Newsells Park Stud have long been associated with producing horses that excel on and off the track, so for longtime general manager Julian Dollar to describe the farm’s full-brother to Ylang Ylang as the best horse he’s brought to the ring, spoke volumes.
Judging by how the Frankel colt, bred by Newsells in partnership with Merry Fox Stud, was received at Tattersalls on Wednesday, plenty shared his opinion, with bidding soon passing the 2,000,000gns mark. After Kia Joorabchian saw off a rival bidding from outside, MV Magnier joined the fray at 2,200,000gns and continued to bid with confidence, eventually seeing off an online bidder a at 4,000,000gns.
After sharing how highly Wednesday’s session topper had featured in Julian Dollar’s estimations, Newsells owner Graham Smith-Bernal highlighted what it meant given the colt’s birthday of May 13th.
“You had Juddmonte, who have visited him a couple of times, saying he is the spitting image of Frankel,” he added.
Given the sires and pedigrees catalogued for Book 1, most horses’ appeal needs little explanation, , so it was refreshing to hear Smith-Bernal describe the colt’s personality with great pride.
“For me, it was his temperament that makes him so special,” he relayed. “From being weaned, he’s always been a horse who’s more interested in interacting with humans rather than other horses. He led the pack and if you clicked your fingers, he’d come walking over. You could see he wanted to know what you’re all about.
“I know Julian will give you a bit more about the technical [side]; he vetted very well, he moves very well and he looks like Frankel. Hopefully, if he’s 10% of what Frankel was, they (the buyers) will have done quite well. We wish them all the best.”
Better broodmare
Seven years ago, Gary Hadden gave 800,000gns for the colt’s dam Shambolic, following three listed placings and a fine fourth to Iridessa in the Fillies’ Mile. Her first foal, 1,500,000gns yearling Ylang Ylang, went three places better in the 2023 winner of that Newmarket Group 1, while her third foal, the Siyouni filly Act Of Kindness, brought 3,700,000gns and placed in this year’s Nell Gwyn Stakes.
Shambolic is a half-sister to John Moore’s eight-time Group 1 winner Viva Pataca and Laughing, a dual Grade 1 winner in the US.
Newsells’ Frankel colt became M V Magnier and White Birch Farm’s first seven-figure purchase of the week so far, having underbid Tuesday’s 3,800,000gns Wootton Bassett colt from Croom House Stud. A 600,000gns colt by the same sire was their sole purchase at the opening session.
On Ylang Ylang’s brother, Magnier commented: “He’s a lovely horse and in fairness to Newsells they do a great job. They’ve bred a lot of good horses, including his sister, who we bought here a few years ago.
“She was a very good filly, she’s in-foal to Justify. Aidan and Dad were here the other day, and they both liked him a lot.”
M.V. Magnier didn’t wait long to secure another millionaire from a family he knows well, giving 1,600,000gns for Marlhill House Stud’s Justify colt out of Stars At Night.
This colt was purchased in partnership with White Birch Farm, but it’s Westerberg who own the full-brother with Coolmore; Hmas Perth is now rated 95 after winning a Curragh maiden three days ago and holds entries in two Group 3s on Saturday, as well as next year’s Irish 2000 Guineas.
Coolmore partners also raced their Galileo dam, before selling her for 350,000gns, and she has since produced two stakes winners, led by three-time group winner and Group 1 runner-up Poker Face (Fastnet Rock).
Explaining how Stars At Night came to be at Marlhill House Stud, owner Eddie Irwin said: “I was looking for a Galileo mare at the time. I was involved in racing Fastnet Rock and I was involved in him as a stallion as well, and the cross was working very well with Galileo mares.
“When Fastnet came to the end of his career, we were wondering where to go next, so we sent her over to the States to go to Justify and last year’s yearling was a very nice horse. It looks like he’s good; this guy is a more substantial individual, and we think a little bit better than last year’s.
