Kingman Colt Tops Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale

When the chips are down, the bloodstock industry rarely misses an opportunity to reaffirm its resilience, and that fortitude was on full show during a remarkably robust renewal of the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale in Doncaster July 1, where a colt by rising star sire Kingman headed the market at £290,000 (US$359,615).

Although a significantly smaller offering complicates year-on-year comparisons somewhat, key market indicators returned notably positive results in the circumstances, with those statistics reflecting a buoyant mood on the sales ground.

Some 99 lots were offered, and 89 found a buyer for a clearance rate of 89.9%. In turn, those transactions brought turnover of £3,975,400 ($4,929,701)—a 22% decrease, albeit from 24% fewer lots. The average dipped 2.4% to £44,667 ($55,390), and the median was up by 7.7% to £28,000 ($34,721).

The sales-topping son of Kingman (Lot 31) was sold to Jamie Lloyd, who delivered the winning hand from the bidding area opposite the rostrum and provided Jim McCartan of Gaybrook Lodge Stud with a handsome return on the £120,000 ($146,628) he gave for the youngster last year.

"He's a smashing horse," McCartan said. "We bought him here at the Premier Sale, and he's been very easy to deal with ever since. The lads at home have done a great job—it hasn't been simple this year getting horses ready for these sales. It's been a stop-start year, but they've put in a lot of hard work.

"(Goffs UK managing director) Tim Kent asked me to give him a good horse for the sale, so I did. Both Tim and Harvey Bell (of Tattersalls) did a good job getting these sales on. It wasn't simple, but you need an auction. Considering what's happening in the world, it's great to be able to come here and see people still looking for a racehorse."

Despite some anxiety over the health of the market, with the economic downturn brought about by the COVID-19 crisis appearing to have had a significant impact on proceedings at the Tattersalls Craven Sale, McCartan said he always retained faith in the Kingman colt.

"There was a lot of interest in him, and he did a very good breeze, so I thought he'd make between £200,000 and £300,000," he said. "He's a real trainer's horse. He's so simple to do anything with."

The colt had not only put in an impressive breeze but is backed up by a deep page, as he is out of the listed-placed Royal Applause mare Asaawir and, therefore, a sibling to Country Gentlemens Association Dick Poole Stakes (G3) runner-up Marsh Hawk and Queen Mary Stakes (G2) third Hairy Rocket. Investec Epsom Derby (G1) third Carlton House also appears farther back in his pedigree.

"He's been bought with my partner David Meah for one of our best clients, Calvin Nguyen," Lloyd said. "He'll come back to my farm first and then he'll go to trainer Richard Baltas in California as soon as he's ready.

"David's bought Calvin a lot of good horses in America, and we bought him a few nice ones here, including Bodhicitta, who was second in the Gamely Stakes (G1T) on her first try in a stakes race.

"Kingman is well known in America. He's already a prolific sire, and this colt is a half brother to two very precocious 2-year-olds. He breezed very well. Jim and his team have obviously done a very good job with him."

Al Shaqab Back in Action

Al Shaqab Racing's name appeared on the docket of the second-top lot after Mandore International's Nicolas de Watrigant got the better of Anthony Stroud, with a bid of £200,000 ($248,011) required to secure the Dandy Man colt (Lot 97) out of Light Glass offered by Mocklershill.

"There is no plan with regards to a trainer yet, but he's been bought for Al Shaqab," de Watrigant said. "I've been successful buying for them before. Their silks have been carried to 19 group 1 victories by horses I bought, so it's always nice to be able to buy another one for them. Let's hope this colt is the next group 1 winner."

The agent added: "He has the physical, the temperament, and he breezed very well; that's what it's all about for me. And, of course, you see down the page and it's the family of Street Cry."

The colt is the second foal out of a daughter of Lope de Vega whose third dam is the increasingly influential Gilltown Stud Irish Oaks (G1) heroine Helen Street, the dam of Street Cry and the ancestress of recent group 1 winners such as Territories and Victor Ludorum.

The colt was making his third sales ring appearance, having been pinhooked by Glenvale Stud at 80,000 guineas ($107,722) as a foal before being bought back by the same operation at 75,000 guineas ($100,679) at last year's yearling sales.

American Appeal

Star Bloodstock pinhooked two colts by American Pharoah  ahead of the 2020 breeze-up season and have now achieved noteworthy results with both. The first of those to reach public auction turned a tidy profit when sold to Simon Chappell for 400,000 guineas at the Craven Sale, and the second went the way of Blandford Bloodstock's Richard Brown for £175,000 ($217,010) during the Goffs UK session.

"The stallion is exceptional. There's a bit of magic about him," Brown said after signing for the colt (Lot 69), a $90,000 pinhook out of Gitchee Goomie. "He's not over big, but he's still got a bit of growing to do, and if he'd come here at 16 hands high, we wouldn't have been able to get him. We'll give him a bit of time off, and I think he'll blossom. The vendors do a super job. They've sold a lot of very good horses."

Brown revealed the colt would be heading into training with David Simcock for the Never Say Die Partnership, with members of the Star Bloodstock team retaining a share.

"Some of the shareholders will probably have a heart attack as this is far more money than I've ever given for one, but he's been bought for our resale syndicate, the Never Say Die Partnership," he said. "We have the horses with David Simcock, we've raced the likes of Teppal and Fiji before, and there are 10 shareholders involved."

Despite the pandemic having wreaked havoc with economies around the world, Brown said the continued strength of the export market for horses with form meant the American Pharoah colt represented a risk well worth taking.

"He's by a properly international stallion, and the resale markets are very strong, and that's what we'll tee him up for," he said. "If he's above average, there are a lot of people out there who'll want him—there's Hong Kong, America, anywhere. It's a brave shout, but hopefully it'll pay dividends. We thought long and hard about launching this year's syndicate, but the resale markets seem completely unaffected by the crisis."

Brown was among a chorus of voices singing the praises of the bloodstock industry for how it has responded to the considerable challenges the coronavirus pandemic has presented.

"The fact we're even here shows what a phenomenal industry this is," he said. "We're all fierce competitors in this industry, but when things go wrong—like COVID-19 or even in someone's personal life—it's extraordinary how people rally around together. The fact Goffs and Arqana have worked together to get this sale on is incredible."