Tag: Starspangledbanner

Starspangledbanner Gelding Tops Hong Kong International Sale

The successful dual-hemisphere stallion Starspangledbanner (Aus), the sire of recent G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup winner and G1 Al Quoz Sprint aspirant California Spangle (Ire), supplied the HK$5.4 million (£541,837/US$690,352) top price as the last of 14 horses through the ring during Friday's Hong Kong International Sale in the parade ring at Sha Tin Racecourse.

Lot 20 was purchased by the Hong Kong Jockey Club from the draft of Chasemore Farm for 550,000gns during Book 2 at Tattersalls October in 2022. The British-bred 3-year-old is a full-brother to the treble Group 3-placed galloper Breege (Ire) and offered further pedigree appeal, as his dam Wowcha (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) is a half-sister to six winners, including Starspangledbanner's champion The Wow Signal (Ire), G2 Airlie Stud S. winner Matrika (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Japanese multiple group winner and Group 1-placed Unicorn Lion (Ire) (No Nay Never). The successful bidder was Cheung Kwok Wing sitting alongside Danny Shum, who trains the most prolific graduate of the HKIS, the outstanding six-times Group 1 winner Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}).

 

 

 

So Wing Keung signed the winning ticket at HK$4.2 million (£421,429/US$536,940) on lot 7, a New Zealand-bred son of Savabeel (Aus) and Kona (Aus) (New Approach {Ire}), also the dam of the multiple listed-placed Hilo (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}). A September-foaled 3-year-old gelding, the bay was hammered down to the HKJC team for NZ$290,000 at the 2022 NZB Premier Yearling Sale.

From a statistical standpoint, the 2024 renewal of the HKIS was significantly down on the same event from 12 months ago. Turnover of HK$46.3 million (£4.65 million/US$5.92 million) declined by 35.3%, while the average of HK$3.31 million (£331,389/US$422,795) represented a drop of 30.7%. The median price of HK$3.2 million (£321,088/US$409,097) dropped by 27.3%.

“We have a lot of confidence in the horses that we have offered and what we're probably seeing is that when we bought these horses two years ago is that we were operating in a very intense yearling market, so we've bought these horses at the very top of the market and we're seeing a softening in horse sales around the world, which we've seen tonight, we've also seen a softening in our wagering turnover and also in the local stock market,” offered Danny Rolston, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Executive Manager, International Sale/Owners Advisory Services.

“I think the story of the night is that the sale has seen a bit of a drop in average, but with that comes an opportunity that we were able to give forward to our permit holders with some really nice horses.”

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Lucky Escape For A&N Bloodstock Team After Horse Lorry Catches Fire 

Top breeze-up handlers Antonio Da Silva and Nikki Scallan of A&N Bloodstock had a lucky escape on Friday evening when, the horse box that they were driving on the way home from Dundalk races caught fire with the Jenny Lynch-trained Late Night Talking (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) inside it. 

But for their quick thinking, the couple's Late Night Talking, who had finished third in the mile maiden just a few hours earlier, could have met a horrific end when the vehicle burst into flames on the M50 motorway in Dublin. 

Sharing the terrifying account of what happened, Da Silva said, “First there was smoke and then there was fire. Nikki was driving and she pulled over as quickly as she could and then I jumped into the back of the lorry to get the horse out of there. Nikki tried to take a few things out of the box but there was just fire everywhere.”

It's not every young horse who would stand quiet as a lamb as the horse box they had been standing in just a few minutes previously threatened to explode but Late Night Talking took the nightmare experience in his stride. 

Scallan recalled, “I could get this smell of burning and then, before we knew, it was up in flames. We were between the Ballymun and Finglas turnoff on the M50. We couldn't do anything. We knew it was just going to go boom.”

She added, “It's a good job the horse was quiet, that's all I will say. It just happened so quickly. We were very lucky. Junior, who drives for Thomond O'Mara, happened to be passing and thankfully he had space for the horse in his lorry so we loaded him up and got him home safely, but he had been standing on the side of the road for at least 20 minutes or so. 

“If it had been the filly, Milliethemollie (Ire), who we also have in training with Jenny, it could have been a different story.”

Antonio Da Silva and Nikki Scallan with a Bungle Inthejungle colt who is breeze-up bound | Brian Sheerin

Like Milliethemollie, Late Night Talking was put into training with Lynch, the pair's neighbouring handler on the Maddenstown side of the Curragh, after he failed to sell at the breeze-ups. Milliethemollie has proved the venture to be worthwhile by winning at Dundalk in December while Late Night Talking has shaped with distinct promise in each of his three starts for the trainer. 

