Dubawi Tops Again At Tattersalls

by Emma Berry and Kelsey Riley

Newmarket, UK–In an almost exact repeat of Tuesday's headline act, a son of Dubawi (Ire) headed proceedings during the second session of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale on Wednesday at the price of 2.1-million guineas, bought by John Ferguson for Sheikh Mohammed with Roger Varian as his underbidder.

From the 164 yearlings offered in the second session, 131 were marked as sold–a fractional drop in the clearance rate to 80%–which brought another 26,342,000gns to the overall tally. This represented an 8% decline on the corresponding session last year and the average also dropped, by 12%, to 201,084 gns. The median was down by 8% at 120,000gns.

Like his day one predecessor, the Maria Niarchos-bred session-topping colt (lot 229) is a second foal, his dam, Nature Spirits (Fr) (Beat Hollow {GB}), being a listed winner in the French provinces and a half-sister to the ill-fated G2 Beresford S. winner Curtain Call (Fr) (Sadler's Wells). The further family includes the late Lanwades stallion Hernando (Fr) (Niniski) and his fellow Group 1-winning half-brother Johann Quatz (Fr) (Sadler's Wells).

“He was born and raised at our Kiltinan Castle Stud in Ireland and he has always been a magnificent horse,” said Simon Marsh, manager of Watership Down Stud, which consigned the colt on his breeder's behalf.

He continued, “We board a number of mares for the Niarchos Family and I'm just delighted for Maria. This colt was a great foal and a great yearling and has just always been very straightforward.”

From his 18 purchases for Godolphin so far at Book 1, Ferguson has bought six colts and two fillies by Darley's leading sire Dubawi for a total of 8,125,000gns. Dubawi is the leading sire at the sale, both by average and aggregate, with 12 sold for 10,415,000gns.

Another Shastye For Sheikh Fahad…

The offspring of Shastye (Ire) (Danehill), who was bought by Newsells Park Stud for 625,000gns back in 2005, have been routinely popular at the October Sale, with Group 3 winner Sir Isaac Newton (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) briefly holding the European yearling record when selling for 3.6-million to Coolmore in 2013, while Secret Soul (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}) fetched 800,000gns this time last year from Charlie Gordon-Watson. Shastye's yearling daughter of Galileo (Ire) (lot 309), a full-sister to Sir Isaac Newton as well as G2 Middleton S. winner Secret Gesture (Ire), proved the latest feather in the dam's cap on Wednesday when selling for 1.35-million guineas to David Redvers on behalf of Qatar Racing.

Sheikh Fahad's Qatar Racing campaigned Secret Gesture in partnership with Newsells Park after she was bought back at this sale in 2011 for 230,000gns.

“She's very similar to her big sister, who is going to the Keeneland sale in foal to War Front, so it's lovely to guarantee we can keep some of the family,” said Redvers. “It couldn't be a more alive family, and she was very similar to Secret Gesture but a slightly bigger, stronger version. We're very excited to have her.”

In addition to Sir Isaac Newton and Secret Gesture, the filly is also a half-sister to listed winner Maurus (GB) (Medicean {GB}). Her second dam is the G2 Prix de Royallieu winner and G1 Gran Premio di Milano second Saganeca (Sagace {Fr}), whose dynasty also includes G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sagamix (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}) and G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud victor Sagacity (Fr) (Highest Honor {Fr}). She is also the second dam of Group 1 winners Sageburg (Ire) and Sagawara (GB).

Newsells manager Julian Dollar weighed in after the sale, “The mare's been very good to us. Obviously Sheikh Fahad has had great success with her sister [Secret Gesture] and this filly is virtually identical, though perhaps a touch bigger and stronger.”

He added, “Shastye has a colt foal by Galileo and is back in foal to him–it's a marriage that seems to work, so why change?”

Same Cross, Same Result For Cheveley…

David and Patricia Thompson's Cheveley Park Stud sold a Frankel colt out of a daughter of Cheveley flagbearer Pivotal (GB), for a farm record of 620,000gns at this sale last year to Frankel's owner/breeder Khalid Abdullah, and that one, now named Seven Heavens (GB), earned 'TDN Rising Star' status when extending his unbeaten record to two in a Goodwood conditions race Aug. 30 and is a contender for Saturday's G1 Dewhurst S. Cheveley returned to Park Paddocks on Wednesday with a colt from the same cross and were rewarded when lot 244 was bought by the MV Magnier and Mayfair Speculators partnership for 1.3-million guineas.

