Book 2 On Track For Bumper Returns

by Emma Berry 

The strength of trade witnessed during the opening session of Book 2 showed little sign of abating throughout Tuesday, with another rash of six-figure lots taking the tally for the sale so far to 76 and pushing the day’s turnover to 13,314,000gns–a rise of 39%. Clearance rate remained strong at 87% with the 216 lots sold achieving an average of 61,639gns (+29%) and median of 49,000gns (+36%). 

Cheveley Park Stud’s policy of selling its colts reaped rewards when lot 867, a Kyllachy (GB) colt out of the winning Gone West mare Constitute (GB) was knocked down to Angus Gold of Shadwell for 320,000gns. The brother to listed-placed Enact (GB) and three-quarter brother to another black-type performer in Enrol (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) also attracted the attention of Tony Nerses, who had to settle for the role of under-bidder. 

Back in 2011, Cheveley Park sold Garswood (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) as a foal for 19,000gns and then reinvested in the juvenile listed winner during his 2-year-old-season, going into partnership with his owners David and Emma Armstrong. It proved a wise move as he has subsequently added the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest and G2 Lennox S. to his record of big-race wins and will retire to David and Patricia Thompson’s Newmarket farm to stand alongside his sire in 2015.

Angus Gold, one of the leading players during Book 1 on behalf of Sheikh Hamdan, has not exhausted his shopping list yet, adding a further 17 yearlings to the Shadwell team. Tuesday’s purchases included an Aussie Rules half-brother to Australian listed winner Caravan Rolls On (GB) (Hernando {Fr}) (lot 984), who was bred by Kirsten Rausing and consigned through her Staffordstown Stud. 

“He caught me by surprise but a lot of our trainers loved him,” said Gold of the 210,000gns purchase. 

Ripper Result for Clairemont Stud… 
Just half an hour before the day’s top lot was sold, a second-crop son of Rip Van Winkle (lot 851) had also been the subject of interest for Nerses, who, along with Will Edmeades and Kieran McManus, attempted to secure the colt only to have to give way to John Gosden. 

“He was a beautiful colt–a lovely athletic mover by a sire who’s going the right way,” said the trainer of the son of Chehalis Sunset (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), an unraced sister to GII Honeymoon H. winner Country Garden (GB). “Obviously he was very popular.” 

The March-born colt, who had passed through the ring at Tattersalls last December, advertised the pinhooking skills of Liam Norris and William Huntingdon, who bought him for 75,000gns and reoffered him though Clairemont Stud, which is managed by Norris’s wife Jenny. Clairemont was responsible for one of the highlights of the 2013 breeding stock sales season when selling Oaks winner Dancing Rain (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) at Tattersalls for 4 million guineas. 

“That was a great sale, we’re delighted,” said Liam Norris, who sold five yearlings in Book 1 and another pair in Book 2. “As always, Jenny and the team have done a great job at home with all the horses. This colt had a great sales walk–I loved him as a foal and he’s just been a lovely, easy horse to deal with.” 

The Next Tiggy Wiggy?… 
It wasn’t just colts in demand on day two. Hugo Lascelles was delighted to be able to sign for his favourite filly of the day but was pushed to 250,000gns by underbidder Angus Gold in order to be able to secure the daughter of Kodiac (GB) (lot 782). 

“She is for a British client who has bought a few his week. She is gorgeous with a wonderful walk and a real two-year-old type with some quality,” he said of the filly who shares her sire with this season’s crack juvenile, Tiggy Wiggy (Ire), whose Big Bad Bob (Ire) half-brother is being offered today as lot 1065 by his breeder, Paul McCartan of Ballyphilip Stud. 

Lascelles added. “There is such a demand for British and Irish horses, everyone wants them because they have done so well around the world.” 

Tally-Ho Stud’s Kodiac–a Danehill half-brother to Invincible Spirit (Ire)–remains very much a sire in demand, with 15 selling so far through Book 2 for an impressive average of 89,667gns. Kodiac’s fee when his current crop of yearlings was conceived was €7,500. 

