Classic Gems On Offer At Tatts
CLASSIC GEMS ON OFFER AT TATTS
By Kelsey Riley
For almost as long as Tattersalls has been facilitating sales of Thoroughbreds in the UK, British racehorse owners have been in search of that rare specimen with just the right dose of speed, stamina and courage to land the G1 2000 Guineas, G1 Epsom Derby and G1 St Leger. Fifteen have achieved it, with Nijinsky being the most recent in 1970, and for the last 44 years owners have been on the hunt for that once-in-a-lifetime horse to achieve the near impossible.
While the British Triple Crown has since fallen out of fashion–with Camelot (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) in 2012 being the only horse to even attempt the feat since Nijinsky–the quest for this kind of greatness burns brighter than ever, and year-on-year the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale has proven a leading source of British Classic winners purchased at all levels of the market. Not only was Camelot–a 525,000gns 2010 graduate who went on to win the first two jewels and finish second in the G1 St Leger after adding the G1 Irish Derby–unearthed at Tattersalls October Book 1, but this year the Newmarket auction house achieved a rare feat when its 2012 graduates Night of Thunder (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Australia (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and Kingston Hill (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) swept the three series races, giving Tattersalls a Triple Crown of its own. In addition, Tattersalls has sold six of the last 12 Epsom Derby winners; five of the last 12 2000 Guineas winners and four of the last 13 St Leger winners. Tattersalls’ Classic tradition could be set to continue next year, with two 2013 Book 1 graduates, Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Ivawood (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) the early favorites for next year’s Derby and 2000 Guineas, respectively.
Given the success of the last three renewals of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, such an accomplishment should not come as a great surprise. The current wave began its rise in 2011, when the aggregate jumped 3.4 million guineas to 51,634,000gns for 364 sold–85 fewer sold than the previous year. Similarly, the 2011 average jumped 32% to 141,852gns, and the median was up 43% to 100,000gns. Those figures continued their steady upward march in 2012. Each of the three Book 1 sessions that year broke the previous record for aggregate per session at a European auction, resulting in a gross of 68,102,500, and a 15% increase in average to 162,925gns. Remarkably, the climb continued last year. Despite 79 fewer horses sold, last year’s aggregate jumped to 70,343,000 for 339 sold, with an average of 207,501gns and a median of 130,000gns. Last year’s opening session saw the European record for a yearling at auction smashed when a full-brother to G1 Investec Oaks runner-up Secret Gesture (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) realized 3.6 million guineas from John Magnier. To the awe of the global bloodstock industry, that record stood for just 24 hours. The following day, Sheikh Joaan shelled out 5 million guineas for a full-sister to 2012 Oaks winner Was (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), which also set a world record for a yearling filly sold at auction.
While it is these record-breaking prices that dominate the headlines, it has been proven that Classic success can be sourced from all levels of the market at Tattersalls. While Australia was plucked out of the top end of the Book 1 market for 525,000gns by Coolmore, Night Of Thunder cost Rabbah Bloodstock just 32,000gns at the same sale. Kingston Hill was a 70,000gns purchase from Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Four English or Irish Guineas winners have been purchased from Book 1 since 2012, three of them for 50,000gns or less.
“The key to Book 1 is very evident just by looking at the front and back covers of this year’s catalogue,” said Tattersalls Marketing Director Jimmy George. “The two horses pictured exemplify what we feel Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale is all about. There you have Australia: a dual Derby winner, outstanding 3-year-old colt of his generation and beautifully bred, by a Derby winner, out of an Oaks winner, who cost 525,000 guineas at Europe’s number one yearling sale.”
“That’s what it’s all about, but also sharing the back cover with him is Night of Thunder, who beat him in the 2000 Guineas, and he was bought at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for 32,000 guineas,” George added. “That’s why the buyers come to this sale. It’s not all about Australia’s making 500,000gns-plus, or the record breakers. These Classic winners can be found at all levels of this sale, and they are year after year.”
