Cover image courtesy of Tattersalls

At A Glance

>> Camilleri achieved the day's second highest price for the Frankel filly, who sold to Hubie de Burgh on behalf of American buyers Glenhill Farm .

>> O'Brien and agent Jeremy Brummitt picked up a colt by Australia (GB) from Clare Castle stud for 110,000 gns (AU$209,055) , while Mick Price, Peter Moody and First Light Racing were also active.

>> The day's top price was for a Lope De Vega (Ire) colt, who sold to Godolphin from the consignment of Newsells Park Stud for 675,000 gns (AU$1.283 million) .

>> International participation drove a lift in comparative figures for both aggregate and average on last year.

>> Turnover of 17,987,500 gns (AU$34.185 million) marked a small improvement of four percent on 2019.

>> The average of 84,448 gns (AU$160,493) was up one per cent.

>> The median showed a 20 per cent decline at 52,000 gns (AU$98,826) .

>> The strength of demand was underlined by a clearance rate of 85 per cent.

Camilleri's Classic prospect for Bernick

A major Australian breeder selling to a leading American owner-breeder highlights the international aspect of the October Sale which has continued into Book 2. There was no shortage of support from the other side of the Atlantic during Book 1, even though many American owners were unable to travel, and Irish agent Hubie de Burgh played a pivotal role in the transaction of Lot 954 from John Camilleri to Craig Bernick of Glen Hill Farm.

The Norelands Stud-consigned Frankel filly was full of beans during her prolonged spell in the ring, with the hammer finally coming down in de Burgh’s favour at 460,000 gns (AU$874,300).

She hails from a family to which the agent has already given his seal of approval, having bought her dam Love Is Blindness (Ire) (Sir Percy {GB}) for Camilleri at the 2016 Goffs November Sale for €380,000 (AU$623,280). It is also one rippled with Classic influences as the dam’s half-brother is Sven and Carina Hanson’s Prix du Jockey Club winner Reliable Man (GB) and their grandam is the treble Oaks winner Fair Salinia (GB) (Petingo {GB}).

“She’s by one of the great sires of the modern era and there are Classic winners in her page, she could be a Guineas or an Oaks filly,” said de Burgh. “On top of that she is a beautiful filly from a top farm where I keep a lot of stock, and I’ve known her since she was a foal.”

Florida-based Bernick has a select string of horses in training in Britain and Ireland, including the G1 Nassau S. runner-up One Voice (Ire) (Poet’s Voice {GB}), who is entered for Saturday’s G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. His latest acquisition will join maiden winner Sloane Peterson (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) at Fozzy Stack’s stable.

De Burgh added, “Craig is a great lover of the horse industry and is going to be a great breeder. He has some wonderful stock in Europe already and wants to collect this quality of bloodstock because he is thinking 20 years ahead. Hopefully she will be one of the foundation mares in the broodmare band. Craig is developing an Australian operation, European and American; it is very exciting.”

Top lot for Godolphin

Andrew Stone’s St Albans Bloodstock has enjoyed notable success as the breeder of Postponed (Ire), who is now resident at Sheikh Mohammed’s Dalham Hall Stud and the Godolphin supremo will be hoping for similar success for Stone’s Lope De Vega colt out of a Galileo (Ire) half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Simply Perfect (GB) (Danehill {USA}), who topped Tuesday’s session at 675,000 gns (AU$1.283 million).

“We can’t take the credit really, we just put the gloss on over the last nine weeks,” said consignor Julian Dollar of Newsells Park Stud. “The credit must go to breeder Andrew Stone and the farm which foaled and raised the colt.”

Sold as Lot 945, the grey is a son of 3-year-old winner Loch Ma Naire (Ire) who has produced two dual winners from her first two runners. The colt also hails from the same family as Postponed, with whom he shares his third dam Birch Creek (GB).

Of the strong start to Book 2, Dollar added, “I actually think there was value to be found last week, but I’m not complaining. The Sale seems to have taken off incredibly this week. It’s fantastic, and thanks to all the people who are prepared to take their hands out of their pockets and spend big money on racehorses. Long may it continue.”

Late in the session, Anthony Stroud signed for a colt by another Ballylinch Stud stallion, New Bay (GB), whose runners have made an impressive start this season and who was represented by his second Group winner on Saturday in Saffron Beach (Ire).

