LAST year’s Book 1 Sale will live in the memory of many for the fierce demand witnessed and jaw-dropping prices achieved, but it was a major ask to match the record-breaking figures it produced, particularly with this week’s increased catalogue.
After withdrawals, 81 more yearlings graced the ring this time, but the list of unsold horses also grew by 31. The opening session appeared particularly tough work for vendors, but prospects improved each day and the clearance rate ended at 83% – respectable, but down on last year’s impressive 88%.
The turnover (127,226,000gns), average (322,091gns) and median (210,000gns) fell by 1%, 13% and 16% respectively, yet it is important to note that each remained the second highest figure achieved in the sale’s history.
That fact may offer little comfort to the pinhookers who dug deep at the 2024 yearling sales, spurred on by memories of Park Paddocks a few months earlier, and even the shrewdest judges were seen to make losses on a number of their investments this week.
There were notable profits achieved, of course, and two in particular stand out. A Night Of Thunder colt became the second of Ballyhimikin Stud’s offerings to fetch 1,000,000gns when knocked down to Karl and Kelly Burke, but more impressively, he had been sourced by James Hanly’s farm with McKeever Bloodstock for 175,000gns the previous year.
Lifting Me Higher was an appropriate name for the dam of Fearghal Hogan’s St Mark’s Basilica colt, who he bought for €120,000 at Goffs and resold through Galbertstown Stables for 800,000gns to Amo Racing. Word is that Hogan is still enjoying his time on cloud nine.
Ups and downs
Paddy Burns’ Loughtown Stud was among the breeders who struck gold, with their draft of five yearlings producing prices of 750,000gns, 550,000gns and 260,000gns. It was the result of hard work and increased investments in quality mares, as well as expensive stallion nominations, their top three yearlings being by Lope De Vega and Wootton Bassett.
After the dust had settled, Burns commented: “Our first four sold really well, but we’ve never had a bunch like them. We’ve been investing in the mares and better nominations for the last couple of years.
“We’ve been working away for years to try and build up enough money, trying to invest in these mares and do things the way we really wanted to do them. This is what’s coming on stream, and hopefully we’ll be able to keep it up for the next few years.”
Loughtown’s money has been rewarding them on the track as well as in the ring, with sisters to two of their Book 1 highlights placing in listed races on Friday afternoon. Potential updates could make their prices look good value in the future, as is the case with Loughtown’s final sale of Book 1.
“Our fifth one was the last lot of the whole sale,” Burns explained. “She was a Sea The Stars full-sister to a blacktype filly that we bred called Seaward. Patrick Cooper, who’s obviously a very good judge, bought her for 62,000gns.”
There appeared to be a widespread opinion amongst consignors that there was value to be found by those shopping at the middle and lower tiers. At 40 lots, The Castlebridge Consignment hosted the largest draft this week, meaning that Bill Dwan gained a well-rounded picture of the market. “I thought it was good trade,” he reported.
“It certainly wasn’t as strong as last year, and there were holes in it. When you missed, you missed dramatically, and when you struck, you struck dramatically. So, it’s probably back to the Book 1 of two years ago, that would be my reading.”
On what vibes are like for next week’s Book 2 Sale, Dwan replied: “I’d say hopeful. Book 1 is probably a victim of its own success, sometimes, in that it probably frightens the so-called ordinary man or the ordinary trainer away, even with the Book 1 initiative, which is a good thing. I would be hopeful that if Book 2 continues the way that Goffs and Tattersalls Ireland were, I think we’ll be all right. We’re always hopeful.”
Mimi Wadham, who operates WH Bloodstock with Violet Hesketh, is another that remains optimistic for Book 2, despite the challenges of Book 1. “Overall, in hindsight, we’re happy with our sale at Book 1,” she said. “To get the good price, you really have to tick all the boxes, whether it’s sire power, pedigree or physical, and if you had those three things, you got well paid.
“We had a great result with a Havana Grey filly on the third day [sold for 450,000gns], and with Wootton Bassett and Lope De Vega fillies on the second day [sold for 550,000gns and 400,000gns respectively]. But if you lacked any of the above three things, it was trickier. As always in Book 1, the top end was very strong, but the middle market was patchy and it kind of felt like not everyone had that many horses to buy.
“It was demonstrated by the number of vendored lots; the sale did pick up on days two and three, we felt, but I think there was just very cautious start on the first day, which took everyone by surprise. It was challenging at times, but onto Book 2. We’ve got a very nice draft, so hopefully that goes well.”
