Tattersalls October Yearling Sale | Horse Racing Free Tips

Frankel On Top Again as Book 1 Figures Take a Dip

By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin

NEWMARKET, UK–A Frankel (GB) filly out of the brilliant G1 Cheveley Park S. winner Millisle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) provided a sprinkling of stardust on the final day of the Tattersalls Book 1 October Yearling Sale when selling to Shadwell for 1.6 million gns.

Sheikha Hissa has been a notable presence on the sales ground all week and, according to Shadwell's racing manager Angus Gold, it was her determination that helped see off the attention of underbidder Kieran Lalor for the first foal out of the former Jessica Harrington-trained star.

That result brought Shadwell's haul of fillies to seven and pushed the operation's total spend to 3.66 million gns this week.

Gold said of lot 492 bred by Stonethorn Stud Farm, “Sheikha Hissa absolutely loved her when she saw her. I said she's probably going to make a lot of money and she said, 'well, we need fillies for the stud.'

“A first foal out of the Cheveley Park winner by one of the world's great stallions, it's sort of self-explanatory. She seemed very athletic and had a very good mind for a Frankel. A very well-balanced filly.”

He added, “I thought she'd make a million and two, probably a million and three. We were determined to buy her and there is obviously a period of rebuilding. It's a long-term project for Sheikha Hissa. It's exciting times for the stud but obviously you need to keep regenerating.

Shadwell did not add any colts to the team this week but that's not to say that the major owner-breeders would be against the idea with Gold going on to reveal that there is a possibility that Shadwell will be active at next week's Book 2 sessions.

He said, “Obviously we'll be looking. The concentration has been fillies but we will see what Sheikha Hissa wants to do.”

The day-three topper was consigned by Watership Down Stud, who also sold a Dubawi (Ire) filly to Shadwell earlier this week for 450,000gns.

Watership Down's Simon Marsh said, “This is a real reward for the breeder who has been with us for about 15 years. The filly was born and raised on our farm in Ireland at Kiltinan Castle Stud and it was a great result all round.

“It's wonderful for Sheikh Hissa and it's great to see the success of Shadwell since the very sad passing of Sheikh Hamdan. It's a great testament to him to see what's been happening on the racecourse. and it's wonderful to see her wanting to buy lovely fillies to put into the broodmare band in the future.”

The filly was the sole millionaire offering of the final session, with the trade lagging some way behind the record figures of 2022. The deficit was acknowledged by Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony in his closing statement.

He said, “Book 1 of last year's Tattersalls October Yearling Sale produced some outlandish figures which will most likely remain in the record books for many years to come, and it is no surprise that this year's renewal has not matched the extraordinary 2022 returns which saw a year on year rise in turnover of almost 40 million guineas.

“Nevertheless, Europe's premier yearling sale has enjoyed plenty of memorable moments, very much reflecting the quality of the yearlings which have been on show throughout the past three days.”

Cumani: 'We Owe That Family a Hell of a Lot'

The last Frankel (GB) colt in the sale, lot 493, from the Cumani family's terrific Souk (Ire) dynasty, lifted the spirits as the afternoon drew to a close when joining the list of Coolmore's purchases this week at 950,000gns.

Last year the Cumanis' Fittocks Stud sold Euphoric (GB) (Frankel {GB}) to MV Magnier and White Birch Farm for 1.9 million gns, and he timed his run rather well to score on debut at Navan on Wednesday. So it was back to a trusted source, and in fact as association that stretches back at least 24 years to when the Coolmore team bought a Sadler's Wells colt for 650,000gns at the Houghton Sale for 650,000gns and named him Milan (GB) after the birthplace of his breeder Luca Cumani. As a St Leger winner and a leading National Hunt sire for Coolmore, he served his owners well.

In the case of the team's latest purchase, a decent update could be in the offing, because John and Thady Gosden think enough of the Frankel colt's three-year-old half-sister Naaey (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) to be planning entering her in the G2 Pride S. in the coming weeks. The dam Materialistic (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) won twice and was Listed-placed for Cumani in his training days. Now 10, she is a great-grand-daughter of the Fittocks foundation mare Souk, who was herself by Ahonoora (GB).

