (Aus)–Commanding Queen (Aus), by Commands (Aus). O-Cheung Yeuk Lee; B-Windemere Stud (Qld); T-David Hayes; J-Zac Purton; HK$1,045,000.
3–Sky Field (Aus), 123, g, 5, Deep Field (Aus)–Laravissante (NZ), by O'Reilly (NZ). (NZ$175,000 Ylg '18 NZBJAN). O-Kwan Shiu Man, Jessica Kwan Mun Hang & Jeffrey Kwan Chun Ming; B-M Ryan (NSW); T-Caspar Fownes; J-Blake Shinn; HK$546,250.
Margins: 3/4, HF, 1. Odds: 9-2, 71-10, 29-5.
Also Ran: Computer Patch (Aus), Courier Wonder (NZ), Stronger (Aus), Wellington (Aus), Hot King Prawn (Aus), Super Wealthy (Aus), Amazing Star (NZ). Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
Reliable Team All The Way In Jockey Club Cup…
The hard-knocking Reliable Team (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) was given a positive ride by HKJC Apprentice Jockeys' School grad Derek Leung, got away with obscenely slow sectionals and, unsurprisingly, had enough in the tank to cause a 16-1 upset in Sunday's G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup.
The complexion of the 10-furlong lead-up into the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup changed markedly when presumed pace player Ka Ying Star (GB) (Cityscape {GB}) missed the kick, allowing Reliable Team to bowl along through a Standardbred-like :27.47, prompting HKJC commentator Mark McNamara to point out that “the Shing Mun river is flowing faster” than the Cup field going past the 1400-metre point. It was at about that stage that Matthew Chadwick allowed Ka Ying Star, trying the 10 furlongs of this as opposed to the Mile, to stride up to be a more forward factor as the 800 metres was posted in :53.95. Niggled along into the final half-mile–the six furlong split was a nearly unbelievable 1:19.17–ReliableTeam sprinted when asked and kicked on gamely to just hold a late lunge from Ka Ying Star. Favoured Glorious Dragon (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) raced near the tail and closed off well for third, while second choice Panfield (Chi) (Lookin At Lucky) weakened to last after sitting up on whatever pace there was, though was beaten just 2 1/2 lengths.
“We were always trying to get him to lead in the race and he got a bit lucky, there was no pressure on us to go too quick,” Leung said. “So, the horse was quite relaxed and he's very fit. Step by step, we build the speed up. He responded very well and I think we were very lucky.”
Pedigree Notes:
Bought back when reserved for NZ$50,000 at the 2017 NZB Select Yearling Sale, Reliable Team improved by leaps and bounds to fetch NZ$430,000 at that year's NZB Ready To Run Sale (under-tack breeze, see below), the same event that produced Golden Sixty (NZ$300,000). Reliable Team is the 18th black-type winner and 13th group winner for Reliable Man, a son of Dalakhani (Ire) who stands alongside Lucky Patch's sire at Westbury Stud.
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong BOCHK JOCKEY CLUB CUP-G2, HK$4,750,000 (£453,485/€540,386/A$842,728/US$609,666), Sha Tin, 11-21, 3yo/up, 2000mT, 2:03.86, gd.
1–RELIABLE TEAM (NZ), 123, g, 6, by Reliable Man (GB) 1st Dam: Stella Doro (NZ), by Faltaat 2nd Dam: Lady Joelyn (NZ), by Noble Bijou 3rd Dam: Princess Camille (NZ), by Skyhawk (GB) 1ST STAKES WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. (NZ$50,000 RNA Ylg '17 NZBFEB; NZ$430,000 2yo '17 NZBRTR). O-Nova Stella Syndicate; B-Tullycrine Ltd; T-Frankie Lor F C; J-Derek Leung K C; HK$2,707,500. Lifetime Record: 28-7-3-5, HK$12,765,800. Werk Nick Rating: D. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Ka Ying Star (GB), 123, g, 6, Cityscape (GB)–Casual Glance (GB), by Sinndar (Ire). O-Leung Shek Kong; B-Kingsclere Stud; T-Tony Cruz A S; J-Matthew Chadwick; HK$1,045,000.