GODOLPHIN were always favourite to end the sale as leading buyer, given their history, and the price shortened dramatically on the very first day, when Sheikh Mohammed’s operation parted with 9,300,000gns for 10 lots.
Their most expensive purchase set the bar at 3,700,000gns and would eventually be declared top lot of the sale. After securing the Sea The Stars colt from Longview Stud, Godolphin’s talent scout, Anthony Stroud, commented: “He is from a very good stud farm. He is by Sea The Stars and from a great Rothschild family that goes well with sire. This colt is majestic - the way he moves and walks - he is a lovely horse.
“He stood out for us and is the one we really wanted. You have to pay for the ones you really want, and he was that horse. You always have to pay more than you want!”
Stroud is particularly familiar with the colt’s pedigree, having bought his dam “on behalf of a long-established client” for 775,000gns as part of the Southcourt Stud dispersal in 2022. A listed winner by Dubawi, Crystal Zvezda was subsequently sent to the sire of her Group 1-winning half-brother, Crystal Ocean. Listed third Crystal Caprice (Frankel) is the best of her three winners, from three runners, to date.
Five lots later, Godolphin gave 1,000,000gns for Airlie Stud’s Too Darn Hot half-brother to four group/graded performers. His most accomplished sibling is top two-year-old Skitter Scatter, whose Sea The Stars filly brought 625,000gns from Ed Sackville on Thursday.
On Tuesday’s result, Airlie’s Anthony Rogers reflected: “It is a great price; he is a lovely horse. You can never believe that you are going to get a million for a horse. Dane Street has been an amazing mare for us, and we failed to sell her here about 15 years go! She is still breeding, but she has had a rest this year.”
The first of Godolphin’s millionaires was a colt by Blue Point from James Hanly’s Ballyhimikin Stud. A half-brother to three stakes horses, including Group 2 scorer San Donato, the 1,000,000gns yearling became the highest priced produce of Boston Rocker, a multiple stakes-placed sprinter for Lady O’Reilly, Aileen Lynam and Edward Lynam.
On the April-born bay, James Hanly said: “He is a super horse, he never turned a hair all week. He travelled very well, he settled in well here, he showed so many times. A week ago, he was out in a field, without a rug, rolling in mud and covered in mud! We like to keep them out as much as possible.”
Back for more
Godolphin showed no signs of slowing down on the second day of trade, when their haul was led by a Frankel brother to their multiple group winner and Group 1 performer Ottoman Fleet. The colt was one of three on the day to fetch 2,200,000gns.
It marked a career-best result in the ring for the Cumani’s Fittocks Stud, who consigned and bred the colt in partnership with the Marinopoulos family and Newsells Park Stud.
An emotional Luca Cumani later commented: “We sold one for 2,000,000gns last year, which was exciting, and this is even better.
“He is such a lovely horse, he is great-looking Frankel horse out of a proven mare and we are delighted he is going to such a good home. The stud team at home has done an amazing job.”
Fittocks Stud enjoyed a terrific sale, with three of their six offerings selling for seven-figure sums. The second highest price was also provided by Godolphin, who went to 1,900,000gns for a Wootton Bassett colt bred by Fittocks Stud with Andrew Stone
Juddmonte’s Simon Mockridge was the underbidder, which was somewhat ironic, given that Juddmonte sold the colt’s dam to Blandford Bloodstock in 2019 for 260,000gns. The daughter of Falmouth Stakes heroine Timepiece has since produced a listed winner.
He was one of five yearlings by the late Wootton Bassett bought this week by Godolphin, with Anthony Stroud, reflecting: “He is a huge loss, an unbelievable stallion.
“He was such a good outcross and it is a huge shame for the European bloodstock industry. It is hard to get stallions of that level, and he has come up from standing for relatively little to where he was at the end.”
On their most expensive purchase of the day, Stroud said: “He was liked by our team and Sheikh Mohammed really liked him, and we think he was exceptional. Having Sheikh Mohammed here is so important. Every year he keeps coming here, and it is so vital. He really enjoys it, and we depend on him for his eye.”
AMO Racing’s spending spree began this time last year and has shown no signs of ending, though their recent presence Deauville, Doncaster and Goffs raised the question as to whether they would prove as strong at Tattersalls as they were 12 months ago.
Their outlay did fall this week, but they sat a clear second in the buyers’ table, their focus on quality evident in an average spend of 1,131,250gns on 12 yearlings. Kia Joorabchian underbid the 3,700,000gns top lot, but that final bid was enough to acquire a full-brother to last year’s 4,400,000gns top lot, which was also bought by Amo.
