Tattersalls Horses-In-Training Sale off to a strong start

Trio headed to Australia

Day One of the Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale kicked off at Tattersalls overnight, with an Australian presence felt through both Australian Bloodstock’s buying of Lot 137, the New Approach (Ire) gelding Baltic Coast (Ire), and Ciaron Maher’s landing of Lot 268, Camelot Tales (Fr) (Camelot {GB}), and Lot 280, Montather (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Australian Bloodstock went to 75,000 gns (AU$145,000) to secure Baltic Coast, a purchase made ringside by European bloodstock agent Ronald Rauscher, while Camelot Tales made 42,000 gns (AU$85,000) and Montather realised 140,000 gns (AU260,000), both signed for by Blandford Bloodstock.

Luke Murrell, co-director of Australian Bloodstock, had put in plenty of homework for this week.

“I’ve probably put 600-plus hours into the catalogue, so I’d done a lot of work on it,” he said. “It can get a bit depressing when you see the withdrawals and veterinary reports coming through, because we had 33 on our list last night as possibles, but by the time vetting, inspections and withdrawals came through, we were left with just three unfortunately.”

Baltic Coast is a 3-year-old grey gelding by New Approach (Ire), trained by Simon and Ed Crisford and twice second in just two starts. He was a last-start runner at Newcastle earlier this month.

“He was one that was a little bit left-field,” Murrell said. “In his very first run, he had some really slick six-furlong sectionals, which I liked, and then his last run at Newcastle was a really high-rating race. Hopefully he’s one that could have not necessarily the most obvious form, but I think he could be really good in Australia. He’s a firm-track horse, and everyone loves a grey.”

Murrell said the horse’s price tag was about as expected.

“I was thinking $170,000 was about his money, so 75,000 gns is around what I expected to pay,” he said. “I sometimes find that Days two and three are really strong, and I’ve done that in the past where I’ve looked back and noticed that Day 1 is really quite cheap in comparison.”

Murrell’s strategy around buying at the Horses-In-Training Sale is to generally stay out of the top lots.

“I find, from a success going forward point-of-view, that you want to be drilling down under those top lots,” he said. “It’s the ones that maybe needed that extra bit of time, that didn’t get to reach their potential in their early days, that seemed to have been the best buys in the last 10 years because maybe they weren’t as exposed or didn’t have as many miles on the clock.”

Australian Bloodstock has a shopping list of 20 to 30 horses this week, with a Sale shortlist of about 179 horses overall, 122 when withdrawals and vet reports came into play.

“We put all our own money in, so we’ve just got to be extra careful we’re buying the right horses that will stand up to Australian conditions,” Murrell said. “Any of those with borderline veterinary issues are probably too great a risk, so we’re better off sticking to those that we’re confident will go well.”

Murrell said Baltic Coast will enter Australia as a city-class horse and, as a maiden, the horse will have all the grades to go through, which Australian Bloodstock isn’t concerned about, given the healthy nature of prizemoney in Australian racing.

Gold Trip incident

In the week just gone, Murrell has had more than enough time to digest the hardiness of European horses entering Australia.

On the eve of the G1 Cox Plate, the Australian Bloodstock import Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}) was scratched from the $5 million race on veterinary advice at the eleventh hour, a situation that has planted doubts in Murrell about the viability of buying Northern Hemisphere horses specifically for the Melbourne Spring Carnival.

“It definitely has affected us in that respect,” he said. “Talking to a few of the people that bought horses similarly this year, they’re all of the same opinion that next year, unless there’s significant change, realistically the Melbourne carnival is pretty much a no-go going forward.

"It’s where you want to race them, and everyone wants to run in those big three races, but it’s just too much of a risk now from an owner’s perspective.”

Australian Bloodstock will send Gold Trip to Sydney for a tilt at the Rosehill Gold Cup this Saturday, with it being likely the horse will stay in the harbour city for an autumn campaign.

Murrell said the Cox Plate incident has changed their buying criteria somewhat too.

“I think going forward we’ll probably look at slightly different horses, and look to bring them to Sydney now,” Murrell said. “The Sydney Carnival is getting stronger, and you can see that from the number of internationals that are stepping out there in the next couple of weeks.”

Maher steps in for two

Ciaron Maher Racing was the only other Australian presence on the buyers’ sheet at Tattersalls on Monday night. In conjunction with Blandford Bloodstock’s Stuart Boman, it bought Camelot Tales and Montather.

Camelot Tales, by in-fashion Coolmore sire Camelot (GB), was also trained by Simon and Ed Crisford at Newmarket, and he was slightly more experienced than Baltic Coast with nine starts behind him for two wins and a third. His victories came at Redcar in April this year and Ayr in early July.

