Tattersalls Book 3 Begins With Eight Six-Figure Lots

A colt by Gleneagles  set to carry the Coolmore silks topped Day 1 of Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. The core members of Coolmore's buying team had departed Newmarket so Cormac McCormack was on hand to secure the youngster on a bid of 140,000gns (US$162,259).

After signing the six-figure ticket, McCormack said: "He's for M.V. Magnier; trainer not decided at this moment. He's got a good step to him, a good pedigree, and a touch of class.

"Everyone says this when they buy an expensive horse, but I'd say he's one of the nicest horses in the sale. He got well placed by his owners and they got paid."

The colt was bred by Epona Bloodstock and offered by Denis Brosnan's Croom House Stud, who also sold a Frankel  three-parts brother to Broome and Point Lonsdale to Magnier and White Birch Farm for 2,400,000gns ($2,886,244) during Book 1.

The Gleneagles colt is out of Shannow, a Pivotal  full sister to the Scandinavian listed scorer Mill Marin, who in turn bred black-type performers. One of Mill Marin's brood brought an important update to the page as her third foal is Mendocino , who defeated Torquator Tasso  to win the Wettstar.de Grosser Preis von Baden (G1).

"He deserved to make that," said Brosnan. "He was probably a Book 2 horse really but we wanted something that would head up Book 3, so we put him in here and it worked."

Another Great Day for Havana Grey

Red-hot first-season sire Havana Grey  was responsible for a number of the session's highlights, including the filly out of So Brave who went the way of Joe Foley at 125,000gns ($144,874) when offered by Carmel Stud. The filly is the first foal out of the two-time 2-year-old winner by Kyllachy.

"The breeders and Ed Harper from Whitsbury Manor recommended that we have a look at her and she's a lovely filly," said Foley. "She's out of a fast mare who was a speedy 2-year-old with Archie Watson.

"The breeders are mating the mare well with Havana Grey and Pinatubo, which is encouraging for us, and she's by a highly promising young stallion so we were keen to buy a nice one by him."

Havana Grey's first 2-year-old crop has produced 36 winners at a strike-rate of 48% and an impressive 13 black-type performers, headed by the group 3-winning trio of Eddie's Boy , Lady Hollywood , and Rumstar .

"You could see last year they were all of a type and he was either going to be a very good stallion or a very bad stallion because they were all the same," Foley continued. "Luckily for the team at Whitsbury Manor he's the former not the latter!

"They all seem so genuine, like he was himself. I'd imagine she'll run in the grey colors (of Steve Parkin's Clipper Logistics) and we'll pick a trainer at a later date."

Foley has been among the busiest buyers across the various stages of the October Yearling Sale, with 21 lots secured for an outlay of 3,247,000gns during Books 1 and 2.

He added: "I think she's our 55th yearling bought for the team this year. With the homebreds as well, there'll be about 40 horses each between Clipper Logistics and the Bronte Partnership."

There was another six-figure lot by Havana Grey earlier in the session when Anthony Stroud gave 115,000gns ($133,284) for the filly out of Secret Romance from Whitsbury Manor. The youngster was listed as a sibling to three winners but one of those, her full sister Cuban Mistress , brought a significant boost to the page having won the listed Betvictor St Hugh's Stakes on her latest outing.

"It's been a year of updates for our mares," said the stud's Ed Harper. "Mares that were in the twilight zone of our broodmare band are now zipping up the escalator and suddenly look exciting.

"When you get two stallions in your roster like Showcasing  and Havana Grey, they're just constantly doing favors to the broodmare band. It's been a fantastic year and I'm scared that 2022 might end!"



Elliott in Action for Valmont

Agent Alex Elliott was the day's second biggest spender with four lots sourced at a combined 298,000gns ($345,379). The priciest of the bunch was the Sea The Moon  colt out of the listed scorer Mountain Bell who brought 100,000gns ($115,899) when offered by Jamie Railton.

"He's going to Ralph Beckett, who trained the dam," said Elliott. "I actually bought the dam off Qatar last year; she was a very good race filly for Ralph, and I thought this horse was a bit of a standout today.

"He's more of a Book 2 horse really. He's got size, scope, and I'm a big fan of the stallion. He's going to take a bit of time but we don't mind giving them that."

The colt is set to carry the colors of ownership vehicle Valmont, whose silks have been aboard a host of talented juveniles including narrow Godolphin Lifetime Car Oh So Sharp Stakes (G3) runner-up Lose Yourself  and Captain Wierzba, from whom Rossa Ryan was unseated when elbowed out of the saddle by Christophe Soumillon in the Prix Thomas Bryon Jockey Club de Turquie (G3).

"He's been bought for Valmont, who we've bought a lot of yearlings for so far," continued Elliott. "This is our first year (with runners) and they're all 3-year-old types but we've had a lot of good maiden winners and just got beaten in the Oh So Sharp Stakes.

"There's a little bit of a gap in the market if you've got the patience to do it. Once you're on the wheel you've got action though, and from early next year we'll have all those horses running in Guineas trials and Oaks trials, hopefully, and this year's purchases will kick in after that.

"We thought this year would be a bit slow but luckily the horses have really performed. When you have Ralph Beckett in your corner it's a huge help."

Elliott said the ultimate aim for the Valmont horses would be to sell them on, ideally into the lucrative international markets.

"We'll definitely trade them but we want good horses," he said. "We have the horse who was fourth in the Godolphin Flying Start Zetland Stakes (G3), Batemans Bay, he's going to be a very good 3-year-old and the Australians are already interested in him."

He was, however, unable to reveal the identity of the owner behind the Valmont pseudonym, simply saying: "He's one of my best pals, so there's a bit of added pressure when they run!"