By Emma Berry
It's no new phenomenon, but the polarization of the market towards the offspring of first-season sires was more apparent than ever Tuesday when six of the top 10 lots sold were by freshmen, headed by a 110,000gns son of Cheveley Park Stud's Lethal Force (Ire).
Mick Flanagan placed the final bid for the son of Ha'penny Beacon (GB) (Erhaab) (lot 507) from the family of Lady Bamford's Oaks winner Sariska (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), having seen off an attempt by underbidder Amanda Skiffington. He said of the Battlefield Stud-consigned colt, who will be re-offered as a yearling, “A few of us from Britain and Ireland have pooled resources on him. We knew he'd go well. He jumped out at us when did our lists last night.”
“He is by a good racehorse–a grandson of Acclamation–and he has a strong page too, with some good European black-type.”
Lethal Force ended the second session as leading sire by average of those with more than one foal sold, his seven weanlings having returned an average price of 33,286gns from his first-season covering fee of £12,500.
A total of 179 foals sold Wednesday for an aggregate of 2,592,600gns. The average was 14,484gns and the median 9,500gns.
Darley's dual Group 1 winner Farhh (GB) was the next of the new boys to strike via lot 582, his son out of the Cadeaux Genereux (GB) mare Stoneacre Sarah (GB), who was selected by Ciaran 'Flash' Conroy at 85,000gns.
After signing for the Silfield Bloodstock offering–a grandson of the good sprinting mare Tropical (GB) (Green Desert)–Conroy commented, “He's a really nice horse and the stallion was a very good racehorse. I'm very happy to have him and he should be a nice Book 2 horse for next year.”
Another young Darley sire made the top three when a son of Epaulette (Aus) (lot 489) was sold from Gilly McCalmont's Yeomanstown Lodge Stud to Mark Dwyer's Oaks Farm Stables at 70,000gns.
“He looks a strong and straightforward type. You always hope that you'll be able to buy these sort of foals a bit cheaper but you have to pay for a good foal,” said Dwyer, who confirmed that the colt is another coming back to the sales next year.
Epaulette joined his half-brother Helmet (Aus) on the Darley roster and Helmet, whose first runners will take to the track in 2016, was also responsible for one of the higher-priced lots on Wednesday with his colt out of Musical Key (GB) (lot 603), a half-brother to the listed-placed Harmonic Note (GB) (Nayef), fetching a bid of 67,000gns from the O'Callaghan brothers of Yeomanstown Stud.
Breaking the strangehold of unproven sires was Bumble Mitchell's colt by Sir Percy (GB) (lot 585), whose winning half-brother Durand (GB) (Motivator {GB}) was sold for 260,000gns as a 3-year-old to continue his racing career in Qatar. The weanling prompted pinhooker Brendan Holland of Grove Stud to go to 70,000gns.
Swiss Spirit (GB) topped Monday's short session and had another two sought-after foals on the second day. Peter and Michelle Morgan of Carmel Stud plumped for Whitsbury Manor Stud's colt out of Skiing (GB) (Sakhee's Secret {GB}) (lot 388), an unraced half-sister to multiple group-winning sprinter The Trader (Ire) (Selkirk), at 68,000gns.
“We think that he's an outstanding individual and he will be coming back to Book 2. He should be a real trainer's horse and is by what will be a speed sire,” offered Peter Morgan.
The buyer for lot 534, the Swiss Spirit colt out of the Oasis Dream (GB) mare Littlemisssunshine (Ire) who made 42,000gns, was a little closer to home as he was the selection of brothers Tom and Ben Harris, who operate as One Agency and whose parents Trevor and Libby Harris of Lordship Stud bred Swiss Spirit. Littlemisssunshine, who is owned by former Newmarket trainer Toby Coles, has made a good start to her stud career, with both her runners being winners and current juvenile Soapy Aitken (GB) (Pastoral Pursuits {GB}) having earned black-type when third in the Listed Racing UK Dragon S.
Swiss Spirit's 18 foals to have sold so far this week have returned an average of 17,089gns from his debut stud fee of £4,500. Other freshman sires with foals selling far in excess of the day's average included Havana Gold (Ire), Maxios (GB) and Cityscape (GB).
David Redvers stands Havana Gold for Qatar Bloodstock at his Tweenhills Stud and gave a vote of confidence to lot 457, a filly from the Pocock family's Stringston Farm and out of an Excellent Art (GB) half-sister to G2 Goldene Peitsche winner Electric Beat (GB) (Shinko Forest {Ire}), who was knocked down at 32,000gns.
Monsun's son Maxios stood his first season at Gestut Fahrhof at a fee of €10,000 and has had a handful of his first crop selling in Ireland and Britain over the last fortnight. Mick Flanagan stepped in to buy lot 485, a Maxios great-grandson of Richard Henry's late, great broodmare Jude (GB) (Darshaan {GB}), who was offered by Ballinaroone Stud and sold for 31,000gns.
The first weanlings of Bated Breath (GB) were well received last year and it's now the turn of his Group 1-winning half-brother Cityscape (GB) to be judged by the foal buyers. Top of the tree to date is a filly out of Firebelly (GB) (Nicolotte {GB}), the dam of Group 3-placed Firebeam (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}), who sold for 30,000gns early in the session to Liam Norris. The scopey January foal was bred in partnership by Simon Sweeting of Overbury Stud, where Cityscape stands, and Charlie Wyatt of Dukes Stud, and will be re-offered as a yearling by Norris and his wife Jenny.
The third session of foals begins Thursday at 9:30 a.m. local time.
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