Initially, the 3-year-old was a 42,000 gns (AU$80,000) yearling at the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. He was sold from the draft of Furnace Mill Stud to Blandford Bloodstock, and then raced for owner Saeed Suhail.

Camelot Tales is from the same family as stakes winner Femme Fatale (GB) (Fairy King {USA}), whose daughter Dream Date (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) was responsible for the smart stakes winner Extortionist (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}).

Shortly after, Stuart Boman swooped at 140,000 gns (AU$270,000) for Lot 280, the Dubawi (Ire) gelding Montather, who was part of the Shadwell Estate dispersal. This horse, trained by Roger Varian, has a tidy record of eight starts for three wins, his most recent victory coming on the Chelmsford all-weather in June this year.

He was unsold as a yearling and, as a son of the Zaminder (USA) mare Lanansaak (Ire), he hails from the family of Shadayid (USA) (Shaheed {USA}).

Shadayid was Champion 2-Year-Old Filly in Europe in 1990, and an extraordinary broodmare thereafter, the dam of no less than three stakes winners and a stakes-placegetter that spanned Europe, Dubai and the United States.

Boman said that Montather was tailor-made for the Australia market.

“Roger (Varian) has handled the horse beautifully,” Boman said. “We’ve had a bit of luck at this Sale over the years, and I think this is a very talented horse who will appreciate the faster pace in Australia because he can get a little bit keen, and he loves firm ground too.”

Another Australian active in the market, for Californian trainer Phil D'Amato, was Craig Rounsefell who signed for Lot 290, Hong Kong Harry (Ire). The 4-year-old son of Es Que Love (Ire) has won four races to date.

Facts and figures

Overall, the opening day of trade at the Tattersalls Horses-In-Training Sale was met with steady interest and an elevation compared with last year’s figures.

There were leaps of 72 per cent in turnover 7,126,000 gns (AU$13,710,000) for 263 sales from 4,138,500 gns (AU$8,256,000) for 244, 60 per cent in average (27,095 gns {AU$54,000} from 16,961 gns {AU$34,000}) and 78 per cent in median (16,000 gns {AU$31,000} from 9,000 gns {AU$17,000}).

It meant the session performed well in-step with the equivalent one in 2019, where turnover of 7,696,700 gns (AU$15,355,000) for 265 sales yielded an average of 29,044 gns (AU$58,000) and a median of 13,500 gns (AU$27,000).

The median, key to that critical middle market, performed exceptionally well and the clearance rate also attested to demand, up to 88 per cent from 84 per cent.

Horoscope looks bright

The Aidan O’Brien horse Horoscope (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}) has continued to thrive on a busy campaign and he prompted hectic demand as soon as he entered the ring as Lot 302.

Someone tried to hit the ball out of the park with an opening bid of 100,000 gns (AU$195,000), but that bold flourish was soon placed in perspective and it ultimately took a single intervention from BBA Ireland, at 325,000 gns (AU$190,000), to land the colt for undisclosed Middle Eastern clients.

Horoscope, admittedly disappointing in the G2 Challenge S. on his latest start, had been progressing markedly before that, with a Listed success at Killarney setting up a storming finish for a close third (and an official rating of 110) in Group 2 company at Leopardstown.

He has a pedigree to support his improvement too, with none other than Sonic Lady (USA) (Nureyev {USA}) as third dam, and a plethora of black-type performers and producers under her unraced daughter Lady Icarus (GB) (Rainbow Quest {USA}).

“He's a good-looking horse with the pedigree to be a stallion down the road,” said Michael Donohoe after signing the docket. “With that rating he can run in all those top races in the Emirates. He goes on quick ground and he's versatile.”

Investment from the Gulf drove much of the day's trade, and the very next lot in the draft, Lough Derg (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (Lot 307) was another case in point. Having been just run out of a Group prize at Dundalk last month, he brought 120,000 gns (AU$240,000) from Peter Doyle and Najd Stud.

On the face of it, two other sons of Galileo (Ire) offered by Coolmore earlier in proceedings had achieved pretty much what they were bred to do, having respectively finished third in the Derby and St Leger.

Amhran Na Bhfiann (Ire) (Lot 237) made the podium of the Derby at 66-1 behind stablemate Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) at Epsom last year in one of the more mystifying races in Derby history.

This summer, he confirmed sufficient ability to romp away with the G2 Curragh Cup, but he has since been beaten an aggregate 71l in three starts and CUB Bloodstock, bidding online, was able to land him for 78,000 gns (AU$155,000).