Dream in Demand… 
An Irish-based stallion whose first crop are selling this year is Ballylinch Stud’s Dream Ahead (Diktat {GB}) and he is also finding favor with yearling buyers. Top of the tree in Book 2 is Brightwalton Stud’s son of Complexion (GB) (Hurricane Run {Ire}), who sold for 240,000gns to Mark Crossman. 

The colt was bought on behalf of Khalifa Dasmal, whose pink and green silks were carried to five Group 1 victories by Dream Ahead. 

“We’ve seen all his yearlings and we think this is the nicest,” said Crossman, who confirmed that the chestnut colt will be trained by Dream Ahead’s conditioner David Simcock. 

“He’s a great walker and is very similar to his sire, apart from his colour. Khalifa is obviously keen to support Dream Ahead.” 

Dream Ahead has had 14 yearlings sell in Book 2 for an average of 76,714gns. Jeffrey and Phoebe Hobby bred his top-priced colt at their Brightwalton Stud in Berkshire and were thrilled with such a good result for their 6-year-old mare, who is a grand-daughter of Oaks winner Reams Of Verse and has a Lawman (Ire) colt foal at foot and is in foal to Mastercraftsman (Ire). 

Jeffrey Hobby said: “He is the first foal out of the mare and has been a belter all the way–we were waiting for something to go wrong. It’s great for the mare and for the farm–we are a young operation and this really helps to get the stud off the ground.” 

All three yearlings offered by Brightwalton so far in Book 2 have sold for six-figure sums, with an Iffraaj (Ire) colt (lot 987) fetching 115,000gns and a Zoffany (Ire) colt (lot 627) sold at 100,000gns. 

Perfect Tonic for Myerscough… 
One half of the Baroda & Colbinstown Studs partnership, David Myerscough, is currently laid up in bed following back surgery, but his recovery will have been boosted by some excellent results in the sales ring for the consignment he runs with David Cox. 

The headline act for the team on the second day of Book 2 was lot 779, a homebred Mastercraftsman filly out of the French maiden winner Ballet Move (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). The mare was bought as a 3-year-old from Tattersalls in 2011 for 10,000gns by the two Davids and Myserscough’s father, Philip, the former Tattersalls auctioneer. 

Her first foal has now ensured she was a worthwile investment as the grey filly fetched 210,000gns after John O’Byrne went head-to-head with John Warren, with the former coming out on top. 

David Cox said: “I’m in shock. She was bred by myself, David and Philip and she’s a gorgeous filly–a lovely first foal. We bought the mare as Philip has previously owned a member of the family.” 

Having sold eight so far in Book 2 for a total of 910,000gns, Cox, like so many in action at the sale, has been impressed with the strength of trade. He added: “The sale has continued to be really strong – I’ve lost count of the number of agents telling me they just can’t buy anything.” 

Hot in Hong Kong… 
Hot Streak (Ire) (Iffraaj {Ire}) has been one of the leading sprinters of the season in England and an Approve(Ire) half-brother (lot 767) to the G2 Temple S. winner will soon be heading east after being bought by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) for 200,000gns. A €90,000 pinhook by Abbey Farm, the January colt was offered through Athassel House Stud. 

“The page is all about speed and it is not going to take a lot of guesswork to think what this colt is going to look like in a year’s time,” said HKJC buyer Mark Richards. “He is a real athlete and moved very well. His damsire Exceed and Excel is a champion sire–let’s hope he turns out to be as good a broodmare sire.” 
He added: “The Hong Kong Jockey Club tries to produce well-bred athletic horses for its members to purchase. Buying was tough yesterday but we bought two early–a Showcasing (GB) colt and an Invincible Spirit (Ire) colt – and we’re very happy with both.” 

The final day of Book 2 begins today at 10 a.m.