Shadwell were responsible for the record-breaking sales-topper on Wednesday when Rihaam (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), in foal to Dark Angel (Ire), sold for 540,000gns, and Albasheer (Ire) (Shamardal), another from the draft, was the co-top lot on Thursday at 130,000gns.Â
Boasting a rating of 107 and some top-notch form to go with it, having finished second in the G2 Champagne S. in 2020, Albasheer (lot 453) was knocked down to Tom Biggs of Blandford Bloodstock. He has yet to race this season and was last seen finishing mid-division in the Listed Dubai Duty Free Cup over seven furlongs at Newbury in December. Â
He was bought on behalf of Andy Taylor to join Archie Watson who, according to Biggs, will bid to ignite the classy form the Shamardal 4-year-old showed as a juvenile.Â
“He has been bought for Andy Taylor, who races his horses under Taylor Bloodstock, and he goes to Archie Watson,” Biggs said.Â
“We have been looking for a horse with his profile for a time-a horse with form over six to seven furlongs.Â
“He has had a few niggling training problems, but has vetted fine. He had high-class form as a young horse and hopefully we can get back to that. We are delighted to have bought one from the Shadwell draft as we have tried on a few.”
On a day with the staggeringly high clearance rate of 99%, when all bar two of the 156 horses offered found new homes, overall the figures were up marginally on the equivalent session 12 months ago.Â
At 24,864gns, the average was up by 4% while the median rose by 7% to 15,000gns. Another 3,829,000gns was added to the record takings of the opening session.
Australians Make Presence Felt
William Johnson may have been cooped up in his hotel room after becoming ill but it didn't stop the Australian making his presence felt at the sale as he bagged the William Haggas-trained Grenoble (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) (lot 540) for 130,000gns.Â
Signed for by Johnson Bloodstock and Mark Pilkington Management, the 94-rated and Newsells Park Stud-bred Grenoble will continue his career for Darren Thomas of Seymour Bloodstock in Australia.Â
Speaking later via telephone, Johnson commented, “He is a lightly-raced horse and comes into Australia with a rating that enables him to work through the grades.
“He falls straight into Saturday class in Australia and with prize money continuing to improve there are plenty of options from him over a mile to a mile-and-a-half.”
Seymour Bloodstock is best known for owning Merchant Navy (Aus), who landed the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot in 2018, and Johnson, along with his bloodstock agent Pilkington, identified his latest recruit.Â
Johnson explained, “He is for Darren Thomas of Seymour Bloodstock who, along with his racing manager Mark Pilkington, identified the horse.Â
“I have helped them on the ground with inspections and organising the vetting and the finer details. We will have a bit more of a plan as regards the trainer when they wake up with the news they have bought the horse!”
He added, “Siyouni is an extremely good stallion and he goes well in Australia, his horses bred on southern hemisphere time, their stakes winners to runners is extremely strong, and he has got Amelia's Jewel (Aus) in western Australia. Sottsass (Fr) and St Mark's Basilica (Fr) are standing at Coolmore Australia this year, which ensures everyone knows the stallion. It always helps whatever horse you buy if they have a bit of a pedigree and are by the right stallion.”
Bahrain Buyers Prominent
Oliver St Lawrence punched in the hours and signed for notable lots either side of the afternoon break. Rollajam (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) was the most interesting of the pair and is off to Bahrain after St Lawrence went to 120,000gns to purchase the gelding on behalf of Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
“He's a lovely big, strong horse,” St Lawrence said of lot 564 in the baking evening sun. “I spoke to Jedd O'Keeffe beforehand-had done some business with Jedd in the past-and he highly recommended the horse.”
He added, “I have actually known the horse since he was a foal as he was bred by Tim and Gill Bostwick of Biddestone Stud, so I've known him a long time. Hopefully he'll do well in that part of the world.”
Asked if horses like Rollajam have become harder to buy, St Lawrence responded, “I don't know if they have been harder to buy but the English trainers have better class horses and they know what is needed. Sadly, the English [trainers] have worked out what they need to be doing and we have found it a bit harder this year.”
Nietzsche's Star (GB) (lot 397), a rock-solid three-time-winning son of Exceed And Excel (Aus), is also Bahrain-bound. He was the first horse to break into the 100,000gns mark in the morning session and was bought by St Lawrence to join Fawzi Nass.