The Mediterranean (Ire) (Lot 238), in contrast, was third in the oldest Classic only last month, and runner-up in the G2 Great Voltigeur S. before that. He may not have absorbed his Doncaster effort when stepped up to two miles in a couple of subsequent outings, and it will be interesting to monitor his future endeavours for Domeland, whose 100,000 gns (AU$200,000) bid was also made remotely.

Magic still casting a spell

Donohoe had earlier ensured that I Am Magic (Ire) (Magician {Ire}) remains well named, sealing a second lucrative pinhook cycle.

Found as a yearling by Aguiar Bloodstock for just 14,000 gns (AU$28,000) at the Ascot Yearling Sale, he breezed at the Craven Sale here with sufficient dash to advance his value to 95,000 gns (AU$190,000). That has, in turn, proved to be a good investment for Michael O'Callaghan, whose stable has developed an astute niche as a trading nursery.

Donohoe was persuaded to go to 200,000 gns (AU$385,000) for Lot 257, again on behalf of an unnamed client in the Middle East.

“The immediate plan would be the Saudi Derby,” the agent explained. “He should get into the race with the rating he has, and should get the trip well."

"I've been following his career all the way through. I saw him breeze and was at Leopardstown last week when he ran so well. He has plenty of size and scope, and looks the type that will keep getting better as a 3-year-old.”

Blueberry's Fruitful investment

Touch of the day was completed when Atalis Bay (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) entered the ring as Lot 358.

Picked up as a short yearling by Scuderia Blueberry SRL for just 800 gns (AU$1600) at the February Sale here in 2019, he has since won five races in 12 starts for Marco Botti, including a Listed sprint at Sandown, and here he advanced his value to 130,000 gns (AU$260,000) from Tom Morley and Middleham Park to join Robert Cowell.

“We're setting up a little syndicate between Middleham and Tom,” said Cowell. “They had a nice 2-year-old this year (Dynamic Force {Ire} by Kodiac {GB}), so we're trying to stay lucky. He looks like something we can do well with."

Opportunity in Shadwell draft

The Shadwell cull that dominates this catalogue has created an unusual opportunity in the release of many horses that remain ‘work in progress’.

A group of juveniles in this session, for instance, included Majalh (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) (Lot 191). Earlier this month, he had won a Brighton maiden by 4l for William Haggas.

With a grandam so closely related to Fame And Glory (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}), further progress seems likely and that drove Jassim Mohamed Al Ghazali, bidding remotely online, to 155,000 gns (AU$310,000).

The Qatari trainer, usually such a reliable presence at this Sale, was regretfully unable to travel this time owing to ongoing Covid restrictions.

However, Will Douglass, who assists his shopping here, said: “This horse was very well presented and produced by Shadwell, and ticks all the boxes. By Siyouni out of a Sea The Stars mare, he's just a 2-year-old and it looks as though there's more to come from him.”

While Majalh will be continuing his career in the desert, the previous lot into the ring was a case of cutting to the chase for Paul McCartan of Ballyphilip Stud, who will retire Falaj (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) (Lot 190) unraced.

In giving 100,000 gns (AU$200,000) for this half-sister to Group-placed sprinter Fashion Queen (GB) (Aqlaam {GB}), McCartan was only matching what she had cost Shadwell in the same ring as a foal.

Ballyphilip famously gave us Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), and more of the same seems possible from a family replete with stakes sprinters, including G2 Flying Childers and G3 Molecomb winner Wunders Dream (Ire) (Averti {Ire}), a half-sister to Falaj's dam.

The dam of Battaash, remember, was bought at this auction nine years ago for just 14,000 gns (AU$28,000).

“This Sale has been lucky for us,” McCartan said. “And we loved her pedigree. Asymmetric is a good horse and his half-brother was stabled next to us this year, a Gleneagles colt from Redpender, and he's a beautiful-looking horse. We have a breeding right in Showcasing, so she may go to him.”

Hoping for another Mishriff

Seeing is believing, and while few would have viewed Make Believe (GB) as an obvious dirt influence before his son Mishriff (Ire) took to the surface with such lucrative effect in the Saudi Cup, compatriots of his owner Prince A.A. Faisal were clearly inspired in giving 135,000 gns (AU$270,000) for the homebred 3-year-old Third Kingdom (GB) (Lot 201).

It will be interesting to see how he fares for Najd Stud, which was represented here by Peter Doyle and Saad Bin Mashraf, the latter confirming: “We like the breeding for the dirt, especially on the dam's side, and we think he will improve on that surface.”