Australians go hard on Day 3 at Tattersalls

Cover image courtesy of Tattersalls

Tulloch Lodge on top again

If Day 2 on Tuesday of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale was lively from an Australian perspective, it was more so through Wednesday’s Day 3, with Australians accounting for 16 total lots across the session (and another from New Zealand).

Tulloch Lodge, in a buying partnership with Johnny McKeever, had topped Tuesday’s session with the Lope De Vega (Ire) gelding Balance Play (Ire), and while they didn’t top trade on Wednesday, McKeever Bloodstock, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott were best among the Aussies, going to 300,000gns (AU$605,000) for the 4-year-old gelding Royal Patronage (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}).

Lot 1021 was the only purchase by the trio on Wednesday and, consigned by WH Bloodstock, he was a nice type of horse that had raced for Highclere in Europe and America under the care of trainers Mark and Charlie Johnston and then Graham Motion.

Royal Patronage had been a dual Group winner, had run second in the G2 Dante S. and, at one point last year, was a very fancied English Derby horse.

The 4-year-old had raced four times in America before shipping back to Tattersalls to be sold. At his penultimate start, he won an allowance race at Keeneland. Highclere had sent Royal Patronage to America under the auspices of the quicker ground and faster style of racing suiting him, and he had gone there mid-last year as the operation’s highest-rated horse to head Stateside.

On Wednesday, he proved the fourth most expensive horse of the session, with top-priced Dark Trooper (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) going the way of Blandford Bloodstock for 500,000gns (AU$1.1 million). Johnny McKeever, who had done the bidding for Tulloch Lodge once again, said Royal Patronage was yet another ideal horse for Australia.

“We spoke to Graham Motion about him and he gave us a very positive report,” the bloodstock agent said. “The horse had a few small training issues, but nothing to worry about. He is an ideal horse to go to Australia so we were confident that this was the right thing to do.

“It is hard to find Group form in the sale and he has got a certain quality. We are not guessing here. We know he is a pretty good horse if all goes well for him.”

McKeever’s total spend across the three days of the sale has amounted to 1.28 million gns (AU$2.6 million), while Tulloch Lodge remains the buyer of the sale's top lot with Balance Play.

Trainor-Maher pair up again

The London-based Irishman Peter Trainor, known in Australian circles for his co-ownership of this year’s Melbourne Cup candidate Future History (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), showed up on the Tattersalls scoreboard alongside Ciaron Maher on Day 3. The pair went to 240,000gns (AU$485,000) for Lot 1067, the 3-year-old Kingman (GB) gelding Ziryab (GB).

Less than 24 hours before, Trainor had been in lights in Australia when he, along with the two other owners of Future History, sold a 10 per cent share of the horse to Adam Carney and Parson's Creek's Mark De Stoop for $205,000.

Ziryab was part of the polished Juddmonte draft at Tattersalls and had raced for John and Thady Gosden through six starts. His sole win had come in June at Leicester over a mile, and he was second at that track over 10 furlongs as recently as October 10.

Maher, buying with Trainor, co-trains Future History in Australia, so it was no surprise to see this pairing in Wednesday’s session.

“He (Ziryab) goes to Ciaron Maher,” Trainor said. “Last year we bought Future History here from Juddmonte and this is the same type of horse with the same profile. Hopefully he will follow the same path and be a fun horse. He is well-bred and we were quite taken with his last run. He is lightly raced and there is loads of upside with him.”

Ziryab is by Kingman from the Australian-bred Galileo (Ire) mare Reem. Reem was bred by the Godolphin operation and exported to race in Dubai in 2010, where she was a Listed winner and multiple times stakes placed.

This is the same family as the outstanding champion Rodrigo De Triano (USA).

Australian Bloodstock pick up eight

The Australian Bloodstock outfit of Jamie Lovett and Luke Murrell were trigger happy throughout Wednesday’s session, signing for no less than eight horses on Day 3.

The list was headed by Lot 997, the 4-year-old Fulfilled (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}), who was bought in partnership with Kris Lees Racing and Ronald Rauscher for 125,000gns (AU$252,000).

This gelding, previously trained by David Simcock, had won four races in 15 starts, including his last outing at Wolverhampton over 2400 metres on October 9.

Fulfilled was the only seven-figure purchase for Australian Bloodstock on Wednesday, but the list was long among the six-figure horses.

Lot 1138 was a colt by Le Havre (Ire) called El Jasor (Ire), a 3-year-old who cost 85,000gns (AU$161,000) when bought by the operation with Ronald Rauscher. El Jasor was trained by Charlie Fellowes and was a two-time winner over the 2400-metre to two mile distances. His latest win came in August at Newbury.

In addition, Australian Bloodstock bought Lot 901, the 3-year-old sprinting filly Peony (GB) by Churchill (Ire), who cost 70,000gns (AU$141,000) in conjunction with Ronald Rauscher and Kris Lees Racing. Peony was consigned by Ed Walker Racing, and this is the family of the Classic-winning Sky Lantern (Ire) (Red Clubs {Ire}).