“I know Aidan has a good opinion of Hmas Perth, so let’s hope that this guy is as good, if not better than him.”
On their success so far with Justify, Irwin commented: “We’ve been very lucky, they’ve been nice individuals, they’ve got great temperaments. The guys really enjoy working with them at home.”
M V Magnier and White Birch Farm were leading buyers on Wednesday, with four purchases totalling 6,650,000gns. Godolphin’s seven acquisitions cost a total of 5,130,000gns, bringing their Book 1 spend so far to 20,860,000gns.
Despite seven yearlings reaching the million mark on Wednesday, the session’s statistics were not quite as impressive as Tuesday’s, though only one figure fell – turnover dropping by 10% to 42,625,000gns, which was respectable given than 11% less lots were offered.
This resulted in an average price inching up by 1% to 355,208gns and the median price improving by 2% to 220,000gns. The clearance rate matched last year’s corresponding figure of 85%.
With Zhang Yuesheng among the major players on site at Tattersalls this week, Ace Stud abandoned their trademark habit of bidding online when giving 1,600,000gns for a Night Of Thunder colt from New England Stud.
In December, Ace Stud gave 600,000gns for the colt’s listed-winning half-sister, Town And Country (Earthlight), but it was the colt’s sire and his full-sister, four-time stakes winner
Romantic Style, that held the most appeal.
“He was the standout for us all week,” Ace Stud's Paul Curran reported. “We were in the market to buy a nice one by the sire and we liked everything about him.
“There is a premium on the Night Of Thunders and if they are here at Book 1, there will be a premium as the horses are the best-bred horses in Europe. The price was in around what we thought we'd have to spend.”
The operation won the 2025 Dewhurst Stakes with Night Of Thunder’s ill-fated son Gewan, and it’s his trainer Andrew Balding who will train this colt.
Wednesday’s sale was a profitable result for Amo Racing, who gave 775,000gns for Sweety Dream carrying the colt at the 2024 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. Oghill House Stud sold the Group 3-winning daughter of Dream Ahead on that occasion, after first breeding three stakes horses out of her with Wansdyke Farms, Sh Bloodstock and Joseph Burke.
Redpender Stud’s success with the mare Swirral Edge reached new heights when her Frankel filly sold for 1,500,000gns, becoming the seventh yearling to breach the million mark on Wednesday.
Paddy Twomey, Jason Kelly and Bond Thoroughbreds bid online to secure the sister to July Cup hero Mill Stream (Gleneagles) and Richmond Stakes winner Assymetric (Showcasing), who also placed in the Prix Morny.
Since the catalogue was printed, Swirral Edge’s two-year-old Minzaal filly, Crownbreaker, was beaten just a neck in the Flying Childers Stakes. A listed winner in July and fifth in the Queen Mary Stakes, she was previously the mare’s most expensive progeny at 550,000gns.
On the Frankel filly, Paddy Twomey commented: “She’s exciting filly. Obviously, she’s by Frankel and the mare has bred very fast horses. She’s just the type, if you were lucky enough, to become a foundation mare for someone. She’s for a new partnership of existing owners.”
Swirral Edge joined the Murphy family’s Redpender Stud with an official rating of 72 and two handicap wins to her name. The daughter of Hellvelyn is a half-sister to listed winner and Group 3 third Fashion Queen, herself the dam of a multiple listed winner in Italy.
The second day of Tattersalls Book 1 started very much like the first, with approximately an hour’s worth of low-profile trade (by Book 1 standards) leading up to the first seven-figure sale, a Night Of Thunder colt bought by Godolphin for 1,500,000gns.
Hascombe and Valiant Stud’s offering hails from a family that has been nurtured by Anthony Oppenheimer for generations. Ascot Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami is one of five stakes winners out of the second dam Crimson Ribbon, herself a full-sister to a pair of pattern winners, including the dam of Belmont Derby victor Title Role.