That shouldn't come as any great surprise as the A&N team have built up a reputation for selling a lot of winners in just a short space of time. So, what's the secret to their success? Hard work, it would seem.

Scallan said, “First lot goes out at five in the morning here. Sometimes they could go out even earlier. I get up and feed them all at four. Some guys come in and ride out a couple of lots before they go to work and then they come back to us at lunchtime to ride a couple more.”

She added, “We have around 20 breeze-up horses and another 10 in pre-training so 30 all together. We've had some nice horses for Takashi Kodama, the likes of Tosen Wish (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) and Pineapple Island (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), and we have built up a good relationship with Airlie Stud as well. 

“They have sent us one to breeze almost every year and we sold a nice Starspangledbanner (Aus) filly on behalf of Airlie Stud at the Tattersalls Guineas Sale last year for 120,000gns. They're very loyal to us and we sold Lady Beano (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) for them two years ago as well so it's been a good relationship. We have another nice Starspangledbanner (Aus) colt for them this year so hopefully he goes well for them.”

Da Silva, a former jockey in his native Brazil, has spent time working for Michael Halford and Aidan O'Brien. But it was in Mark Dwyer's, where he was based for four years, where he first met Scallan, with the pair deciding to take the plunge and go it alone in 2020. 

He said, “We started with one horse. We made a few bob and decided to get more. You need to keep investing. This is the job I love, breaking in the yearlings and watching them develop, and all of the sales companies have given us a chance to not only sell but to reinvest and buy some more. That's what you need to keep going and hopefully grow. 

“Sometimes I lose count of how many I ride in a day! It is great when the guys come in and we get a team of maybe five or six together in a lot. They all come in on a Sunday. That's our work day. We are glad of the help and everyone in this game, they are like family, you know? We all help each other out.”

Da Silva added, “I was a jockey in Brazil and have a good few wins under my belt. I finished second in a big race on my final ride in Brazil before deciding to come to Ireland where I spent five years working for Mick Halford, five years with Aidan O'Brien and then four years with Mark Dwyer. When I met Nikki, we said we'd try to make it ourselves. The first horse worked and every year we have tried to improve. We have some nice clients as well, for breeze-up horses and pre-training, so that's a big help as well.”

Coulthard (Ire) could be viewed as one of the first horses who first put A&N on the map. Sold for just £27,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale in 2020, the Coulsty (Ire) colt placed in four of his five maiden starts for Michael O'Callaghan in Ireland before winning twice and placing in Grade 3 company for Phil D'Amato in America. 

Scallan brings a different level of expertise to the outfit. A former amateur jockey, she has built up a wealth of knowledge on the sales circuit and also spent time with fellow breeze-up handler Katie McGivern before going to work for Dwyer. 

Speaking about her background, she said, “I used to work for Timmy Hillman at Castledillon Stud and did a lot of sales work as well. I actually used to ride in a few bumpers-the best I ever managed was a second back in the day. Honey Pie was the name of the horse. Philip Fenton actually bet me. It was down at Cork and I think I had Tony Martin behind me that day. That used to be great fun. 

“But it was Katie McGivern who got me into the breeze-ups. I'm from Wexford and, when she got engaged to her husband Tom, she moved her breezers down to Wexford and asked me to be her head girl. I did the breeze-ups with Katie that year and it was the following year that I went to Martin.”

Da Silva is just one of many Brazilians to be making a name for himself on the breeze-up circuit in Ireland. Diego Dias, Robson Aguiar and more have confirmed themselves to be extremely sharp in unearthing top-notch talent at basement prices and Da Silva explained how he takes great pride in his fellow countrymen's success. 

He said, “I am very proud and we all try to help each other out when we can. Just because one guy is training in one place doesn't mean we can't all help each other out. We like to see each other get good results and we all work hard to go forward and be better each year. 

“Everything is different in Brazil. Even the way we break horses in is different. The horses in Brazil were always very sharp and, all of the Brazilian jockeys riding here in Ireland, they all learned how to ride on quarter horses, sprinting horses. You know, you start riding quarter horses at 10 years old in Brazil. You could be 28kg or 30kg on top of a horse that weighs 500kg. Everyone knows a bit of that and then they come here and see how the Irish people take their time with horses.”

Scallan added, “The one thing I would say about the Brazilians is they all have a great clock in their heads. They also have a great eye for an athlete.”