Lot 1037 was bred at Ballylinch from the Listed Radley S. winner Need You Now (Ire) (Kheleyf {USA}), who has already produced a dual winner to Lope De Vega in Peruvian Summer (Ire). New Bay has now had seven yearlings sold through Book 2 for an average of 160,143 gns (AU$304,352) with this colt his most expensive to date at 400,000 gns (AU$760,200).

Stroud also signed for another of the Newsells Park Stud draft on behalf of Godolphin. Lot 843, the Siyouni (Fr) colt out of the G3 Oh So Sharp S. winner Havant (GB) (Halling {USA}), was bred by James Wigan and sold for 300,000 gns (AU$570,150).

Aussies active again

Having purchased three yearlings on Monday to go with the four they picked up in Book 1, Brummitt and O'Brien were back in action, with the 100,000 gns (AU$209,055) purchase of Lot 1079, the colt by Australia (GB), from Clare Castle Stud.

The pair had secured a filly by Coolmore's Australia for 40,000 gns (AU$76,020) on Monday and backed that up with a colt out of the stakes-placed Authorized (Ire) mare, Permission Slip (Ire). She has already produced the Ascot winning Godolphin 3-year-old Expressionist (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and is from the family of stakeswinners Kheleyf (USA), Bint Allayl (GB) (Green Desert {USA}) and Laa Rayb (USA) (Storm Cat {USA}).

The fourth dam is the champion Canadian mare La Voyageuse (Can) (Tentam {USA}), who won 26 races.

Having spent 487,000 gns (AU$925,544) in Book 1, Brummitt and O'Brien have now spent 355,000 gns (AU$674,680) in Book 2, with a day yet to go.

Mick Price Racing also picked up two yearlings through agent Dermot Farrington. They paid 120,000 gns (AU$228,060) for a filly by Nathaniel (Ire), Lot 1045, consigned by Selwood Bloodstock, and 80,000 gns (AU$152,040) for Lot 883, a colt by Starspangledbanner, offered by Redpender Stud.

First Light Racing combined with Howson and Houldsworth and agent Paul Willetts to buy Lot 888, a filly by Australia (GB) from Heatherwold Stud as paid 41,000 gns (AU$77,920). She is a half-sister of Listed winner Windhoek (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) from the family of Listed Gosford Cup winner Singing (Fr) (Singspiel {Ire}).

Peter Moody teamed up with agent Stephen Hillen to secure a colt by Make Believe (GB) from Ballylinch Stud for 33,000 gns (AU$62,716).

Lot 898 is out of Listed winner Kimola (Ire) (King’s Theatre {Ire}), who was a champion filly in Scandinavia and who has produced the stakes-placed Whipless (Ire) (Whipper {USA}).

Arc-winning owner still in play

Peter Brant of White Birch Farm had already recruited 10 yearlings through the Goffs Orby and Tattersalls Book 1 sales and his agent Demi O’Byrne remained in action on Tuesday when signing for two of the day’s more expensive horses.

Lot 840, one of the great pinhooking successes of the Sale, was offered by Gerry Ross of Kenilworth House Stud, who bought the Showcasing (GB) colt with “a bunch of mates” for 70,000 gns (AU$133,035) in December. By the time O’Byrne had finished trading bids, his new valuation came in at 310,000 gns (AU$589,155).

“He is a great walker and Alastair Pim said he was one of the best walkers he had seen through the two weeks,” said Ross of the son of the unraced Harlequin Twist (GB) (Acclamation {GB}), a half-sister to Listed Magnolia S. winner Miblish (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}). “A foal will never lose its walk. He was flat to the boards here all week and his last show was as good as his first. He has been a pro so far, hopefully he will continue.”

Referring to the strong trade through the first two days of Book 2, he added, “Nobody can be confident at the minute and a week ago I would never have dreamt of that sort of money. Yesterday’s trade was the best it has been all year. No vendor is going into the ring with their chest out, but at least you have a bit more confidence.”

A little later O’Byrne went to 300,000 gns (AU$570,150) for Lot 853, from the first crop of Group 1-winning miler Ribchester (Ire) and out of an unraced Teofilo (Ire) half-sister to Listed winner Pelerin (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}). Her dam, Hint Of Pink (Ire), was represented by her first winner when the Andre Fabre-trained Parchemin (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) struck on debut at Compiegne on October 1.

