Alessandro Marconi

Alessandro Marconi is perhaps best known for sourcing French 2,000 Guineas winner Metropolitan for just €78,000, but did you know that the Italian-born bloodstock agent can drink olive oil as if it were water? We bet you didn't. Marconi is next in the hot seat, where he reveals all of that and more. Enjoy. You are best known as the man who bought Metropolitan for €78,000 but what's the biggest mistake you've made in this business? Selling Facteur Cheval after he won his maiden. I think another mistake has been...

Alessandro Marconi was left thanking his lucky stars he missed a flight to America on Monday as a last minute decision to re-route himself to Goffs for the Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale resulted in the bloodstock agent signing for the top lot - the 104-rated Aga Khan-owned Tangapour (Wootton Bassett) - for €185,000 on behalf of an unnamed client.  "I have never been so happy to miss a flight before," he said. "I was meant to be on a flight to America for the sales in Keeneland this morning but I...

NEWMARKET, UK -- Alessandro Marconi continued his compilation of a team of horses to compete in Europe and the UAE, adding 12 lots from the final session of the Tattersalls February Sale to bring his overall haul across the two days to 29. Three-year-old Baridi (GB) (Sergei Prokofiev) (lot 278), a winner last December for Stuart Williams, was sold through part-owner Robbie Mills's RMM Bloodstock for 100,000gns to top the list of Marconi's purchases for the day. Rated 74p by Timeform, the colt was bred by Moyns Park Stud. "I...

NEWMARKET, UK -- It's not everyday you see an order of nuns at Park Paddocks but the sisters from the Community of Our Lady of Walsingham were a very welcome presence and appeared to be enjoying their outing to Tattersalls.  Spotting showing legend Katie Jerram-Hunnable riding around the walking ring on the late Queen Elizabeth's 23-year-old Barbers Shop (GB) was another Tattersalls first and, for the royalists among us, the initials 'ER' on the great chaser's paddock sheet were a poignant throwback.  Whether it was the nuns' influence or not...

This year's Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Metropolitan (Fr) will begin his stallion career at Haras d'Etreham next season, the stud announced on Wednesday. He will stand for a fee of €15,000, with a small number of shares available in the son of Zarak (Fr). Bred by Stuart McPhee, Metropolitan was bought by Alessandro Marconi for €78,000 at the Arqana October Yearling Sale. He was trained for owners Peter Bradley and Scuderia Scolari by Mario Baratti, who saddled him to win three of his seven career starts. The Classic winner...