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The Hunt For Champers At Tatts Ireland

Tattersalls Ireland’s 2020 slate of flat sales comes to a belated close on Wednesday when the firm stages its November Flat Foal and Breeding Stock Sale, this year enhanced by a 109-strong yearling section. The sale was originally slated to be held on Nov. 13, but–like the company’s November National Hunt Sale over the weekend–was moved when Ireland went back into stage five lockdown last month.

The sale ring at Fairyhouse has now swung back into action, however, and this sale rides the momentum of a fruitful season on the racetrack for its graduates. Those are headlined by the G1 Matron S. victress Champers Elysees (GB) (Elzaam {Aus}), who was bought here back in 2017 as a foal by Aughamore Stud for €12,500. She went on to be pinhooked for €28,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale when bought by her trainer Johnny Murtagh, and she doubtless made many multiples of that when sold privately to Teruya Yoshida following her top-level victory on Irish Champions Weekend.

The Tattersalls Ireland Flat Foal and Breeding Stock Sale flag was flown in the 2-year-old division this season by group winners The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince Of Lir {Ire}) and Steel Bull (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}). The Lir Jet was sold by breeder Donal Boylan for €9,500 at this sale to Joe Foley, who stands his first-crop sire at Ballyhane Stud. Foley moved The Lir Jet on to Robson Aguiar for £8,000 at last summer’s Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, and like Champers Elysees, The Lir Jet was then the subject of two private transactions: one to Nick Bell when the breeze-ups were postponed, and one to Qatar Racing after he broke the track record at Yarmouth on debut. He went on to win Royal Ascot’s G2 Norfolk S.

The G3 Molecomb S. winner Steel Bull has likewise lined numerous pockets. Madeline Burns signed for him at €5,000 at this sale, and he made £15,000 as a Tattersalls Ascot yearling when bought by Kilbrew Stables. Trainer Michael O’Callaghan picked him up for £28,000 at the Goffs UK breeze-up sale on July 1, and sold him on to Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez after his Molecomb win.

These three graduates alone prove the importance of shopping at all levels of the catalogue; last year’s sale returned a top price of €50,000, an average of €6,442 and a median of €3,000. The addition of the yearling section means that this year’s catalogue is up significantly in size, with 190 catalogued including wildcards. Among the proven sires represented are Australia (GB), who has a yearling half-sister to the listed-placed Venturous Spirit (Fr) catalogued (lot 968); Dandy Man (Ire), with a yearling half-brother to three winners from Ballintry Stud (lot 954); Dark Angel (Ire), who has a colt foal who is the first produce for the New Approach (Ire) mare Quite Sharp (GB), a three-quarter sister to listed winner Galactic Star (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 1023); Footstepsinthesand (GB), who has a yearling colt who is the first foal out of the six-time winner Refuse Colette (Ire) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}) (lot 940); Kodiac (GB), whose two yearlings include a filly who is the second foal out of a half-sister to champion Snow Fairy (Ire) (Intikhab) (lot 955A); Mehmas (Ire), who has six yearlings and one foal catalogued, including a yearling colt who is the first foal out of a placed half-sister to multiple Grade II winner and Grade I-placed Beau Recall (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) (lot 980); and No Nay Never, whose one yearling on offer is a half-sister to the G2 Kilboy Estate S. third Annie Fior (Ire) (Finsceal Fior {Ire}) (lot 975).

Other proven sires represented include exciting up-and-comers like Belardo (Ire), New Bay (GB) and Pride Of Dubai (Aus), as well as elder statesmen like Camacho (GB), Elzaam, Tamayuz (GB) and Zoffany (Ire).

The Tattersalls Ireland November Flat Foal and Breeding Stock Sale offers the final chance to purchase at public auction members of the first crops of some of this year’s first-season sires. Those with representatives from their first crops include Aclaim (Ire), Caravaggio (Ire), Cotai Glory (GB), Decorated Knight (GB)-his two include a half-sister to the seven-time winner and G3 Acomb S. second Fort Bastion (Ire) (lot 1005)-El Kabeir, Galileo Gold (GB), Highland Reel (Ire), Kessaar (Ire) and Time Test (GB).