The May-foaled filly was bred in partnership by Norelands Stud and Patrick Robinson, co-author of the book Horse Trader, which chronicles Robert Sangster’s rise to prominence as an owner and breeder.

“Her half-brother winning in the last week or so that was big plus, timing is everything in this business,” said Harry McCalmont of Norelands Stud. “A couple of years ago Patrick wrote a book called Lone Survivor which became a blockbuster movie. Patrick decided to retire and take up breeding horses, and gave me a few quid to spend on horses. I am delighted for him.”

Shadwell steps in

Sheikh Hamdan has had a terrific season on the racecourse and after a quiet start to the sales season, the operation has played a significant role in the buoyancy of Book 2. The Sheikh’s racing manager Angus Gold has signed for 24 yearlings over the last two days for almost 3.3 million gns (AU$6.27 million) including Chasemore Farm’s Kodiac (GB) colt out of the G3 Albany S.-placed Ilaunaglass (Ire) (Red Clubs {Ire}) at 280,000 gns (AU$532,140).

Gold’s purchase of Lot 878 brought a broad smile to the face of Henrietta Egan of Corduff Stud, who bred the son of Teofilo (Ire) from her sole mare Island Remede (GB) (Medicean {GB}).

“This is the mare’s first foal and I wanted to send her to a proper stallion,” she said. “He is beautiful yearling and I am so delighted he has gone to such a fabulous owner.”

Egan bought the mare, a dual winner and G3 St Simon S. runner-up, for 43,000 gns (AU$81,721) and sold her first offspring to Shadwell for 260,000 gns (AU$494,130).

Egan added, “She has a beautiful Camelot filly foal and is in foal to Phoenix Of Spain, but on the back of that we might have to go back to Teofilo.”

Camelot back-up plan works out

Breeders Frank Antonacci and David Reid bought the 10-year-old Oratorio (Ire) mare Matorio (Fr) through Mick Flanagan for 125,000 gns (AU$237,563) in 2017 and her first mating planned by the partners resulted in a good touch on Tuesday when her Camelot (GB) filly sold for 340,000 gns (AU$646,170) to Simon Crisford. The trainer signed for Lot 986 in the name of Gainsborough Thoroughbreds.

“The mare is at Baroda and she went to No Nay Never but didn’t take and was transferred to Camelot,” explained consignor David Cox, who boards the mare for her owners who also have a share in No Nay Never. Later attempts at getting the mare in foal to the sire of recent G1 Cheveley Park S. winner Alcohol Free (Ire) have resulted in a colt foal and she is now carrying again to No Nay Never (USA).

Matorio was herself the winner of three races as well as finishing second in the G2 Prix du Muguet, and she enjoyed a decent update on the first day of racing in France following the coronavirus shutdown when her half-brother Batwan (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) won the G3 Prix de Saint-Georges.

Baroda Stud has sold eight Book 2 yearlings so far for an average of 118,125 gns (AU$224,496) and they include the most expensive Bated Breath (GB) yearling sold at auction (Lot 828). The half-brother to G3 Molecomb S winner and young Norman Court Stud stallion Rumble Inthejungle (Ire) was bred by Patrick Gleeson and was pinhooked by Baroda as a foal for €95,000 (AU$155,820). Returned to the ring at Tattersalls he was bought by Anthony Stroud for 280,000 gns (AU$532,140).

Ringfort colt for HKJC

Ringfort Stud has enjoyed a tremendous season on the racecourse as the breeder of Group 2 winners Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Ubettabelieveit (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Miss Amulet (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}), and a colt from its draft was the pick of the day for the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Lot 1006, a May-born son of Fastnet Rock and the first foal of the well-bred Miss Liguria (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) fetched a bid of 240,000 gns (AU$456,120) from Mick Kinane. The mare has a Hong Kong connection herself as she was bred by the late John Pearce, who resided there for much of his life. She is a half-sister to the Listed winners Miss Cap Estel (GB) (Hernando {Fr}) and St Jean Cap Ferrat (GB) (Domedriver {Ire}) and a granddaughter of the G2 Sun Chariot S winner Miss Beaulieu (GB) (Northfields {USA}).