AMO, Coolmore and Godolphin’s determination to secure Islanmore Stud’s quality Starspangledbanner filly drove her price to 900,000gns, setting a new top price at Tattersalls Book 2, on the second of three day’s trade.
Kia Joorabchian traded bids with Ed Sackville, who was taking instructions from MV Magnier, while Grant Pritchard Gordon provided a last-minute twist late into the bidding battle, but it was Anthony Stroud eventually had the final say from his preferred position behind the partition.
Stroud and Godolphin were expected to make a play, having paid half of Tuesday’s final figure for the filly’s full-brother 12 months ago. Since named Avicenna and sent to Roger Varian, he provided an important update when making it two from two in the Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes at Doncaster last month. Rated 103 for that effort, he became the first blacktype performer in the first two dams.
“She was an exceptionally goodlooking filly,” Stroud said of the May-born chesnut. “She’s also an incredibly good mover and was very well prepared by Islanmore.
“The pedigree is hot. We bought the full-brother and he’s done everything absolutely correctly. In many ways I’d say she’s more attractive than the brother but it’s difficult to compare the sexes. I think she’s a pretty outstanding looking filly.”
The price exceeded expectations for Sue Ann Foley’s Islanmore Stud, according to stud manager Nigel Anderton. “We’re over the moon,” he said. “It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team at home.
“This is 20 years in the making; we bought the grandam, Potion, here in 2005 as a yearling. She’s bred some wonderful stock down through the years.
“The full-brother was a gorgeous horse – I think he had 17 vets. We expected somewhere around the same for this lady. We didn’t have the same number of vets for her, but when two lads like what they see up here, anything could happen. We would like to thank Mr Stroud and the Godolphin team. Obviously, they think highly of Avicenna and hopefully this filly will be equally as good next year.”
Stars align
Tuesday’s highlight is bred on the same Starspangledbanner/Galileo cross as Precise, who gained her second consecutive Group 1 win in the Fillies’ Mile last week. The top-class two-year-old leads a terrific season for the Castlehyde Stud sire, much to the delight of breeders who used him at a career-high fee of €50,000 in 2023 and were selling the resulting yearlings this week.
Among those was Castlehyde Stud manager and Castletown Stud owner Joe Hernon, who sold a Starspangledbanner filly to Amo Racing for 340,000gns on Tuesday. “It’s a privilege to be standing Starspangledbanner at Castlehyde,” Hernon commented. “He’s had an amazing year. He’s a source of speed, as was his dad; remember, it all comes from Choisir – the sprinting mould and the sprinting frame.
“And I’m just lucky to have a good mare. I’ve never had this before [referring to being surrounded by the press]. My son, Desmond, bought the mare for €10,000 in Arqana. I thought she’d be way out of our league but then she was announced with a vice and we bought her and she’s been nothing but good to us.”
Nine months after being bought for €10,000, the Gold Away mare’s half-brother won a Group 3. Another sibling added their own Group 3 win two years later, but more importantly the Hernon family’s mare herself produced a dual group winner in Lumiere Rock, who also placed in the Prix de l’Opera.
KEVIN Ryan made a strong start to the day, securing a Night Of Thunder colt from Genesis Green Stud for 550,000gns. Twenty-four hours earlier, the same consignor sold another colt by the sire for 350,000gns.
“I have seen him four times over the last few days and he has a great attitude, even coming up here,” Ryan said of the half-brother to Group 2 performer Dhabab. “He is by a great sire and is just a great physical, even as a May foal. I am delighted to get him, he is for a client in the yard.”
A May-born foal, like the 900,000gns filly, the bay was bred by Turso Ltd out of a mare purchased by Paul Nataf for €11,000.
Ryan was to the fore once again when Tally-Ho Stud presented a Starman half-brother to listed winner and Greenham Stakes runner-up Mehmento. At 350,000gns, the half-brother to four winners became the highest-priced produced of Tally-Ho’s 50,000gns buy Invincible Me.
The Mahon family’s 95,000gns broodmare Lady Macbeth has been even more rewarding for their Mountain View Stud, with the Dubawi mare’s second produce, a Kingman filly, fetching 750,000gns last October. Since named Forbidden Colours, the debut fourth has presumably impressed her trainer Ed Walker as he underbid her St Mark’s Basilica half-brother on Tuesday.
The bay is now bound for California after JPM Bloodstock secured him on behalf of Sean Rodger’s Muir Hut Stables for 350,000gns.
He was one of nine yearlings to sell for 300,000gns or more on Tuesday, compared to 17 at the second session last year. The key statistics also failed to keep pace with last year’s record-breaking renewal, with the average price falling by 12% to 101,038gns, while the median dropped seven points to 70,000gns. Both were also significantly down on Monday’s figures, but the clearance rate did improve to 89%, though still short of last year’s 91%.
IT takes a determined bidder to outlast Anthony Stroud in the sales ring, but it wasn’t enough to seal the deal for Henry Lascelles, who subsequently admitted defeat to Ross Doyle for a Siyouni filly from the La Motteraye Consignment at 525,000gns.
The French-bred bay will return to her country of origin, as Doyle revealed that Pia Brandt will train the filly on behalf of Peter and Ross Doyle’s longstanding client, Magne Jordanger of Stall Perlen.
“She is gorgeous physically and has a nice bit of size to her,” the agent added. “She is probably a backend two-year-old type; a classic filly for the future. It is a big shout, but I hope that is what she ends up becoming.”
La Motteraye’s Gwen Monneraye also holds Doyle’s buy in high regard, if his post-sale press debrief is anything to go by. “She is a Siyouni with scope and she can walk – there’s not that many of them,” he said. “She reminds me a lot of Laurens.”
On whether they expected such a price for the first of their three offerings at Book 2, Monneraye replied: “We knew she was nice, that we would have a good sale, but we were not expecting such a price, so we are really happy. The filly has been straightforward.
“On the dam’s side, there have been big updates this summer. Her two-year-old won a very good maiden in Deauville by three lengths, and of course, that helps. It just went perfectly according to plan – better than planned, actually!”
The Siyouni filly and her exciting sibling were bred by Thierry Gillier’s Haras Voltaire out of Broadhurst Agency’s $200,000 buy Lady Baker. The 81-rated winner is herself out of a dual Group 3 winner and shares her page with Preis der Diana heroine Palmas.
THE day finished with a feelgood result as a Perfect Power colt pinhooked by young Harry (16) and Oliver (14) Vigors sold to Shadwell for 260,000gns. The sons of Hillwood Stud’s Charlie Vigors and Tracy, who passed away last year, sourced the bay in tandem with Hannah Wall and David Redvers for 72,000gns.
After watching Angus Gold see off the attentions of Richard Fahey and Adrian Keatley, Harry Vigors commented: “It was magical. We were hopeful going into the ring but we weren’t expecting any at that sort of level.
“I just can’t thank the guys enough; Lewis who’s led him up the whole time he’s been up here and the teams at Tweenhills and Hillwood, who've done an amazing job with him.
Looking back to last November, the 16-year-old explained the colt’s appeal. “We went around on the Saturday and he was the one horse we liked,” he explained. We were delighted to get him then and even more delighted now.
“He was the perfect stamp of a horse; perfect walk, perfect physical. You couldn’t ask for more. All the right people were there and we’d just like to wish Shadwell the best of luck.”
On how he felt as Tuesday’s sale unfolded, Oliver said: “It was a whole bag of emotions - nerves, joy, excitement. To get a result like that was just amazing.”