There are also a handful of sires in the foal section represented by their first crop, including Scat Daddy sons Sioux Nation and Smooth Daddy. The G2 Norfolk S. and G1 Phoenix S. winner Sioux Nation was the subject of positive press at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale when he produced the session-topping 88,000gns colt on the fourth day of the sale, and his lone colt here (lot 1052) is the third foal out of Dorothy Parker (Ire) (Mujadil), whose 3-year-old The Nosey Parker (Ire) (Dream Ahead) has won twice since the catalogue was published. Smooth Daddy has four first-crop foals catalogued, while the G2 Mill Reef S. and G3 Greenham S. winner James Garfield (Ire) has one, a filly from the immediate family of this year’s G2 Champagne S. winner Chindit (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) (lot 1032).

The 26 filles or mares catalogued include lot 1068, an unnamed 2-year-old filly from the immediate family of this year’s G2 Lowther S. winner Miss Amulet (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}); Winning Return (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), a granddaughter of the great producer Park Appeal (GB); and Tip Of The City (GB), the dam of the aforementioned James Garfield filly who is back in foal to that sire. Catalogued as lot 1074A, she is a half-sister to the dam of Chindit and from the family of Derby winner and sire Motivator (GB).

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Precocity The Key At New-Look Ascot

The yearling sale caravan rolls onto Newmarket on Monday for the relocated Tattersalls Ascot Yearling Sale, where 257 commercial youngsters will go under the hammer. The fledgling sale which celebrate its fourth renewal rides the momentum of a pair of group-winning 2-year-olds at major meetings over the summer, with Steel Bull (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire})’s victory in the G3 Molecomb S. at Glorious Goodwood preceding Miss Amulet (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire})’s score in the G2 Lowther S. at York’s Ebor meeting, which followed a victory in Naas’s Listed Marwell S. Both have already turned a profit for connections: Steel Bull, a £15,000 yearling, was sold privately to Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez after his Molecomb win, while Miss Amulet, with the residual value of black-type aside, has earned in excess of £84,000 off a £7,500 purchase price. Miss Amulet is set to appear in the G1 Cheveley Park S. on Sept. 26, while Steel Bull also looks bound for Group 1 company in the autumn.

“Those kinds of flagship horses are crucial for any sale,” said Matt Prior, Tattersalls Ascot’s head of sales. “Last year we sold approximately 150 horses and within that we’ve got a real flagship colt and a flagship filly. It’s been an ideal showcase for the sale-Steel Bull was bought for £15,000, won the Molecomb hugely impressively and looked unlucky in his last start and like one to keep an eye on in the later Group 1s in the year.

“Miss Amulet has been a revelation for a filly that cost £7,500. She’s a great bargain buy type of advert, which is what Ascot has the reputation for. Summer Sands was that the year before. Miss Amulet looks like she’s going to take all the beating in the Cheveley Park having won the Lowther, so she’s a dream filly to have come out of the sale. I think that will give people confidence to come back this year, and they should know that there is no doubt that some of next year’s high-class juveniles are in the catalogue and they can go out there with confidence and find them.”

With siblings to 96 2-year-old winners and 69 yearlings out of 2-year-old-winning mares catalogued, buyers won’t have to dig too deep to find precocious types, and two that should make most short lists are Ringfort Stud’s half-sister to Miss Amulet (lot 143) from the first crop of Yeomanstown’s Scat Daddy son El Kabeir; and Linacre House Stud’s full-sister to prior stakes-winning Ascot yearling graduate Flaming Princess (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) (lot 116) (more on her in yesterday’s TDN). They are among 20 siblings to black-type performers catalogued.

