AMAZING, unbelievable, extraordinary, and breathtaking. These are just a few of the words one could use to describe three days of selling at Newmarket this week that had people shaking their heads in wonderment.

An outstanding catalogue of yearlings brought together the world’s leading racing entities, and all of the buyers entered a bubble at Park Paddocks. For 72 hours they engaged in a spending spree, the likes of which we have rarely ever seen at public auction.

When the final gavel came down on the sale of a 60,000gns Invincible Spirit filly on Thursday night – yes, there were yearlings in that bracket also – owners, trainers and agents had spent more than £133 million on dreams and hopes. Sixteen of these bluebloods made a million guineas or more, all but two of them sired by a pair of titans in the stallion world, Frankel and Dubawi.

An incredible 73 yearlings went to new owners with a price tag of 500,000gns or more, and 29 names are listed as having spent at least a million guineas during the sale.

The presence of Sheikh Mohammed at the sale proved a delight for consigners and Tattersalls, the ruler of Dubai parting with more than 25,000,000gns for 35 yearlings.

Putting that spending power in context, it trumped the outlay of bloodstock agent Richard Knight and the partnership of MV Magnier and Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm combined, and both of these groups spent in excess of 10,000,000gns each. Purchasers came from all corners of the world.

Frenetic trade

The profile of sires in the catalogue, matched by individuals of the highest quality, fuelled what appeared at time to be frenetic trade. Two-thirds of the 21 yearlings by Dubawi sold to Godolphin, and helped greatly to produce an average price for the Dalham Hall resident of a bid short of 850,000gns. Godolphin also acquired seven of the 25 sons and daughters of Frankel who came within a whisker of averaging 750,000gns.

Little wonder that Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony had plenty to say at the end of the sale. “This has been an extraordinary yearling sale. When the first two lots through the ring on Tuesday morning made 500,000gns and 1,300,000gns, the stage was set, and the pace has been unrelenting from that moment on. Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale annually showcases the very best yearlings to be found in Europe, and even by the lofty standards of this special sale we felt that this year’s catalogue was out of the ordinary. Nevertheless we could not have predicted the extraordinary level of trade we have experienced over the past three days.

Truly remarkable

“Record turnover in excess of 125 million guineas, a rise of almost 40 million guineas on last year’s October Book 1, as well as a record median and a record average price just under 300,000gns are impressive statistics by any standards, but the progression of this sale in recent years has been truly remarkable.

“Only 12 years ago Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale produced turnover of 48 million guineas and an average of 107,000gns.

“Impressive as all the statistics are, the real feature has been the sustained demand at all levels of the market which has contributed to a clearance rate well in excess of 85%. Buyers from throughout the world, most notably the Gulf, America, China, Japan and throughout Europe have all made a significant impact on a record-breaking sale.

“To have rewritten the Book 1 record books and to have seen so many breeders and consignors so richly rewarded this week has been wonderful. Europe’s premier yearling sale has lived up to its reputation in spectacular fashion.”

Frankel’s reputation as Galileo’s successor

is sealed

WHAT Frankel achieved as a racehorse was phenomenal, and what he is doing at stud is even better. The champion sire for the first time in 2021, he was represented this week by some exceptional individuals, and the market showed that it liked what they saw.

Four sons of the Juddmonte behemoth headed the week’s trade, three of the quartet making two million guineas or more. Two of the four were sold by Watership Down Stud, and the other pair were purchased by MV Magnier and White Birch Farm.

The March 14th Frankel colt out of the Group 3 Musidora Stakes winner So Mi Dar, a daughter of Dubawi, became the highest-priced yearling sold in the world this year, the Watership Down Stud-bred bay selling for 2,800,000gns. He was bought by Godolphin, the underbidder Bill Farish of Lane’s End Farm shaking his head when asked by Edmond Mahony to bid 3,000,000gns.

“Obviously he has got a stallion’s pedigree. He was the jewel in the crown and is an extremely nice horse,” said Anthony Stroud. “The price was more than I had anticipated, but the Sheikh was keen for this horse, and Watership Down do a great job. The underbidders were strong opposition; he is an outstanding horse and will be very valuable if he is a good racehorse.”

The Group 1-placed So Mi Dar is a full-sister to the European two and three-year-old champion Too Darn Hot, that son of Dubawi standing at Dalham Hall Stud in partnership with Watership Down. She is also an own-sister to Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Lah Ti Dar.

Amazing family

Simon Marsh, general manager of the farm, said: “It is an extraordinary thing when you have a horse like that and he fulfils everything you want. He has been an exceptional individual all his life, but these things don’t happen by accident, there is an enormous amount of people involved in getting him here.

“So Mi Dar is back in foal to Frankel and Lah Ti Dar is in foal to him, too. Dar Re Mi has a Kingman filly yearling and a Lope De Vega foal. We are going to send a full-sister, Darlectable You, to Gun Runner in the US; there is a lot going on in the family.”

