Ferguson Digs Deep for Vale of York Sibling

By James Thomas/Courtesy of Racing Post

There was a sense of deja vu during Day 2 of Book 2 of the Tattersalls October yearling sale Oct. 11 as Godolphin's John Ferguson, who parted with just under 14 million guineas during Book 1, bought  the top lot, a son of Kodiac at 380,000 guineas ($493,244).

The February-born colt is out of the unraced Halling mare Red Vale and was offered by Michael McGill's Bellewstown Farm Stud.

Godolphin has already enjoyed considerable success with the progeny of Red Vale, having purchased 2009 Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner Vale of York, a three-quarters brother to the session-topper, from McGill in 2008.

"This is the best yearling we've ever had on the farm, without a shadow of doubt," said McGill. "We bought Red Vale as a yearling from the February sale in Ireland. She's been a huge success for me and I have the family, too. I only have four mares, including a Kalanisi half sister to Vale of York.

"The reason for going to Kodiac was it was the cheapest way we could get a close relation to Vale of York. He was the second group I winner I sold to Godolphin. The first was Classic Cliche."

The success also brought back happy memories for McGill, who has found Park Paddocks a happy hunting ground in the past.

"This is the second time I've topped this sale," said McGill. "A good few years ago I sold an Alzao colt to Henry Cecil for 110,000 guineas."

Shadwell Spend Big Again

Shadwell was responsible for the day's second-top lot, a February-born Kyllachy colt consigned by Kilminfoyle House Stud that brought 270,000 guineas ($350,463).

"Everybody sees these horses different," said Shadwell's Angus Gold. "But for me he was the single most athletic horse I've seen this week. He's a serious athlete and the mare's done well with not necessarily the most fashionable stallions in the world. We're just trying to buy horses that can win races and you have to go with what you believe.

"Kyllachy is a very solid stallion, although we've had no luck with him so far—hopefully this horse can change that. I believe he's going to be trained by Owen Burrows."

The colt is out of the Mind Games mare On The Brink, winner of the 2002 Hilary Needler Trophy for Tim Easterby, and is a half brother to the Mick Easterby-trained listed-winning sprinter Aetna. He was pinhooked by JC Bloodstock for 35,000 guineas from the Tattersalls December foal sale.

Gold also signed for another of the day's highlights, another son of Kyllachy, at 260,000 guineas ($337,483). The colt was bred by Cheveley Park Stud and is out of Pious, which makes him a brother to dual group II winner Penitent and Mill Reef Stakes scorer Supplicant.

"He's a brother to two good horses," said Gold. "A lot of the trainers liked the horse very much. Kevin Prendergast will train him."

Pious has now produced consecutive six-figure yearlings, after Dalton, a colt by Mayson, was knocked down to David Armstrong's Highfield Farm for £150,000 at last year's Goffs UK premier sale.

"We're predominantly breeding to race, whether they're colts or fillies," Cheveley Park Stud's managing director Chris Richardson commented. "We'd love to be training these but our policy is that we race the fillies and offer the colts. Pious is a wonderful mare, she's been a great servant and just doesn't show her years."

Roger Varian was among the underbidders.

'Fastnet' Filly for Skiffington and Coolmore

The early front-runner among the morning lots was a strong-looking Fastnet Rock filly that went the way of Amanda Skiffington and Coolmore's M.V. Magnier and Paul Shanahan for 240,000 guineas ($311,522).

The March-born filly was consigned by Genesis Green Stud and is out of the Montjeu mare Madonna Dell'orto, a daughter of Sabria who also produced the French Two Thousand Guineas (Fr-I) winner Landseer, listed winner Ikhtyar, and the listed-placed Maurice Utrillo.

"I thought she was a queen," said Skiffington. "I've found it really tough this week, especially for colts that look like 2-year-old types."

Average and Median on Par

At the end of trade 198 of the 258 lots on offer—15 % fewer than last year—had sold, at a clearance rate of 77% for a gross of 13,241,000 guineas ($16,874,330)—a 14% drop on the 2016 figure—an average of 66,874 guineas ($85,224) and a median of 50,000 guineas ($63720), both of which were roughly the same as the previous year's returns.

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