The farm’s history with the family, and the fact that the Night Of Thunder colt is just the second foal out of the listed-placed Gleneagles mare Purple Ribbon, made Wednesday’s sale even more special, according to Hascombe and Valiant’s stud groom John Frank.
“We have always thought this colt was a bit special,” he said. “Purple Ribbon is a very young mare and so it is a great result for her. This year she foaled late and sadly we lost this year's . She was going to be rested anyway as she was late and so she is not in-foal – the boss is starting to plan the matings now and I think she will have a good one now! It is a great result for the family."
“The mare has a great temperament, and she was a good racehorse. This colt was the easiest to do in the yard. The boys loved him and I remember the first day we put him in the lunge, we were like, 'Wow, this lad is this is going to be something!' It's exciting.”
Frank, who has been part of the Hascombe and Valiant team for 14 years and was crowned Employee Of The Year at the 2020 Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards, added: “We are a small team, there is only seven of us and everyone chips in. Everyone has done something to that horse for it to be here today. They were the ones that put it on the walker day in, day out, giving him a good groom. We are all very proud.”
Godolphin’s other seven-figure purchase on Wednesday was the highest profile pinhooking result of the day, as Auburn Bloodstock’s 155,000gns investment transformed into a 1,100,000gns yearling.
Many pinhookers will be consulting last year’s notes, given that the Kingman colt held seemingly obvious appeal on pedigree, being a brother to Group 2 Cambridge Stakes winner Persian Dreamer (Calyx) and the Group 2-placed listed winner Queen Olly (No Nay Never).
Bred by Diamond Creek, the February-born bay was consigned on both occasions by Baroda Stud, whose longstanding team member Noel McDonnell was part of the pinhooking partnership, along with David Cox, who owns the Co Kildare farm with his wife Tamso Doyle.
On how he came to buy the colt as a foal, McDonnell explained: “I was with him here as a foal on behalf of the breeders. There was interest but he had a small problem, and some backed off him. As he was coming up to the ring we recommended him to a client and he bought the horse, and I took a piece of him and David, too.
“He has been very easy, he is a big and strong horse. He came up last Friday and showed himself well, and especially once he had got a handle of what he was doing. There were some good judges on him .
“He had everything and he was probably the best Kingman I have seen. Once we got to the reserve, we could relax then, and the further he was going the more we were smiling!”
David Cox added: “The colt has a huge pedigree and is by Kingman, and it’s the sort of pinhook that can go the right way. If you have the right sire and it matches up with a nice horse, that is where the money is and it works out well. I was just lucky I got the call to get into him.”
Blandford Bloodstock’s Richard Brown was the only other buyer to successfully land a millionaire on Tuesday and secured his second seven-figure yearling of the week when giving 1,400,000gns for a Frankel filly out of King Power Racing’s regally-bred Group 2 winner Queen Power.
The Whatton Manor Stud-consigned chesnut was a late addition to the catalogue, but was never going to fly under the radar, as her talented dam is a full-sister to the three-time group winner and multiple Group 1-placed Puissance De Lune (Shamardal.
Perhaps more importantly, Queen Power is also a full-sister to the dam of Field Of Gold, so it was therefore unsurprising that Juddmonte were among the underbidders, along with Jane Mangan and PJ Colville.
Whose colours Richard Brown’s purchase will carry remain unknown, though the agent did confirm she would be trained in the UK.
“I thought she had everything,” he said. “She had sire, pedigree, broodmare sire, the farm she was raised on, beautiful physical. I thought she looked exceptional walking around there.
“The depth of the page is exceptional. It’s pretty outstanding and it’s quite hard to get into those pedigrees. It’s a family that just keeps giving. We very much hope she’s a racehorse but there’s a long-term future there as well.”
Queen Power herself proved well-bought at Book 1 in 2017, before her three-parts brother Zabeel Prince won the Prix d’Ispahan. Dual Group 1 scorer Rizeena is out of their half-sister Serena’s Storm