WHILE some observers would suggest that the overall quality of the 24 lots on offer did not match last year’s high standards, it must also be acknowledged that the organisers and vendors were not helped by the unfolding story, hour by hour in the lead up, of the effects of Covid-19 and its impact on racing. Uncertainty about the ability to stage racing fully may have forced some potential investors into adopting a wait and see strategy.
One trio who had that suggestion far from their thoughts was that of Ross Doyle and father and son training duo of Colin and Joe Tizzard. They left the Cheltenham winners’ enclosure with the evening’s three most prized lots, hoping that at least one of them would someday be back in that hallowed space during racing’s Olympics.
Two of that trio came from the same source, that of Donnchadh Doyle’s Monbeg Stables, and leading the way was Killer Kane, a son of Oscar with whose progeny the Tizzards have enjoyed much success. This five-year-old, a €70,000 Derby Sale purchase two years ago, repaid the time and patience invested in him when firstly he won on his debut last weekend at Ballycahane, scoring by three lengths. This time his value soared to £300,000 and the half-brother to Go Native, a winner of the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle some years ago, in addition to the Fighting Fifth Hurdle and Christmas Hurdle for Noel Meade was heading to the south of England. Meade was among those who made a plat for Killer Kane.
Highlight
Also going to the Tizzards from the same Monbeg draft was an early highlight on the night, Shirocco’s Dream. Once again stressing the value of mares with performance, she sold for £260,000 and it was no surprise to see Peter Molony attempt to secure her. However, he could not match the firepower of the Tizzard/Doyle axis and Colin Tizzard had a unique insight into her potential. A winner at Borris House recently, Shirocco’s Dream had previously chased home Rose Of Arcadia at Tattersalls Farm in early December.
That mare sold to Tizzard shortly afterwards for £170,000 and made a successful debut on the track six days ago. Shirocco’s Dream has a pedigree too, being a daughter of six-time winner Dream Function, herself a full-sister to Cheltenham Festival Grade 1 winner Captain Chris.
Colin Bowe’s Milestone Stables has a well-deserved reputation as a source of high-class performers, and Cheltenham 2020 was a perfect example of why. Grade 1 victories for Envoi Allen, Samcro and Ferny Hollow all started their racing careers with the handler and two of his four lots sold on Thursday night were among the big hitters. Another to enjoy success at Borris House on the first day of March, Amarillo Sky is a four-year-old son of Westerner and from a family that years ago was hugely successful for the Bunny Cox family. The first foal of the Flemensfirth mare Bag Of Tricks, he comes from the family of Splendour, Atone, Music Be Magic and Atone.
Minutes earlier Bowe sold the French-bred Gerri Colombe to Mags O’Toole for £240,000. The four-year-old son of Saddler Maker is from a family that has enjoyed much success in France and England, Madison Du Berlais and Southfield Theatre being a pair of the best known runners in Britain. Winner on his debut last Sunday at Lingstown, Gerri Colombe was always going to make a price when it became obvious that both Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott liked him. The latter won the day and Bowe’s €85,000 investment last June at the Derby Sale more than trebled in value.
Impressive
An even more impressive pinhook was that of James Doyle with Hollow Games, a four-year-old son of Beat Hollow. Bought by Doyle’s Baltimore House Stables at the Goffs Land Rover for just €28,000 last June, he ran out the winner of his debut last Sunday at Turtulla by a distance. Ross Doyle and Noel Meade were among the vanquished as Aidan ‘Mouse’ O’Ryan and Gordon Elliott struck for the gelding at £255,000. Doyle revealed that he owned Hollow Games with Andrew Latta. Hollow Games’s grandam bred Tumbling Dice, a Grade 2-winning chaser, while the third dam was responsible for the brilliant Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Remittance Man.
Docpickedme beat Patroclus by a length at Ballycahane last weekend, both four-year-olds making their debut. While the winner sold for £75,000 to JD Moore acting for trainer Harry Whittington who was in the winners’ enclosure earlier in the day, the scopey runner-up made twice that amount when selling to Highflyer Bloodstock’s Anthony Bromley, with Nicky Henderson’s yard being the ultimate destination for the son of Shirocco. Bought for just €28,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland May Sale last year, Michael Goff sold him on for a sweet profit. Out of a bumper-winning mare by King’s Theatre, the gelding is from the family of flat standouts such as leading sire Lope De Vega.
With the clearance rate last year of 91% (21 out of 23 lots offered sold) falling to 63% (15 of 24 sold), the other figures were bound to take a hit. Turnover fell 36%, the average was down 10% and the median dropped to £115,000, a decrease of 23%.