Coolmore Gets on Right Side of Tattersalls Battles

It hasn't been easy to get the better of Godolphin at Tattersalls this week, but Coolmore gained some ground Oct. 10, denying Sheikh Mohammed's buying team at 1.8 million guineas (US$2,306,355) to secure the Kingman colt during the concluding session of Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale.

The two teams clashed over the previous days' session toppers, with the 3.6 million-guinea half brother to Barney Roy and the 3.1 million-guinea Frankel sibling to Golden Horn both going the way of Godolphin after some heady sales-ring showdowns.

Sheikh Mohammed may have remained with his entourage by the parade ring as the strapping Hazelwood Bloodstock-consigned Kingman colt entered the Park Paddocks ring, but the gangway quickly filled with other interested parties.

None were more interested than Coolmore's M.V. Magnier, who was joined by Paul Shanahan in the doorway, and Anthony Stroud, who again hid away behind the partition just yards from his rivals.

Olympic gold medal-winning event rider Mark Todd, who also oversees a string of racehorses on the edge of the Marlborough Downs, showed an interest, too, but dropped out of contention once it became clear the price was racing toward seven-figure territory.

A sense of déja vu descended as the opposing bidders traded increasingly expensive blows, with Magnier's every raise almost instantly bested by Stroud, just as had been the case during the past two sessions, but this time Magnier was the one who came out on top.

Bred under the Fairway Thoroughbreds banner by John Camilleri, the breeder who gave the world the mighty Winx, the Kingman colt is out of One Last Dance, a daughter of Encosta de Lago who won the Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Prelude (G3) in her native Australia.

A whole host of black-type names appear farther back in the pedigree, including champion sire Storm Cat, Racing Post Trophy (G1) winner Crowded House, and group 1-winning sprinters Brando and Reckless Abandon.

There could be plenty more to come from this illustrious family, too. One Last Dance also has a 2019 Frankel colt and visited Kingman again this year.

"He's a lovely horse, and Kingman is obviously doing very well," Magnier said. "This horse was bred by John Camilleri, who's one of the best breeders in Australia. He brought the mare up from Australia, and she's produced a very nice colt."

Thursday's seven-figure transaction is not the first major vote of confidence Coolmore has given Kingman. The operation also secured Calyx for stallion duty, and the classy Cormorant, a 1.05 million-guinea ($1,443,504) purchase at Book 1 last year, carried Coolmore partner Michael Tabor's silks this season.

"Calyx was exceptionally impressive when he won the Coventry and was equally impressive this year," Magnier said. "He's clearly an exceptionally fast horse, and we're very happy to have a horse like that at Coolmore. I'm sure he'll be very popular."

That sale may have provided the most excitement during the final session, but it was not responsible for the highest price. That honor belongs to the Galileo filly out of Quiet Oasis whom Magnier stretched to 2.1 million guineas ($2,690,747) to secure in partnership with George von Opel's Westerberg. 

Bred by David and Diane Nagle of Barronstown Stud, the April-born filly is a full sister to Lancaster House, who was listed as unraced in the catalog but has since won three races, including the Listowel Stakes, for the Coolmore partners. 

"She's a lovely filly, and Aidan (O'Brien) has always felt that Lancaster House is a very good horse," said Magnier, who was joined by Westerberg's representative Jamie McCalmont. 

"We raced the mare with Paul Reddam before she was sold to the Nagles," McCalmont said. "This filly was the one horse we really wanted in the sale, and it isn't a shock that she made so much money."

The high point of Quiet Oasis's racing career came when she landed the 2012 Royal Heroine Mile (G2T) at Hollywood Park. She has since been mated exclusively with Galileo.

Big Day for Longview

Although giving best to Coolmore on the Kingman colt, Godolphin repelled all comers to land a son of Dubawi and Miss Marjurie at 1.1 million guineas ($1,409,439) earlier in the day.

Bred by Ed's Stud and A Swinburn, the youngster is the first foal out of the Marju mare, who won the 888Sport Pinnacle Stakes (G3) while in training with Denis Coakley, and hails from the immediate family of Soviet Song.

"This colt has a great temperament," stud manager Diego Romeo said. "He's all class—he really did tick all the boxes."

That transaction was the second big result to come Longview's way, as Godolphin also went to 875,000 guineas ($1,121,145) for the Sea The Stars colt out of the listed-winning Lopera. Having cost Dromoland Farm 400,000 guineas ($537,096) at the Tattersalls December Foal Sales, the catalog's priciest pinhook turned a handsome profit.

