Sea The Stars Colt Steals Limelight at 1.2M Guineas

A blue-blooded and powerfully-built son of Sea The Stars  became the first lot to break the seven-figure barrier at the latest renewal of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Oct. 6 when Charlie Gordon-Watson went to 1.2 million guineas (US$1,715,590) for the colt (Lot 277) out of the classy race mare So Mi Dar .

Despite the bidding going further than for any other lot at the blue-chip auction, it was not long before the spoils wrested between Gordon-Watson, taking instructions on the phone by the doorway opposite the entrance, and the Godolphin buying team, who were stationed outside by the parade ring.

Gordon-Watson wasn't to be denied and revealed his client was Lane's End Farm's Bill Farish, who races under the Woodford Racing banner.

"I've been talking about Lot 277 ever since I knew his lot number," said Gordon-Watson. "But this happened only about an hour and a half ago when Bill rang me and asked what I thought of the horse, and I said I think he's the best yearling in the sale.

"Bill probably saw an opportunity in this market, but he liked the pedigree and everything's so international now. The horse will stay here initially but we haven't decided on a trainer yet. I think I got the valuation right as I said I thought he'd make between 800,000 guineas and 1.2 million guineas."

The imposing colt, who bore more than a passing resemblance to his sire, was bred and sold by Madeleine Lloyd Webber's Watership Down Stud and is the second foal out of So Mi Dar, whose four victories included the 2016 Tattersalls Musidora Stakes (G3).

The dam is out of Dar Re Mi , making her a sister to the champion Too Darn Hot  and the group 2-winning Lah Ti Dar . Her second dam is Watership Down's foundation mare Darara , which was purchased for the Lloyd Webbers by Gordon-Watson for IR470,000 guineas in 1994.

The half sister to Darshaan  has laid down foundations for a dynasty, having bred dual group 1 winner Rewilding  as well as 2009 Darley Yorkshire Oaks (G1) and Audi Pretty Polly Stakes (G1) heroine Dar Re Mi.

"I bought Darara and have been involved with the family all the way through," said Gordon-Watson. "This colt is very typical of the family; he's maybe a slight bit bigger as Darara was smallish. Sea The Stars has put a bit of size in, although he's a very athletic horse."

The result was clearly an emotional one for Lloyd Webber, who was joined by her husband, the musical impresario Andrew.

Lloyd Webber said, "We don't ever expect to break the million-guineas barrier but it's so exciting. Andrew arrived just in time; he ran from the taxi straight into the ring, so he must be our good luck charm!

"So Mi Dar and her family are still carrying on, we're now in the third generation, and it's absolutely thrilling to see this pedigree keep on going. The next thing will hopefully be this horse winning group 1s just like the rest of his family."

The colt was the sixth seven-figure yearling that Watership Down has sold at Book 1, a roll of honor capped by Darain , the Dubawi  brother to Too Darn Hot who fetched 3.5 million guineas ($4,811,678) in 2018.

Coolmore and Godolphin Clash

A couple of old-fashioned sales ring shootouts between Coolmore and Godolphin resulted in the second- and third-top lots as a striking son of Kingman  (Lot 321) brought 1.1 million guineas ($1,572,630) and a regally bred Frankel  colt (Lot 227) fetched 925,000 guineas ($1,322,440).

The rival camps were positioned just a few yards apart besides the Park Paddocks parade ring and delivered their bids to the spotters on duty on the podium.

Godolphin's chief talent scout Anthony Stroud tried hard to land both lots but, with M.V. Magnier in no mood to be denied, the pair are set to carry the colors of the Coolmore partners. Magnier signed for the Kingman colt in tandem with Peter Brant's White Birch Farm.

There was a poignant subplot to the sale of the second seven-figure lot of the auction, as Corduff Stud's David Egan explained the breeding of the Kingman colt out of Turret Rocks , a group 2-winning daughter of Fastnet Rock , had been masterminded by the late John Corcoran.

"I didn't think they were on him," said a stunned-looking Egan after thanking the Coolmore team. "He's a magnificent horse and this is all about John Corcoran. Unfortunately, John has passed away but he was very involved in planning the mating, he chose Kingman. He had a vision of what he wanted to do with the horse and he facilitated all this happening."

Egan added, "Turret Rocks is a beautiful mare. She's by Fastnet Rock—she's strong and robust and was so honest on the track. John bred her with Jim Bolger and we owned this horse with John's children Andrew Corcoran and Roseanne O'Grady Walshe.

"The mare has a very nice Too Darn Hot colt at home and we bred her back to Kingman."

The Frankel colt was offered by Newsells Park Stud and continued the hot run of form of breeder Andrew Stone of St Albans Bloodstock, who sold the Lope de Vega  colt out of God Given  (Lot 49) to Godolphin for 725,000 guineas ($1,035,915) on day one. The Frankel is out of Qushchi, a listed-winning daughter of Encosta de Lago , whose first foal is the grade 2 scorer Mrs. Sippy .

"He's a very nice horse and Frankel is doing very well," said Magnier "We've been very lucky buying off Newsells Park in the past and we'd like to wish Graham (Smith-Bernal, owner) and his family the very best of luck with the new venture. Long may the long history of Newsells continue."

Of his purchase, Magnier added, "He looks a nice early horse, he's a good mover, and seems to have a nice temperament. Galileo  is doing very well as a sire of sires with the likes of Frankel, Australia , New Approach , and Teofilo . They all seem to be doing very well so the future is bright."

