Piranesi Tops Tattersalls Session After Bidding Battle

Jane Chapple-Hyam secured Piranesi (Lot 675) with a bid of 300,000 guineas (US$410,237) as the progressive 3-year-old topped a day of international trade at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale in Newmarket on Oct. 27.

A four-way tussle ensued for the son of Zoffany, with Ed Dunlop, Ronald Rauscher, and Ted Voute providing stiff opposition to Chapple-Hyam, who made the winning play while hidden away on the back stairs.

"He's been bought for an overseas client," said Chapple-Hyam. "I'm just the caretaker trainer as I'd imagine the horse will head abroad. He's a very good-looking horse and we felt there was improvement in him. The client and I have worked together so we're happy to get him."

Piranesi ran four times for William Haggas and owners The Starship Partnership, winning a Yarmouth novice stakes and an Ascot handicap, with the latter effort, a 2 1/2-length success, achieving a Racing Post Rating of 105.

As well as an upwardly mobile race record, Piranesi also boasts a strong pedigree as he is out of the Galileo mare Starship, whose six other winners include Racing Post Trophy (G1) hero Rivet, Sha Tin group 3 winner Out And About, and the Airlie Stud Gallinule Stakes (G3) scorer Alexander Pope. The dam is also a half sister to champion 2-year-old Superstar Leo.

Piranesi was offered by Haggas's Somerville Lodge stables, whose 17-strong draft brought an aggregate of 1,136,000 guineas.

Waller Wades In

Three of the days most eyecatching lots were knocked down to John Ferguson, who went to 210,000 guineas ($287,166) for the classy Desert Icon (Lot 664), 190,000 guineas ($259,817) for the smart Crystal Pegasus (Lot 697), and 120,000 guineas ($164,095) for the improving Born A King (Lot 668) from his pitch in the front row of the bidders' area opposite the rostrum.

The trio were secured on behalf of leading trainer Chris Waller and will be continuing their racing days in Australia. Ferguson said of the haul: "Chris is after horses with good recent form and a good rating."

Desert Icon won three times for Haggas, including when landing a Newmarket handicap by no less than 8 1/2 lengths, for which he earned an RPR of 109. The son of Sea The Stars, a €110,000 ($129,778) Arqana yearling purchase, was last seen finishing third behind Anna Nerium in the listed Tote Foundation Stakes at Goodwood.

Crystal Pegasus won twice for Sir Michael Stoute and was given a career-high RPR of 95 for the most recent of those wins, which came in a Yarmouth handicap. The son of Australia was bred by Sir Evelyn de Rothschild from Crystal Etoile, a Dansili sibling to Crystal Ocean, Crystal Capella, Crystal Zvezda, and Hillstar.

Born A King won once for Haggas and owner Faisal Bin Meshref and was awarded a peak RPR of 89 for his latest runner-up effort at Chelmsford. The son of Frankel hails from the further family of Mizzen Mast  and Shareef Dancer.

Waller's three purchases totalled 520,000 guineas, a figure that propelled the Australia-based handler to the head of the buyers' table.

Keats Heading Down Under

Armando Duarte landed just a single bid when Keats (Lot 623) took to the ring, but it proved the most decisive play as the agent secured the blue-blooded son of Galileo for 200,000 guineas ($273,492). The 3-year-old colt came to Park Paddocks armed with a significant update, having won the listed Navigation Stakes on the most recent of ten starts for Aidan O'Brien.

"This horse was bought for Ballymore Stables in Australia, he was our pick of the sale," said Duarte, who signed on behalf of Australia-based agent Paul Moroney. "I've been working with Paul for a long time and we thought he'd be a top horse in Australia. He might be a miler or he could stay 10 furlongs but either way he could potentially be a group horse in time.

"He came very highly recommended by Mick Flanagan, he's worked closely with Paul down in Australia too. He cost more than we'd have liked but he's a nice horse so hopefully it'll work out well in the future."