Madeleine Lloyd-Webber added: “It is always a shame to sell the wonderful stock out of the Dar Re Mi family but we just have to.

“He is a particularly beautiful colt, he looks so like his father Frankel, yet he has the Dar Re Me line and the beautiful head. He walked beautifully, I could not really fault him.

“We obviously loved him, we are delighted that Godolphin bought him and he is going to stay here and be trained brilliantly. We could not have hoped for anything better really.”

Croom House Stud’s star fulfils destiny

THE appeal was obvious. Frankel’s son of the Acclamation mare Sweepstake, the dam of Group 1 winner Broome and Group 2 winner Point Lonsdale, sold for 2,400,000gns.

He was bought by MV Magnier, signing also in the name of White Birch Farm, from Denis, Joan and Cathal Brosnan’s Croom House Stud and bred by their Epona Bloodstock. He became the most expensive yearling sold by the farm at Tattersalls and its second millionaire lot at the October Sale.

Magnier also purchased Broome and Point Lonsdale at Tattersalls from Croom House, and said: “It is a family we know well. Denis Brosnan is a very good breeder; we have had a lot of luck buying from him in the past. Frankel is doing very well and we had the two brothers before. They are two very good horses; let’s hope this one is too!”

Joe Hartigan, general manager at Croom House, was all smiles after the sale. He said: “We thought he’d make a million plus. He is a very nice horse and he had a heap of bids! It was absolutely amazing, I have never witnessed anything like it.”

Magnier cemented his love affair with Frankel’s progeny this week with a couple of other headline purchases. Again with Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm he spent 1,800,000gns on a colt out of the winning Pivotal mare Blue Waltz from Fittocks Stud. “It has been an amazing week, the market has been very strong. Long may it continue, said Luca Cumani of Fittocks. “You never know what they might make. We thought he’d be 500,00gns to 800,000gns and up, but you can never tell.”

Cumani recalled: “I trained for Peter [Brant] in the 1980s and early 90s. I trained for him the dam of Thunder Gulch and the good filly Roseate Tern; we have known each other for donkey’s years. We also sold Milan to Coolmore.”

The most expensive Frankel filly of the week also fell to Magnier and Brant. She is the first foal out of the Group 1-placed Shamardal mare Shambolic, the half-sister to the Hong Kong Champion Viva Pataca and two-time Grade 1 winner Laughing. She cost 1,500,000gns and was bred by Newsells Park Stud and Craig Bennett’s Merry Fox Stud. The underbidder was Richard Knight, while Simon Mockridge of Juddmonte Farms was involved up to 1,100,000gns.

Pretty emotional

The sale of a Frankel own-brother to Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes winner Without Parole proved to be a pretty emotional experience for breeder John Gunther and his daughter Tanya. Tears were not far away for John, while his daughter was in floods. Consigned by Newsells Park Stud, the bay colt made 1,300,000gns, bought by Godolphin.

The colt is also a half-brother to Tamarkuz, winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. Their dam Without You Babe is responsible for five winners from six runners. “It is a wonderful result, we are very happy,” said John Gunther. “We loved him so much, we still wanted to race him as well, but you need to cash in to pay the bills. It was nice to see Sheikh Mohammed buy him, and I am sure they will do a tremendous job with him.

Knight secures a couple of real gems

A SECOND seven-figure lot this week for Watership Down Stud was another son of Frankel.

This time it was the colt out of the Sea The Stars mare Bold Lass, winner of four races and a half-sister to the Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup winner Tante Rose. Another sibling to Bold Lass is Rosie’s Posy, the dam of two-time Grade 1 winner Dubawi Heights and two-time Group 1 winner Make Believe.

The colt was bought by Richard Knight Bloodstock for 2,000,000gns, one of his 16 purchases and the week’s second-leading buyer behind Godolphin.

Knight explained the reasons for this purchase. “He is a scopey, quality colt. I went down and saw him again this morning and he was very relaxed. He is a very athletic horse, he vetted well. The dam has produced a 100-plus rated horse already. It was the top of our budget.

“There is a beautiful bunch of horses here; it is the best catalogue of individuals we have seen at any yearling sale this year. You often get to some sales and individuals don’t match up to the pedigrees. Here the individuals have matched up as well.”

Knight also signed for the best filly of the week, and one of two millionaire yearlings not sired by either Frankel or Dubawi. She was the Lope De Vega half-sister to the champion sprinter Battaash and this summer’s twice Group 1-placed juvenile The Antarctic, and she is the breeder Ballyphilip Stud’s first-ever seven-figure yearling, fetching 1,800,000gns.

“Yes, this is the first!” smiled Paul McCartan. “I worked for a lot of very good people and always tried to get them a million.

