Dubawi Colt Sparks Fireworks at Tattersalls

By Martin Stevens

Courtesy of Racing Post

Godolphin chief executive John Ferguson did his best to make sure the best 2-year-olds of 2017 by the operation's flagship sire Dubawi would be carrying the royal blue silks after spending more than 6 million guineas on his progeny alone in the opening session of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October yearling sale in Newmarket Oct. 4.

Ferguson's haul of Dubawi yearlings was led by a colt out of Coronation Stakes heroine Fallen For You, who at 2,600,000 guineas (about $3.5 million) is the most expensive yearling sold anywhere in the world this year. The price surpasses that of the Scat Daddy—Leslie's Lady colt, a half brother to champion Beholder and sire Into Mischief whom Coomore's M. V. Magnier bought from Clarkland Farm for $3 million at the Keeneland September yearling sale.

David Redvers, Markus Jooste and Sun Stud—fresh from celebrating group I success on Arc day at Chantilly with National Defense in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere—all tried for the offering from Norris Bloodstock but the latter stages of bidding were fought out by Ferguson and trainer Roger Varian.

"Dubawi now has stock on the ground out of mares who are truly exceptional," said Ferguson after signing the docket. "The situation with this colt is that he's the second foal out of a Coronation Stakes winner and he's a wonderfully balanced, athletic horse; one of the best Dubawis here—top of the range. So he was a horse that was always going to make a lot of money."

Ferguson was also forced to seven figures, 1,200,000 guineas to be exact, to secure a Dubawi colt out of the well-bred grade II-winning Giant's Causeway mare Giants Play.

Giants Play is a daughter of Fillies' Mile heroine Playful Act—bought as a broodmare prospect by Ferguson for $10.5 million at the 2007 Keeneland November breeding stock sale—and hails from the family of group I winners Great Heavens and Nathaniel.

The mare is owned by Newsells Park Stud, which paid $850,000 for her as a yearling at Keeneland in 2008 and campaigns her unbeaten 3-year-old daughter Playful Sound.

Newsells Park general manager Julian Dollar, who oversaw the sale of last year's Book 1 top lot, a 2,100,000 guineas filly also by Dubawi, said: "Giants Play was the last horse we bought before (Newsells Park founder) Mr. (Klaus) Jacobs passed away. She was useful for Sir Michael Stoute and then for Christophe Clement in the U.S.

"We took the decision not to offer her first foal Playful Sound. Hopefully, she'll run in the Pride Stakes on Friday and I suspect she'll stay in training. I know Sir Michael likes her. It's a very progressive family."

Other Dubawi yearlings Ferguson dug deep for on Tuesday included a colt who is the first foal out of grade I Beverly D. Stakes winner I'm a Dreamer, and a half brother to Coral-Eclipse (Eng-I) hero Mount Nelson out of Sun Chariot Stakes winner Independence, who both cost 575,000 guineas; a colt out of group II Cape Verdi Stakes winner First City for 550,000 guineas; and a filly out of Gift Range, a listed-placed sister to Golan, who was a rare Ballymacoll Stud yearling offering, for 525,000 guineas.

Ferguson also dipped into all levels of the market to buy progeny of other Darley sires, from a 500,000 guineas Shamardal colt out of Princess Royal Stakes winner Love Everlasting, to an 80,000 guineas Cape Cross filly out of a half sister to multiple group 1 scorer Kutub.

More for Coolmore

Coolmore were also busy stocking up on talent and the shopping list was topped by a son of Galileo, sire of the first three home in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) on Sunday,  who is the first produce of the group III-placed Danehill Dancer mare Gooseberry Fool, a three-parts sister to classic winner and sire Aussie Rules.

M. V. Magnier went to 750,000 guineas in partnership with Markus Jooste's Mayfair Speculators and Peter and Ross Doyle to buy the colt, who was offered by Watership Down Stud on behalf of his Kentucky breeder, Greg Goodman's Mt Brilliant Farm near Lexington, which keeps a select few regally bred mares in Europe.

 

Mt Brilliant paid 440,000 guineas for Gooseberry Fool when she was offered as a 2-year-old at Tattersalls December sale in 2011.

The same Magnier-Mayfair Speculators-Doyles axis also paid 450,000 guineas for anInvincible Spirit filly out of the grade III-winning Galileo mare Dress Rehearsal; 400,000 guineas for a first-crop Camelot colt out of a half sister to Prix du Jockey Club (Fr-I, French Derby) winner New Bay; 350,000 guineas for an Invincible Spirit colt out of a daughter of Montjeu and Yorkshire Oaks winner Key Change; and 290,000 guineas for a Declaration of War   half brother to top-class 2-year-olds Toormore and Estidhkaar.

Shadwell Shopping

Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell operation also played at the top of the market, with its four purchases on the day led by a Corduff Stud-consigned son of Shamardal out of a winning Galileo half sister to Oh So Sharp Stakes winner Raymi Coya at 725,000 guineas.

The colt represented an excellent pinhooking result for Kentucky-based McMahon and Hill Bloodstock, which paid 220,000 guineas for him at the Tattersalls December foal sale.

Shadwell's Angus Gold also signed at 500,000 guineas for a son of Frankel who benefited from a very recent update when his half sister Speedy Boarding landed the Prix de l'Opera (Fr-I) the Arc card Sunday.

Gold said of the Meon Valley Stud-bred colt: "It's wonderful for a vendor to receive a group I update like that. This colt is immature but lovely and Sheikh Hamdan liked him a lot. He's by a stallion that we all know about and let's hope we can do as well with the Frankels as everyone else."

More than 31,000,000 guineas was traded on yearlings at Tattersalls on Tuesday, with the average of 229,706 guineas and median of 145,000 guineas down by 5% and 9% on last year's session.

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