Duarte added: "Myself and Paul have worked together for about 16 years now and it's been growing over that time. Paul couldn't be here this year, which means more work for me, but also means less dinner and drinks with him, which is a shame!"

Keats won three times over the course of his 10-race career with O'Brien, with his listed success supplemented by victories at Gowran and Killarney. The son of Galileo was bred by Coolmore and is out of Betfair Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) heroine Airwave.

The daughter of Air Express has produced six other winners, including Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies' Stakes (G3) scorer Aloof, the listed-winning Orator, and Grangecon Stud Curragh Stakes victress Meow—who is better known as the dam of champion 2- and 3-year-old Churchill and his Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes-winning sister Clemmie. In turn, Airwave is a half sister to Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) victress Jwala.

De Seroux Doubles Up

Another agent who was busy throughout the day was Narvick International's Emmanuel de Seroux, who secured the listed-winning Royal Address (Lot 687) at 170,000 guineas ($232,468) and Party Season (Lot 627) for 160,000 guineas ($218,794).

"She's going to go to California and has been bought for Marsha Naify," said de Seroux after signing for Royal Address, a daughter of Dandy Man who won three races for Haggas. "No decision has been made about a trainer yet but she's a very nice filly.

"She's a beautiful mover and she should do very well out in California as she has speed and is very athletic. She'll make a breeding prospect in time but as she's only two we'll try to win a group 1 first!"

Royal Address was purchased for Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum through Blandford Bloodstock at £45,000 ($55,305) at last year's Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale. Party Season was also making his second appearance at public auction, having cost M.V. Magnier $1 million at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale in 2018.

The son of American Pharoah  was listed as having run once at 3 in the catalog but brought a big update having opened his account at Dundalk on his third outing. De Seroux said plans remained fluid for the scopey 3-year-old but added he had sourced the six-figure lot on behalf of the same client that he bought Numen for at 110,000 guineas on Day 1.

"He's a nice horse and he won well the other day and he looks like a horse with a big future," the agent said of Party Season. "After he ran so well on the all-weather we think he might be a horse who can switch to racing on dirt.

"Like the one we bought yesterday, we haven't decided exactly where he'll go yet, we're keeping all options open. I love American Pharoah, we bought some nice ones by him last year and he looks like a very good stallion."

Party Season is out of the Touch Gold mare Party Silks, making him a half brother to three winners, most notably the Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes (G2) scorer Upstart .

Highland Reel Brother Set for Stud Career

Another lot to fetch 170,000 guineas was Nobel Prize (Lot 714) as John Walsh outbid Hubie de Burgh for the group 3-winning brother to the mighty Highland Reel. The 3-year-old son of Galileo and Hveger won two races for O'Brien, with his Woodford Reserve Ballysax Stakes (G3) victory a career highlight.

The colt is a brother to two further group winners in Betway Great Voltigeur (G2) scorer Idaho and Ladbrokes Caulfield Stakes (G1) hero Cape of Good Hope. Their dam, a group 1-placed daughter of Danehill, is also a sibling to Australian champions Elvstroem and Haradasun.

Although the colt has appeared on the racetrack on just six occasions, the purchaser said he had run his last race as a stud career beckons.

"He's got an international pedigree that works anywhere," said Walsh. "He's bred on the same cross as Frankel too and his next stop is the English National Stud prior to export. There's interest in him from various countries. He's finished racing though, it'll be hard to improve that pedigree further anyway!"

Ballydoyle's eight-strong draft brought an aggregate of 689,000 guineas.

The 170,000 guineas mark was hit on a third occasion when Rauscher secured promising young stayer King's Charisma (Lot 770) with Australian Bloodstock when the progressive son of Teofilo was offered by David O'Meara.

St Lawrence Strikes

Oliver St Lawrence secured one of the top 10 lots of the session when going to 160,000 guineas for Glen Force (Lot 721), who was offered by Sir Mark Prescott's Heath House Stables.

The 3-year-old son of Gleneagles has shown steadily progressive form throughout his nine-race career, which has included victories at Thirsk and Nottingham.

