Cooler is Hot Property at Tattersalls
COOLER IS HOT PROPERTY AT TATTERSALLS
By Emma Berry
Heading the exodus to Dubai for the winter will be Havana Cooler (Ire) (Hurricane Run {Ire}), who topped the third session of the Horses-in-Training Sale at Tattersalls at 425,000gns yesterday.
Anthony Stroud maintained the pace set through the first two days by recruiting another clutch of high-profile purchases, but had competition from Charles Egerton and Stephen Hillen for the 4-year-old colt (lot 1158) whose illustrious family includes G1 Irish Derby-winning filly Balanchine.
Trained by Luca Cumani, whose Bedford House Stables sold 20 horses for just over 2 million guineas, Havana Cooler is a dual winner and was runner-up to (Lord) Van Percy (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}) in a decent handicap at Glorious Goodwood before unseating jockey Richard Hughes as he jumped out of the gates when favorite for the Old Borough Cup on his most recent racecourse appearance.
“We really liked the profile of this horse–he fits exactly what we’re looking for,” said Stroud. “Luca has done a fantastic job with him and he was the one we really wanted to get today. We have been selective–we pulled up on [second-top lot] Velox.”
Beating last year’s top price by 45,000gns, the sale of Havana Cooler–one of 21 six-figure lots during yet another buoyant session–helped the aggregate creep up to 10,032,000gns on the day–a sizeable increase of 24% and a record for a single session at this auction. The median of 20,000gns was up by 43% and the average increased by 33% to 39,188gns. Consistent with the previous day’s trade, the clearance rate was 90%, an improvement of 7% on last year.
Tattersalls is on course for yet another cheering result from one of its major sales. With 212 lots still to sell today, last year’s aggregate for the whole sale of 20,863,800gns has already been passed–the tally after three days stands at 23,015,300gns.
Velox Heads Down Under…
Validus (GB) (Zamindar) was the joint-top lot at last year’s horses-in-training sale at 380,000gns, but has managed only one 13th place finish since leaving Luca Cumani’s stable and heading for Dubai. The new Australian owners of his 4-year-old brother Velox (GB) (lot 1061) will be hoping for much better after securing him for 375,000gns.
Melbourne Cup-winning trainer David Hayes will take charge of the gelding, who was bought through Blandford Bloodstock for clients of his stable in Euroa, Victoria.
Velox, who was bred and formerly owned by Australian Stuart Stuckey, has won two of his 12 starts and finished runner-up to Bronze Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the highly competitive Cambridgeshire H. at Newmarket last month. He is also a half-brother to Volume (GB) (Mount Nelson {GB}), who was third in both the G1 Investec Oaks and G1 Irish Oaks this season and is catalogued to sell at the Tattersalls December Mares’ Sale.
“He is a beautiful horse and a fantastic mover,” said Blandford Bloodstock’s Stuart Boman. “He travels well through his races, goes on fast ground, and has a turn of foot, all of which are needed in Australia. He would be a stand-out in any parade ring in the world–let’s hope its at Melbourne.”
Next through the ring from the Cumani draft was Shakopee (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}) (lot 1062), a 2-year-old colt held in such high regard by his trainer that he offered any potential purchaser six months’ training for free. The tactic worked–in the short term at least–as although Shakopee, who was knocked down for 170,000gns, was bought by an owner from Hong Kong, he is set to remain in Newmarket with Cumani.
“It’s too good an offer to turn down,” said Alastair Donald, who bought the relation to Lammtarra on behalf of the unnamed client. “He’ll certainly be in the right hands to be able to progress nicely and he may go to Australia towards the end of next year.”
Out of the winning Rainbow Quest mare Tentpole and a half-brother to six winners, Shakopee, who won his maiden easily at Leicester on Oct. 14, has exactly the profile sought by Australasian buyers, and both Guy Mulcaster and Johnny McKeever were in the running for him before giving way to Donald.
Juddmonte’s Jewels…
Cumani’s Bedford House Stables draft rather stole the thunder of the substantial consignment from Juddmonte, but its gathering of beautifully-bred individuals was nevertheless well perused by potential buyers and contributed a total of 2.1 million guineas to the sale’s aggregate for 35 horses sold.
Leading the way was Pleasant Tap colt Assez Clair (lot 1147), a four-time winner in France who will continue his racing in Saudi Arabia at one of the country’s leading stables owned by Prince Faisal Bin Khaled. The prince’s representative Saad Bin Mishraf, accompanied by Ted Voute, went to 330,000gns for the 4-year-old, who was previously trained in Chantilly by Criquette Head-Maarek. He said, “He’ll go on the fast ground and he’s a good-looking horse with a great pedigree.”
Just five lots earlier, Johnny McKeever and Adrian Bott had returned in a determined mood with their sights set on Shamardal colt Northern Solstice (GB), whom they duly bought for Gai Waterhouse for the sum of 310,000gns.
“He’s the fourth we’ve bought for Gai this week–he’s only lightly raced but we feel he has a lot of potential,” said McKeever. “It’s not just Adrian and me doing the work on these horses–Gai and Rob Waterhouse do plenty of research at home and use a race analyst. It’s a real team effort.”
“He’s an exceptional horse and the vibes were really good coming from Juddmonte,” McKeever continued. “They’re a great team to buy from–I’ve bought two Group 1 winners from them in the past, Continent (GB) and Meteor Storm (GB).”
