Another Via Sistina in the green and white? Caught U Looking tops Tattersalls at 1,800,000gns

Cover image courtesy of Tattersalls

Big purchase with big potential

Via Sistina's exploits Down Under may well have been at the forefront of Yuesheng Zhang's mind when the Yulong team went to 1.8 million gns (AU$3.69 million) to secure Caught U Looking (Ire) (Harzand {Ire}), a filly that part-owner Tony O'Callaghan says “will do a bit of damage” whatever jurisdiction she ends up running in.

That's good news for Yulong, who bid online to the left of the rostrum to see off a spirited effort from Will Walden. Of course, it was in this exact sale ring that Yulong, then signing under Evergreen Equine as opposed to Willingham on Monday, lit up the Sceptre Sessions when going to 2.7 million gns (AU$5.55 million) for Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) last year.

Four Group 1s in Australia later, including an 8l demolition job in the G1 W.S Cox Plate, and it was easy to see why Yulong's general manager Vin Cox was returning to a happy hunting ground to secure the Noel Meade-trained Group 3 winner.

“The ambition at this stage is probably to send her to Australia and put her on a path not dissimilar to Via Sistina, who we've obviously had a lot of success with over the last 12 months,” Cox said.

"We're not suggesting that this filly is going to turn into a Via Sistina. We'd love her to, but we'll keep our feet on the ground and hopefully she can win some nice races for us.

“It's no secret that staying horses in this part of the world perform exceptionally well in Australia. She's already a stakes performer and she'll be retired to the stud irrespective of what happens in Australia. Hopefully, we can add to her CV and profile.

“Funnily enough, the price was around where I thought we might end up. She's a well-performed filly who we think has got a pretty good profile to race on with. There were bids coming from all corners of the auditorium which is always a good sign. You love to see competition and would hate to be the only one out there.”

Caught U Looking was bought by Peter Nolan on behalf of Noel Meade for just €27,000 (AU$43,800) at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale in 2022. The story goes that the filly caught O'Callaghan's attention in the back ring before she was offered under the hammer, which would explain how she was named.

The Caught U Looking story

Given her breeder Peter Kelly was keen to stay involved in the ownership of the filly and Meade had purchased Caught U Looking on spec, a partnership was formed. The rest, as they say, is history.

The Tally-Ho Stud boss said “I'd say she did it herself because she behaved impeccably there for the past three days. We think there's a good bit of potential; there's more to come. That's why she made it. Credit to Peter Nolan, Peter Kelly and Noel Meade. She had twelve vets and was very popular. I'd say she'll do a bit of damage wherever she goes.”

The day one sale-topper is out of the Mastercraftsman (Ire) mare Wild Mix (GB), who Kelly picked up for just 7000gns (AU$14,400) at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale in 2018. The mare has served him well with her Supremacy (Ire) colt foal also making the Kellys a pretty penny when selling at Goffs last year for €180,000 (AU$291,600), in the aftermath of Caught U Looking's 2-year-old exploits which included her biggest success to date in the Weld Park S. Wild Mix had a filly by Cotai Glory (GB) this spring and was covered by New Bay (GB).

“I bred her and I always wanted to stay in her,” Kelly explained. “Noel Meade wanted to buy her and, when he did, we stayed in for half. Tony was then interested in her and he bought in. I was so chuffed that he wanted part of a horse I had bred. He has been a wonderful partner the whole way.”

He added, “Coming here, I knew she was going to go better than I had hoped as she had 12 or 13 vets and the right people were on her.”

Meanwhile, Kelly's wife Sabina, was understandably emotional.

She said, “Oh my gosh! It was incredible, she has always been a pet. We have always loved her. I am in shock, it is amazing! We weren't expecting that. She is a superb filly and it is sad to see her go but she has been brilliant and we have had a great season.”

Tattersalls offered a bigger selection of horses on Monday compared to the corresponding day's trade twelve months ago but, even so, the day one figures made for impressive reading with turnover climbing by 48 per cent to 22,955,500gns (AU$4.71 million). The median was up 16 per cent to 50,000gns (AU$102,600) while the average was on the rise by 32 per cent to 102,939gns (AU$211,300). The clearance rate was a healthy 86 per cent, up 4 per cent.