“From the moment he was born he was strong,” said Cumani of the yearling. “Obviously yesterday's result helped, and we have to thank the Juddmonte team, as they were underbidders and without them we wouldn't have got this far.”

His wife Sara added, “It'll be great for all the guys at the farm as it's not been the easiest sale. [The market has been] up and down. We sold one for more than we expected, four for less than we expected and two we took home. Anything that is bred to look like a mile-and-a-half horse they didn't seem to be excited about. But this was a great result and we are grateful to the people who support us and grateful to the people who work with us.”

Materialistic is now back in foal to Frankel, having lost an earlier colt by him as a weanling, and she has a colt foal by Wootton Bassett (GB).

Luca Cumani added, “We'd like to thank Coolmore very much. They have been great supporters of ours, especially this year and last year.

“I bought Souk as a yearling in Goffs for Ir£100,000, which was a lot of money in those days, and I got home and got quite a bollocking. I'm glad it has worked out okay. [Her grand-daughter] Platonic, who struggled to win, and finally won as a four-year-old in the French provinces, we sold for 100,000gns, and look what she has produced. It is a great family. We owe that family a hell of a lot.”

Talking Points

Edmond Mahony highlighted a “selectivity to the market”, and that is reflected in the figures for Book 1. The final day's trade dipped by 35% year-on-year to 29,158,000gns, with the median being the lowest of the week at 155,000gns (-35%) and the average at 219,233gns (-32%). Across the three days, the aggregate was down to 95,395,000gns (-25%), which was still up on the 'Covid years' of 2020 and 2021 and just beneath the preceding three years when the turnover passed 100 million gns. From 470 yearlings offered, 391 were marked as sold, to give a clearance rate of 83% (-5%) The median price for the three days was 180,000gns (-10%) and the average was 243,997gns (-18%).
The trade at last year's Book 1 reached record levels, but it is worth reflecting that more than 10 million gns of that was attributed to yearlings 'bought' by Saleh Al Homaizi which ultimately had to be reoffered after payment wasn't forthcoming. Another 2.7 million gns was spent by John Dance of Manor House Farm, who has not been active in the yearling market this season since Dance's business affairs came under investigation by the Financial Conduct Authority earlier this year. On the other hand, Richard Knight, who last year signed for the yearlings on Al Homaizi's list, is now acting on behalf of a new name on the buyers' sheet, the Saudi Arabia-based Al Salhia Stud, which is owned by Mohammed Saleh Bin Laden. Al Salhia Stud, which has previously been involved in Arab racing, is now branching out into Thoroughbreds and was active at Arqana in August. Through Book 1, the operation bought 10 yearlings for a total of 2,555,000gns.
Though Godolphin was still a significant presence as the leading buyer, with 20 horses bought for just north of 12 million gns, even this expenditure pales next to last year's outlay of 25.3 million gns for 35 Book 1 yearlings. Rabbah Bloodstock, too, spent 1.5 million gns at last year's sale but was absent from the buyers' list this week.
Tom Goff and Richard Brown buy for a range of clients, and their Blandford Bloodstock was the second-leading buyer at Book 1, with 25 yearlings signed for at a total outlay of 8.1 million gns. Brown has been the main buyer of horses in training for Wathnan Racing, owned by the Emir of Qatar, and a new name in the owner ranks in recent seasons. Though no confirmation was given of any yearling purchases for the operation, it is fair to assume that some of those bought under the Blandford banner may be seen racing in the Wathnan colours in the future.
For the sixth year in a row, Graham Smith-Bernal's Newsells Park Stud topped the Book 1 consignors' list with 25 sold for a total of 10,565,000gns. There were also noteworthy results from the select drafts of Anthony Oppenheimer's Hascombe & Valiant Stud, which sold six yearlings at an average of 554,167gns, including the overall top lot, and for Paul and Marie McCartan's Ballyphilip Stud, which averaged 504,000gns for five sold.
Frankel was responsible for the most expensive colt and filly in the sale, and two of the seven yearlings to have sold for a million or more. That number of seven-figure lots was down from 16 last year.
Twelve late withdrawals on the day from the final session tells its own tale of how some vendors viewed the dip in trade on Thursday.

