Lope de Vega Filly Leads Strong Book 2 Opener

A number of the major buyers who contributed to such strong trade last week during Book 1 of the October Sale returned to Park Paddocks on Monday to ensure that Book 2 was launched in similarly ebullient fashion.

An extra 31 yearlings have been catalogued this year but even though there will be a slight increase in numbers each day, the key indicators for Monday's session improved significantly beyond that upturn in all sectors.

From 214 horses sold of the 251 offered, a first-day tally of 16,563,000gns was achieved at a 31% increase on 2016. Similarly, the average was up by 23% at 77,397gns and the median by 20% at 60,000gns.

Maktoum Support Continues…

Godolphin waded in again with a filly by Lope De Vega (Ire) (lot 530) heading the list of first-day purchases at 370,000gns. Consigned by David Cox and David Myerscough's Baroda & Colbinstown Studs on behalf of Myerscough's parents Philip and Jane, the daughter of the Rainbow Quest mare Kalandara (Ire) has received a fantastic recent boost via her half-sister Luminate (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), who was unraced when the catalogue was published but has subsequently run twice, winning on both occasions, including Sunday's G3 Prix de Conde.

David Myerscough commented, “It's all about timing. Lope De Vega is going well and had two Group 1 winners this weekend and the filly has really come right at the right time. She was always a good-walking filly, and is one you would never know you had on the farm as she has never had any problems, but she has also done really well this autumn.”

While Sheikh Mohammed's team signed up three more yearlings through the session, it was his brother Sheikh Hamdan who was the day's big spender, signing for nine through Angus Gold for a total of 1,185,000gns. These included a pair each by their old favourites Dark Angel (Ire) and Kodiac (Ire), and it was a colt by the former (lot 671) who went for the largest sum at 200,000gns. Ironically, it's Dark Angel who was provided a banner year for this Kodiac colt's breeders, Paul and Marie McCartan of Ballyphilip Stud, whose Limerick paddocks have been responsible for rearing this season's Group 1-winning sprinters Harry Angel (Ire) and Battaash (Ire).

“Ballyphilip is a great farm, and Paul does an amazing job,” said Angus Gold. “You are guaranteed that if Paul brings one to a sale, it will be a top horse. We've certainly had some success with graduates from Ballyphilip and this colt is by a good type, by a leading stallion in Kodiac and from a top farm.”

He added, “All the Shadwell trainers liked him and Sheikh Hamdan did too.”

The colt is the first foal of the juvenile winner Mystery Bet (Ire), a daughter of Kheleyf, and thus bred on the same cross as another Ballyphilip star, Tiggy Wiggy (Ire), who was bred under the McCartan family's CBS Bloodstock banner.

Nathaniel In Demand…

What a difference a season makes. The market turned against Nathaniel (Ire) at last year's foal and yearling sales following his first 2-year-old runners, but those who were quick to judge may now be rueing taking too harsh a view. His daughter Enable (GB) is undeniably the star of the European racing scene in 2017, and the Juddmonte-bred filly has been backed up by an increasingly strong supporting cast as the year has progressed.

The December Foal Sale saw nine Nathaniel weanlings sell for an average of just 13,778gns. One of those, bought for 14,000gns by dual-purpose jockey Willy Twiston-Davies, returned to Tattersalls as lot 646 and, offered by Hillwood Stud, was resold for 80,000gns. The granddaughter of the G3 Prix de Meautry winner Do The Honours (Ire) (Highest Honor {Fr}) from the further family of Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {GB)) and Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) was bought by Will Edmeades.

She was far from being her sire's most expensive yearling of the day, however. That distinction went to a neat and racy colt out of the G2 Queen Mary S. winner Langs Lash (Ire) (Noverre) who was bred by Nathaniel's home farm, Newsells Park Stud. China Horse Club representative Mick Flanagan signed for lot 564, the full-brother to recent juvenile winner The Kid Bobby B (GB), at 350,000gns.

He said, “He's a very good colt by a stallion who got a champion in his first crop. There are some really nice horses here by Nathaniel this week and they should sell well.”

Langs Lash, who was a first Royal Ascot winner for the late Newmarket trainer Mick Quinlan, was bought privately by Newsells Park and has also produced the Irish listed winner Waipu Cove (GB) by another of the stud's stallions, Equiano (Fr).

Eight Nathaniel yearlings were sold on Monday for an average of 93,500gns and a further 13 are catalogued to sell through the rest of Book 2.

Hong Kong Jockey Club's Glenvale Duo…

Two of the top five sellers of the day hailed from Flash Conroy's Glenvale Stud draft and were bought by the team from the Hong Kong Jockey Club. An early pick was lot 516, a colt by Acclamation (GB) who provided a jolt to an otherwise sticky start to Book 2 when selling for 260,000gns. An 85,000gns foal pinhook by Peter and Ross Doyle, the Biddestone Stud-bred colt is out of a winning half-sister to this season's G2 Temple S. winner Priceless (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) and is, according to HKJC buyers Nick Columb, Mark Richards and Grant Pritchard-Gordon, “the nicest Acclamation we've seen in a long time–deep-bodied with plenty of substance.”

Later in the session a Sea The Stars (Ire) colt (lot 722) was added to the list of horses bound eventually for the Hong Kong sales. The May-foaled son of Penny Post (Ire) (Green Desert), a half-sister to the Group 1-winning juveniles Zieten (Danzig) and Blue Duster (Danzig), was offered on behalf of breeders Tullamaine Castle Stud and Miznah Bloodstock and bought for 300,000gns.

