IT was a day to remember for Harry McCalmont and Matt Gilsenan of Norelands Stud; Wednesday October 9th. Less than an hour into the day’s trade, their first lot in a three-horse consignment strode into the ring, a son of Siyouni out of a group-winning daughter of Galileo. Significantly, he is a half-brother to this year’s Group 1 2000 Guineas winner Magna Grecia, and unsurprisingly he fell to M.V. Magnier’s winning bid of 1,300,000gns.

McCalmont was hoping for seven figures, but the final price delighted him. “I am quite emotional,” he said in the immediate aftermath. “He was bred by Robert Scarborough, who also bred Magna Grecia whom we sold here as a foal for 340,000gns. This horse, just like his brother, has a good temperament which is so hugely important. He behaved all the way through. He is also an exceptional athlete, a very good walker.”

The colt’s sale represents the highest price paid to date for a son of Siyouni, sire of Laurens, Sottsass and Ervedya, who stands at H.H. Aga Khan’s Haras de Bonneval.

Yet better was to come. A Frankel half-brother to the champion racehorse and successful young stallion Golden Horn was always going to appeal, but McCalmont was almost left speechless when the hammer came down at 3,100,000gns in favour of Godolphin. He gathered himself together enough to say, “I am not often lost for words, but I think I am now. This is easily the best price we had had in the sales ring; the second-best we achieved this morning!

“I have to thank my team, they have done a fabulous job. This colt walked around like a king today.” McCalmont bought the dam, the same year that she foaled Golden Horn, for 62,000gns, and explained: “I like buying mares from such successful breeders as Anthony Oppenheimer. You know the mares in the pedigree will always get the best covers and go to the best trainers.”

McCalmont revealed that he will retain the Frankel filly foal out of Fleche D’Or and the mare is due next spring to Sea The Stars.