Another Gem for Grangemore

Grangemore Stud's full-sister to the Group 2 winners Charyn (Ire) and Wings Of War (Ire), both by Dark Angel (Ire), will join her brother Charyn in the ownership of Nurlan Bizakov, who, under his Sumbe banner, when to 850,000gns for the daughter of the 10-year-old mare Futoon (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}).

Grangemore owner Guy O'Callaghan bought Futoon in partnership with his brother David for 100,000gns, and she has more that repaid that outlay, with her repeat matings with Yeomanstown Stud's Dark Angel having produced those two black-type winners from as many foals of racing age.

O'Callaghan said of the yearling filly [lot 376], “She's always been a spectacular filly at home. I'm thrilled with the price she made and the home she's going to. We had to come over to the sales a day early with the storm last week, so she's been here nine days and she's not put a foot wrong. It's a lot for a yearling to take and she's been a class act. They're all so great out of the mare but she was probably the best of them.”

Futoon, who was placed multiple times at Listed level, is from the family of the G2 Mill Reef S. winner Galeota (Ire) and of the Group 3-winning siblings Burnt Sugar (Ire) and Brown Sugar (Ire).

O'Callaghan added, “My brother David and I bought the mare here as a four-year-old from Steven Hillen and Kevin Ryan. We were following her as a racehorse and she's been very lucky for us ever since. It's a real fast, tough family. There was a good Dark Angel in the family already, and she just made so much sense.”

Along with Nurlan Bizakov, major owner-breeder operations Cheveley Park Stud, Shadwell and Al Shira'aa Farms were also among those to have selected well-bred fillies on the final day of Book 1.

On Shadwell's behalf, Angus Gold went to 575,000gns for lot 427, Meon Valley Stud's daughter of Sea The Moon (Ger) and Group 2 winner Jazzi Top (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), whose second and third dams, Zee Zee Top (GB) (Zafonic) and Colorspin (Fr) (High Top {GB}) are both Group 1 winners.

Kieran Lalor picked up another smart filly for Al Shira'aa in lot 393, a Siyouni (Fr) half-sister to Al Husn (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who won the G1 Nassau S. after publication of the catalogue. Shadwell were under-bidders on the filly, having sold her dam Hadaatha (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) to David Nagle of Barronstown Stud for 400,000gns when she was in foal to Siyouni in 2021.

Bennett's Merry Week

Craig Bennett of Merry Fox Stud signed off on a good week of selling alongside Newsells Park Stud when Godolphin went to 800,000gns to secure his Dubawi (Ire) filly (lot 470) out of Luminate (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}).

Along with Newsells Park, Bennett brought four yearlings to the market this week and sold all four, with the owner-breeder describing himself as happy with the business conducted at Tattersalls.

He said, “Great week-I sold four out of four. Going home now! The first mare we bought in partnership with Newsells was Luminate. She is clearly a lovely-walking mare and she passes that walk on. This is the first one we have brought to market and got very well paid to go to a good home. It's a great cross and the Rainbow Quest in the second generation really suits the sire, particularly for fillies, so I think they have got a very good chance of her being a very good racehorse. The mare is in foal to Lope De Vega, carrying a filly, and we are just working out mating plans for next year.”

Market View

There were plenty of positives to take from Book 1, the highest-priced yearling sold in Europe this year being one of them, but there were just seven lots all told to break the million gns throughout the three days.

Unlike the Orby Sale at Goffs, where well-bred fillies led the way, the majority of the big-ticket horses sold at Tattersalls this week were colts.

Kieran Lalor, who buys on behalf of major owner-breeder Al Shira'aa Farms, cut the image of a frustrated figure on Thursday when sharing his feeling that the well-bred colts matched up better physically than the fillies this week.

That played out in the results and Al Shira'aa signed for four yearlings–two fillies and two colts–in what was at times a patchy sale.

Bloodstock agent Mark McStay shared that while he felt the top end of the market remained strong at Tattersalls this week, the middle tiers were difficult at times.

In other words, the recession-proof buyers were there, but in reflection of what is going on in the wider world outside racing, the middle market has taken somewhat of a dent.

He explained, “Like every sale that I have attended for the past number of years, for the very good stock, the trade is highly competitive. Underneath that top level, business is being done but it can be sticky in patches.

“The standard of horses has been high and all of the big players are here. What we have seen play out this week is probably a fair reflection of the worldwide bloodstock market.”