3–Glorious Dragon (Ire), 123, g, 6, Teofilo (Ire)–Tipperary Honor (Fr), by Highest Honor (Fr). (€235,000 Ylg '16 ARQOCT). O-LWF Family Syndicate; B-Team Hogdala AB; T-Francis Lui K W; J-Zac Purton; HK$546,250.
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, NO. Odds: 16-1, 28-5, 9-10.
Also Ran: Columbus County (NZ), Russian Emperor (Ire), Savvy Nine (Fr), Panfield (Chi). Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
In what feels like the blink of an eye, we are now embarking on the final sale of the year at Tattersalls. The Newmarket auction house generally doesn't do things by halves and, if recent sales are anything to go by, the next two weeks at Park Paddocks will include plenty of show-stopping moments, with the mares' catalogues in particular being bolstered by several significant dispersals.
Before we get to that, however, we have one final day of yearlings to contend with. The December Yearling Sale can offer a second chance for a saunter round the ring for those who may have encountered a setback at earlier sales, but plenty of vendors opt to be included in this catalogue from the outset, whether to stand out in a smaller book, or to give a little extra time to a later-maturing yearling.
The sale has been streamlined somewhat over the last few years to include around 200 yearlings–the exact number catalogued this year.
Last year's topper at 300,000gns was a son of Sea The Stars (Ire) and the Oaks winner Talent (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) and it is not a stretch to think that the same sire might top the sale this time around as among the eight yearlings catalogued by Sea The Stars is a full-brother to Sea Of Class (Ire). Offered as lot 30 by Oak Lodge & Springfield House Stud, the June-foaled colt is not just kin to the late Irish Oaks winner but also to four other Group winners, with the tremendous breeding record of her dam Holy Moon (Ire) (Hernando {Fr}) taking up almost the entire catalogue page.
There will doubtless be interest, too, in lot 47, consigned by New England Stud as the sole Galileo (Ire) yearling in the catalogue. With the same birthdate as the aforementioned colt of June 8, this fellow is a son of the G2 Prix de Sandringham winner Laugh Out Loud (GB) (Clodovil {Ire}) and his full-brother Platinum Warrior (Ire) is both a Grade II winner in the States and a Group 3 winner in Ireland.
Feast your eyes on the foals
There's almost nothing the bloodstock crowd loves more than to get a good look at the first batch of foals by each year's freshman sires. Opinions are quickly drawn, and sometimes have to be revised at a later date, but the acceptance or otherwise of a stallion's first crop by the foal pinhookers can play a big part in his future success at stud.
The group that retired to stud in 2020 included a quartet of Classic winners, comprised of Godolphin's homebred Derby hero Masar (Ire), Coolmore's 2000 Guineas winner Magna Grecia (Ire), who is in danger of being usurped by his high-flying half-brother St Mark's Basilica (Fr), Irish 2000 Guineas winner Phoenix Of Spain (Ire), and the Niarchos-bred Prix du Jockey Club winner Study Of Man (Ire).
Prospective buyers can hardly have failed to notice the worldwide success this season of graduates of Kirsten Rausing's Lanwades Stud, which stands Deep Impact (Jpn)'s son Study Of Man and offers a weanling by the stallion under the operation's St Simon Stud banner. The colt, lot 859, is the first foal of the treble winner Quintada (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) and a grandson of the G1 Premio Lydia Tesio victrix Quiza Quiza Quiza (GB) (Golden Snake).
Masar's first batch of foals catalogued include a half-brother to the G2 Railway S. winner Beckford (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), offered by Brook Stud as lot 890, while Norelands Stud, where Magna Grecia was born and raised, consigns a colt by him (lot 948) out of the listed winner Twitch (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) and from the family of Hong Kong champion Viva Pataca (GB).