The chestnut son of Frankel is the sixth produce of the G1 Lockinge S. winner Peeress (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), whose first foal is the listed winner Ladyship (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}).

“To have him purchased by MV Magnier and associates shows that our breeding program is truly international,” said Cheveley manager Chris Richardson. “He's not only a lovely colt, he's beautifully bred out of a fantastic racemare. My team have done a fantastic job and it's nice to have broken our record, which was 620,000gns last year, even going back to 1995, when we had the two top lots in the sale. It's very special.”

Richardson also paid tribute to broodmare sire Pivotal, whose daughters have produced Group 1 winners Harbour Law (GB) (Lawman {Fr}), The United States (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Main Sequence (Aldebaran), Winsili (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and Mayson (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).

“He's a lovely, powerful horse and Pivotal is a phenomenal broodmare sire already and he's establishing himself as potentially something really exciting,” Richardson said. “We're fortunate to have a large number of mares by him and we hope that Seven Heavens goes on to even bigger and better things going forward, this weekend and into next year.”

While Cheveley homebred G1 Nunthorpe S. winner Pivotal has been a remarkable success story for the nursery, Cheveley similarly has a long history with the female family. Cheveley started into the family with the Frankel colt's fourth dam, the G3 May Hill S.-second Tender Loving Care (GB), and also bred Peeress and the black-type placed Nobly Born (GB) (Mayson {GB}) and Court Circle (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) from the family.

Speaking of the decision to offer the Frankel colt, Richardson said, “Our policy is to offer all the colts. There are a number of colts we don't bring up because they might have an issue that would preclude them from bringing a true and fair value, but our policy is to race the fillies and offer the colts. As much as I personally have loved to have kept him, we have the mare and luckily we have a [Frankel yearling] filly out of Infallible who we'll be racing.”

Peeress was rested this year and did not produce a foal, but is in foal to Exceed and Excel (Aus).

MV Magnier noted after signing the ticket on the Frankel–Peeress colt, “He's a lovely horse, out of a very good racemare. Cheveley Park have a great history and their record speaks for itself; they're very good breeders. He's out of a Pivotal mare, which has worked for Galileo. Galileo's sons are doing unbelievably well at stud, and obviously Frankel is going very well.”

The colt was one of a growing list of purchases for the partnership of Magnier and South African Markus Jooste's Mayfair Speculators, and Magnier said of the partnership, “We have gotten to know Markus and Michael over the last couple years after David Nagle of Barronstown Stud introduced us, and to be honest you wouldn't come across more straightforward, decent people. We're just lucky to have people like that who want to have horses with us.”

Varian Gets His Dubawi…

Roger Varian, who has trained Postponed (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) to three Group 1 wins for Dubawi's owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, made a strong play for many of the Dubawis to go through the ring over the first two days of Book 1, but often ended up as underbidder, typically to John Ferguson. That changed, however, when Varian outbid Ferguson and Charlie Gordon-Watson at 850,000gns for lot 328 on Sheikh Mohammed Obaid's behalf.

“We're delighted to have bought him,” said Varian. “We've given Dubawi plenty of support this week so it's nice to come home with one.”

Consigned by Highclere Stud, the May 1 foal is out of the unraced So Silk (GB) (Rainbow Quest) and is a half-brother to G2 DFS Park Hill S. winner Silk Sari (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and the listed-placed Fashion Fund (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). The second dam is the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and G1 Fillies' Mile winner Gossamer (GB), who produced G1 Racing Post Trophy victor Ibn Khaldun (Dubai Destination) and is herself a daughter of the great producer Brocade (GB) (Habitat), whose progeny are headed by three-time Group 1 and Classic winner Barathea (Ire) (Sadler's Wells).

“He's a nice colt, by a good stallion,” Varian added. “The mare has produced before and he sold himself really well in the paddock. The mare has produced a stakes winner and she's a Rainbow Quest mare; the old-fashioned book of pedigrees.”

Varian's Wednesday shopping list also extended to the sister of G1 Cheveley Park S. winner Lumiere (GB) (Shamardal) who was offered as lot 301 on behalf of her breeder Mark Johnston– the former trainer of both the filly's sire and dam Screen Star (Ire) (Tobougg {Ire})–by his former employee Brendan Holland of Grove Stud.

“I thought she was a strong, racey filly who had plenty of scope,” said Varian of his 550,000gns purchase. “Her sister is obviously very good and of course Sheikh Mohammed Obaid wants them to race and be good, but this is also a lovely future broodmare prospect for him. Hopefully Dubawi will be around for some time to come and then of course Postponed will go to stud eventually.”