He added, “Some people who have been active here in the past number of years haven't appeared but, then again, some of the bigger players, the likes of Sheikh Mohammed, have participated stronger than ever.”

A much clearer picture will be painted on the middle market, according to McStay, after Books 2, 3 and 4 take place at Tattersalls next week.

He continued, “I am very happy with how my week went. We bought some nice horses and, while we weren't in the big league, I'm happy and am looking forward to Book 2 and onwards. Next week will be telling and it will be interesting to see what trainers have orders.”

Edmond Mahony concluded his own assessment of the market in a philosophical fashion. He commented, “Year on year the consignors show enormous faith in Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale with the sale showcasing the very best that Europe has to offer, and yet again we have seen so many of the world's leading owners competing for the finest turf-bred yearlings to be found anywhere in the world.

“Amongst them have been a greater number of yearlings selling for one million guineas or more than all other European yearling sales combined, Europe's highest-priced yearling yet again, and 40 yearlings selling for in excess of 500,000gns which similarly is more than all other European yearlings sales to date this year. As ever Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale has attracted buyers from throughout the world, so many of them drawn annually to Park Paddocks by the consistent success of Book 1 horses at the highest level on the global stage. In the course of the past three days buyers from Abu Dhabi, Australia, Bahrain, China, Dubai, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the USA have all made significant contributions at all levels of the market confirming the unparalleled esteem in which the finest European yearlings are held and specifically those found annually at this particular sale. This is a sale that produces stallions and breed-shaping broodmares on an annual basis and it is the sale's unrivalled reputation which annually makes this fixture an unmissable event for so many of the most influential thoroughbred owners in the world.”

He added, “Amongst the success stories and numerous pinhooking triumphs, there has nevertheless been a selectivity to the market which we must recognise. Last year's game-changing October Book 1 was always going to be a challenging target, and so it has proved with the sale turnover some way short of the massive 2022 total, but the median has held up well, second only to last year's record level, the average of almost 250,000gns is an impressive figure, and the clearance rate in excess of 80% is a solid number. We extend our gratitude as ever to the consignors and purchasers alike whose support is what makes Newmarket and Tattersalls a true hub for the European bloodstock industry and we look forward to seeing this year's crop of October Book 1 yearlings competing globally at the highest level as well as earning their owners in Britain and Ireland yet more lucrative £25,000 Tattersalls October Book 1 Bonuses.”

Buy Of The Day

Mark Flannery has turned water into wine on more than one occasion–the top breeze-up handler famously got €210,000 for €5,000 Book 2 buy Landshark.

Perhaps Flannery found more value at Tattersalls this week in the shape of a 40,000gns Kingman (GB) colt (lot 516) from Blue Diamond Stud.

Kingman has done well with his breeze-up graduates and this could be another. He's gone to a top outfit and could rock into six figures or more at the Craven Breeze-Up Sale here in the spring. Time will tell.

The post Frankel On Top Again as Book 1 Figures Take a Dip appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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‘He Is What It Says On The Tin’: Nashwa’s Dubawi Half-Brother Among Stellar Lots at Tattersalls

NEWMARKET, UK–Whether up top or down below, the consignors at Park Paddocks all agree that the major redevelopment work that has been carried out by Tattersalls over the last few years has been a huge boost.

The extended yards of R, S and T in the Somerville Paddock seem to have almost doubled in size during the levelling-up process, with extra rubber runways making the business of showing and viewing horses that bit easier.

Gerry Meehan, the yearling manager of Blue Diamond Stud, is delighted with the position for his quartet of yearlings, describing the renovation as a “game-changer”.

He says, “Even though the yard is only a metre wider all round, it seems massive compared to how it used to be.”

Imad Al Sagar's Blue Diamond Stud is selling four colts by big-name stallions in Dubawi (Ire), Kingman (GB), Lope De Vega (Ire) and Sea The Stars (Ire), and on paper, at least, it is hard to look past the Dubawi half-brother to the treble Group 1 winner Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

“He is what it says on the tin,” says Meehan of lot 35. “He's a star: he looks a star and he does everything like a star. He'a a proper horse and he shows off when he comes out here.”

He adds, “They are four very nice horses; we're very lucky.”