“When I went on my own I said I’d never be fulfilling that ambition. It is unbelievable to have achieved it. I thought we had a good chance, but everything had to full into place. She is a gorgeous filly and the sire is on fire; he had three Group 1 winners in the last month.

Right hands

“For The Antarctic to do what he has done, he has shown so much promise. I keep thinking back to Battaash. He was only rated 97 when he was a two-year-old; this guy is rated 113 already. The way the Dark Angels improve, alongside the constitution he has to have achieved so much already, and he is in the right hands too.”

Knight said: “I thought she was probably the pick of the fillies in the sale, she is very racy. She is a gorgeous physical and very athletic. She will stay in the UK, she will be pre-trained, and a trainer will be decided at a later stage.

“She is for the client for whom I have been buying for this autumn. She will be a gorgeous filly to breed from at the end of the day.”

Sheikha Hissa invests in future

SHEIKHA Hissa’s Shadwell Estate made two purchases this week, both with significant pedigrees for breeding in the future.

The Kingman half-sister to last weekend’s Group 1 winner Place du Carrousel cost 1,050,000gns, while Watership Downs’ Siyouni daughter of Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1-placed Lah Ti Dar was bought for 880,000gns.

The former was bred by Ballylinch Stud in partnership with Alexis and Fan Adamian. Angus Gold commented: “She had a very timely update. I thought she’d make 700,00gns to 800,000gns going into it yesterday, but everyone wanted her, so obviously we had to pay a bit more. Sheikha Hissa was very keen to buy her and really liked her the minute she saw her.

“We have not discussed training plans yet. We have not made plans for the homebreds; that will all come about in the fullness of time. We will have around 45 homebreds to go into training and, along with the few we have bought, there will be the guts of 50 yearlings.

“Last year was pretty traumatic for everyone, selling all those half-nice horses and particularly the mares who had been there a long time, but we had to do what we had to do and obviously the family wanted to reduce things.

“Understandably, it was a big undertaking and Sheikh Hamdan had the knowledge, the understanding of it, For them it had to be a smaller operation.

“This year we have been blessed with Baeeed, but also some of the other lesser horses have also come to the fore. It has been a joy this year, and for me the real fun has been having Sheikha Hissa’s input and seeing her enjoy it so much, and hopefully her family as well.”

They cannot get enough of Dubawi

SIX of the eight millionaire yearlings by Dubawi not reported on elsewhere were signed for by Anthony Stroud on behalf of Godolphin.

The presence of Sheikh Mohammed at the sale proved to be a bonanza for breeders who used his star sire.

The second-last Dubawi to go through the ring was Longview Stud’s colt out of the Galileo mare How. She is a full-sister to four group winners, three of whom are Group 1 and classic heroines, namely Minding, Tuesday and Empress Josephine. She realised 1,600,000gns.

After signing the docket, Anthony Stroud reflected: “I think the horses have really been exceptional. It has been very competitive with a lot of visitors from America here, Coolmore participating, Godolphin, Sheikh Mohammed has been here, and it was fantastic to have seen Shadwell buying. The Japanese having been busy, too.

Good week

“The prices have been strong and the breeders have been paid. Overall the standard of the horses have been reflected by the prices. I think it has been a good week. The sale has built up as we have gone through the second and third days. This is the top end and, whether you are in art or racing, people want to be involved in the top end.

“Dubawi is an incredible stallion and he is now a 21-year-old. His percentages are very good, and Charlie [Appleby] is very good at training them; he is a master with them.”

The other sons, and one daughter, of Dubawi that were sold to Godolphin were Hazelwood Bloodstock’s colt out of an own-sister to Group 1 winners Hydrangea, Hermosa and The United States (1,500,000gns); Whatton Manor Stud’s son of Group 1 winner God Given (1,500,000gns); the second lot into the ring on Tuesday, Meon Valley Stud’s daughter of Group 2 winner Jazzi Top (1,300,000gns); Baroda Stud’s son of Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes winner Urban Fox (1,100,000gns); and Cheveley Park Stud’s son of Group 1 winner Persuasive at one million.

Japan-bound

The Dubawi colt from the Cumani’s Fittocks Stud is heading to Japan, bought by JS Company for 1,600,000gns, He is a half-brother to Grade 1 Turf Classic Stakes winner Digital Age and was bred by Merry Fox Stud. “This colt has the very good aspects of Dubawi,” said Keisuke Onishi, while trainer Yoshito Yahagi added: “I want to win the Arc!”

Ed Sackville outpointed the opposition to buy the Dubawi colt out of Frangipanni for a million guineas. The half-brother to Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Tropbeau was sold by Norris Bloodstock on behalf of the breeder Lord Margadale. Sackville was buying on behalf of John and Jess Dance’s Manor House Farm.

Sackville employed some strong bidding tactics taking the price up from 900,000gns to the one million mark, but as he reasoned: “If you want to hang with the dogs you’ve got to bark loud!”