It is Antonio who can be credited for picking out Kingdom Of Riches (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) for just £38,000 at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale in 2022. The horse went on to make 220,000gns at the Tattersalls Craven Sale last year, thus delivering the couple's greatest ever result in the ring. 

He recalled, “There was just something about that horse that kept catching my eye. He was a bit tall but he looked like a good horse. I had a guy willing to take half of the horse with me but, when I bought the horse, he said he no longer wanted him. I said, 'that's fine, I'll keep the horse myself.' Nikki and her daughter Megan took a leg and thankfully the horse turned out to be good and made 220,000gns. That made me very proud. 

“Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. A lot of time when I come home from the sales, Nikki says, 'why you buy this, why you buy that!' After two or three weeks, she might say, 'oh, this actually is a nice horse!'”

So where is the next Kingdom Of Riches in the batch of 20 juveniles who have been pencilled into this year's breeze-up sales. The beauty is that nobody knows the answer but there is a certain colt by Bungle Inthejungle (GB) who has been putting his hand up recently to suggest he is a bit better than average. 

Scallan said, “There is a Bungle Inthejungle colt who looks a nice horse and, actually, Vandeek (GB) is in the second dam. We bought him off Kelly Thomas, the breeder of Vandeek, at Doncaster and he doesn't have a bad walk for a Bungle. He does everything so easily and we're thinking of the Craven or Donny with him.”

On the remainder of the breeze-up squad, Da Silva added, “We have a nice Sands Of Mali (Fr) colt. He's a bit on the weak side but he should suit Donny or the Guineas Sale-something like that. There's another nice Acclamation (GB) colt there as well. He's a sharp, strong horse-a proper two-year-old. We also have a nice Havana Grey (GB) filly as well.”

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Kelly Thomas Q&A: ‘Some Breeders Have Told Me That I Am Their Inspiration’

Kelly Thomas enjoyed a banner year with Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), who she bred at her Maywood Stud, going unbeaten in a spellbinding two-year-old campaign that featured Group 1 wins in the Prix Morny and Middle Park S. 

In this week's Q&A, Thomas revealed how some people in the industry have shared with her that she has become an inspiration for smaller breeders. She also lifted the lid on her own hopes and dreams for Vandeek this season and explained her philosophy to breeding. 

You have had lots to dream about over the past few months. Where is the ceiling with Vandeek?

Gosh, who knows? Everybody is excited about what could be. What he has shown so far, if he can carry on the same trajectory for a little bit longer, you don't know where he will end up. 

In your heart of hearts, could you see him staying a mile or is he pure unbridled speed?

I think that, if a race was run to suit, the mile wouldn't bother him. If he is dilly-dallying at the back, he's not going to waste an ounce of energy and, then if it came down to a turn of foot at the end, you could almost see him doing it. He's a tall horse, has a really good stride and he relaxes in his races so I suppose you could say, from that perspective, he might be able to do it. His grandmother won over a mile in France so it's in the pedigree. But, what's he best at? Probably the distance he has been racing at, which is over six furlongs. 

There's nothing wrong with fast horses.

There's not. I like speed horses and that excites us. It seems to be what we have managed to do quite well with over the years so we stick to it. That's not to say we don't look outside the box as well when it comes to stallion choices and to buying mares. But speed is generally the way we tend to go and we try to breed commercially as well. You need to be able to bring something to the sales that will be attractive to buyers; something that is precocious, early and fast. That's the way we have been heading. 

The big thing I would say about your success story with Vandeek is that it would have given a lot of smaller breeders huge encouragement to keep going despite what was a very difficult year.

Absolutely. I've had so many text messages and phone calls from some people that I have never even met before. Some people have told me that I am their inspiration! All I could say, was, 'thank you very much.' It definitely has given a lot of people hope. But it's very difficult. Financially, it's a hard thing to do. We do all of the work ourselves and it's only recently that I have managed to get somebody in to help with the mucking out on the days that I am not here. That will help to take the pressure off my husband a little bit. We've always done it on a bit of a shoe-string. I did my Masters in Equine Science and I tend to draw on that knowledge a lot as well. I think it helps in keeping horses healthy and in their best condition which, in the long run, makes them more efficient. The biggest gamble you are ever going to take in this industry is breeding because you never know what you are going to get. If you are lucky, you get a nice foal but, if you are unlucky, you might get something that won't even make it through the sales ring. My Dad is in a different business to us and often says that this is the only profession where, often the product you produce might not be worth what went into producing it. That can put you in a very difficult position, especially if you have invested heavily. 

