Written by TDN Europe
Sea The Stars (Ire) provided a showstopper on Day 1 and repeated that feat during the second session of Book 2 at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale when Longview Stud's half-sister to the Group 3 winner Feliciana De Vega (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) (Lot 1048) was bought by Roger Varian for 700,000gns (AU$1,229,200).
For an unnamed owner already in Varian's Newmarket stable, the chestnut is a son of the dual Listed winner Along Came Casey (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}), who has already been represented by three previous six-figure offspring, including the four-time winner Abnaa (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).
Roger Varian | Image courtesy of Laura Green/ Tattersalls
“We tried for the Sea The Stars colt who topped the sale yesterday,” Varian said. “Quite a few horses this week have that real Book 1 quality.
“The stallion can't do much wrong at the moment, the mare was a stakes winner and has bred a very good one already. We had to dig deep to get him, but we are delighted.”
“The stallion (Sea The Stars) can't do much wrong at the moment, the mare was a stakes winner and has bred a very good one already. We had to dig deep to get him (Lot 1048), but we are delighted.” - Roger Varian
The consistent demand for offspring of the stallions of the calibre of Sea The Stars, Frankel (GB), Night Of Thunder (Ire) and Dark Angel (Ire) has fuelled strong trade since the start of the October Yearling Sale, and if Monday's start to Book 2 was a little hesitant, trade roared back into life on Tuesday.
Turnover was up by 26 per cent for one fewer yearling sold on the same day last year, with 23,366,000gns (AU$41,029,000) paid for 217 yearlings at a clearance rate that remained steady at 88 per cent. The average was also up by 26 per cent at 107,677gns (AU$189,000), while the median rose by eight per cent to 70,000gns (AU$123,000).
Lot 1048 - Sea The Stars (Ire) x Along Came Casey (Ire) (colt) | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
Breeder Noel O'Callaghan's Mountarmstrong Stud was responsible for one of the late highlights of the evening when the second foal of his French Listed winner Asidious Alexander (Ire) (Windsor Knot {Ire}) was the subject of a bidding tussle between Ben McElroy, Richard Brown and Jamie McCalmont, with the latter coming out on top at 575,000gns (AU$1,009,700) for Coolmore.
The colt was yet another expensive yearling by Darley's increasingly popular Night Of Thunder, whose Book 2 average is currently running at 178,400gns (AU$313,300) for 20 sold, putting him at the top of the sires' list so far this week.
Avenue, Baker and Clarke team up for Sea The Stars filly
The next Lot of the afternoon, a filly by Sea The Stars, was purchased by Avenue Bloodstock, Bjorn Baker and James Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) for 50,000gns (AU$87,800). Catalogued as Lot 1049, the filly is out of Listed winner Alonsoa (Ire) (Raven’s Pass {USA}).
Lot 1049 - Sea The Stars (Ire) x Alonsoa (Ire) (filly) | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
It is not the first time Baker and Clarke have been active at European yearling sales., last year they teamed up with Barry Lynch to purchase a colt by Sea The Moon (Ger) for €100,000 (AU$155,000) at the Goffs Orby Sale, while with Avenue Bloodstock's Mark McStay they also purchased a colt by Australia (GB) for 102,000gns (AU$180,000) at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
“We have been prospecting across Goffs, Tattersalls Book 1 and Book 2 and we’ve hit the crossbar a couple of times and this is the first, and most likely the only one, we will buy for Bjorn out of the yearling sales up there this year," Clarke told TDN AusNZ.
"We did it a couple times last year. We bought a nice colt by the Sea The Moon out of Goffs with Barry Lynch last year who is about to have his first trial and then we bought an Australia colt out of Book 1 with Mark McStay last year."
Jim Clarke | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Clarke said given her sire and her page he expected her to make more than the 50,000gns (AU$87,800) they paid for her.
“We were keen to try and find the same horse to do the same this year, we have a pretty tight budget given the expense to bring them out and also it is a little bit of a waiting game buying a Northern Hemisphere yearling to race in Australia.
“We have tried something a bit different buying a filly because most people buy colts and geldings to bring out. She was a filly that Mark put forward that would fit within our budget and thankfully it worked out that way. I must admit, looking at her pedigree, I did think she would make a little bit more than what we paid.
“She is certainly by one of the best stallions in the world and a stallion that we don’t have access to in any way in Australia. I think for that money and with that pedigree, I would like to think she is very well bought.”
“She (Lot 1049) is certainly by one of the best stallions in the world and a stallion that we don’t have access to in any way in Australia. I think for that money and with that pedigree, I would like to think she is very well bought.” - Jim Clarke
Chasemore colt to Hong Kong
A strapping bay son of Starspangledbanner provided another sale-ring highlight for Chasemore Farm when selling for 550,000gns (AU$965,800) to the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC).
Standing only metres apart, the HKJC representative Mick Kinane and Dr Jim Hay exchanged bids for a time, with Kinane finally having his way for the brother to the Group 3-placed juvenile Breege (GB) and out of a half-sister to one of Starspangledbanner's best performers, The Wow Signal (Ire).
Mick Kinane | Image courtesy of Laura Green/ Tattersalls
Chasemore's Andrew and Jane Black bought the colt's dam Wowcha (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) as a yearling at Goffs UK and she went on to win as a 3-year-old, before producing two winners with her first two runners, including Breege, who this season has been placed in both the G3 Princess Margaret S. and G3 Prestige S.
