'He was one of the most spectacular horses I've ever seen': Wootton Bassett colt realises 4,300,000gns as outlandish Book 1 comes to a close

Cover image courtesy of Tattersalls

Bonanza of a sale

Blood will out. At 4.3 million gns (AU$8.7 million) a new record was set for a yearling colt at Tattersalls on Thursday from the immediate family of the most expensive yearling ever sold in Europe. But he was far from the sole highlight in the final session of Book 1, which can only be described as a bonanza. Record turnover, average, median and a world record yearling price in 2024 were the key indicators of a sale that has lit up an otherwise somewhat underwhelming European yearling sales season so far in 2024.

Whether this equine gold rush will in turn lift the fortunes of the breeders and consignors participating in next week's Books 2, 3 and 4 remains to be seen, but for now there were plenty of smiling faces departing Park Paddocks on Thursday evening.

The numbers go a long way to explaining why. Overall, the aggregate, achieved from the sale of 345 yearlings – 46 fewer than was sold last year – was 127.8 million gns (AU$260 million) at a clearance rate of 89 per cent. That represented a climb of 34 per cent, while the median rose 39 per cent to 250,000gns (AU$508,000) and the average price was up by 52 per cent to 370,501gns (AU$752,000).

This was an unprecedented upturn in fortune, even at this rarefied level of the market.

Hitting it out of the Park

Lodge Park Stud's sole offering at the sale, a son of Wootton Bassett (GB) (Lot 332), joined a jaw-dropping list of purchases by Amo Racing this week, including the overall top lot, Tuesday's 4.4 million gns (AU$8.95 million) daughter of Frankel from Newsells Park Stud.

Described by Amo agent Alex Elliott as “spectacular”, the colt's dam Park Bloom (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is a full sister to the overall Book 1 record-holder, Al Naamah (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who sold for 5 million gns (AU$10.2 million) back in 2013. Put simply, this has been a sensational dynasty for the Burns family of Lodge Park Stud, emanating from the colt's third dam Park Express (Ire) (Ahonoora {GB}).

Jamie Burns led the colt through the ring and was joined in the aftermath by his mother Patricia and brother Paddy as realisation dawned.

He said, “This family has always done us well and hopefully he will be the next one to enhance the pedigree. I wasn't really thinking when it went over four million; emotion took over, it was surreal.

“He has been busy all week and has never turned a hair once. We have bred four generations on this colt's page, and we also had Park Appeal, who is in Wootton Bassett's pedigree, too.”

The colt's dam Park Bloom is not just a full sister to Al Naamah but also to the Oaks winner Was (Ire) and G2 Curragh Cup winner Amhran Na Bhfiann (Ire). A generation back, under the list of offspring of the third dam, the champion race filly Park Express, is another Epsom Classic winner in New Approach (Ire) and his fellow stakes winners Dazzling Park (Ire) and Shinko Forest (Ire).

If this colt proves good enough on the racecourse – he will be trained by Karle Burke – he unquestionably owns a stallion's pedigree, which was doubtless uppermost in the minds of Kia Joorabchian and his Amo Racing team as they continued to pitch in new bids. Joorabchian's spending spree has been quite the talking point at Park Paddocks this week. Whether solo or with partners Al Shaqab Racing, Valmont or Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, he has accounted for 27 yearlings during the past three days for a collective outlay of 23.2 million gns (AU$47.1 million). At times, he has outbid some of the biggest spenders in the game. In the case of the Wootton Bassett colt, he had Coolmore's MV Magnier as his underbidder. Joorabchian, too, has been the underbidder on a number of the week's more expensive yearlings, with his desire to increase the quality of bloodstock purchased with an eye on future breeding plans in turn driving the ferocious market which has left most observers taken aback by its strength.

Reflecting on the team's desire to secure this particular colt, bloodstock agent Alex Elliott said, “I think if you wanted to paint a horse, you'd try to paint him. From the top of the page to the bottom of the page, the farm he was reared on has had the family for generations and he was one of the most spectacular horses I've ever seen.