Aussie buyers active on Day 1

MG Price Racing & Breeding teamed with Dermot Farrington to secure, for 170,000gns (AU$348,600), the lightly raced Ring True (GB) (Belardo {Ire}).

A winner and three times placed from six starts, always finishing in the first five, she has been stakes-placed at her last two outings; a Listed second at Marseille Borely and a Group 3 third in Milan just a couple of weeks ago.

She is the first foal for the stakes-placed Hold True (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) whose dam Honest Quality (USA) (Elusive Quality {USA}) is a Listed-winning daughter of the G1 Santa Monica H. winner Honest Lady (USA) (Seattle Slew {USA}).

Honest Lady produced another three stakes winners including the G1 Forego S. winner First Defence (USA).

China Horse Club was also in action, buying for 370,000gns (AU$759,400) Sound Angela (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}).

The winner of four of her 17 starts including the Listed John Musker S. at Yarmouth in mid-September, the 5-year-old is also Group 3 and five times Listed-placed.

She is one of the six winners (from as many to race) for the Group 3-placed Instance (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), a half-sister to the European Champion Older Female Seal Of Approval (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) and the Listed winner Gale Force (GB} (Shirocco {Ger}), dam of the triple Group 1 winner Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel).

Rosemont Stud took home a couple, for 35,000gns each (AU$71,800) securing Daban (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), and Rapture (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}) who is in foal to Shaquille (GB) (Pivotal {GB}).

The 10-year-old Daban won two of her five starts for the John Gosden yard; after a debut win at Kempton taking out the G3 Nell Gwyn S. at Newmarket before a G1 1000 Guineas third behind Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

She has one winner amongst her first three runners whilst her 2-year-old Cloth Of Gold (Sea The Moon {Ger}) has shown ability finish second at his first two starts.

Daban is a half-sister to the G3 Goodwood Thoroughbred S. winner Thikriyaat (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) out of a daughter of the Listed winner Mahalia (Ire) (Danehill {USA}), dam of two G3 winners and ancestress of another ten stakes winners including the G1 gallopers Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}), Ectot (GB) and Most Improved (Ire).

Gallery: The two mares acquired by Rosemont Stud, images courtesy of Tattersalls

The 8-year-old Rapture was, from six starts, a winner on the all-weather surface at Lingfield. She has one winner amongst her first two to race.

Her dam is the stakes placed Rosa Bonheur (USA) (Mr Greeley {USA}), also dam of the triple Group 1 winner Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and the Group 3 winner Kubrick (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Rosa Bonheur's dam is the Italian Champion 2YO Filly Rolly Polly (Ire) (Mukaddamah {USA}), grandam of the dual Group 3 winner Exxtra (Fr) (Starspangledbanner).

Unbreak My Heart to City Of Troy or Auguste Rodin

A visit to City Of Troy (USA) or Auguste Rodin (Ire) has been pencilled in for Unbreak My Heart (GB) after M.V. Magnier secured the Group-placed daughter of Showcasing (GB) for Coolmore at 625,000gns (AU$1.28 million). Unbreak My Heart is the culmination of generations of hard work at Whitsbury Manor Stud. A half-sister to Group 2 winner Heartache (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}), who Coolmore bought at this sale in 2018 for 1.3 million gns, Unbreak My Heart actually carried Chris Harper's own colours to finish third in the G3 Cornwallis S.

Heartache has emerged as a pretty promising broodmare at Coolmore, with her most recent progeny to have hit the track, Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), winning the G3 Killavullan S. when last seen.

“Exactly is a very good filly,” Magnier commented. “In fairness to Ed Harper and his father, they've been very good breeders for a very long time. It's a great family that they've done very well with. We bought Heartache off them a few years ago and she's gone on to produce Salt Lake City (Ire) who was a good horse, and then Exactly looks very promising.

“She's a very nice filly and we're lucky to have been able to buy her. I'd say she'll go to either City Of Troy or Auguste Rodin.”

