Tattersalls Book 2 Begins With Encouraging Increases

Twelve months ago Shadwell contributed 11% of aggregate receipts at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, with a spend of 5,327,000 (US$7,599,572) guineas accounting for 36 lots. With the operation widely anticipated to be notable by their absence only in Newmarket this week, anxiety was, understandably, in plentiful supply among vendors.

There was indeed no sign of activity from Shadwell during the opening session of this year's Book 2 on Oct. 11, but there was a bold show of market resilience that produced some quite remarkable year-on-year increases in all the key indices.

The session saw 212 lots sell for a clearance rate of 86% and turnover of 18,935,500 guineas (US$27,063,200), a 24% uptick on the corresponding session in 2020.

The increases were even more pronounced among the average and median figures, with the former up 27% to 89,318 guineas ($127,656) and the latter up fully 35% to 70,000 guineas ($100,046) as the top 10 lots went the way of nine different individual buyers.

The sales ground was busy throughout the day and a drove of prospective purchasers duly followed Rathbarry Stud's Night of Thunder  colt (Lot 604) into the Park Paddocks ring. After a helter-skelter three-way struggle, the gavel came down in favor of Dwayne Woods at 375,000 guineas ($535,962).

"He's stunning and, for me, he's the best colt in the sale," said Woods after he had seen off the challenges of Anthony Stroud and the Ross Doyle—Richard Hannon axis, who stood with Amo Racing's Kia Joorabchian.

"He's very strong and probably the cleanest Night of Thunder I've ever seen; he's got the conformation, the strength, he's very mature, he has it all," Woods said. "He's from a wonderful farm, although it wouldn't put me off if he'd come from Alaska when he looks like he does!"

Woods was joined by his brother, the Newmarket trainer Sean Woods, who added, "He'll have a bit of time off now, then be broken in, and we'll have a look at him in January before he comes to us at Shalfleet Stables. He's been bought for an existing owner."

The colt is out of a Pivotal  half sister to high-class sprinters Blaine and Bogar, while another sibling, Rocana, is the dam of this year's Chester Vase winner Youth Spirit . The page improved further when the colt's sister, the Shadwell-owned Hanaady, made her second outing a successful one late last month.

The imposing youngster had been due to appear at last year's December Foal Sale but, when he was withdrawn, Rathbarry's Frannie Woods was able to track him down at Genesis Green Stud.

Although the private deal that was struck means there are no previous sales records for the colt, Monday's six-figure transaction undoubtedly generated a handsome profit for connections.

"He's a lovely colt and a horse with a great mind," said the consignor. "He's been a pleasure to do anything with, although I wasn't necessarily expecting him to make that price. The sister won for Ed Dunlop just a few days ago and that helped bring everything together, so I've had a bit of luck too."

The session's second-top lot came late in the piece when BBA Ireland and Yulong Investments struck an online bid of 320,000 guineas ($457,355) to land the Galileo  filly out of Cornwallis Stakes winner Mrs Danvers , consigned as Lot 768. 

Bred by the Mrs Danvers syndicate and offered through Manister House Stud, the filly was the only lot by Galileo on offer in Book 2.

The dam, a daughter of Hellvelyn , proved a genuine rags-to-riches star on the track having been bought back by her vendor at just £1,000 ($1,415) as a yearling before she went on to land five races and £196,235 ($256,670) in prize money. 

Mrs Danvers has visited Galileo each year since she retired from racing, and produced her third foal, a colt by the 12-times champion sire, on May 3 this year. 

Brown and Gosden Collect 'Outstanding' Kingman Filly

Lively trade continued deep into the evening, most notably when Richard Brown and John Gosden went to 300,000 guineas ($428,770) for the Kingman  half sister to Tomorrow's Dream offered by Apple Tree Stud as Lot 739.

"She's an extremely attractive filly and she's come from a very good young farm in Gloucestershire," said Brown. "I've seen her quite a lot and she put up a fantastic show.

"We were absolutely lights out to get her but John thought she was the outstanding Kingman filly in the catalog, and he probably knows more about Kingman than me! She's a lovely elegant filly by a proper stallion with a proper page."

The filly is out of Midnight Thoughts, an unraced daughter of Henrythenavigator  and Moyglare Stud's Ribblesdale Stakes (G2) heroine Irresistible Jewel , who in turn bred Irish St. Leger (G1) winner Royal Diamond , Ribblesdale Stakes scorer Princess Highway , and the group 3-winning Mad About You .

Brown reflected on a strong opening session by saying, "I think the market has been very good today and it certainly feels very strong. It was a frustrating morning as I bid on a lot of horses before lunchtime and it wasn't going very well. But this filly was top of the list so I'm delighted to have turned it around."

Kinane in Action

The Hong Kong Jockey Club recruited five yearlings at a cost of 1,570,000 guineas ($2,243,900) during Book 1 last week, and the organization's chief talent scout Mick Kinane was back in action on Monday when going to 300,000 guineas ($428,770) for the Kingman colt out of Hunaina , (Lot 617) offered by Ballyhimikin Stud.

The colt, who was bred in partnership between James Hanly, Anthony Stroud, and Trevor Stewart, is the first foal out of the group 3-winning daughter of Tamayuz , whose page also features the triple group 1 hero Hurricane Lane  and dual Derby (G1) scorer Harzand .

"He's by a great stallion and he's a lovely, correct model," said Kinane. "That's the first one I've tried on today but good horses are always hard to buy. I bought five last week but there were fewer million-dollar babies than last year so perhaps there's been a bit of a reality check (at the top of the market)."

No Nay for Balding

Andrew Balding knows a good No Nay Never  when he sees one, having trained the sire's best daughter Alcohol Free  to win a hat-trick of group 1 prizes, namely the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes (G1), Coronation Stakes (G1), and Qatar Sussex Stakes (G1), and the Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte (G2) scorer Shadn .

The master of Kingsclere now has an exciting son of the upwardly mobile Coolmore stallion to look forward to after securing the colt (Lot 561) out of Fleeting Fancy from Newsells Park Stud at 260,000 guineas ($371,601). The dam, a daughter of Galileo, is a sister to the stakes-placed pair Persia and Visage, while the page traces back to dual champion sire Caerleon .

"He's a lovely colt and obviously we've had some success with the stallion so I'm thrilled to get him," said Balding, who has been aided on his hunt for future talent by his mother, Emma, and racing manager Tessa Hetherington.

"He passed all of our various lookers and he was one of our top picks of the ones we've seen selling at this sale. He's for an existing client in the yard."

Balding also had a positive report on Alcohol Free , who is due to contest the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (G1) on British Champions Day, saying, "She's in good form and it's all systems go for Saturday."

Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale continues Tuesday at 10 a.m.