Coolmore has bought three group 1 winners from Newsells Park at previous renewals of Book 1, namely QIPCO One Thousand Guineas (G1) heroine Legatissimo , a 350,000 guineas ($591,565) buy in 2013, and the group 1-winning brothers Japan  and Mogul , who cost 1.3 million guineas ($1,807,124) and 3.4 million guineas ($4,674,201), respectively. 

Elliott on the Mark

Magnier and other key Coolmore faces, including Michael Tabor, stood beside Alex Elliott when the agent secured the lot prior to the Frankel colt on a bid of 800,000 guineas ($1,143,730).

The yearling in question was the daughter of Galileo and Quiet Oasis  offered by Barronstown Stud, meaning the filly (Lot 226) is a sister to dual group 3 winner Lancaster House .

Quiet Oasis, a daughter of Oasis Dream , won four races during her time on the track, most notably the Royal Heroine Mile (G2T) at Hollywood Park in 2012.

Elliott, who saw off BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe, said of the filly, "She's a collector's item really, very hard to fault. I remember Quiet Oasis from California; she was a very good race mare for Paul Reddam and she's obviously produced Lancaster House already.

"She's going to Ralph Beckett and it's very exciting to be able to buy a filly with that sort of potential. It's a real privilege to be able to buy a filly like this.

"We've been able to buy a lot of horses this year, which is great from our point of view, and I think the market has been extremely fair. We've bought around 40 yearlings between here and America, so I'm looking forward to next year."

By the close of play on day two Elliott had signed for nine yearlings at an outlay of 2,735,000 guineas ($3,910,120).

Bennett Back Where it All Began

A productive day for the progeny of Sea The Stars was capped when One Agency, the buying arm of the Harris family's Lordship Stud, went to 680,000 guineas ($972,169) for the filly (Lot 318) out of Time Control offered by The Castlebridge Consignment.

The filly, who was bred by Craig Bennett's Merry Fox Stud, is a half sister to Moyglare Stud Stakes (G1) heroine Cursory Glance , while another sibling, Willow View, has found fame as the dam of the grade 1-winning Digital Age  and recent Prix la Rochette (G3) scorer Acer Alley .

"I'm very pleased, particularly as she's going to Lordship Stud, it's wonderful she's going to an owner-breeder," said a delighted Bennett. "She'll end up with a great trainer no doubt."

Expanding on his breeding activities, Bennett said, "Time Control was the start of it all; we came here in 2006 to buy fillies to race and bought her. She was the sales topper at 1.2 million guineas ($2,367,540) and went to Luca (Cumani). She had more ability than she necessarily showed but we've bred from her and she produced Cursory Glance.

"She's also produced the Lemon Drop Kid   filly Willow View; she was unraced but she's now produced two group horses, including Acer Alley, who we own. There's great depth in the page but it's all quite current.

"Time Control is at Ballylinch currently and is in foal to Make Believe . She's carrying a filly so we'll keep her. We're just working out mating plans for next season."

Despite enjoying a fruitful day at Tattersalls, Bennett went on to explain that the racetrack is where his heart lies, saying, "I have 24 mares at the moment and I just love it, particularly the racing. I find selling a bit more of a challenge, though. I'd rate the racing 10 out of 10 but the selling is a two out of 10!

"You've no control when you're selling one, and if you have a good sale it satisfies you for 48 hours but if you win a group race you're satisfied right through to winter! The racing is where my heart lies, but breeding is a more productive way of producing what we want and what we can control."

Carson in Clover

Willie Carson said a bit of bravery had been required when he paid €600,000 ($706,440) for the Galileo mare Phiz  at Arqana in December 2017, but there have been few moments since that the decision has looked anything other than a shrewd bit of business.

The Le Havre  filly Phiz was carrying in utero subsequently sold to Coolmore for 825,000 guineas ($1,057,079) at Book 1 in 2019, and the mare's latest yearling, a colt (Lot 202) by Dubawi , drew a bid of 425,000 guineas ($607,606) from Godolphin during the opening exchanges of Wednesday's session.

After exchanging a congratulatory fist bump with Sheikh Mohammed, Carson said of the Dubawi colt, "This guy had no faults; he's a lovely straightforward horse, his nature is fantastic, and the one thing he does have is balance. I'm very hopeful that he'll help the mare in the future.

"Phiz is in foal to Wootton Bassett  but she doesn't have a foal at foot. I was trying to be clever and sent her to Pivotal  hoping for a filly, but she didn't get in foal."

Carson, who operates out of Minster Stud in Cirencester, added that he hoped the Le Havre filly, named Martinique, would prove capable of adding her own bit of black type to the pedigree and revealed her trainer Aidan O'Brien has been keeping the filly in good company at Ballydoyle.

Carson said, "I had a word with Aidan and said what about this Martinique, when are you going to get me some black type? He said, 'Willie, she's doing a very good job because she's been leading Snowfall !'"

Phiz, a 600,000 guineas ($975,807) yearling herself, was a talented runner for John Gosden and Robin Geffen, with her best effort on Racing Post Ratings coming when second to The Lark in the DFS Park Hill Stakes (G2) in 2013, for which she achieved a mark of 104.

She is the dam of two winners, with Martinique joined by the smart Siyouni  horse Al Madhar.

After a somewhat tepid beginning, trade reached fever pitch as the evening wore on, and by the close of play 130 of 149 offered lots had found a buyer at a clip of 87%. Those transactions generated a turnover of 30,116,000 guineas ($43,055,600), a 41% year-on-year increase.

The average also jumped by 29% to 231,662 guineas ($331,198) and the median rose by 35,000 guineas to 160,000 guineas ($228,746), a 28% climb.