"He's for Fawzi Nass and will probably go to Bahrain," said St Lawrence, who added: "He came highly recommended by his previous trainer—we have horses with him so if he has put us away he'll be for the high jump!"

Cowell Collects

Betway Pavilion Stakes (G3) winner Dubai Station (Lot 554) is set to switch from Middleham to Newmarket after Robert Cowell struck a winning bid of 150,000 guineas ($215,119).

After signing the six-figure docket from his position at the top of the stairs opposite the rostrum, Cowell revealed the son of Brazen Beau will be carrying the familiar sky blue and orange silks of Middleham Park Racing next time he sets foot on the racecourse.

"I'm really pleased to have Middleham Park on board, they're a fantastic syndicate so we're looking forward to 2021 with this horse," said Cowell. "He's a very good-looking horse and doesn't have many miles on the clock. He's rated to be running in smart handicaps or stakes races so we have options with him."

Dubai Station, a 30,000 guineas ($41,398) yearling purchase for owner Ahmad Al Shaikh, won two races from 10 starts for Karl Burke, and achieved an RPR of 109 when third behind Royal Crusade and subsequent group 1 winner Glen Shiel in the Qatar Prix de Ris-Orangis (G3) on his penultimate outing.

Connections are still to map out a campaign for the strapping 3-year-old, but Cowell said: "We'll have a chat over a glass of wine at some point and work out what we do with him."

The trainer was joined by key members of team Middleham Park, whose Tim Palin added: "We've been following the horse for two or three months now and we wanted to come here and buy a bit of quality if we could. He's got a serious engine, now it's down to the trainer to mastermind what happens next!"

Off On an Ascot Adventure

Wildcard entry Ascot Adventure (Lot 746B) looked a sprinter with a bright future when making an impressive winning debut for Andrew Slattery, and that performance prompted Kevin Bailey of Woodhurst Construction and John Fitzpatrick to go to 150,000 guineas to acquire the once-raced son of Mayson.

"He's a very nice 2-year-old, he won his maiden well, so we have very high hopes for him at three," said Fitzpatrick. "Hopefully he'll make up into a high-class sprinter. He'll have a break now and come back next season."

Bailey added: "There's definitely room for improvement in him as he grows and that's what you want from a sprinter. I was one of the part owners of Presvis, he took us all over the world, and hopefully this fella will take us to some nice places as well!"

Ascot Adventure, who is out of the listed-winning Inchinor mare Kasumi, was making his second appearance at public auction, having been signed for by Five Star Bloodstock at the Tattersalls Ascot Yearling Sale, where he fetched a mere £4,800 ($5,926).

Bright Start

Six-figure prices came thick and fast throughout the session, and kicking things off was John Egan of Alliance Bloodstock who went to 120,000 guineas for Prince Of Naples (Lot 591), a son of Holy Roman Emperor who won two races and was listed-placed for Sheila Lavery.

"I bought him for a long-standing client," said Egan, who signed in conjunction with MKAR Racing. "We'll take him home now and decide whether we keep him here or whether he goes to somewhere like Dubai.

"I loved the horse and I had a good chat with the trainer, who I have a lot of respect for, and everything added up. You've got to buy them when you like them. I think he has a lot more to come."

Egan added: "It was easier to buy him this year than last year, he'd have made too much money 12 months ago but this year there are opportunities to buy a nicer type of horse."

Just a few lots later Alastair Donald went to 110,000 guineas ($150,421) for the useful sprinter Byline (Lot 597), a son of Muhaarar offered by Kevin Ryan's Hambleton Lodge Stables.

"He'll go to Bahrain," said Donald. "He's a very good-looking, straightforward sort of horse. He's got progressive form and I think that price was pretty good value for a horse rated that highly. He should do well on the fast ground he'll get out in Bahrain."

The Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale continues on Wednesday at 9.30 a.m. local time, with the high-class English King among those due to come under the hammer.