Earlier in the day Varian had placed the final bid of 350,000gns on another Shamardal (lot 242), a colt bred by Diane Wildenstein and the final yearling from the Norris Bloodstock draft which provided Tuesday's session-topping Dubawi colt and the sale's current leader. The dark brown first foal of the unraced Painter's Pride (Fr) (Dansili {GB}) hails from the high-achieving Wildenstein family which includes his dam's half-brother Peintre Celebre (Nureyev).

Dugan Strikes For Lone Medaglia d'Oro Filly…

The sole yearling catalogued by Darley's American-based shuttler Medaglia d'Oro (lot 319) prompted a game of financial ping-pong between Hugo Merry and Shawn Dugan, with the latter outlasting her opponent to sign for the filly at 600,000gns.

Bred by Fawzi Nass's Aislabie Stud near Newmarket, the first foal of the G3 Sirenia S. winner Shumoos (Distorted Humor) boasts a strong American pedigree but will remain in the UK to be campaigned for her new owner, the Abu Dhabi-based Al Shira'aa Stud.

“We're very excited about her,” beamed Dugan. “Medaglia d'Oro has had such a great year in Australia and America, and this filly was exceptional, both in her physical qualities and the fact that she's out of a good, young mare from a great family.”

Shumoos, who raced in the colours of Fawzi Nass first in Britain when trained by Brian Meehan and later in the U.S. from Ben Cecil's stable, is a grand-daughter of GI Matron S. and GI Spinaway S. victrix Strategic Maneuver, who went on to produce GII La Canada S. winner Cat Fighter (Storm Cat) and Group 3-winning sprinter Ishiguru (Danzig).

Lilbourne Lad's Half-Brother To Japan…

A Galileo (Ire) half-brother to young stallion Lilbourne Lad (Ire) was the second-most expensive foal at last year's Goffs November Sale at €475,000, but the bold pinhooking venture paid off when he was reoffered through James Hanly's Ballyhimikin Stud at Tattersalls and hammered down for 600,000gns to Kenji Ryotokuji.

Bought on behalf of Japan's champion trainer Yoshito Yahagi, the colt (lot 330) was bred by Des Leadon and Mariann Klay at Swordlestown Little Stud in Ireland.

“He is a lovely colt by a great sire–hopefully he will become a champion,” said Yahagi, who enjoyed a major international victory at the Dubai World Cup with his G1 Dubai Turf winner Real Steel (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). “He will travel to Japan once he has finished his quarantine.”

His dam, Sogno Verde (Ire) (Green Desert), has also produced the G3 Gallinule S. runner-up Bobbyscot (Ire) (Alhaarth {Ire}) and is a grand-daughter of the G1 Irish St Leger winner Dark Lomond (GB) (Lomond).

Juddmonte Secures Kendargent Filly…

Leading French sire Kendargent (Fr) had just one yearling offered at Book 1, and the dark bay filly (lot 279) put the stallion in the spotlight on Wednesday when fetching 525,000gns from Khalid Abdullah's Racing Manager Teddy Grimthorpe, who outlasted underbidder Angus Gold on behalf of Shadwell. Consigned by Haras de Colleville, which stands Kendargent, the February foal is a full-sister to dual group winner Restiadargent (Fr) and listed winner Restiana (Fr).

Colleville manager Guillaume Vitse was on hand for the sale, and he explained the decision to offer the filly at Tattersalls.

“It was common sense because we sold Restiadargent's son by Frankel [for €520,000] at Arqana, and we didn't take both of them to that sale because they would have followed each other in the sale,” he said. “We took the Frankel to Arqana and this filly had the scope to come to Newmarket. She's a wonderful mover and a wonderful-looking filly.”

Vitse said the price was higher than he expected.

“We knew she was going to sell well, she was vetted 15 times, but that much, no.”

Kendargent has enjoyed a stratospheric rise at Guy Pariente's Haras de Colleville, enjoying strong results from mares bred at a stud fee as low as €500, and the grey stood the 2016 season for €18,000. Vitse said Kendargent has covered 480 mares over the last three seasons, and promoting the sire internationally is always at the forefront of his mind.

“We try to promote Kendargent as much as possible,” he noted. “That's why we brought a couple yearlings to Tattersalls Book 2 last year, and we'll be back in a few days with a couple more yearlings for Book 2.”

