Dubawi Continues Reign at Tattersalls October

By Martin Stevens

Courtesy of Racing Post

Another day at Tattersalls, another tense bidding battle for a youngster by Dubawi in which Godolphin chief executive John Ferguson refused to concede defeat.

Fresh from spending 6,025,000gns (US$8,064,740) on six lots by the sire of Sunday's Prix Marcel Boussac (Fr-I) winner Wuheida in the Oct. 4 opening session of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Ferguson added Wednesday's session-topper to his haul.

Ferguson had to stretch to 2,100,000gns ($2,810,950) to see off Roger Varian, likely acting for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, to secure the son of Dubawi out of French Listed winner Nature Spirits, consigned by Watership Down Stud on behalf of breeders the Niarchos family. Simon Crisford and Sun Stud also made plays.

The colt hails from a deep Niarchos family, as Nature Spirits is a half sister to Beresford Stakes winner Curtain Call and hails from the family of group I-winning half brothers Hernando and Johann Quatz.

"We're delighted to get him—he has a great pedigree and comes from great breeders," said Ferguson after signing the docket.

Varian did get the better of a bidding duel with Ferguson for a Dubawi colt later in the session, though, when seeing off the Godolphin camp for an 850,000gns ($1,137,760) half brother to Park Hill Stakes winner Silk Sari from the famous Gerald Leigh family of Barathea and Gossamer, and offered by Highclere Stud on behalf of Luca and Sara Cumani's Fittocks Stud.

The colt will race for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, whose silks have been carried by Dubawi's Italian Oaks-winning dam Zomaradah and the sire's current flagbearer Postponed.

"We've given Dubawi plenty of support this week so it's nice to come home with one," said Varian. "Sheikh Mohammed Obaid has bought quite a few this week; he's very enthusiastic and long may it continue.

"The mare's done it before, she's produced a stakes winner and it's a good old-fashioned pedigree. It's not easy to buy here as a lot of people like the same type of horses but we're happy with how the week's gone."



The Danehill mare Shastye has proved to be a real money-spinner for Newsells Park Stud since the operation bought the Danehill half sister to Arc hero Sagamix for 625,000gns ($836,590) through John Warren in 2005. In 2013 her son by Galileo—subsequent group III winner Sir Isaac Newton—made a European yearling colt record when sold to Coolmmore for 3,600,000gns, while last year her Street Cry filly made 800,000gns.

Newsells Park retained Shastye's Galileo filly when bidding reached 230,000gns in 2011 and she went on to win the Lingfield Oaks Trial as Secret Gesture for the stud, with Qatar Racing later coming on board to have their silks carried second in the Oaks and first in the Middleton Stakes.

Secret Gesture is set to be sold at Keeneland in November to dissolve the partnership and on Wednesday Qatar Racing's Sheikh Fahad Al-Thani was determined to renew his association with the family when casting a winning bid of 1,350,000gns ($1,807,040) to secure the latest Galileo filly out of Shastye.

David Redvers signed the docket and said: "We have her big sister, who's going to the Keeneland sales in foal to War Front  , so it's nice to guarantee that we can keep some of the family. It couldn't be a more live family than it is.

"This filly is very similar to Secret Gesture, but a slightly bigger, stronger version. We're very excited to have her. I'll discuss with Sheikh Fahad and his partners what the plan with her will be, but it's more than likely that she'll go in the same direction as her sister."



Coolmore's M.V. Magnier, Markus Jooste's Mayfair Speculators and Peter and Ross Doyle combined once again to purchase a lot whose physical prowess had been the talk of Park Paddocks.

As well as the looks, Cheveley Park Stud's Frankel colt out of Lockinge Stakes heroine Peeress also came with his breeder's record of having sent just two mares to the dual world champion and flying first-season sire in his first season and breeding Dewhurst Stakes hopeful Seven Heavens and dual winner Senator from him.

Magnier was forced to 1,300,000gns ($1,740,110) to see off Shadwell's Angus Gold for the colt, the first offspring of Peeress to be offered for sale as a yearling.

"He's a lovely horse and he's out of a very good racemare," said Magnier. "Cheveley Park's record speaks for itself; they're very good breeders and very good horsemen.

"He's out of a Pivotal mare, which works with [Frankel's sire] Galileo. As you'll have seen over the last couple of weeks, anything to do with Galileo has been doing unbelievably well. Frankel's going very well too."

Magnier also reflected on teaming up with Jooste, saying: "We've got to know Markus over the last couple of years and you couldn't come across a more straightforward, decent person. We're very lucky to have people like that want to have horses with us."



Two lots on Wednesday changed hands for 600,000gns ($803,130), both won by international buyers.

United States-based agent Shawn Dugan denied Hugo Merry—even though Merry had raised the price from 200,000gns to 400,000gns in one go—for a daughter of Medaglia D'Oro, sire of outstanding racemares Rachel Alexandra and Songbird, out of group III Sirenia Stakes winner Shumoos, from Aislabie Stud.

Dugan's purchase was on behalf of Abu Dhabi-based Al Shira'aa Farms, which has horses in training with Rod Collet in France.

"Medaglia D'Oro has had a great year in the U.S. and Australia, it's wonderful to buy a filly by him with a great page from a young family and with such a physical as she has. She stays in Europe," Dugan reported.

The other 600,000gns lot, a Galileo half brother to group II Railway Stakes winner Lilbourne Lad, will head to Japan after being sold to Kenji Ryotokuji for the country's champion trainer Yoshito Yahagi.

"We're very pleased with our purchase, he is a lovely colt and by a great sire—hopefully he will become a champion," said Yahagi. "He'll travel to Japan once he has finished his quarantine."

The colt was consigned by Ballyhimikin Stud having been knocked down to Hunday for €475,000 as a foal at Goffs last year.

The Juddmonte Farms battalion of 2-year-olds for 2017 has been enriched by a Kendargent sister to group II winner and Diamond Jubilee Stakes third Restiadargent, after Lord Grimthorpe bought her from Normandy breeder Haras de Colleville for 525,000gns ($702,740).

The filly becomes the most expensive yearling by Colleville's rags-to-riches stallion Kendargent at auction.

Grimthorpe said: "She's an absolutely lovely filly. She's exactly what we've been trying to buy, new families, an outcross.

"Prince Khalid wants to have some new blood in the stud. We have one or two French trainers too, so that's handy. I think this is our first Kendargent."

Reflecting on the popularity of Frankel, he added: "The whole industry has got a great buzz from it, we couldn't be more delighted.

"The expectations with him are way above any other stallion I can remember going to stud since Secretariat. Lest we forget that he's still got to produce it at the highest level—that's what people are paying for."

At the close of play on Wednesday the average price clocked in at 201,084gns ($269,160), down 12% from the same session last year, and the median was 120,000gns ($160,625), down from 130,000gns ($174,010) 12 months ago.

The clearance rate of 80% was on par with last year. The Book 1 sessions conclude Oct. 6 with a session starting at 11 a.m. local time.

For more European racing, sales, and bloodstock news, visit RacingPost.com.