“I think it says a lot about where the sale has come in four years that now we’re starting to offer the siblings to black-type winners that we’ve sold, such as James Kelly’s Linacre House Stud’s smashing Gutaifan full-sister to Flaming Princess,” Prior said. “It’s a really good filly family and she looks like she could be a Queen Mary filly next year; she’s that kind of filly. As an individual people won’t be disappointed when they see her; she’s by a stallion that’s really kicked on this year with Fev Rover coming out recently. I think she’s going to be on people’s short lists.

“And Derek Veitch of Ringfort Stud, who bred Miss Amulet, he’s returning this year with a filly from the first crop of El Kabeir, so there’s a bit of residual value as well. Reports are she’s a really nice individual that I think is going to be popular and could go to any sale, so we’re lucky to have them in our sale. It’s a real feather in the cap for the sale this year to have those vendors that have been rewarded by selling nice horses with us to come back and have confidence to bring the siblings to the market.”

Whitsbury Manor Stud has been a regular supporter of the Ascot Yearling Sale, and the Harper family’s nursery brings eight yearlings this year including a colt from the second crop of Goken (Fr) (lot 245), the leading first-crop sire in France this season and second only to Mehmas (Ire) currently among all European first-crop sires. Goken sired Sunday’s G3 Prix la Rochette victor Go Athletico (Fr). Lot 245 is a three-quarter brother to Kendargent (Fr) stakes winners Kendam (Fr) and Kenfreeze (Fr) and is the only progeny of his sire thus far offered at a UK yearling sale. Ed Harper purchased the dam, Damdam Freeze (Fr) (Indian Rocket {GB}), for €50,000 carrying this colt at Arqana December in 2018 and, with the addition of some updates from Kendam’s G3 Prix La Rochette victor Kenway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), she was sold to Mags O’Toole at Tattersalls July this year for 70,000gns in foal to Showcasing (GB).

“I had an inkling that Goken might surprise a few people amongst the first season sires so I was keen to buy the best quality mare I could that was in foal from his second season,” Harper explained. “We’ve been fortunate the mare has provided us with an athletic colt, he’s compact but has a lovely way of going and there’s also been a nice update on the page with Kenway picking up more group race placings under the first dam. He should attract good attention from anyone that has seen how well Goken’s runners have been performing.”

With Showcasing as its flagbearer, Adaay (Ire) and Due Diligence having gotten off to promising starts and the G1 Flying Five S. winner Havana Grey (GB) also coming up through the ranks, Whitsbury Manor has laid its foundations with speed, and thus the Tattersalls Ascot Sale is a natural fit.

“This sale has been specifically positioned to offer precocious 2-year-old types, which is exactly the section of the market that we aim to focus on with our stallions,” Harper confirmed. “In addition, the usual location of the sale at Ascot is only an hour from Whitsbury which is considerably closer to home than all the others. Therefore, if this sale is able to continue as a good outlet for our stock it provides us with a very efficient market as far as travel, staff, hotels, etcetera are concerned.”

Whitsbury Manor offers two of the three yearlings by Showcasing in the sale-a filly, lot 69, and a colt, lot 127-and Harper described them both as “great walkers.” Another he pointed to in the consignment was a Due Diligence filly who is the first foal out of the unraced Eshq (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) (lot 7), a granddaughter of American champion mare Fleet Indian. Whitsbury Manor scooped her up for 1,500gns at Tattersalls December last year.

“She is the absolute image of what I think the sale is looking for: strong, compact, and a ready-made 2-year-old,” Harper said. “I just hope she goes to a trainer that won’t be afraid to push on with her as she’s ready to go.”

The likes of Showcasing and Gutaifan represent a strong sire profile at the burgeoning Tattersalls Ascot Yearling Sale. There are similarly three yearlings catalogued by young sensation Night Of Thunder (Ire), with representation as well from the likes of Acclamation (GB) and his red hot son Mehmas (Ire); Dandy Man, Holy Roman Emperor (Ire), Iffraaj (Ire) and Zoffany (Ire).

