Kodiac Colt Sets Tattersalls Book 3 Record

By Nancy Sexton, courtesy of Racing Post

A son of Kodiac lit up the first installment of Tattersalls October sale Book 3 Oct. 13, bringing a sale record of 200,000 guineas ($257,103), a figure that eclipsed the previous mark of 115,000 guineas ($147,835).

On a day that featured sustained competition for a number of the better lots, 20 yearlings sold for 50,000 guineas ($64,323) or more, against 11 recorded on the comparative day in 2015. The average of 22,689 guineas ($29,167) marked a 32% improvement.

Charlie Gordon-Watson secured the record-setting Kodiac colt following a lengthy bidding battle against Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock. He represented a real pinhooking triumph for his vendors Ballyhimikin Stud, who had paid just €25,000 ($27,642) for the colt as a foal.

"He's for an established and loyal client," Gordon-Watson said of the colt, who will be trained by Ed Dunlop. "He was by far and away the standout of the sale and comes from a very good farm."

The colt is the second foal out of the unraced Allegheny Creek, a Teofilo half sister to influential sire Danetime and stakes winner He's A Decoy.

Gordon-Watson had previously come off second best to Dean Ivory on the first six-figure lot of the day, a Sir Percy colt that cost 115,000 guineas.

Bred by Chippenham Lodge Stud and sold through The Castlebridge Consignment, he is a half brother to this season's winning juvenile Miss Sugars and out of the winning Three Sugars, a Starcraft half sister to the dam of Wigmore Hall.

Ivory had reason to target progeny of Sir Percy, as his son Twin Sails ran fourth in last year's Vintage Stakes.

"My father found this horse," Ivory said. "He's been bought to replace Twin Sails, who goes to the horses in training sale later this month. He's a really good-topped colt with a good attitude and I'm absolutely delighted to have got him."

In addition to siring the top lot of the day, the ever popular Kodiac also dominated the early hours of trading thanks to a colt and filly that brought 75,000 guineas ($96,437) and 70,000 guineas ($90,008) within minutes of each other.

Agent Jill Lamb, acting on behalf of owners Julie and David Martin, bought the 75,000 guineas colt, a son of stakes-winning Kindling sold by Acorn Stud.

"I've been associated with two or three Kodiacs who have been smart and this colt looked quite similar to them, so let's hope he's as fast," Lamb said. "He's a May foal, but a strong, sturdy colt with a bit of quality."

Meanwhile, the Kodiac filly could return to the ring next spring, falling to pinhooker Willie Browne as a breeze-up prospect at 70,000 guineas.

"She looks very quick," Browne said. "She's definitely the pick of the day for me and hopefully she will come back here for the Craven Sale."

Sold by Maurice Burns' Rathasker Stud, she returned a memorable profit for her connections as she was a 15,000 guineas ($19,296) sale through Emerald Bloodstock as a foal.

"She was a lovely filly who was well liked by a lot of people. They're the easy ones to sell," Burns said of the filly, whose dam, the winning Katevan, is a half sister to the stakes-placed Guilia.

For more on European racing and sales please visit Racing Post.