And given the current economic climate, have you made any changes to how you run your operation with regards to reinvesting in the broodmare band or maybe not putting some of your mares in foal?

We try to be economical and efficient in everything we do and we've never really spent a lot of money on stud fees. If we have wanted to use some of the more expensive stallions, we have tended to do foal shares. But, with regards to covering and not covering mares, when you only have five mares like we do, you have to keep plugging away. If you don't breed anything you don't have a chance of making any money. You have to keep the wheel turning otherwise you will have nothing to sell. If you were to leave one mare off for a year, you are guaranteed that one of the mares you did choose to breed from won't go in foal, so then there's two mares who aren't producing for you in a year. 

And Mosa Mine (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), the dam of Vandeek, could be viewed as a triumph for perseverance with regards to giving your stud a major payday given her Starspangledbanner (Aus) colt sold to Coolmore Stud for 450,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale last year.

The triumph of that is for a little stud like ours to produce a horse that will be trained at Ballydoyle. I think that is amazing. For us to have a horse trained at Ballydoyle and the prospects of Vandeek becoming a stallion in the same year, it's a dream come true really. A result like that is nice because we can invest a bit into facilities and look at buying our next broodmare. I haven't really felt the rain on my back this winter. It does put a spiring in your step, that's for sure. 

Remind us how Mosa Mine joined your broodmare band?

We bred Mosa Mine to begin with. She was a beautiful foal; in fact, we named her Bonny because she was a bonny wee thing. It was back in the days when we had just moved to this property and we had no stables at the time. She was a May baby and we foaled her in the field because the weather was kind. We sold her as a yearling but she probably didn't reach her potential on the track. We loved her and decided that we wanted her back. We thought she wouldn't make much money at the horses-in-training sale, and she didn't [£800], so that was great for us. 

And what does the future hold for her?

She's not in foal at the moment but she is going back to Havana Grey (GB). It's kind of an obvious choice but then again, you think can lightning really strike twice? But it's a proven recipe at the highest level and Havana Grey seems to be progressing all the time so it suits. When you look at the other proven stallions, you could be looking at the likes of No Nay Never, which is at a much higher price and therefore we'd have to consider a foal share. With Havana Grey, we could possibly think of retaining the next filly out of the mare if we wanted to. 

I know you said that you have a penchant for speed but what sort of stallions are your mares in foal to?

We've got a sister to Mosa Mine by Compton Place (GB) and she is in foal to Twilight Son (GB). We've gone for speed there in the thinking that the progeny could end up becoming quite a nice breeze-up prospect as Twilight Son had quite a good time of it at the breeze-ups last year. The family is quick and it might just suit. Then we have a Medicean (GB) mare in foal to Masar (Ire), so that is something a bit different. But then again, Masar showed quite a bit of speed as a two-year-old as well, so that helps. She has already produced a lovely horse by Masar called Move On In (GB),  who is trained by Ralph Beckett, and it was off the back of him that we sent the mare back to the stallion. She had an Ardad (GB) in between and he's gone to breeze. We also have a mare in foal to Perfect Power (Ire), so speed again. We have done well with first-season sires in the past.

Could you put your philosophy towards breeding into words?

Wow. That is a tough one but you have to enjoy it. This doesn't feel like work to me. I might be mucking out all day long but it doesn't really feel like work. It's a lifestyle. You have to take the highs and the lows and you mustn't take the lows personally. If you talk to other breeders, everybody suffers the lows. Not everybody gets to enjoy the highs, but we all suffer the lows. When you get the highs, you have to enjoy them without looking at them like a pleasure plane. You have to do your best by your horses; look after them, keep them healthy and well fed. We've a good team of vets, farriers and local feed merchants and that all helps. Above all else, you need the help and support of your friends and family. When it comes to deciding on your stallions, you have to go with what you like, what you can afford and what you hope will work, and you must make your own decisions. When I first started, there were times when I took advice on stallion choices. If it didn't work out, then that person would get the blame and I don't like that. I'd prefer to live and die by my own decisions and remain positive. I'm an optimist at the end of the day.

It's a refreshing story, especially in a year where there was a lot of doom and gloom. And, who knows, maybe you can inspire one more breeder to keep going and maybe they will breed a champion like Vandeek.

You never can tell where the next one will come from. You are very lucky when it happens to you but, you must remember, you can breed the best to the best and get the worst. I was talking to John Deere before and he was explaining how, you put a bunch of genes from the stallion and the mare into a bucket and you take a handful of each and, what you're left  with, that's what you get. It's true, really, isn't it? In saying that, I have chosen the mares I want to breed from so it's not exactly random but, when you do put the ones you like together, there is no predicting what you might get.