Northern Solstice hails from the same family as GI Manhattan H. winner Meteor Storm (GB) (Bigstone {Ire}), who is a half-brother to his dam, Winter Solstice (GB) (Unfuwain), as well as G1 Dubai Sheema Classic winner Polish Summer (GB) (Polish Precedent).
Stroud Back In Stride…
Tinghir (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), a half-brother to multiple Group 2 winner Policy Maker (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells), was another colt sold with the offer of six months training for free–this time from David Lanigan–but the 4-year-old (lot 1107) was knocked down to Anthony Stroud for 255,000gns and is set to join the travelers to Dubai.
Stroud’s expenditure on 30 horses over the last three days is closing in on 3 million guineas and Tinghir’s companions en route to the Gulf, picked up on the third day of the sale, include Brass Ring (GB), a son of Prince Khalid Abdullah’s recently relocated Rail Link (GB) and another of the picks of the Juddmonte draft at 200,000gns. David Redvers made a rare appearance in the ring this week but had to settle for the role of underbidder when reluctant to better Stroud’s offer on lot 1122. Redvers gained compensation later, however, when bagging Kheleyf gelding Ajmany (Ire) (lot 1165) from the Cumani draft for 280,000gns. The 4-year-old’s rating has improved by four points, to 101, since the publication of the catalogue following his victory over Soviet Rock–who sold for 160,000gns the previous day –in a classy handicap at Salisbury.
Chronicle Of A Purchase Foretold…
Guy Mulcaster selected subsequent three-time Group 1 winner Foreteller (GB) (Dansili {GB}) from the Juddmonte draft for 100,000gns at this sale in 2010, and he had to give 10,000gns more than that sum to buy his close relation Eye Contact (GB) for Foreteller’s trainer Chris Waller on Wednesday. The 3-year-old (lot 1132) is also a son of Dansili and is out of Foreteller’s Group 2-winning half-sister Modern Look (GB) (Zamindar). The gelding won his most recent start over a mile in September for Sir Michael Stoute.
Three-time winner Penhill (GB) (Mount Nelson {GB}) “could do anything,” according to Stephen Hillen, which convinced the agent to push to 230,000gns to ensure he bought the 3-year-old gelding (lot 1012). Hillen added, “He’s a big scopey sort who can run on the flat, or go and jump a fence. He’ll start on the flat, but will go from here for a break at the National Stud.”
Bred in partnership by Newsells Park Stud and Equity Bloodstock, Penhill is a son of the High Chaparral (Ire) mare Serrenia (Ire), who is a half-sister to GII La Prevoyante H. winner Herboriste (GB) (Hernando {Fr}) and GI Hollywood Derby runner-up Fast And Furious (Fr) (Singspiel {Ire}).
Sweet Result For Sugar…
Qatari Mohammed Alattiyah, who divides his time between training show jumpers and racehorses, stepped in to buy dual Group 3 winner Brown Sugar (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) from the De La Warr Racing syndicate for 190,000gns. The 3-year-old (lot 911) was originally bought for €47,500 by Ed Sackville, the son of syndicate principal Lord De La Warr, and went on to win three of his 11 starts for Richard Hannon, earning a rating of 100 in the process. The syndicate also owned his 2-year-old half-brother Burnt Sugar (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who emulated his elder sibling by winning this season’s G3 Sirenia S. and was sold for €350,000 to the China Horse Club at the recent Arqana Arc Sale in Paris.
“I hope he is good,” said Alattiyah, who added that he bought the colt for his uncle to race in Qatar but that he will be trained elsewhere while he concentrates on his 70 show jumpers. “I watched his races and his form is good. If he continues that way we may take him to Dubai for the Carnival.”
Late on Wednesday evening, Alattiyah stretched to 350,000gns for listed-placed winner Magnolia Beach (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) (lot 1198), a half-brother to GII Twilight Derby and GII Hollywood Turf Cup S. winner Grandeur (Ire) (Verglas {Ire}), offered by Qatar Racing through Jamie Railton. It’s been a good few weeks for the Cherry Faeste-bred family, after a Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) yearling colt out of Magnolia Beach’s dam Misskinta (Ire) sold for 390,000gns during Book 2 of the October Sale.
New Recruit For Sadler…
Early in the session, Newbury-based bloodstock agent Patrick Keogh went to 125,000gns for lot 871, Raise Your Gaze (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who will ship to America to the stable of Keogh’s former boss, John Sadler.
“He’ll be going to California to be trained by John Sadler,” said Keogh of the 90-rated dual winner. “He came highly recommended and he’s the one we really wanted. He’s a smashing individual and we’re excited to have him. We’re always here at Tattersalls and always trying but it’s not always easy to buy.”
Two days of summery weather finally gave way to clouds, then rain, in Newmarket, but that wasn’t enough to persuade Bob Feld to change into long trousers. The shorts-wearing agent coped with sub-zero temperatures in Kentucky in January, so a little bit of English drizzle was unlikely to dampen his spirits on his first visit to Tattersalls.
“I struck early and bought lot 1, so now I’m on holiday,” said Feld as he prepared for a day trip to London. The first lot through the ring at the mammoth sale was Dudes And Diamonds (GB) Azamour {Ire}), who was bought for 40,000gns on behalf of Allen Rosenblum. The 2-year-old colt will ship to America to continue his training under the care of Graham Motion.
The final session of the Horses-in-Training Sale commences today at 9:30 a.m., and is followed by Book 4 of the October Yearling Sale.