Down at Solario yard EE, which was revamped impressively last year, there's a strong French flavour, with La Motteraye Consignment making a rare reappearance at Tattersalls and stabled just around the corner from Michel Zerolo's European Sales Management draft.

Gwen Monneraye, who runs the Normandy-based La Motteraye operation with his partner Lucie Lamotte, is on hand with a pair of Book 1 yearlings, including a filly by Night Of Thunder (Ire) from the family of The Wow Signal (Ire) [lot 495]. The consignors have 39 yearlings being prepared for the October Yearling Sale at Arqana, which is naturally much closer to home for them, but Monneraye admits to a touch of FOMO necessitating a return to Tattersalls after a four-year absence.

“In French we have a saying 'Les absents ont toujours tort', which roughly translates to 'if you're not there you are missing out on something',” he says.

“We sell for ourselves but we also sell for lots of clients and it's nice to provide the options for them. When you want to sell in France and in England, you have to be very well organised, and we don't do anything unless we are well organised. We are building a bigger barn to make it more practical for us to come here more often, so I think in two years' time we will have a bigger draft.”

Monneraye adds, “The horses travelled over really well, so we were able to show as early as Friday afternoon, which I didn't expect, but all through the weekend we have seen a lot of people. We have another four for next week so it's going to be a full month of sales.”

Making their Book 1 debut is Natalie Folland and Matt Bowen, who consign from Fonthill Stud in Wiltshire as Folland-Bowen Bloodstock and offer a son of Showcasing (GB) as lot 63 on behalf of breeder Jane Keir. The colt, from a well-established and successful international family, enjoyed a good update since the publication of the catalogue when his half-brother Flight Plan (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) won the G2 Dullingham Park S. for Steve Parkin's Clipper Logistics on Irish Champions weekend.

“The update came just at the right time. We're still pinching ourselves,” says Keir.

“Liam Norris found his dam Romp for me and said, 'Jane, this mare probably won't be to everyone's taste but she's worth looking at.' She was on the end of the row and she ended up costing 14,000gns.

“She's a Pivotal mare with Singspiel as her broodmare sire too, and [Breeders' Cup Turf winner] Rebel's Romance is in the family as well, so hopefully it's building.”

Romp, who wasn't covered this year, now has a Pintaubo filly foal at foot, and she resides at Lord Margadale's Fonthill Stud, which is leased by Folland and Bowen. Keir herself was the former owner of Elkington Stud, which was managed by Folland until its sale a few years ago.

Keir adds, “There was no question that the mares would go with Nat. They are treated like royalty there.”

While Keir admits that Flight Plan's sire Night Of Thunder is now at the top of her list for Romp next year, it is another Darley-based son of Dubawi, Too Darn Hot (GB), that has brought an extra large smile to the face of Watership Down Stud's Simon Marsh this season. It is with good reason, too, as not only was Too Darn Hot bred at Watership Down Stud by Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber, but they retained a significant share in him when he retired to Dalham Hall Stud. With his first crop of juvenile runners, the stallion from Watership Down's signature family of Darara (Ire) now has four group winners to his name, including the G1 Moyglare Stud S. winner Fallen Angel (GB).

“He was always a horse that one would have thought that his 2-year-olds would be later types, and since August he has done exceptionally well. His pedigree is really full of later-maturing horses, like Dar Re Mi and So Mi Dar, and then Darara and Darshaan. Everything he's doing at the moment is really a bonus and we hope that next year his 3-year-olds will really develop and do even better,” Marsh says.

“It's fantastic to have bred a horse who could become a significant influence, and for us to have ended up owning half of him is extraordinary. We have a couple by him to sell this week, including a filly who is interestingly inbred 3×3 to Darara [lot 259].”

With Too Darn Hot's sire Dubawi, the reigning champion, still in full flow and responsible for 19 of the yearlings in Book 1, it is fair to expect to see him feature prominently on the leaderboard at Tattersalls this week, especially with Sheikh Mohammed in attendance. On Monday afternoon, the ruler of Dubai was patrolling the sales grounds, inspecting yearlings with his principal trainer Charlie Appleby, and the Godolphin buying team of Anthony Stroud and David Loder.