“We’re over the moon; three Night of Thunders tells you how far the sale has come,” Prior said. “He’s been a revelation as a sire and we feel very lucky that we have that calibre of stallion not only once but three times. That sire power makes such a difference. Mehmas is off to a flyer and we have nine of those so buyers will have plenty to go at there.”

As the third European yearling sale on a re-shuffled calendar in an unprecedented year, all eyes will be on Park Paddocks on Monday before the action shifts to Deauville on Wednesday. Last week’s Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale achieved a solid clearance rate of 84%, but with turnover nearly half of what it was last year and other markers significantly down, vendors will be hoping the desire for bloodstock grows as the season marches on.

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Earthlight Put To The Test

Godolphin’s unbeaten Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal) faces his first major test of 2020 in a strong renewal of Sunday’s 6 1/2-furlong G1 LARC Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville. Facing the older sprinters for the first time, last year’s G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. winner also meets Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}) who was a neck behind him when runner-up in the Middle Park at Newmarket in September. There was no sign that his delayed start to the season had meant a diminishing of his ability when he took the Listed Prix Kistena over six furlongs here on July 12 and Andre Fabre said he is happy with his preparation, if wary of the size of the task ahead. “Earthlight’s juvenile form is among the best around and he comes into this race in excellent condition,” he said. “I’m a bit worried if a race like this might just be coming a bit soon for him, he’s only had one run this season, which he found very easy. He’s having to take on older horses as well, but we’ll see. He had that interruption to the start of his season, which hasn’t been ideal.”

Also from Godolphin is ‘TDN Rising Star’ Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who is on a roll over seven furlongs having annexed the G3 Prix de la Porte Maillot at ParisLongchamp on June 25 and the G2 Lennox S. at Goodwood on July 28. He was only beaten a length when third in this 12 months ago and is probably an improved performer. “Space Blues has come out of the Lennox S. in good form. He ran well in this race last year and, with the way he has performed so far this year, we are heading back very confident that he can run a big race,” Charlie Appleby said. “Every time he has stepped up in grade this season, he has won more impressively, while he has performed well at Group 1 level on both his previous starts at Deauville. He ran very well in it last year and a repeat performance of that or what he has done this year is going to make him a live player.”

Golden Horde has stepped up this year, winning the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot on June 19 before finishing third in the G1 July Cup at Newmarket on July 11. Trainer Clive Cox commented, “He is drawn 10 of 11, but I’m very happy with the horse. This is a very competitive Group 1, especially with Earthlight in there, who we have form with from last year. In the Morny he beat us quite convincingly, although our horse ran well, and we closed the gap by the end of the year in the Middle Park. I think an extra half a furlong will be no problem for us. I’m quite excited and looking forward to it. I think home territory might be a slight advantage, with the heat we have at the moment, but that said, apart from the journey it will be the same for all of us. He won well at Royal Ascot first time out and ran well in defeat in the July Cup. I’m still full of hope and admiration for our horse.”

Another Royal Ascot winner in the line-up is Haras d’Etreham and Cambridge Stud’s Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}), who took the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. on June 20. Only fifth in the July Cup, he has to bounce back. Jockey Kevin Stott said, “I think he’ll like the track, as he didn’t come down the hill particularly well at Newmarket and the extra half a furlong will be right up his street. I’m really excited. He’s a very laid-back horse who takes everything in his stride.” Aidan O’Brien’s duo are the July 12 G1 Prix Jean Prat runner-up Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and Wichita (Ire) (No Nay Never), who drops back in trip after his second in the June 6 G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, third in the G1 St James’s Palace S. at Royal Ascot on June 20 and fifth in the G1 Sussex S. at Goodwood on July 29.