“I said to Kia when I showed him the horse, 'You've been second in two Derbys and there's every chance that this horse can take you one place higher.' And from that moment Kia locked on, with Mr Marinakis again, and the whole team – myself, Ben McElroy, Robson Aguiar – we all lined up and when everyone has the same opinion it doesn't take much to find horses like that.”

Amo Racing's two Derby runners-up to date are Mojo Star (Ire), who now stands at Whytemount Stud in Ireland, and King Of Steel (USA), another son of Wootton Bassett, who was second to Auguste Rodin (Ire) last year before winning the Champion Stakes.

“King Of Steel is the best horse he has had, and we're going to try to find a home for him to stand,” added Elliott. “Wootton Bassett is one of the elite sires in the world and that colt has every chance of standing as a stallion. It's a colossal price for a horse.

Gallery: Images courtesy of Tattersalls

“The first plan was to buy him. That was the hard part and then we have to sit down and work out where we are going to place him.

“I must just say well done to the Burns family for producing a horse like that. That doesn't just happen. From Damian's father Seamus, all the way down, and Jim Bolger is part of it, there are so many people involved with making a family like that.”

Cox praises 'Outstanding' sale

Yulong have enjoyed significant success with their Tattersalls graduates, notably with the Irish Oaks winner Magical Lagoon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), picked up for 305,000gns (AU$620,000) at Book 1 in 2020, and more recently with Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock), a three-time Group 1 winner in Australia since being purchased for 2.7 million gns (AU$5.48 million) at last year's December Mares Sale.

Lucky Vega (Ire) is another Yulong success story, and the team got behind their first-season sire on Wednesday when buying Lot 204, one of two yearlings by the G1 Phoenix S. winner in the catalogue, for 180,000gns (AU$366,000). That filly was one of eight purchases made by Yulong at this year's sale for a total of 3.94 million gns (AU$8 million).

The pick of them was Watership Down Stud's Dubawi (Ire) colt who also went through the ring on Wednesday as Lot 268, the first foal out of the G1 Prix de Royallieu heroine Loving Dream (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}). He was knocked down to Yulong on a bid of 1.1 million gns (AU$2.2 million).

“He will stay in Europe in the medium term and if he wins some nice races here that would be fantastic,” Yulong's general manager Vin Cox said after that purchase. “If he is good enough to race in Australia as well, that would be great. He is by Dubawi, one of the best stallions of all time, and he's out of a Group 1 winner. He's a good-looking horse.”

He added, “The quality of the horses here this week has been outstanding with beautiful horses everywhere you went. Competition has been justifiably strong on the quality that is here and all credit to Tattersalls for getting a wonderful bunch of horses here and a buying bench that is very competitive. We have been a vendor here, too, and we sold a Frankel colt (on Tuesday) for seven figures, which was fantastic.”

A Merry result for Newsells Park

Newsells Park Stud and Merry Fox Stud teamed up to buy Shambolic (Ire) (Shamardal) from the Dukes of Devonshire and Roxburghe for 800,000gns (AU$1.6million) back in 2019 and the principals of both operations, Graham Smith-Bernal and Craig Bennett, were united in their praise of the mare on Thursday. Her Siyouni (Fr) filly (Lot 407) joined the list of Godolphin purchases at 3.7 million gns (AU$7.5 million) and Shambolic has already hit a bloodstock home run in producing the G1 Fillies' Mile winner Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who was herself a 1.5 million gns (AU$3 million) yearling two years ago.

“Tremendous. Graham's team has done a brilliant job and we are just very lucky to have her,” said Bennett of the 8-year-old Shambolic.

Smith-Bernal added, “It's hard to believe where this market's at because it's obviously very strong. We knew she was very special, reflected in the fact that we had so many vettings, and look at the way she conducted herself up here. She's a beautiful filly and we wish her new owners the very best.”

He added, “We're very happy because we have a beautiful Frankel filly foal and she is back in foal to Frankel with a colt. We'll keep the filly.”