The sheikh is far from the only major player in town, however. His niece Sheikha Hissa was also spotted alongside Shadwell's Racing Manager Angus Gold, while owners and breeders from as far afield as Australia, America and Japan have also made the bloodstock pilgrimage to Newmarket. There seems little doubt that the next three days will bring with them yet more staggering trade for a very special bunch of yearlings.

The post ‘He Is What It Says On The Tin’: Nashwa’s Dubawi Half-Brother Among Stellar Lots at Tattersalls appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Kildaragh’s Golden Hour Shines Brightly Ahead of Book 1

NEWMARKET, UK–For those of us of a certain age, for whom the years seem to flash by ever faster, that hill up to Tattersalls seems to get steeper every year. One family which has no trouble striding their way up to their draft just through the wrought iron gates is the Kavanaghs of Kildaragh Stud, and this week it's not just because, collectively, they have the longest legs in the business. On Saturday, the family enjoyed two terrific results, both as breeze-up consignors and breeders, when first the Tattersalls Craven sale-topper Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) won the G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. at Newmarket followed half an hour later by the victory of the Kildaragh-bred Sea Silk Road (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G1 Prix de Royallieu at Longchamp.

It's the kind of afternoon that anyone in the game dreams about, and on the rare occasion that the stars align, it naturally puts an extra pep in the step of those involved. In this case, too, Sea Silk Road's timing was immaculate, as on Tuesday, just a handful of lots into the biggest yearling sale of the year in Europe, her full-sister is set to waltz through the ring at Tattersalls.

The Kavanagh family is almost en masse at Park Paddocks, with the one notable exception on Monday being Antoinette, wife of Peter and mother of Roderick, Alice and Sophie, who all wisely agree that the matriarch is the one who really does all the work.

Roderick, whose Glending Stables, in partnership with Cormac O'Flynn, turned the 42,000gns yearling colt now known as Vandeek into a 625,000gns breezer earlier this year, says of the weekend's results, “It gives you great confidence that you can get your hands on those kinds of horses, and having one that was pinhooked and one that was bred just gives it a bit of balance.”

Though the breeze-up results, headlined by that dual Group 1-winning juvenile, have been impressive, the Kavanaghs' core business has always been breeding, and there are few in the business with a deeper knowledge of pedigrees and families than Peter. He and Antoinette bought Sea Silk Road's dam Oriental Magic (Ger) (Doyen {GB}) from her breeder Gestut Auenquelle in 2014 when she had a German Listed win and Group 2 placing to her name.

“We raced her with Christophe Ferland in France and she was stakes-placed for us along with her group placings in Germany,” says Peter. “We originally sent her to Siyouni before he got to the level he is now, so it's been good. With John Clarke we did a foal share to Sea The Stars and we bred this beautiful filly. We were very impressed with her from the outset. She was a lovely, square, strong filly.”

Through their late manager John Clarke, the Tsui family's Sunderland Holdings bought out the breeders at 190,000gns at the Tattersalls October Sale of 2020 and sent the filly into training with William Haggas in Newmarket.

Peter continues, “When we came here to Book 1, [John] was very impressed by her and we reassured him that we had confidence in her and that she had a very straightforward upbringing. When you are selling horses you breed, it gives you that confidence to recommend them to future purchasers. You know so much about them because you've been there since the day they were foaled, and you've planned the matings in a lot of cases. It's a long slog at times but when things work out well and you get a filly that wins a Group 1 on Arc weekend it's just phenomenal.”

Returning to the subject of the unbeaten Vandeek, Roderick adds, “We watched it together at home when he made his debut and there was so much money for him we thought they must be confident, then he reared in the stalls and lost three lengths at the start. And we all just looked at each other and thought, 'Right, well that's that anyway.'

But then he's just come through and has been really good. He looks exceptional. And who could predict that?”

Kavanagh Sr admits that there's “a lot of chipping in” when it comes to the family members expressing their opinions on business matters. Alice, a successful pinhooker in her own right, is at the forefront of the Kildaragh Stud drafts, while Sophie has temporarily left Ireland and the family to work for Johnno Spence Consulting, with Tattersalls, conveniently, being one of the major clients of that PR business.

Peter says, “Alice looks after the broodmares predominantly and foals a lot of mares. She does a lot of the early work with the foals and she has her own consigning business, which she does expertly as ever. It just gives everybody their own identity within the business, which is interesting too because they are not just being swallowed up by the main business. They can each show their skills in their own domain.”