Chasemore's manager Jack Conroy said of Lot 1008, “The Wow Signal was an unbelievable racehorse and the mare was lovely and scopey so it made a lot of sense to send her to Starspangledbanner. Breege has obviously really helped the pedigree as well.
“(The colt) has been incredibly popular; I've never had so many vettings on a horse, even in Book 1. Sadly, we lost the mare last November but she has left us Breege.”
Lot 1008 - Starspangledbanner x Wowcha (Ire) (colt) | Image courtesy of Laura Green/ Tattersalls
Starspangledbanner ended up with two yearlings in the day's top eight as nine lots later (Lot 1017) came New England Stud's half-sister to the Listed winner Mrs Gallagher (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), bred by ORS Bloodstock and Stanley House Stud, who was signed for by Hugo Merry at 340,000gns (AU$597,000).
Suhail back for a Frankel
In an increasingly familiar refrain, Frankel (GB) also featured prominently on Tuesday's leaderboard, with two of his yearlings occupying spots in the top five.
The top lot for much of the day was Lot 853, a colt bred by Andrew Rosen and Edward Easton from September Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and, at 450,000gns (AU$790,100), he became the latest yearling to be recruited by agent Richard Brown on behalf of owner Saeed Suhail, the owner of Desert Crown (GB).
Lot 853 - Frankel (GB) x September Stars (Ire) (colt) | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
“We tried on a load of Frankels last week and didn't get close,” said Brown. “He is an immature horse, he needs a little bit of imagination, but there is a lot of improvement to come, he is a big frame. He will be given plenty of time and hopefully will reward us as a 3-year-old.”
A Book 1 graduate herself, September Stars, a half-sister to Group 3 winner Teodoro (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Group 1-placed Altruistic (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) from the Wildenstein family of Aquarelliste (Fr), went on to win at stakes level in California for Patrick Gallagher. Her current 2-year-old, a filly by Kingman (GB), is in training with Roger and Harry Charlton.
Richard Brown | Image courtesy of Laura Green/ Tattersalls
Like Watership Down Stud, Fittocks Stud also enjoyed a good week during Book 1, and the Cumani team returned to the limelight on Tuesday when selling a Frankel filly (Lot 974) out of a Lawman (Fr) half-sister to the treble Group 1 winner and Japan-based sire Admire Mars (Jpn).
Following a theme from Monday, the filly had her roots in a family which has been well cultivated by Andreas Putsch at Haras de Saint Pair, who bred both her dam Via Lazio (GB) and grandam Via Medici (Ire) (Medicean {GB}).
Lot 974 - Frankel (GB) x Lawman (Fr) (filly) | Image courtesy of Laura Green/ Tattersalls
Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland saw off both Shadwell and Juddmonte to buy the filly at 425,000gns (AU$746,300).
“We bought Via Lazio in 2019 carrying to Zoustar. She is a young mare and from a great family, and she is in foal to Time Test (GB) with a Sea The Moon (Ger) filly this year,” said Sara Cumani of Fittocks Stud.
“We put the filly (Lot 974) in Book 2 because we thought she might be a little bit lost with the great big Frankels in Book 1. We couldn't be happier with that result. She is a real pocket rocket, we wish the new connections the best of luck.”
“We put the filly (Lot 974) in Book 2 because we thought she might be a little bit lost with the great big Frankels in Book 1. She is a real pocket rocket, we wish the new connections the best of luck.” - Sara Cumani
Ballyhimikin's beauty
A Ballyhimikin Stud yearling towards the top of the charts is a familiar sight at Tattersalls, and James Hanly's dependable outfit delivered again on Tuesday with Lot 930, a colt by Night Of Thunder, who will go into training with John and Thady Gosden after being bought at 340,000gns (AU$597,000) by Anthony Stroud. The agent also purchased the colt's full sister this time last year for the more modest sum of 38,000gns (AU$66,700).
“He is a beauty, the sire didn't do any harm either; I should put up a statue of him,” said Hanly, who raced the colt's dam Syndicate (GB) (Dansili {GB}), having bought her through Stroud from Juddmonte as a 3-year-old for 25,000gns (AU$43,900)
Lot 930 - Night Of Thunder (Ire) x Syndicate (GB) (colt) | Image courtesy of Laura Green/ Tattersalls
“The pedigree has really come good since we bought her. My friend John Feane trained her and won with her in England. She showed a lot of ability.”
The mare's two full brothers, Runnymede (GB) and Stipulate (GB) are both stakes winners, and the further family also includes the G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Mutual Trust (GB) (Cacique {GB}).
Coolmore purchase to Kingsclere
Hillwood Stud has had a successful first two days at Book 2, with Tuesday's offerings including a Lope De Vega (Ire) filly (Lot 1010) who sold for 300,000gns (AU$526,800) to Alex Elliott on behalf of M.V. Magnier.
“She'll go to Andrew Balding,” the agent confirmed. “The brother is not a bad horse, he won a Newmarket maiden, and the mare was rated 100 and is by Sea The Stars. It's a great staying family, she'll take a bit of time and I'm delighted to get her.”
“It's a great staying family, she'll (Lot 1010) take a bit of time and I'm delighted to get her.” - Alex Elliott
The dam Yarrow (Ire) emanates from the Ballymacoll Stud family that included 2000 Guineas winner Golan (Ire) and Derby runner-up Tartan Bearer (Ire), and her second foal, the juvenile Tenerife Sunshine (GB), is the Newmarket winner in training with Mark and Charlie Johnston.