The bloodstock agent said, “He is a scopey sort, goes on the firm and he seems to be progressing. Andrew tells us there is more in him.
“He seems to fit the profile for Bahrain, he has got to go up a few pounds to get into the Bahrain series, but that looks perfectly possible. He won't run here and will tick over until he can travel.”
Trained by Andrew Balding, Nietzsche's Star is out of Whim (GB) (Nayef), who was Listed-placed in France, and is a grandson of the Group 3 scorer Whazzis (GB) (Desert Prince {GB}).Â
Rollajam is out of the Teofilo (Ire) mare Papaya (Ire), who is a half-sister to Lend A Hand (GB), a champion juvenile in Italy and winner of the G1 Gran Criterium (G1).
Foy To The Fore
Kevin Philippart de Foy, on course to record his best tally of winners this season, was bolstered by the addition of another smart recruit from Ireland to his Newmarket stable.Â
Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah went to £500,000 to secure Cadillac (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) to join the trainer at the Goffs London Sale in June and he bolstered his string with the addition of National Gallery (Ire) (Caravaggio) for 110,000gns on Thursday.Â
A winner on the turf and on the all-weather for Joseph O'Brien, including at Limerick last month, National Gallery (lot 548) is rated 85.Â
Cadillac, a Group 2 winner for Jessica Harrington, provided his new connections with an immediate payday when finishing second in the Wolferton S. at Royal Ascot and, while there are no plans in place for their latest recruit, hopes are high National Gallery can enjoy a fruitful time in Britain.Â
The hammer fell to Adel Mohommed, who said, “He will go to Kevin Philippart de Foy and we'll see.”Â
Hurdles Beckon For New Year Honours
Gordon Elliott and Sheikh Fahad Al Thani enjoyed notable success when Pallasator (GB) (Motivator {GB}) landed the Queen Alexandra S. at Royal Ascot and it was on the recommendation of the man behind Qatar Racing that the leading jumps trainer secured New Year Honours (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) for 80,000gns.Â
Signed for by Mouse O'Ryan, who took instruction on the phone just below the rostrum and had to wrestle off interest from a number of notable potential buyers, New Year Honours (lot 362) will now embark on a hurdling career with Elliott.Â
Of course, Elliott enjoyed huge success with the Nathaniel gelding Zanahiyr (Ire), who finished third in this year's G1 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, and hopes are high in the Cullentra House camp that New Year Honours can make a big impact in that sphere.Â
O'Ryan said, “She is a lovely filly and is progressive. Her sire speaks for himself and we were delighted to get her. She goes to Gordon Elliott and came very well-recommended by Sheikh Fahad Al Thani.”
He added, “There is a fantastic programme for juveniles, especially for fillies, and you'd have to be thinking that the Listed juvenile hurdle at Aintree in December would be one of a number of races that Gordon could target her at. She is for sale and she should do well.”
New Year Honours was trained by Ralph Beckett and is out of Coquette Noire (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), a half-sister to Jacqueline Quest (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), the dam of Line Of Duty (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), winner of the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf.
Buy of the Day
By Emma Berry
Pivotal (GB) fillies will be in increasingly short supply, so buying one of his daughters from the farm which bred him and nurtured his sensational stallion career is a good place to start when seeking a young broodmare prospect.
Lot 380, Isakova (GB), has so far raced just once earlier this year for Clive Cox and Cheveley Park Stud and, as a 3-year-old, could still have plenty to come on the track. Down the line in a broodmare career she has much to recommend her as a grand-daughter of the great Russian Rhythm (Kingmambo), and being out of her dual-winning daughter Russian Heroine (GB) (Incvincible Spirit {Ire}).
The family has been boosted of late by two more of Russian Rhythm's grand-daughters, Bashkirova (GB) and Potapova (GB) – by Isakova's sire and maternal grandsire, Pivotal and Invincible Spirit, respectively – who finished first and second in the G3 Princess Elizabeth S. at Epsom on Derby day. The 4-year-old fillies both hold entries for the G2 Kilboy Estate S. at the Curragh a week on Sunday.Â
With plenty of female members of the family remaining within the Cheveley Park Stud broodmare band, further updates are likely and, at 27,000gns, signed for by Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland for the Grunt Syndicate, Isakova could well be viewed as a bargain buy in years to come.
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