Smith-Bernal also divulged that he retains a share in the mare's 2-year-old colt by Kingman (GB). Named Kaizen (GB), he is owned in partnership with Qatar Racing, China Horse Club and David Howden, and is in training with John and Thady Gosden.

“The feedback from Oisin Murphy recently was that he could be a special colt,” he said. “This is a reflection of Julian's no-stone-unturned attitude, his attention to detail. We won't always achieve perfection, and that is what Kaizen means. It was the motto of my software business: seeking perfection, knowing that perfection cannot be achieved, but you still seek it.”

Julian Dollar, as manager of Newsells Park Stud, has presided over a team which has topped the Book 1 consignors' table on eight previous occasions, and the draft's performance in 2024 will make that nine with 26 yearlings sold for a total of 17,185,000gns (AU$34.5million).

Sangster's Sense Of Style reaps reward

A third-generation homebred daughter of Camelot (GB) delivered an excellent result for breeder Ben Sangster, who, through Camas Park Stud, sold the filly to Amo Racing for 2.9 million gns (AU$5.9 million).

The first foal of the Zoffany (Ire) mare Sense Of Style (Ire), Lot 402 is closely related to the four-time Group 1 winner and Ballydoyle stalwart Luxembourg (Ire), who is a half-brother to the dam and also by Camelot. The Group 3-placed winner Sense Of Style also has a filly foal by Camelot.

Asked if he had been tempted to race the filly himself, Sangster, whose son Ollie is in his second season training at the family's Manton estate, said. “Very, but we will look for horses for him next week.

Gallery: Images courtesy of Tattersalls

“It's a strong market and she is a beautiful filly and when you get two to tango – I am just the lucky recipient. I'm a bit gobsmacked.”

He added, “Everything that has happened this week has exceeded expectations. I have been lucky, and Camelot has had a great year and his daughter winning the Arc has just put him right up there.”

Newsells Park Stud also topped the sale overall with the filly by Frankel (GB) out of another Shamardal (USA) mare, Aljazzi (GB), who was sold for 4.4 million gns (AU$8.95 million) to Amo Racing on Tuesday.

Wootton Bassett in Demand

The bell had only just rung out across the Tattersalls courtyard and moments later another millionaire yearling was added to the leader board when Lot 311, the Castlebridge-consigned filly by Wootton Bassett (GB) out of the Group 3 winner My Titania (Ire), was bought by William Haggas on behalf of Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy for 1.7 million gns (AU$3.5 million). Sitting across the ring from the main bidders' area with his wife Maureen, Haggas saw off underbidder Kia Joorabchian for the Sunderland Holdings-bred filly from a family he knows well.

My Titania not only holds the accolade of having been the first group winner for her sire Sea The Stars (Ire) when she landed the G3 Park Stakes in 2013, but she has also developed into a significant broodmare whose three runners to date are the Group 2 winners My Oberon (Ire) and My Prospero (Ire) and Listed winner and Group 1 runner-up My Astra (Ire).

“She'll join their broodmare band eventually,” said Haggas, the trainer of both My Prospero and My Astra, as well as their dam's half-brother, the treble Group 2-winning sprinter Muthmir (Ire). “She is very nicely made. We've had a few of the family and they are all quite big, as she is. We were very keen to buy her.”

The owners of last season's Gimcrack Stakes winner Lake Forest (GB) (No Nay Never {USA}), Bloom and McAleavy's foray into the breeding side of the business has included the purchase at the 2023 Tattersalls December Mares Sale of Get Ahead (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), a half-sister to 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean (GB), for 2.5 million gns (AU$5.1 million).

Godolphin signs up Kildaragh gem

Sea The Stars featured on the other side of the pedigree for the next seven-figure lot of the day, the full-sister to the stallion's G1 Prix de Royallieu winner Sea Silk Road (Ire) offered by her breeder Kildaragh Stud. Henry Lascelles and Kieran Lalor made a determined play for the filly (Lot 325) but it was Anthony Stroud for Godolphin who had the final say at 1.6 million gns (AU$3.25 million), having also bought another full sister at this sale last year for 575,000gns (AU$1.17 million).