Phoenix Headlines Curragh Card

The Curragh features a fascinating clash of the precocious juveniles in the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S., with Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez’s recent purchase Steel Bull (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}) stepping up to six furlongs following his success in Goodwood’s G3 Molecomb S. on July 29. Qatar Racing’s June 19 G2 Norfolk S. winner The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}) renews rivalry with Middleham Park Racing’s Ventura Tormenta (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), with the latter denying him by the narrowest of margins in the G2 Prix Robert Papin over this trip at Chantilly on July 19. “The Molecomb winner was very impressive and Group 1s are never easy, but the horse seems in good form so we’ve got our fingers crossed,” trainer Michael Bell said of The Lir Jet. “He was in front before and just after the line in Chantilly, a real case of heads up, heads down, but unfortunately ours was up where it mattered. The horse who beat him is obviously a good horse in his own right. I don’t think he’s an out-and-out 2-year-old–you wouldn’t think it looking at him, as he’s a scopey sort. Hopefully the Commonwealth Cup might be on his agenda next season.”

Richard Hannon is hoping Ventura Tormenta can uphold the Robert Papin and said of him, “He is an Acclamation and he does exactly what it says on the tin. He is a reliable worker and is as good an Acclamation as we have had. They are rock hard and are made for racing and he is no different. In France it looked to me like he was running for second or third, but he stuck at it very well. This is another step up and he needs to find more, but he improved from his last run so hopefully he can do the same again.”

Also in the line-up is the July 18 G2 Railway S. first and second Laws of Indices (Ire) (Power {GB}) and Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and that course-and-distance contest has always been a stepping stone to this. The winner’s trainer Ken Condon has a smart collection of juveniles in 2020 and said, “All has been fine with him and we’re looking forward to it. He’ll have to improve and step forward again, but he’s been good since and he’s well entitled to take his chance. He took a big step forward from his first to his second run and then from his second to his third, and has pleased us since.” According to jockey bookings, the one to head the trio bidding to give the current Ballydoyle set-up a 17th renewal is St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), the half-brother to Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) who was second on his sole start over this track and trip on July 26.

Elsewhere on the Curragh card, the story of the G3 Rathasker Stud Phoenix Sprint S. is whether the June 28 G2 Greenlands S. and July 5 G3 Ballycorus S. winner Speak In Colours (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) can give nine pounds to last year’s G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine Millisle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), now that she has served notice that she is back to her best when winning by four lengths in Naas’s G3 Ballyogan S. over this six-furlong trip on July 22. At Salisbury, Shadwell’s June 16 Buckingham Palace H. and July 11 Bunbury Cup winner Motakhayyel (GB) (Heeraat {Ire}) steps into pattern company in the G3 AJN Steelstock Sovereign S., where he meets some established performers headed by the July 28 G2 Lennox S. runner-up Duke of Hazzard (Fr) (Lope de Vega {Ire}).

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Ventura Tormenta Added To Phoenix

Middleham Park Racing’s G2 Prix Robert Papin winner Ventura Tormenta (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) was one of four supplementary entries on Tuesday to Sunday’s G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. at The Curragh. He was joined, as expected, by G3 Molecomb S. winner Steel Bull (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}) as well as the G2 Airlie Stud S. winner Aloha Star (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) and the Aidan O’Brien-trained winner Giorgio Vasari (Ire) (Air Force Blue).

Ventura Tormenta will be re-opposing The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince Of Lir {Ire}), who he beat by a head in the Papin. The Lir Jet finished ahead of Ventura Tormenta when winning the G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot.

“Middleham Park were keen to take the race on because the Morny was already looking over-subscribed,” said Ventura Tormenta’s trainer Richard Hannon. “I think this was a good opportunity for the horse to have a crack at a Group 1. He has come back from France well and has never looked better. He has put on weight and the whole experience of France will have done his confidence a lot of good. I think the track at The Curragh will suit him and he is a very straightforward horse. I think he is joint top-rated going into the race and we are looking forward to seeing what he can do. He will be renewing his rivalry with The Lir Jet, which will be a challenge, while there will be some other nice horses in there, which you expect at this level.”

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