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Landmark Result For St Mark’s Basilica With 575k Sale-Topper At Tattersalls 

Friday marked a breakout result for five-time Group 1-winner St Mark's Basilica (Fr) as a filly by Coolmore's freshman sire out of the Oaks winner Talent (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) topped the December Foal Sale at Tattersalls on 575,000gns. The aggregate fell 11% compared to this day 12 months ago to 17,943,000gns while the clearance rate climbed 7% to 87%. The average fell 13% to 95,952gns and the median dipped 9% to 62,000gns.

It was bloodstock agent Jill Lamb, bidding on behalf of Newsells Park Stud, who came out on top for the most expensive foal sold at public auction in Europe or North America this year.

“She is beautiful, absolutely gorgeous-I fell in love with her as soon as I saw her,” Lamb said of lot 869. “She is very athletic and has a wonderful page. She has been bought to race and to come back to Newsells Park Stud [as a broodmare]. She has two half-sisters by Dubawi and she ticked all the boxes for us. We are delighted to get her.”

Talent landed the Oaks at Epsom a decade ago for trainer Ralph Beckett. She has already proved herself as a broodmare with her daughter, Ambition (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a Group 2 winner in France.

Lamb added, “I watched everyone going in for her and thought, 'oh my gosh!' St Mark's Basilica is the unknown quantity, but she is the nicest I have seen by him.”

The filly was bred, like her Classic-winning dam, by Mark Dixon and James Rowsell of Ashbrittle Stud in Somerset, which is also home to Talent's aforementioned daughter Ambition.

Stud manager Ginny Whales said after exiting the ring, “We have Ambition back and she had a Frankel (GB) foal this year and is in foal to Palace Pier (GB), and Talent herself is in foal to New Bay (GB), so if she has a filly we can keep her and race her.

“The idea is to keep the fillies and sell the colts but Talent's colts haven't been the prettiest. This filly was lovely though and she has been grand. She had 10 vets and she was getting very tired but she was still walking out and trying her best.”

She added, “I broke Talent in so it's been exciting to see the whole family. They tend to keep themselves out of trouble, so Talent and Prowess, when you got out to the field to feed them, they will walk away from everybody else and tell you where they want to be fed. They're complete divas. Then this foal and Ambition's Frankel foal do the same.”

 

 

Coolmore Go Strong For Vandeek's Brother At 450k

It can be a daunting task stepping out from the shadows of your older siblings but the Starspangledbanner (Aus) half-brother to dual Group 1-winning and unbeaten two-year-old sensation Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) did not disappoint when knocked down to Coolmore's MV Magnier at 450,000gns. 

Offered by Kelly Thomas of Maywood Stud, lot 961 capped a memorable year for the breeder following Vandeek's exceptional triumphs in the Prix Morny and Middle Park S. 

“He's taken everything in his stride. He's a very relaxed character, he likes his feed, likes his sleep and he likes to exercise,” a beaming Thomas said shortly after the sale. 

“Charlene [groom] has been frogmarched around the exercise ring every morning and he's come out every day as fresh as a daisy despite what he's had to do.”

Thomas added, “It's been one hell of a year for sure. Everything is quite surreal. We have five mares, we bred his dam. We actually sold her as a yearling and then bought her back for very little money. I've just had absolute faith in the family and felt that something had to come up at some stage. They're just too determined with that will to win, and their heads in front all the time. He even has his head in front at feed time; the other foals come second to him all the time, he just has that competitive nature.”

Thomas confirmed that the colt's dam Mosa Mine (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) is not in foal this year but asked whether she would be sending her back to Vandeek's sire Havana Grey, she replied with a smile, “Quite possibly.”

She continued, “It's all a bit overwhelming. There's almost a little bit more to worry about, as much as you're happy about it and want to go on to the next stage, but we had him at home and you wake up every morning and hope that he's still in one piece.”

MV Magnier confirmed the Starspangledbanner to be everything one would expect him to be; fast and precocious. 

He said, “A lovely horse and, in fairness to Kelly Thomas and everyone associated with him, they've done a great job. Starspangledbanner is doing so well and he's a brother to a very good horse. We're just glad we can support the Thomases. It's a good result for them. He's a lovely quality horse and he looks like he will be early and fast. Hopefully he will be. 