Peter Kavanagh of Kildaragh Stud said of the purchase of the Listed-winning dam Oriental Magic (Ger) (Doyen {GB}), “It was just the fact that she had class and she was from a good German family. We've worked with German families all the way through and they have been very good to us. They're sound, they're tough.

“She's back in foal to Sea The Stars. She doesn't have a foal this year but if she can do that every second year it would be lovely.”

Of Book 1 trade he added, “Funnily enough it hasn't been ecstatic for us up until now. We've had things that were just short of the top tier and it's not as buoyant there. But when you hit the home run you don't know where it will stop. The number of people that were on her – and all high-end users – you just need everything to align and come together. You have a set of 36 x-rays and anything on one of those can turn half your purchasers away.”

Coolmore's Prize Exhibit

By their own powerful standards, Coolmore has been quieter this week than some but MV Magnier, often in partnership with Peter Brant of White Birch Farm, has still signed for eight yearlings. Lot 353, Barronstown Stud's filly by Frankel (GB) out of the dual Grade II winner Prize Exhibit (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), went to Magnier solely at 1.5 million gns (AU$3 million).

“She is a very nice filly and we have been very lucky with buying horses from David and Diane (Nagle),” he said of the three-part-sister to G3 Cornelscourt Stakes winner History (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

“They are great breeders and have bred very good horses in the past. We bought History here a couple of years ago and she is in foal to Justify carrying a colt.”

Gallery: Images courtesy of Tattersalls

Reflecting on one of the liveliest weeks ever witnessed at Park Paddocks, he added, “The sale has been incredible and Tattersalls has done a great job getting everyone here. You could feel a couple of days before the sale a great buzz around the place.”

He also wished Amo Racing good luck after they signed for the day's top lot, the colt by Coolmore stallion Wootton Bassett on which he was underbidder.

Magnier continued, “Wootton Bassett has had 10 stakes-winning 2-year-olds this season and he is the perfect outcross for Galileo mares. He seems to work with anything. He has started to become an international horse and his juveniles in Australia are hitting. The colt is a stunning horse and well done to the Burns family. We are very sorry not to get the horse. He made a lot of money and I hope he is lucky for Kia and his crew.”

Of the potential of Sea The Stars as a broodmare sire, Kavanagh said, “He's just kicking in. He's going to be a massive influence. I'd say he'll emulate even Galileo. They just seem to have such exceptional temperaments and they are so easy to mate as well. He seems to work with speed and stamina.”

A Mehmas for a million

Tally-Ho Stud's half-brother to treble Group 1 winner Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) gave his sire Mehmas (Ire) a first million-guinea sale. The colt out of the Frozen Power (Ire) mare Sagely (Ire) is joining the Godolphin team, which also stands his talented sibling at Dalham Hall Stud.

Tally Ho's Tony O'Callaghan said, “The mare we bought for 40 grand here at the December Sales seven years ago and she's done well. It's amazing what can happen – sometimes you get lucky.”

His view of the sale echoed those of plenty of others on both sides of transactions this week. He said, “It's been an amazing week really. There's never been a Book 1 like this. No one predicted it. They were all talking about minus 10 per cent, but long may it last. It's good for everyone – the breeding side needs it badly.”

On the rise and rise of their home stallion Mehmas, who is rivalled at Tally-Ho only by the stalwart Kodiac (GB), he added, “There's no law. The Americans like him and they want him in Australia too. We'll cover mares for Australia too. We all know what it's like when (stallions) don't click but this makes up for it.”

Stroud, who has guided the Godolphin team through 18 purchases this week to the tune of 22,020,000gns (AU$44.6million), added, “Funnily enough we were very keen on Sea Silk Road when she went to the sales. I thought she was a very nice filly, a smaller type of Sea The Stars, she looked very racy and it's a wonderful pedigree. I think she'll be a valuable asset once she's finished racing for the paddocks.”