Thereafter, Australian Bloodstock’s purchases varied from the 50,000gns (AU$101,000) paid for Lot 951, the War Front (USA) colt True To Form (USA), down to the 18,000gns (AU$36,000) paid for Lot 813, the New Bay (GB) 3-year-old Monty Be Quick (Ire).

Speaking to The Thoroughbred Report on Thursday, Jamie Lovett said the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale had always been a good benchmark for the tried-horse market.

“That sale, over the last 10 years, has always been a reference point for us for these tried horses that we’ve had a bit of luck with over the years,” he said. “Luke (Murrell) is over there at the moment, and he’s on the ground with our vet, putting a lot of time into the catalogue.

“If the opportunity presents itself, we’re there to purchase and we’ve got a quite a few trainers here in Australia who were quite keen to get involved with some of these horses. It’s always been a good sale for us and we’ve had plenty of winners come out of it.”

Across the first three days of the five-day sale, Australian Bloodstock’s tally sits at 14: one on Day 1, five on Day 2 and eight on Day 3. Its most expensive purchase occurred on Tuesday with the 160,000gns (AU$325,000) paid for Lot 723, the Lord Of England (Ger) gelding Lordship (Ger).

“We’re underpinned by our amazing prizemoney in Australia,” Lovett said. “It’s not hard to make the numbers work if you buy the right horse. By placing them right in Australia, it’s commercially viable. Unfortunately in the UK, a lot of these horses are being sold for that reason. We’re the beneficiary of that.”

Lovett said that he and Murrell still have a list heading into the final two days of the sale. All of Australian Bloodstock’s purchases will head to the Southern Hemisphere in a single shipment, likely in December. With the Australian contingent so strong this week, it’s probable the plane will be full.

“With so many Australian buyers active this week, I’m tipping it will be a full aircraft into Melbourne,” Lovett said. “We’ve still got a list we’re keen on for the rest of the sale. I’m just waiting on the guys up there to get up so I can check the vetting on the rest of them. Provided they’re okay, we’ll certainly be there to a price for the rest of the week.”

Hot competition for McEvoy Mitchell Racing

Aside from Australian Bloodstock, the overall Australian presence at Tattersalls on Wednesday restricted its buying to single lots.

McEvoy Mitchell Racing was represented by Englis agent Nick Bell, who signed the ticket for Lot 961, a Sixties Icon (GB) gelding called Concorde (GB). This 3-year-old gelding cost 150,000gns (AU$303,000) when bought from The Castlebridge Consignment.

Concorde was trained by George Boughey up to his sale on Wednesday. He had won four races in 10 starts and, according to Nick Bell, he was headed straight to Mitchell McEvoy Racing in Australia.

“He’s been bought for a loyal client of theirs,” Bell said. “I thought the horse had the right profile for Australia, so let’s hope he’s lucky. He’s run over various trips and he’s showed a good bit of toe. I think that helps down there, and he goes with a bit of juice in the ground. I think he’ll go off there off of nice racing, as well.”

Bell said there it looked like there was a degree of underbidding on Concorde.

“I think there was various opposition from different jurisdictions. There were a couple of jumps boys on him too and a few Australians too, so we were delighted to get him. Sam Haggas, I and Peter Trainor bought one last year called Future History, so if he can do the same thing as him, that would be great.”

The seven-figure purchases

Busuttin Racing and First Light Racing paired up during Wednesday’s session for Cawdor (GB), a 3-year-old colt by Invincible Spirit (Ire) from the Juddmonte draft. They paid 150,000gns (AU$303,000).

Up to this sale, Cawdor was trained by Francois-Henri Graffard, of Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) fame, and his six starts had amounted to a win over a mile back in April.

This horse is from a Juddmonte family that has produced Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and the French Derby winner Flintshire (GB), while the first dam is Delivery (GB) (Rail Link {GB}), who was Group 3-placed.

Cawdor almost wrapped up the seven-figure purchases by the Australians on Wednesday. The only other was Lot 1100, the Frankel (GB) gelding Tajawal (Ire), who was the only purchase for Annabel Neasham during the session. He was bought in partnership with Blandford Bloodstock and Bennett Racing for 120,000gns (AU$242,000).

Tajawal was part of a Godolphin draft and his page boasts the Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente (Ire). This 3-year-old gelding is a half-brother to Aaddeey (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), who was second in the Listed Esher S. at Sandown.

The remaining Australian buyers during the session were John O’Shea, who spent 68,000gns (AU$137,000) on the Kingman (GB) colt Inquiring Minds (GB). This horse was bought with Hurworth Bloodstock.

Darby Racing, in partnership with de Burgh Equine, spent 60,000gns (AU$120,000) when picking up Lot 1079, the Almanzor (Fr) gelding Broadfield (GB).

Freedman Racing, buying with Badgers Bloodstock, went to 52,000gns (AU$105,000) for the Awtaad (Ire) gelding Overactive (GB), while Go Racing New Zealand paid 28,000gns (AU$567,000) for the Ulysses (Ire) colt A Dublin Lad (GB).