Amo Makes Statement Of Intent

Amo Racing might be best associated for sourcing horses from the yearling and breeze-up sales but Kia Joorabchian made something of a statement when splashing out 360,000gns on a Kingman (GB) colt through agent Alex Elliott. 

The Kingman boasts a strong pedigree, being a half-brother to smart sprinter Dragon Symbol (GB)–who has recently retired to stand at Whitsbury Manor Stud–and Elliott says the purchase made a lot of sense. 

He explained, “This is a three-parts brother to Dragon Symbol, who has been retired to stud. He's by an elite stallion in Kingman and was a beautiful horse physically. The mare has produced to lesser stallions–way lesser stallions–and he has been bought for Amo Racing.”

The Kingman colt was bred by Whitsbury, who ended the day as leading consignors so far this week with 21 lots sold for 1,940,500gns. The sale represented an important one for Elliott, having been beaten by Juddmonte earlier in the afternoon on a Wootton Bassett (GB) colt, and the agent was all too aware that he'd levelled the score. 

Elliott said, “He will go back to Ireland. We tried hard to buy the Wootton Bassett that Juddmonte bought and I think they underbid us on this horse. It's one-one! We obviously like Wootton Bassett because of King Of Steel and Bucanero Fuerte.

“But this horse [lot 909] made a lot of sense. For an end-user, the half-brother by Havana Grey made 250,000gns here last year and he came back and made 600,000gns to Godolphin. Kia has a long-term plan for this horse and hopefully he's another good one for the Amo operation.”

Elliott went on to sign for the Showcasing (GB) half-brother to 2,000 Guineas winner Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) on behalf of an unnamed client from Whitsbury for 260,000gns.

Godolphin Snaps Up Brother To Bay Bridge

A brother to Bay Bridge (GB) lived up to his billing as one of the star attractions to the Friday session when knocked down to Anthony Stroud on behalf of Godolphin for 375,000gns. 

Bred by James Wigan, whose colours were carried with great distinction by Bay Bridge, winner of the G1 Champion S. at Ascot in 2022, the colt (lot 942) was offered by the breeder's West Blagdon Stud. 

Stroud said, “He's for Godolphin. He's a really attractive horse and is a full-brother to a very good horse. It's a great stud to buy off because they produce such good horses. We're delighted to buy him.”

Talking Points
  • Juddmonte bought their 2,000 Guineas winner and new stallion Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at this sale three years ago and returned to buy his Kingman (GB) half-brother for a sale-topping 1 million gns last year. This time around Juddmonte's Simon Mockridge signed for three colts — two by Kingman (GB) and one by Wootton Bassett (GB) — for 1,015,000gns.
  • It shouldn't go unnoticed the strong week that Sioux Nation has enjoyed. Three foals by the Coolmore-based sire, who has earned a bump to €27,500 for 2024, cleared six figures. One of which was a 210,000gns half-brother to Bright Diamond (Ire) (El Kabeir) (lot 898), bought by Castlehyde Stud from Riversfield Stud. All told, 10 horses by Sioux Nation have sold for an average of 71,200gns this week.
  • One of the fascinating subplots to the foal sales is viewing the stock of a young stallion and one would wager that those in the Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) camp are quite happy with their lot. Considering Lope Y Fernandez stands at the National Stud for £8,500, his results of 78,000gns, 45,000gns and 41,000gns have to be viewed as a major positive. 
  • Ghaiyyath (Ire) has not lacked for support from within at the yearling sales this season and that continued on Friday with Godolphin signing for a filly and a colt by the stallion for 350,000gns (lot 928) and 190,000gns (lot 916), respectively.
  • Pinatubo is more than capable of paddling his own canoe, it would seem, with a whopping seven foals by the Darley-based sire selling for six figures. That included a 250,000gns filly (lot 878) sold by Barton Stud to Blandford Bloodstock and another filly (lot 983) from Plantation Stud to JP Bloodstock for 240,000gns.
Buy of the Day

Fashion can work both ways and often the market can overreact, be that positively or negatively. It might just be the latter at the moment with Time Test, whose colt (lot 827) out of listed winner Dynamic (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) looks a bargain at just 20,000gns. 

Consigned by Highclere Stud, the Time Test colt was a particularly racey offering by the sire, and Cigar Bloodstock–whoever that may be–could well be toasting this horse in the future. 

Thought of the Day

There was a super turnout at Tattersalls on Friday and the stock on offer clearly cut the mustard with 59 horses making six figures on the day.

The post Landmark Result For St Mark’s Basilica With 575k Sale-Topper At Tattersalls  appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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