Future Cover Stars…
Book 1 of this year’s Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, set for Oct. 7 to 9, numbers 472 lots, down from 513 last year. Those include the siblings to 42 Classic or Group 1 winners and 232 stakes winners, as well as the progeny of 26 Group 1 or Classic-winning mares. Amongst the highlights on pedigree are Lot 2, a Fastnet Rock (Aus) three-quarter sister to dual Oaks winner and last year’s 4 million guineas Tattersalls December purchase Dancing Rain (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}); lot 63, a Dalakhani (Ire) half-sister to G1 1000 Guineas winner Speciosa (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and two other stakes winners; lot 75, a Street Cry (Ire) filly out of multiple group winner Strawberrydaiquiri (GB) (Dansili {GB});lot 107, a full-sister to Group 1-winning 2-year-old and sire Zoffany (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) and multiple group winner and Group 1-placed Wilshire Boulevard (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}); lot 140, an Invincible Spirit (Ire) daughter of G1 Italian Oaks heroine Zanzibar (Ire) (In the Wings {GB}), already the dam ofmultiple graded winner and Grade I-placed Spice Route (GB) (King’s Best); lot 182, an Oasis Dream colt out of dual Guineas winner and five-time Group 1 winner Attraction (GB) (Efisio {GB}) and a full-brother to Group 3 winner Fountain of Youth (Ire); lot 214, a Shamardal half-brother to Group 1 winner Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (Pivotal {GB})–herself a group producer–and two other Group 3 winners; lot 237, a Dubawi (Ire) half-brother to Grade/Group 1 winners Viva Pataca (GB) (Marju {Ire}) and Laughing (Ire) (Dansili {GB}); lot 242, a Fastnet Rock (Aus) half to this year’s G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Gallante (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}); lot 272, a Giant’s Causeway daughter of dual Grade I winner Dynaforce (Dynaformer); lot 331, the lone representative of War Front in the catalogue, a filly out of GI Personal Ensign S. winner Icon Project (Empire Maker);lot 403, an Invincible Spirit (Ire) half-sister to G1 Falmouth S. winner Nahoodh (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}); lot 422, a High Chaparral (Ire) half-sister to dual Group 1-winning sprinter Kingsgate Native (Ire) (Mujadil) and lot 463, a full-sister to GI Gulfstream Park Breeders’ Cup H. winner Prince Arch.
“Every year you go into the sales season hoping to better the previous years figures,” George noted. “Last year’s Book 1 set the bar very, very high, but this year’s Book 1 is very high quality. If ever a catalogue had a chance to emulate last years, it’s this one.”
“Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale is a catalogue that always features that perfect combination of outstanding pedigree and physical,” George added. “There will be some very high quality individuals for all the world’s leading buyers.”
Urban Legend…
For an indication of the elite level of quality on offer in Book 1, one need only take note of the two most represented sires: Urban Sea’s sons Sea the Stars (Ire) and Galileo (Ire), with 35 and 29, respectively, catalogued. This select group includes the progeny of or siblings to five Classic winners and 13 Group 1 winners. While Galileo has become a perennial worldwide leading sire, Sea the Stars is beginning to carve out a legacy in his own right, with two first-crop Classic winners in Taghrooda (GB) and Sea the Moon (Ger) and G1 Prix Saint-Alary victress Vazira (Fr) amongst his 11 stakes winners.
“Galileo is the proven world number one sire, and to have such a significant number of yearlings by such a preeminent stallion is a huge testament to the reputation of Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale as Europe’s premier yearling sale,” said George. “This is where the best yearlings by the best stallions come year after year, and in Sea the Stars we have a young stallion who is on the way to establishing himself as a hugely significant sire as well. The number of yearlings in Book 1 by those two stallions, and all the other top 10 British and Irish stallions, reflects the preeminence of Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale and the reputation it has as the number one sale of its type in Europe.”
Some of the highlights amongst the Galileo and Sea the Stars progeny are lot 177, a Sea the Stars daughter of G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Ardbrae Lady (GB) (Overbury {Ire}); lot 212, a Galileo colt out of a full-sister to Tapit; lot 261, the first foal out of Date With Destiny (Ire), the lone foal by George Washington (Ire), a filly by Galileo; lot 297, a Galileo half-brother to Attraction; lot 318, a Galileo three-quarter to Derby winner Pour Moi (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and two other stakes winners; lot 370, a Sea the Stars filly out of GI E.P. Taylor S. winner Lahaleeb (Ire) (Redback {GB}); lot 375, a Sea the Stars half-brother to dual Group 1 winner and sire Linngari (Ire) (Indian Ridge); lot 399, a Galileo half-sister to Classic winner and triple Group 1 winner Blue Bunting (Dynaformer); lot 436, a Sea the Stars half-sister to Derby winner Motivator (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) and two other stakes winners and lot 442, a Galileo half-brother to GI King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. winner Harbinger (GB) (Dansili {GB}).
New Shooters and Old Favorites…
First season sires are always prone to causing a stir at the sales, and this year’s group appears an especially strong one, with all nine sires represented by their first progeny being Classic or Group 1 winners. Dream Ahead and Canford Cliffs (Ire) are represented by 10 and seven yearlings respectively. Poet’s Voice (GB) and Pour Moi (Ire) have eight each, while the latter’s group looks particularly strong, including the siblings to three Group 1 winners.
“Every year people are fascinated by the first crop sires and very much drawn to them, trying to identify a future star sire,” George said. “I think this year’s crop are an exciting bunch, and they’ve attracted some very high-class mares as well.”
While these new shooters are beginning to make their presence felt, the yearling sales industry will also bid farewell to two sires represented by their final crops: Monsun (Ger) and Montjeu (Ire). Monsun has just one catalogued, a colt out of a full-sister to Group 1 winners Listen (Ire) and Sequoyah (Ire), and Montjeu is represented by six.
“It would be lovely to have a few more from the last crops of those two wonderful stallions, but sadly they were few and far between in their limited last crops,” George said. “They’re both great losses to not only the European breed, but the global breed and industry, and it’s great to have representatives from their respective final crops.”