Vitse noted this isn't the first time Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte has supported Kendargent.

“Juddmonte actually sends mares every year, so it's really nice for those guys to come along and buy the yearling,” he said.

Grimthorpe added after signing the ticket on the filly, “She's an absolutely lovely filly and exactly what we are looking to buy. It's a new family and a good outcross and Prince Khalid is keen to introduce some new blood to the stud so we were very pleased to get her.”

Referring to Seven Heavens (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who was bought from this sale last year for 620,000gns and is entered for Saturday's G1 Dubai Dewhurst S., he commented, “He's in good form and seems to have progressed well since Goodwood. It was great to see a Frankel colt from the same breeder, Cheveley Park Stud, sell so well earlier [for 1.3-million guineas]. There's a buzz about him in the industry quite apart from the pleasure it gives us to have seen him make such a good start.”

Juddmonte also purchased a Dark Angel (Ire) filly (lot 57) for 180,000gns on Tuesday.

Galileo Filly The Choice For Emirates Park…

Bryan Carlson, general manager of Emirates Park Stud in Australia, traveled to Newmarket with plans to find a filly for Emirates Park owner Nasser Lootah to race in the UK, and he came away with a filly with appeal in both hemispheres in the form of lot 191, a Galileo (Ire) daughter of dual Group 1-winning sprinter Melito (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}), for 500,000gns. Consigned by Baroda and Colbinstown Studs, the March foal is the third produce of Melito, who won the prestigious G1 TJ Smith S. and G1 Winter S. She produced the four-time winner Campbell Junior (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) in Australia before being exported to Ireland, and her first Northern Hemisphere-born produce is the as-yet unraced 2-year-old colt Pallazo Corsini (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Melito is also a half-sister to the dam of G1 Australian Guineas winner You're So Good (NZ).

“She'll go to the breakers in the next week or so and we'll decide [on a trainer] from there, but she'll stay here in the UK,” Carlson said, adding that Lootah hasn't bought horses in Europe “for about 20 years.”

“The boss, Nasser Lootah, is looking to have a few to breed and race here in the UK,” Carlson explained. “He's from Dubai and a lot of his friends race here.”

“She's got that broodmare potential and if we want to take her down to Australia we can, when she's finished racing,” he added. “She's a lovely filly and I think she'll suit both hemispheres in the long run. Galileo is doing so well up here, so it just fitted with what the boss wanted.”

Emirates Park Stud was established in the mid 1980s in the Hunter Valley and currently stands four stallions, including Irish-based shuttler Dream Ahead and Artie Schiller from the U.S. Emirates Park made waves at the Inglis Easter sale in April when buying the sale-topping Snitzel (Aus) half-brother to Australian Horse of the Year Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) for A$2.3-million.

Shalaa Team Strikes For Dancing Rain's Brother…

The combination of Invincible Spirit (Ire), Al Shaqab Racing and Charlie Gordon-Watson has already resulted in dual Group 1 winner and future Haras de Bouquetot stallion Shalaa (Ire), and Sheikh Joaan's team will be hoping that lightning can strike twice after sending in the agent to buy lot 272, the Invincible Spirit half-brother to Oaks winner Dancing Rain (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) for 500,000gns.

“He has a real stallion's pedigree,” noted Gordon-Watson. “There's an Oaks winner in the family and another filly who was runner-up in the [G1] Marcel Boussac. He's an immature horse who will turn inside-out.”

Consigned by Camas Park Stud for breeder Ben Sangster's Swettenham Stud, the April-foaled colt is also a half-brother to Listed St Hugh's S. winner Sumora (Ire) (Danehill), whose daughter Maybe (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) won the G1 Moyglare Stud S. for Aidan O'Brien and is a sister to Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac runner-up Promise To Be True (Ire).

Matthew Houldsworth, who had been underbidder on a Dubawi colt during the first session, struck for lot 198, a grey son of the High Chaparral (Ire) mare Millennium Star (Ire), a half-sister to the group winners Diamilina (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}) and Diamond Green (Fr) (Green Desert).

“He's been bought for Tony Wechsler and Ann Plummer, who have horses in training with Charlie Hills and Jonathan Portman,” confirmed the agent, who had to stretch to 500,000gns to buy the colt.

“He's a lovely individual. We couldn't fault him and we all fell in love with him. It's lovely to work for people who are so enthusiastic and so knowledgeable. Tony and Ann both know what they like and that makes our job a lot easier.”

The third and final session of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale begins at 11 a.m. on Thursday.