PALACE Pier in England and France, Schnell Meister in Japan and Domestic Spending in the USA have all won at the highest level for Banstead Manor Stud’s Kingman in 2021. The son of Invincible Spirit has proven to be no less popular in the sale ring, with his yearlings this year averaging some €300,000 and with a median of about €250,000.

He was again proving popular with buyers in Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, his 11 lots selling for an average of 201,273gns, and among this group was the best price of the week. Juddmonte Farms, who stand Kingman, paid 525,000gns to buy his son of the Galileo mare Reem, and the colt was sold by Adrian O’Brien’s Hazelwood Bloodstock.

Juddmonte’s Simon Mockridge had to battle with John Gosden for the full-brother to King Leonidas, and this was history repeating itself as that dual winner topped the same sale in 2018 at 750,000gns. O’Brien said: “I am very flattered that Juddmonte has bought a horse of this quality from our farm, and delighted for the breeder and for everyone.” He revealed that Reem is in foal to Too Darn Hot.

Mockridge was full of praise for the marketing stance taken by the consignor. He said: “It was very clever; he could have been a Book 1 horse, but he brought him to Book 2. He is a standout here. We liked his brother very much when he was sold here and made 750,000gns. He was favourite for the Jersey Stakes, got beaten there, and has run back recently after quite a lengthy break.

“I know John Gosden likes him very much and, of course, John was underbidder, which I suppose bears that out.”

The best price for a daughter of Kingman in Book 2 was achieved with the sale of Appletree Stud’s daughter of the Henrythenavigator mare Midnight Thoughts. From a famous Moyglare Stud family, she sold to Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock for 300,000gns and will be trained by John Gosden, plainly a big fan of the sire.

Appletree’s Robert ‘Choc’ Thornton was delighted. He said: “It is a fantastic result; in the region of double what we’d thought! She has been exemplary. She has never put a foot wrong.” The dam was purchased privately in the US and is responsible for three winners, including the stakes-placed Tomorrow’s Dream.

Brown added: “John [Gosden] thought she was the outstanding Kingman filly in the sale, and so did I – and he probably knows more about Kingman than I! She was gorgeous, so we had to go strong. The market feels very strong.”

Ballyhimikin

That 300,000gns price tag was also achieved by Ballyhimikin Stud’s Kingman colt, the first foal of the Group 3 winner Hunaina, a daughter of Tamayuz. Michael Kinane, acting for The Hong Kong Jockey Club, bought the colt who comes from the family of the 2021 dual classic winner Hurricane Run. “He’s by a great stallion, and he’s a lovely, correct model for what I want,” said Kinane.

The colt was bred in partnership by Ballyhimikin’s James Hanly, bloodstock agent Anthony Stroud and owner/breeder Trevor Stewart. The latter commented: “We bought the mare as a three-year-old in training and sent her to Henri Devin, and she won a listed race and a Group 3. It is a nice start for the mare, and she had a colt by Sea The Stars this spring.”