Shadwell's Night of Thunder Colt Tops Tatts Feb. Day 1

The opening day of the Feb. 3 Tattersalls February Sale saw the Shadwell draft prove immensely popular, and Ballyhimikin Stud went to 175,000 guineas (US$248,985) to pick up the Night of Thunder  weanling half brother to Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup winner Moqtarreb  and the dual group 3-placed Khaloosy .

The April-born bay colt (Lot 111) is out of the twice-raced Dalakhani  mare Elshaadin, herself out of a winning daughter of the great Magnificient Style, the dam of group 1 winners Nathaniel , Playful Act , and Great Heavens , as well as group winners Percussionist  and Echoes In Eternity . 

Anthony Stroud, speaking on behalf of Ballyhimikin Stud, said: "Night of Thunder has done incredibly well and the dam has produced two stakes horses. We liked him as an individual and he heads to Ireland. 

"He has a fantastic back pedigree and we hope he comes back next October and makes money!"

Moqtarreb has continued to perform with credit in the UAE for Erwan Charpy, most recently finishing fifth in the Zabeel Mile Presented By Emaar Beachfront (G2), while the dam could provide further updates as she has a 2-year-old filly by the late Shamardal. 

The well-bred Frankel  mare Anasheed (Lot 55) led the way earlier on in the session when selling to Blandford Bloodstock's Richard Brown for 130,000 guineas ($184,960), fetching the first six-figure sum of the day. 

A winner for Owen Burrows as a 3-year-old, Anasheed is out of the listed winner and Ultimatebet.com One Thousand Guineas third Hathrah , meaning she is a half sister to E.B.F. At The Races John Musker Stakes winner and Prix de l'Opera Longines (G1) third Hadaatha . 

Brown said of the 7-year-old: "Obviously she's by Frankel, the newly crowned champion sire, and she was a decent performer herself. She ran only three times but was rated 93, so it's probably fair to say she could have been a stakes-caliber filly."

Her first two foals, a 2-year-old Siyouni  colt who is in training with Burrows for Shadwell, and a yearling filly by Sea The Stars  have attracted plenty of compliments, while the mare is ready to head to one of last year's most exciting first-season sires after being sold not in-foal at this sale. 

Brown added: "She's got two very nice foals by all accounts. They rate the Sea The Stars filly very highly, while she has a lovely page and there's a lot going for her. 

"I was hoping not to pay that much but I did really want her. I think she will really suit Ardad . He's chock-a-block but I have a covering that I can use."

Blandford Bloodstock also picked up the 2-year-old (Lot 82) Awtaad  half sister to Shadwell's magnificent Investec Oaks (G1) and King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) heroine Taghrooda  at 80,000 guineas ($113,822) for a partnership. 

Brown had also bought the filly's sister, Mohjatty, at last year's Tattersalls December Mares Sale, revealing that the 4-year-old would be visiting Dubawi  this term. 

Brown added of the New England Stud-consigned lot: "She's a 2-year-old so we're going to chuck her out in the field for a year. I don't think we'll race her. There is going to be a lot happening in the pedigree to come."

The Shadwell fever showed no sign of waning when Meah Lloyd Bloodstock went to 105,000 guineas ($149,391) to secure the once-raced and placed Muhaarar  filly Mashaaer (Lot 60) for Jonathan Sarkar. 

Now a 3-year-old, the Barton Sales-consigned Mashaaer is out of the winning Distorted Humor mare Fleeting Smile, a daughter of grade 1 winner Fleet Indian  and a half sister to Fleet of Gold , herself the dam of Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Game Winner   and Churchill Downs Stakes Presented by Ford (G1) scorer Flagstaff . 

Mashaaer, who was a fine second on her debut in an Ascot maiden last September for Richard Hannon, will stay in training, albeit with a different handler.

Jamie Lloyd said: "He's (Sarkar) got three mares on the farm and some horses in training with Henry Spiller, which is where she's destined to go. You don't make private offers on a Shadwell horse but if you did, given the form of her first race, you would have been offering in the region of £250,000 ($338,755).

"We felt that she's a filly that down the road, even at this price, could look cheap. Jonathan's looking for something a bit better to add to his string."

Sarkar himself added: "She will race and she will breed."

Jason Singh, on behalf of Dubai-based trainer Satish Seemar, struck the winning bid at 105,000 guineas ($149,391) for Shadwell's unnamed 2-year-old filly (Lot 70) by Exceed And Excel , who is out of a winning daughter of Queen Mary Stakes (G2) winner and QIPCO One Thousand Guineas (G1) third Maqaasid . 

The family is littered with black-type winners and performers, including Schweppes Sydney Cup (G1) winner Shraaoh under the second dam, while under Sarayir  is Stanjames.com One Thousand Guineas (G1) and Coronation Stakes (G1) heroine Ghanaati , Grosvenor Casinos Cumberland Lodge Stakes (G3) winner and Emirates Airline Champion Stakes (G1) second Mawatheeq  and Investec Epsom Oaks (G1) third Rumoush . 

Singh said: "She's been bought for an existing client of Satish Seemar's and she goes to Dubai. He's busy looking for recruits for the next season in the Middle East. 

"He went through the catalog himself, put a shortlist together, and got the horses vetted here. She was his pick of the 2-year-olds."

An unnamed 2-year-old filly (Lot 61) by Mukhadram  changed hands when selling to Cormac McCormack for 80,000 guineas ($113,822). Also offered by New England Stud on behalf of Shadwell, the May-born filly is out of the aforementioned Hathrah.

McCormack, who also bid on Anasheed, said: "She's for an established client. She goes into training and is a nice filly with a bit of a page, and you have to pay for them."

Overall 170 lots sold for a turnover of 3,112,800 guineas ($4,428,800), an average of 18,311 guineas ($26,051), and a median of 9,000 guineas ($12,804).

The sale concludes on Friday at 10 a.m.