After outbidding Coolmore’s M.V. Magnier from the outside ring, a delighted Joorabchian commented: “The boys loved him, we could not let him go. We want to keep the family tight and see how the family works out – obviously if he becomes a good horse, he is going to be a stallion.”
Joorabchian added that the Frankel colt would “probably” go into training with Kevin Philippart De Foy, who is also in charge of the full-sister, who remains unraced but has been named Partying.
“Obviously, we like the filly, though she has not run yet,” he continued. “This is a different project – if she does not run, she still has a huge residual value as a broodmare, and we have five stallions; if he does not, then it is a different kettle of fish. We paid more than expecting, then we are up against Coolmore and it is five [partners] against one. It is an early strike!”
The son of Frankel was sold by Newsells Park Stud, who ended the week as leading consignor. Their two highest-priced yearlings were knocked down to Amo Racing, the second being a Wootton Bassett colt out of Nell Gwynn Stakes winner and 1000 Guineas third Qabala, bought for 2,200,000gns.
Sold as part of a dispersal by Al Shahania, he is a half-brother to Raammee, who is now two from two after bolting up by 12 lengths at Newcastle last month, earning the three-year-old a rating of 95. The sibling was part of the appeal for Amo, according to Alex Elliott, who added: “Wootton Bassett is an upgrade on most stallions; this goes back to a Juddmonte family, and this colt has the potential to be a very special horse.”
Special siblings
Amo’s appreciation for the late sire isn’t in doubt, as they gave the same price of 2,200,000gns for another Wootton Bassett colt earlier that same day. Marlhill House Stud’s offering is a half-brother to their Beresford Stakes winner Crypto Force, as mentioned by Joorabchian.
“We have the half-brother, he has been a good horse, and won a Group 2 for us,” he said. “We know the mare can produce a good horse, and so to have a Wootton Bassett out of her is a positive, a big upgrade for her, too.”
Marlhill House Stud manager Brian McConnon describing the price as “beyond our wildest dreams,” adding, “Coming to the ring we were hopeful, all the right people were on her, but until the hammer falls you never know. But to get a seven-figure sale is always very special.”
M.V. Magnier underbid the colt and once again admitted defeat when Joorabchian stretched to 1,700,000gns for a Night Of Thunder colt offered by Lynn Lodge Stud. Ben McElroy commented: “He is a fantastic-looking horse, great strength and movement. The full-sister can run; she is in the Fillies’ Mile. He is outstanding.”
The full-sister, Evolutionist, won a Newmarket maiden and subsequently finished third in the Group 2 Debutante Stakes. The pair were bred by Gigginstown House Stud out of the Group 3-placed Showcasing mare Model Guest, bought by Mags O’Toole for 330,000gns.
On his expectations, Eddie O’Leary commented: “You are never confident, you hope everyone shows up, and I hope this horse is as good as I think he is. The team has done a great job.
“You could have brought him here in February, and he’d have looked like that. He is a stunning horse. We didn’t prep him; we just brought him on here. It is a great day.”
COOLMORE’s M.V. Magnier was among the buyers to increase their spend dramatically, including buys made with Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm and agent Alex Elliott. While Magnier and Brant were beaten on some of the top lots, the combination successfully secured two well-related colts for seven figures.
A No Nay Never colt out of Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Millisle led their acquisitions, rewarding breeder Stonethorn Stud Farm with a price of 1,700,000gns. It marginally bettered that paid for the mare’s first foal, a Frankel filly, two years ago.
Both were consigned by Watership Down Stud, whose general manager Simon Marsh, noted: “To get all the stars to align is very difficult, but he is a lovely horse, and he was on a lot of lists. It is a wonderful price, but now we need him to be a good racehorse.”
No Nay Never was an obvious draw for Magnier, especially considering potential future stallion careers and, after signing for his most expensive buy of the sale, he said: “No Nay Never is having another great year with the likes of Charles Darwin, who’s very good, and True Love. The mare was very good.
“Blackbeard is having a good sale, and there’s plenty of good word for the Little Big Bear foals. The best ones by Blackbeard that we have will be going to Ballydoyle.”
The next Delacroix?
Coolmore Stud will welcome Delacroix at the end of the year – a particularly exciting stallion prospect considering the success of Dubawi’s sons at stud
That was to the fore of Magnier’s mind when he and Brant secured Fittocks Stud’s Dubawi colt out of Nassau Stakes winner Lady Bowthorpe for 1,300,000gns.