Sophie adds, “I like to keep a hand in and keep an eye on what's going on at home. In my job, managing the Tattersalls PR account, although that's my primary focus this week, it's nice that where we are stabled as well it allows me a little bit of dipping in to see if everything is still in one piece down here, and to check that everyone is still getting along.”

Sophie won't have to do too much homework when it comes to the Kildaragh Stud draft, which has 11 yearlings through Book 1. Two of those are in the ring early as lots 4 and 5, with the second of that pair being Sea Silk Road's sister.

“She's very nice,” says Peter. “She's a May foal so she's not the finished article, but she has lots of quality. Sea The Stars is just one of the best sires we've seen in Europe in a couple of decades, and I think his fillies are going to have a major impact in the studbook for years ahead. They seem to mate with nearly anything they get sent.

“We're thrilled to have access to him, and to have him in Ireland. I think he's going to be a breed-shaper, both as a sire of sires and his fillies are going to be interesting broodmares.”

The Kavanaghs also have a weanling full-sister to Sea Silk Road at home, while Oriental Magic is back in foal to Lope De Vega (Ire), the sire of her current 3-year-old Indemnity (Ire).

“She's been good to us so far,” Peter says of the 12-year-old mare. “The 3-year-old was second on his first start, beaten a neck, and the 2-year-old is due to run next weekend at the Curragh for Dermot Weld, so there's plenty to happen.”

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End of an Era as Newsells Park Stud Offers Shastye’s Last Colt

“We're in the home straight,” says Julian Dollar and, though the long-term manager of Newsells Park Stud is all too aware that the home straights that matter are those on racecourses around the world, for his team it's all about getting the crop of 2022 to the yearling sales in great shape. So, as the wagons roll to transport those youngsters from Royston to Newmarket, it's a home straight of a kind, with the winning post this week being that famous ring at Tattersalls.

No matter the experience of the folk behind the yearlings for sale, there is always a degree of trepidation in the build-up, and at Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale the stakes are perhaps higher than anywhere else. For the last five years straight, and for a number of other editions of the sale before that, Newsells Park Stud has been the leading vendor at Book 1, with that success maintained throughout the sale of the stud in 2021 to Graham Smith-Bernal by the Jacobs family. This year's draft of 31 looks as strong as ever.

A chapter will be closed on Tuesday on an extraordinary run at Tattersalls for the great mare Shastye (Ire) (Danehill), the dam of Group 1 winners Japan (Ire) and Mogul (Ire), Group 2 winner Secret Gesture (Ire) and Group 3 winner Sir Isaac Newton (Ire), all of whom are by Galileo (Ire). Shastye died last year after at the age of 21 foaling a colt by Dubawi (Ire), who sells as lot 96. A May foal, he will have plenty of hopes resting on his bay shoulders considering not just the racecourse performances of his half-siblings but also their sale-ring records: eight of Shastye's offspring have previously sold at Tattersalls for a collective 14,430,000gns.

“I don't think we'll ever find another one like her,” says Dollar of Shastye. “Obviously that was quite emotional for all of us last year when she produced the Dubawi colt. It was just great to see them both out in the nursery paddock on that first day, and they looked so happy. And then suddenly we got a call that all was not well. She was haemorrhaging and we lost her, and it was a really sad day.

He adds, “But she left us with a lovely Dubawi colt, and he was always the apple of Graham's eye. He actually did some hand-feeding, giving him a bottle for a few sessions. So he quickly made a bond with the colt and I never thought actually he could bear to part with him, but sensibly, he's a businessman, and we are taking him to the sales.”

Newsells Park's flagship stallion Nathaniel (Ire) is represented by three yearlings in Book 1, with the colt in the Newsells draft being a brother to the 2022 Derby winner Desert Crown (GB), bred by Gary Robinson, and consigned as lot 316 on Wednesday.

“We've got a couple of very nice fillies by Nathaniel in Book 2 that could arguably be in Book 1,” Dollar says. “But this colt is a very good-looking horse, very good mover. I like him a lot and he's been entrusted to us through Gary Robinson's Strawberry Fields Stud, who asked us if we'd take him on in January. So we've had him with us for a while, and he's a nice person, and nice to do anything with. Hopefully he'll be well received.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the stud will offer a Kingman (GB) half-brother to another of its resident stallions, Without Parole (GB), on behalf of breeders John and Tanya Gunther. Without Parole himself has his first yearlings for sale this year, including three in Book 1, while Newsells Park will offer two by him in Book 2, both of whom are half-brothers to stakes winners.