Waldgeist (GB) was a Group 1 winner at two and missed out by just a short-head when aiming for Classic glory in France but he more than made up for it by winning three more Group 1 races during his four seasons of racing, culminating in the Arc.Having had all nine of his Goffs November foals sell last week for an average of €54,278 and top price of €180,000, Waldgeist has six weanlings on offer at Tattersalls. These include two fillies from his co-breeder, Newsells Park Stud, with lot 695 being a half-sister to listed winner and Group 2 runner-up Aljezeera (GB), who is by another son of Galileo in Frankel (GB).
The long list of freshman sires with first foals at Tattersalls is completed by Advertise (Ire), Blue Point (Ire), Calyx (GB), City Light (Fr), Crystal Ocean (GB), Eqtidaar (Ire), Flag Of Honour (Ire), Inns Of Court (Ire), Invincible Army (Ire), Land Force (Ire), Le Brivido (Fr), Portamento (Ire), Sogann (Fr), Soldier's Call (GB), Ten Sovereigns (Ire) and Too Darn Hot (GB).
Last week brought the sad announcement of the death of Cheveley Park Stud's celebrated stallion Pivotal (GB). The 28-year-old was pensioned last year and there are two chances to acquire members of his final crop at Tattersalls. A colt out of Royal Seal (GB) (Dansili {GB}), a full-sister to the Breeders' Cup winner Queen's Trust (GB), is among the Cheveley Park Stud draft as lot 589, while Drumroy Farm offers a filly from the family of multiple Group 1 winner Starcraft (NZ) as lot 1024.
Magnificent mares in abundance
We have already seen high levels of demand for quality breeding stock in America and Ireland in the last few weeks and that is unlikely to change as the sales season concludes in Britain and France.
A sad element of sales over the last few months has been the significant downsizing of the Shadwell racing and breeding operation, though as ever, dispersals and reductions of this nature offer tremendous opportunities for breeders to buy into bloodlines that do not regularly come onto the market. Sizeable drafts from major breeders are not unusual, however, though this year's offerings can perhaps be described as supersized. Furthermore, this year's catalogue includes 24 mares and fillies in a dispersal from Sir Robert Ogden and another eight from Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani's Al Shahania Stud.
“Particularly enticing for breeders from all over the world are not just the specific dispersals but effectively we have a dispersal numbering 224 lots from Godolphin, Juddmonte and Shadwell,” said Tattersalls marketing director Jimmy George. “These are not specifically referred to as dispersals but numerically it's bigger than ever and there are some really smart mares and fillies in there from these teams from some of the best families in the world.”
On the equine front, the bloodstock world has been dealt a great blow in 2021 with the deaths of Galileo (Ire) and Pivotal (GB), and there have also been the losses of some major owner/breeders.
George continued, “There were a very sad few months at the beginning of this year when we lost three such significant contributors to the industry in the shape of Prince Khalid Abdullah, David Thompson and Sheikh Hamdan.”
Among the 93 lots on offer from Shadwell is the unraced 2-year-old Shomooly (GB) (Frankel {GB}) whose dam Riqa (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) (lot 1298) was bought at Goffs last week for €550,000 by Barronstown Stud. Listed-placed herself, Riqa's best offspring is the dual Group 3 winner Tantheem (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}).
Tuesday as dusk falls tends to be the time that the sale ring at Park Paddocks truly lights up during the week of mares. There's stiff competition to be the queen of this year's proceedings but one who has justifiable claims to top honours is Newsells Park Stud's Waldlied (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), who is owned in partnership with her co-breeder Gestut Ammerland.
Waldlied (lot 1839) really does have everything one could desire in a top-class breeding prospect. A superior performer herself, she won the G2 Prix de Malleret, and she is foal to Kingman (GB), by whom she has a yearling colt and who is also the sire of her Group 3-winning half-brother Waldkonig (GB). Her foal this year is a filly by Siyouni (Fr).