"It was an expensive pinhook, but we loved him," Romeo said. "He's bred on the very good cross of Sea The Stars over Monsun that produced Sea the Moon. He was very popular here, everyone liked him, so we're very happy."

Godolphin will hope history can repeat itself with the Sea The Stars colt. Twelve months ago, it went to 1 million guineas for another son of the same sire pinhooked by Dromoland Farm and consigned by Longview. That colt turned out to be Volkan Star, a six-length winner on his second start for Charlie Appleby.

Carson in Clover

The Coolmore team also struck at 825,000 guineas ($1,057,079) for the Le Havre filly out of DFS Park Hill Stakes (G2) runner-up Phiz, bred and consigned by Willie Carson's Minster Stud. The racing icon bought the filly in utero, having gone to €600,000 ($706,440) for Phiz through James Delahooke at Arqana in December 2017.

"We'd been trying to buy a top mare at the December Sale here but kept getting blown out," Carson said. "So we ended up looking at Arqana. I went over budget, but when James Delahooke sent me a video of her walk, well, I was in love. This is a very attractive filly with a walk to die for. Her temperament has held up well, even though she's hardly been in her box since Saturday."

The dam has supplied one winner from two runners, with Al Madhar making a big impression with a successful debut in a Newmarket maiden during the July meeting. That son of Siyouni is reportedly in high regard with Shadwell, a point reinforced when Angus Gold underbid the Le Havre filly.

Final Figures

After three days of selling and the last of 483 yearlings exited the Park Paddocks ring, 397 lots had sold for a clearance rate of 82%, a respectable figure, albeit down 5% against 2018's results.

There was a similar story with the other key market indicators. The aggregate stood at 102,429,000 guineas ($131,624,837), down 4% year on year; the average was 258,010 guineas ($331,549), down 5%; and the median stood at 150,000 guineas ($192,453), down 10% on the 167,500 guineas registered 12 months ago.

While there was across-the-board declines in all key market metrics, that is only when set against an exceptionally strong set of results from 2018. At the conclusion of Book 1, Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony said:

"There have been some spectacular highlights at Book 1 of the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, including two outstanding colts breaking the 3 million guineas mark with the Dubawi colt out of Alina achieving the highest price for a yearling colt in the world this year.

"In total, we have had 10 yearlings make 1 million guineas or more, reflecting the extraordinary quality of the yearlings assembled for Book 1. We have welcomed buyers from throughout the world, all of whom are drawn to the sale by its unrivaled reputation as Europe's premier yearling sale.

"After eight consecutive years of growth, with turnover rising from 51 million guineas in 2011 to last year's massive 106 million guineas, the aggregate has fallen a little short this year. But the sale has still produced turnover in excess of 100 million guineas, which is the second-highest in the sale's history and yet again a huge tribute to the vendors who have brought the cream of the European yearling crop to Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

"We are fortunate to have so many of the world's top stallions currently standing in Europe, with five of them—Dubawi, Frankel, Galileo, Kingman, and Siyouni—all producing yearlings which have sold for a million guineas or more this week, and there is no doubt that the global achievements of these stallions play a big role in attracting so many overseas buyers.

"As ever, we should acknowledge the fantastic support we have received from Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum as well as the Coolmore team. They have all enjoyed amazing success with their Book 1 horses over the years, and we look forward to seeing this week's purchases bringing further success in due course.

"They have all made a major contribution to the very top of the market, which has been highly competitive from start to finish, but a new dimension has been added by a particularly strong contingent of American buyers.

"Their presence has been a growing feature in recent years, and we have worked consistently hard promoting the sale throughout America, so it has been genuinely rewarding to see so many new American buyers here this week. They have made a real impact, and it looks as if around 50 yearlings will be heading across the Atlantic from this week's sale.

"The influence of the £25,000 October Book 1 bonus understandably continues to be felt at the sale, and with more than 180 winners and over £4.5 million in bonuses already distributed, it is little wonder that the beneficiaries are so keen to return to Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale year after year. It is a uniquely rewarding scheme, and to see so many syndicates and smaller owners active this week is a clear endorsement of its enduring popularity.

"We now turn our attention to Books 2, 3, and 4 of the October Yearling Sale starting on Monday, and we have catalogs of real quality which will appeal to a wide cross section of buyers at all levels of the market."