“The Without Parole foals were very well received and we hope the yearlings will be as well. Those that we've got have really developed well from foals to yearlings. They're very much like their dad, which is good. They've got great minds and they're really easy to work with and very trainable,” he says.

“Sadly, it was a tough year for us last year, because not only did we lose Shastye, but we also lost [Without Parole's dam] Without You Babe. So both Shastye's and Without You Babe's foals were brought up by foster mares and I don't know if it's a result of that, but they've both got the most incredible temperaments.”

Despite Andreas Jacobs of Gestut Fahrhof no longer being directly involved with Newsells Park Stud, he still has an association in that he is selling two smart yearlings in the farm's draft in Book 1.

“The vast majority of the yearlings are born and bred here,” Dollar says. “We always have a couple of guests, if you like. It's nice to keep a strong relationship with Andreas Jacobs, and he's entrusted us with two yearlings this year, a colt by Wootton Bassett [lot 179], who's very classy, and a very well-bred Mehmas filly [lot 520] whose two half-siblings, the only two other foals that the mare has had, are stakes winner. She's hit the board in spectacular style twice.”

He continues, “We've also always had a link with Al Shahania, and they've selling a cracking Siyouni colt out of Vorda [lot 178]. He's everything you'd want a Siyouni to look like, for me. And then there's Sea The Moon colt out of Teppal [lot 147] is what who is a big, strong, scopey horse with a lot of class.

“But otherwise, pretty much everything else is bred on the farm. And we have that confidence that we know the mares. We know their other progeny. We know these progeny from day one. And when people ask us about them, we can tell them with confidence what they're like. It helps.”

On that theme, Dollar admits that, although almost the entire Newsells Park yearling crop is at the sales over the next few weeks, there is the potential for the operation to race more homebreds in future.

He says, “We always had to make a profit if we possibly could, and look after our bottom line. And we still do have to do that, of course we do. Graham expects us to do that as much as we possibly can but I think there is more scope for Newsells to race fillies especially. We're prepared to put confidence behind them and race them. I'm not saying what we've done in the past has been wrong, because we've been lucky enough to buy some nice mares, Shastye among them, Yummy Mummy and others. But there is a big advantage in understanding families, and putting those horses into training with the right trainers. Obviously, operations like Juddmonte are brilliant. Having those families going back generations, understanding those families, putting them with trainers who also trained that family for generations, has a big advantage. And I'd like to see us developing a few more of our families. I know Graham very much feels that way.”

Despite admitting to being a “pessimist at heart”, Dollar has drawn some encouragement from results from the first half of the European yearling sales.

“Arqana read like a very strong sale,” he says. “Donny was okay, Baden-Baden was okay. We sold a couple of horses in Somerville, which I'd never done before, but the traffic through Somerville was extraordinary. Over the years, we've always seen that the prices at the top remain strong, and we've always felt that if we want to play in this business, commercially, we've got to be playing at the top level because that's where the big money is.”

He continues, “But this is the most amazing business, isn't it? You sort of scratch your head and think, well, how is this happening? A year ago we'd just lost Her Majesty the Queen, and I always felt that our business was almost held together by a 90-odd-year-old lady. But you turn it around, nine months later, and the King and Queen are at Royal Ascot and they have a winner, and there's huge warmth for them both, and then they turned up at Doncaster for the St Leger, and had a live contender who ran a great race, and they seemed to be really enjoying it. And suddenly you think, well, we're still going strong, and everybody still loves and appreciates racing in this country.

“We still have the best racing, and we still seem to breeding some extraordinary good horses. So long may it continue. And while it does, I think we're going to be the focus of buyers from all over the globe. I'd love us not to be such an export market. In the long run, I don't think that's good. But it is where we are at the moment, and I'd rather have that than nobody be interested in buying our stock.

“But as long as we've got top-class stallions, and as long as we've got fellow breeders of the quality of Juddmonte, Cheveley Park, et cetera, we're in pretty good shape.”

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