Then there's the back story. Waldlied's three-parts brother is the Arc winner and young stallion Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). Their dam Waldlerche (GB) (Monsun {Ger}) was herself a Group 3 winner, while grandam Waldmark (Ger) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}) was Group 2-placed and is the dam of the Classic winner Masked Marvel (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}). Skip back another generation to the third dam and there appears the influential Wurftaube (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}), who is also the dam of the German Derby winner Waldpark (Ger) (Dubawi {Ire}). In short, this is a family brimming with class.
In what will be a frenetic couple of hours, Waldlied enters the ring two lots after the Group 1 winner Blond Me (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}), who is lot 1837 and is included in the aforementioned partial dispersal from Al Shahania Stud, which will be featured in more depth in a future issue of TDN.
Another appealing dispersal comes from Sir Robert Ogden, who has been a stalwart supporter of both Flat and National Hunt racing in Britain for decades, with such luminaries as Voy Por Ustedes (Fr), Exotic Dancer (Fr) and Sans Frontieres (Ire) having carried his famous pink-and-mauve checked colours.
The 24 fillies and mares to be offered by Barton Sales on Sir Robert's behalf are led by his homebred dual Group 1 winner Amazing Maria (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who is lot 1876 and is in foal to Oasis Dream (GB), with two Galileo youngsters still to run for her. Amazing Maria's 3-year-old half-sister Turandot (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the winner of three races this year, is another member of the family to be included in the draft (lot 1874).
Earlier in the session comes one of the hardiest mares in training over the last few years, the 8-year-old globetrotter True Self (Ire) (Oscar {Ire}). She has plenty of stamps in her passport, having twice won the G3 Queen Elizabeth S. at Flemington for Willie Mullins as well as this year's Neom Turf Cup on the Saudi Cup card in Riyadh. On a diverse CV, her 11 victories also include three listed wins on the Flat and three bumpers, as well as a victory over hurdles. She has certainly given her owners in the Three Mile House & OTI Partnership plenty of fun over her five seasons of racing and is consigned by Baroda Stud as lot 1671.
One of the notable elements of this season has been the run of success for Nick Bradley Racing, particularly with some classy fillies. Three black-type winners will be consigned to the December Sale, led by the Oaks runner-up Mystery Angel (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}), who is lot 1746, and will be followed 12 lots later by the 1000 Guineas third and Group 2 winner Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) (lot 1758). The juvenile G3 Six Perfections winner and Group 1-placed Oscula (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) has also recently been added to sale as a wildcard, lot 1823A.
Another of this year's leading juvenile fillies with obvious Classic claims for next season appears in Tuesday's list as lot 1798, and is the G1 Cheveley Park S. runner-up Flotus (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). She is consigned by her trainers Simon and Ed Crisford of Gainsborough Thoroughbreds.
Meanwhile a mare with a proven track record will be offered by Goldford Stud and should have transatlantic appeal. Sunday Times (GB) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) is the 12-year-old dam of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) as well as the listed winner Classical Times (GB) (Lawman {Fr}). Back in foal to Lope De Vega on a Mar. 10 cover, she is slated as lot 1810 and hails from a family which also includes the Irish Derby winner Latrobe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). A little later in the day, her daughter Daily Times (GB), a juvenile winner by Gleneagles (Ire), will go through the ring also carrying to Lope De Vega (lot 1829).
Looking ahead to a fortnight of what is certain to be brisk trade at Park Paddocks, Jimmy George added, “The market has proved to be incredibly resilient throughout the course of 2021 and it has been a great boost to everybody. The December Sales at Tattersalls are always very much a fitting way to bring the curtain down on the British and Irish sales season and it is regarded as a must-attend fixture for many breeders, not just from Britain and Ireland but throughout the world.”
He continued, “It is widely regarded by a lot of people as the most international bloodstock sale in the world and this year's catalogue definitely looks set to attract the overseas buyers in numbers, especially now that the vast majority of them are able to travel more freely. We staged last year's December Sales under pretty extraordinary conditions and people responded magnificently. It has been great to have been able to stage sales under pretty well normal conditions throughout this autumn and we are looking forward to doing that again for the foals and mares.”