American-based sires represented are Arch, Cape Blanco (Ire), Elusive Quality, Eskendereya, Exchange Rate, Giant’s Causeway, Hat Trick (Jpn), Kitten’s Joy, Lemon Drop Kid, Speightstown, Stormy Atlantic, Street Cry (Ire) and War Front.
Worldwide Acclaim…
Tattersalls has in recent years seen a wide spread of buyers from all corners of the globe, and everywhere in between, descend on Park Paddocks for the October Yearling Sale. In addition to the well-documented rise of buyers from the Middle East, those increasing their spending power during Book 1 include interests from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, South Africa and the U.S.
George pointed to the strength of the European bloodstock industry as a whole as a reason for buyers to travel from afar to stock their stables.
“The great thing about Europe at the moment is the depth to the quality of the stallions standing particularly in Britain in Ireland,” he noted. “The top five stallions in Britain in Ireland stand tall amongst the global elite, and that has been recognized by owners, trainers and buyers from throughout the world. We expect to see buyers from North America, Europe, the Gulf region, Japan, Hong Kong, Australasia–you name it, we will expect to see buyers from all corners of the world. I think that reflects not only on the quality of Book 1, but also the standing in which European racing and breeding is held globally.”
Five in a Million…
Prize money is arguably the greatest challenge facing the British industry, and Tattersalls’ answer to this issue is its Tattersalls Millions series, which allows graduates of Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale to compete in a series of races worth £1.3 million at Newmarket Racecourse.
The 2014-2015 series, which kicked off with a pair of £100,000 races for juveniles Sept. 20, continues Oct. 4 with the £500,000 Tattersalls Millions 2YO Trophy–the country’s richest race for 2-year-olds and open to colts, geldings and fillies–and the £300,000 2YO Fillies Trophy. The series for this crop culminates next year in the £200,000 Tattersalls Millions 3YO Trophy and the £100,000 Tattersalls Millions 3YO Sprint at Newmarket’s Craven meeting in April.
“The Tattersalls Millions series is hugely popular,” George noted. “It provides owners opportunities to run for very significant prize money with horses that may not often get that opportunity. The key issue year on year facing British owners is the level of prize money, in particular at the maiden level as compared with the rest of the world. These races, for many years now, have provided owners with an opportunity to earn serious prize money. The more prize money owners earn, the more they’re inclined to stay in the game and reinvest, and that’s what the Tattersalls Millions is all about.”
The 2015-2016 edition will be tweaked slightly with five races instead of six–one fewer 2-year-old race–for the same £1.3 million pot.
An overwhelming number of Tattersalls Millions winners in recent years were purchased in the 30,000gns to 100,000 range, and George noted that the race series adds a new dimension to that area of the market.
“I think it’s key to that sector of the market of Book 1,” he said. “Buyers can come to Book 1 and buy Classic winners at that level, but even if they fail to hit the bullseye and manage to find a nice individual who is just below top class, they’ll have the opportunity to race for very significant prize money. It’s a major factor in stimulating that middle market, and something that is very popular with owners.”
Book Two Goes to Three…
Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale wraps up its three-day stand Oct. 9, and after a four-day hiatus the sale returns Oct. 13 to 15 with Book 2. This second segment of the October Yearling Sale has developed a solid reputation its own right for turning out high-class horses for modest prices–Kingston Hill being a case in point–and last year recorded gains across all indicators. The aggregate was up more than 5 million guineas from a smaller catalogue, while the average increased 21% to 47,529gns, and the median was up 16% to 37,000. The buyback rate was down 16% to 13%.
In a move to further increase the focus on quality, Book 2 will this year be staged over two days after running four days since 2005. George noted that the popularity of Book 2 is increasing as Book 1 grows more and more competitive.
“Year on year, people will start in Book 1, and just as one sees in similar formats elsewhere in the world, people will keep on going until they fulfill their requirements,” he said. “I think the key to Book 2 this year is we’ve tightened up the numbers a bit. It’s been a four-day sale the last eight years, and this year we’ve made a conscious effort to tighten it up to three days. I think that has had a beneficial effect on the catalogue and I think it will make the sale more workable for the owners, trainers and agents.”
The two-day Book 3 will follow on Oct. 16 and 17, with Book 4 wrapping up proceedings later in the month on Oct. 30 and 31. In the meantime, buyers can look forward to seeing likely future Classic and Group 1 winners on parade at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1, and with such a proven track record at all levels of the market at Park Paddocks, just who that could be will be anyone’s guess.
“It’s what racing is all about,” George said with enthusiasm. “You can come to Book 1 with 30,000 or 40,000 guineas year in and year out and get yourself a Group 1 winner, whether it’s a Classic winner or a Group 1-winning 2-year-old. Equally, you can come there with millions and expect to find the same. I think what makes it extra special is it’s not just one year here or there that produces these sorts of results. Book 1 produces this level of achievement year in and year out, so the buyers are confident that when they come to the sale they will see the cream of the European crop, and that will go on to be reflected on racecourses throughout the world at the very highest level.”