“He is a lovely horse,” Magnier commented. “Lady Bowthorpe was a very good race mare, it is a great result for Emma Banks who is a very nice lady, so well done to her.
“Dubawi is still going very well, and we have retired Delacroix this year – he is a complete outcross for us, and he is probably one of the most important horses we have retired for a good while. If this lad is any good, he will be the same.”
Banks reflected: “I am so lucky to have a mare who has produced two beautiful yearlings. Her foal by Too Darn Hot is lovely, he took weaning very well, and she is in-foal to Wootton Bassett.
“If the vets are right, we have a Wootton Bassett filly in the oven, and I am thrilled with that.
“She will be one to probably keep – I am very emotionally invested in Lady Bowthorpe and that first filly stays with me. But we have got to get her out first, and that is a long way down the line!”
FEW stallions have risen through the ranks as strongly and steeply as Night Of Thunder. The son of Dubawi dipped to a fee of £15,000 during his risky early years, but outstanding results brought his fee to €150,000 at Kildangan Stud this year.
His progeny’s sales prices have risen in a similar way and on Thursday, three of the five millionaires were by the 2000 Guineas and Lockinge winner. Henry Lascelles was one of the lucky buyers of the super sire’s stock, stretching to 1,100,000gns for the half-sister to Prix de l’Abbaye heroine Makarova.
The price continued the fantastic success Brightwalton Stud have enjoyed with their 68,000gns buy Vesnina, having raced her two group performers. Brightwalton’s Jeffrey Hobby reflected: “It is the first millionaire for us and a filly, too, which is cool. We have been very lucky, we have been helped by some great people to get here. Matt Coleman bought the mare for us, the Barton team and the Brightwalton team – they all work hard to get the job done.”
Night Of Thunder’s many fans most definitely includes James Hanly, whose Ballyhimikin Stud combined with McKeever Bloodstock to buy one of his foals last year for 175,000gns. They were rewarded in spades on Thursday evening, when the colt in question was knocked down to Karl and Kelly Burke for a cool 1,000,000gns.
One imagines it was a nerve-wracking few minutes for Hanly, as it was for Karl Burke when a text came through. “I had gone over budget,” the trainer explained. “But luckily I checked my phone and a message to press on had come in from the client.
“He is a gorgeous colt, the Night Of Thunders are going well for me, with Zeus Olympios very exciting and really a horse for next year - the horses by Night Of Thunder do need a bit of time.”
Juddmonte jewels
Juddmonte was the buyer responsible for the Night Of Thunder colt that led trade for much of the day, rewarding breeder St Albans Bloodstock with a price of 1,050,000gns. Consigned by Newsells Park Stud, the half-brother to Grade 1 filly Mrs Sippy became Juddmonte’s second purchase by Night Of Thunder this week.
On the stallion’s appeal, Juddmonte’s Simon Mockridge commented: “It is a bit of a coincidence they are both by him, but at the end of the day he has had a fantastic season with 13 Group winners. The quality of mares he has been covering over these last few years has got better and better; he is a sire on the rise and a sire we need to pay attention to.”
The February-born bay was bred by St Albans Bloodstock out of a listed winner from the family of Grand Lodge and top Australian filly English, as alluded to by Mockridge. “This colt has a proper pedigree; and there are some very good horses on this page. He is also an incredibly good-looking horse, and was very well presented by Newsells.
“The horse bought earlier this week [Lot 134] we think will be a miler to a 10-furlong horse, he has a very fast hind leg on him, and I would say this horse is the same.”
On Juddmonte’s approach to the sales, Mockridge added: “We buy a handful of horses at public auction; we are very specialised in what we look for– these two horses have got to come back and fit into the top 10% of yearlings at home.”
At 1,500,000gns, Juddmonte’s priciest acquisition was a Frankel filly from Watership Down Stud. She is the first foal bred by the Harris family out of their 2,000,000gns purchase Ville De Grace, and her investment remains money well spent, according to Tom Harris, who said: “She was an expensive mare, but she has been a very easy mare to mate.
“She is an unbelievable mover and this is a beautiful first foal. She has been from day one - we have thought she was a star right from the start, and she continued to develop in that way all the way through.
“When we came up here, we were looking at the fillies and each evening we’d say to each other, ‘Have we seen anything better?’ and the answer was always ‘No!’ We are delighted she has gone to Juddmonte and it is a great start for the mare. She is back in foal to Frankel.”