Amo starts strongly with Frankel filly

Amo Racing's Kia Joorabchian was responsible for raising the temperature early in the afternoon when going to 450,000gns (AU$923,800) for Godolphin's Listed-winning Pennymoor (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

The most expensive of the day's lots outside of the Sceptre Sessions, she is out of the G1 Preis der Diana heroine Penelopa (GB) (Giant's Causeway {USA}), making her a half-sister to Amo's smart 2-year-old California Dreamer (GB) (Mehmas {Ire}), runner-up in this year's G2 Balanchine S. at the Curragh.

Bloodstock agent Alex Elliott said, “She was a very obvious one for us, being a half-sister to California Dreamer and a Listed winner by Frankel. She made 450,000gns as a foal so that will tell you how good-looking she is.

“She's on an early cover to Farhh so there's some scarcity value there. Farhh struggles with his fertility so there's not many of them around and not many mares in foal to him. I think he's a very good stallion and, with what she's carrying, that would be a Book 1 horse if it comes out looking like her.”

Talking Points

Be it horses-in-training or mares, the Godolphin draft always generates great excitement. Monday was no different when 20 mares sold for a combined 2,255,000gns (AU$4.62 million). While she didn't command a huge price tag at 80,000gns (AU$164,200), the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Pleascach (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) was one of the bigger names among the draft. She was sold to Indian buyers Poonawalla Astonish Stud and Raunak Banerji.

A brilliant season for Camelot (GB) received further international recognition when, bidding on behalf of Taihei Stud Farm, Michael Youngs secured classy mare Cairde Go Deo (Fr) for 525,000gns (AU$1.07 million). Trained by Ger Lyons on behalf of owner Mark Dobbin, Cairde Go Deo, which translates from Irish into Friends Forever, won twice at Listed level and placed in the Irish Oaks. Youngs said, “She's been purchased for Taihei Farm in Japan. She was a good, tough racemare and very attractive, she uses herself very well. She should be a good fit for them and I'm very happy to have got her for them.”

The Juddmonte draft proved as popular as ever with 15 selling for a total of 1,630,000 gns (AU$3.34 million) and at an average of 108,667gns (AU$223,000). The pick of them was the 3-year-old Abstract (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), a dual winner in France out of the Listed-placed Invincible Spirit (Ire) mare Ambivalence (Ire).

Hailing from the prolific family that produced the great broodmare Urban Sea (USA) (Miswaki {USA}), she sold for 340,000gns (AU$698,000) on the bid of Ted Durcan. He said, “She has been bought to race on. She is for Scott Heider, but I don't know yet whether she will stay in Europe or go to the US. She is very close to getting black type and if she could get her head in front she will be a valuable prospect.”

You've got to take your hat off to Jessica Harrington, who worked her magic with Raknah (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}). Deemed surplus to requirements by Andrew Balding, she was sold online to BBA Ireland for just 25,000gns (AU$51,300) after she failed to win in three starts in Britain. A gritty success in a Listed contest at Galway earlier this summer saw connections multiply their outlay when she sold for 350,000gns (AU$718,500) to Yoshihisa Ozasa.

Charlie Gordon Watson spent a total of 925,000gns (AU$1.89 million) on a pair of mares offered during the Sceptre Sessions; Rocana (GB) (Fastnet Rock) and Adelaise (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), who fetched 625,000gns (AU$1.28 million) and 300,000gns (AU$615,700) respectively. Rocana has already produced the G3 Chester Vase winner Youth Spirit (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Listed Feilden S. scorer Canberra Legend (Ire) (Australia {GB}), as well as a Ghaiyyath (Ire) filly who made 350,000gns (AU$718,500) at last week's December Foal Sale.

Along with Adelaise, the winner of the Listed Snowdrop Fillies' S. at Kempton in April, Rocana was bought on behalf of Watership Down Stud and will be covered by Too Darn Hot (GB), the Darley stallion who still has no fiercer supporters than Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber of Watership Down after they bred and raced him with such great success.

Gallery: A pair of mares offered during the Sceptre Sessions for which Charlie Gordon Watson spent a total of 925,000gns (AU$1.89 million), images courtesy of Tattersalls

There was a strong International representation at Tattersalls on Monday and the leading American-based owner Mike Repole was a notable name to feature on the buyers' sheet when spending 645,000 gns (AU$1.32 million) on four mares.