All Power To Darley Freshman…

Last week's battle of the freshman sires was won by Kingman (GB), but Darley's Slade Power (Ire) pushed his way to the front during the first session of Book 2 when three of his yearlings sold for an average of 136,667gns.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club team, which tends to opt for offspring of proven sires, took a chance on lot 535, a dark brown son of the listed-placed Keepers Hill (Ire), a Danehill half-sister to the Group 3 winners Forgotten Voice (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and Australie (Ire) (Sadler's Wells).

Offered by Rory Mahon's Mountain View Stud, the half-brother to seven winners brought the hammer down at 180,000gns.

Just three lots earlier, Sophie Buckley of Culworth Grounds Farm celebrated a nice pinhooking touch when selling a Slade Power filly out of the dual juvenile winner Katchy Lady (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) for 110,000gns to agent Gill Richardson. The young consignor had bought the filly (lot 532) at Goffs for €33,000.

Fitzpatrick The Magic Man…

Appropriately enough, Michael Fitzpatrick's best pinhook of the day was with a colt by Magician (Ire) (lot 724). The Irish trader has something of a magic touch when it comes to finding and producing young thoroughbreds and he managed to turn his $95,000 Keeneland weanling into a 210,000gns Tattersalls yearling.

The colt is the first foal of the winning Iffraaj (GB) mare Perfect Step (Ire), who was bought carrying him for $31,000 by agent Chad Schumer for breeder Lannister Holdings.

Amanda Skiffington signed for the yearling on behalf of MV Magnier while standing alongside him and Paul Shanahan. The trio united last year to buy a Cityscape (GB) filly for 68,000gns. Now named Momentarily (GB), she is trained by Hugo Palmer for Magnier, Linda Shanahan and Tim Gredley.

Fitzpatrick's Kilminfoyle House Stud also sold a Slade Power colt (lot 634) for 120,000gns to Shadwell having bought him at Goffs for €50,000, and he was also responsible for the only Dabirsim (Fr) yearling in the catalogue (lot 654). The dark brown colt out of the Monsun (Ger) mare Monspa (Ger) was a €23,000 Goffs November purchase and will be trained by Roger Charlton after being bought by Amanda Skiffington for 90,000gns.

Hazelwood's Pleasing Debut…

A new name on the list of vendors at Tattersalls was Hazelwood Bloodstock, which is based close to Newmarket at Red House Stud in Exning. While the name may be unfamiliar, the faces behind the operation are well known. Adrian O'Brien, a long-term member of the Coolmore Australia team and former manager of Plantation Stud, set up the business last year with his wife Philippa, an equine vet, on the farm formerly owned by successful owner-breeder Tom Warner, who died in 2010.

“A big part of the draw of the place was the fact that it has produced so many good horses and we're very fortunate to be there,” said O'Brien of the nursery responsible for rearing the top-class sprinters Petong (GB) (Mansingh) and the Bahamian Bounty (GB) full-brothers Goodricke (GB) and Pastoral Pursuits (GB).

“We're also lucky to have good clients and good stock to raise on that land,” he continued. “Because of the time I spent there, Australia is really the foundation of my client base.”

Hazelwood Bloodstock is offering three colts in Book 3, and the first two sold on Monday did indeed have Australian connections. Lot 556, a son of Sea The Stars (Ire), is the first foal of the Listed Silver Tankard S. winner Lady Heidi (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and was bred by Sun Kingdom Pty Ltd, otherwise known as Sun Stud. The descendant of the classy racemare and producer Shining Water (GB) (Kalaglow {GB}) was bought by Roger Varian for 150,000gns.

Sun Stud was also responsible for lot 759, another first foal, this one of Oasis Dream (GB) and the Listed Montrose S. winner Pure Excellence (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) who was bought by Jake Warren for 85,000gns.

Nations United In Rags…

The first Union Rags yearling to be sold at Tattersalls started his life in America before being pinhooked by Woodstock Bloodstock for $135,000 at Keeneland last November. From Kentucky, the son of the War Front mare Miss Emilia travelled to David and James Egan's Corduff Stud to be prepared for the yearling sales and he will be heading farther east still for his racing career after being bought on Monday for 210,000gns by Kenji Ryotokuji.

Lot 644, yet another first foal to sell well, was bred by Chadds Ford Stable and hails from a family which has boasted some decent European performers of late, including first-season sire and G1 Dubai Dewhurst S. winner War Command (War Front), a half-brother to the dam of Miss Emilia.

Takashi Iiyama, racing manager to Japanese owner Ryotokuji, said, “He is a very well-made horse and American pedigrees work well in Japan. We will have to see if he makes up into a dirt or a turf horse.”

American-based agent Shawn Dugan has been kept busy at both the Goffs Orby Sale and Book 1 at Tattersalls and she continued her buying in determined fashion as Book 2 commenced, signing for four yearlings for a total of 600,000gns.

These included a daughter of Kodiac (GB) from the Duke of Roxburghe's Floors Stud (lot 554) for 240,000gns. The filly is the third foal of the unraced Galileo (Ire) mare Lady Glinka (Ire), who is herself out of a sister to the Derby winner Sir Percy (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}).

Ballymacoll Dispersal Continues…

The final three yearlings through the ring on Monday evening continued the mass dispersal of the Weinstock family's Ballymacoll Stud stock.

Lot 772, a Cacique (Ire) half-sister to G1 Emirates Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}) out of an unraced granddaughter of the great Hellenic (GB) (Darshaan {GB}) was bought by Hubie de Burgh for 70,000gns.

The curtain fell with the sale of lot 773, an Archipenko half-sister to G2 Blandford S. winner Eleanora Duse (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) from the family of Oaks winner Sun Princess (GB) (English Prince {Ire}). French agent Ghislain Bozo of Meridian International outbid Stephen Hillen at 90,000gns.