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Voute Sales splash out on three top lots
Ted Voute, who was bidding online, made a splash on the third and final day of the inaugural Tattersalls August Sale after snapping up the three top lots for an aggregate of 585,000gns, with the most expensive of the trio being daul winner and Listed-placed Walkinthesand (Footstepsinthesand), parting with 220,000gns for the four-year-old colt.
Voute said they had all been bought for a Najd Stud - a new stud company based in Riyadh and they would fly out immediately.
"They fit the profile and have all been bought for a new stud company called Najd Stud Ltd, which is based in Riyadh,” said Voute. “They will ship immediately, as soon as the next flight is available.”
Catalogued as Lot 699 and offered by his former trainer Richard Hannon, the colt is out of Masseera (Alzao) - who has produced a further eight winners, including Aceland Street (Street Cry), who was placed at Listed level in Australia.
His second dam is Wannabe (Shirley Heights), whose seven winners are headed by Cheveley Park Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) scorer Wannabe Grand (Danehill), Group 3 winner Wannabe Better (Duke Of Marmalade) and Listed-placed Wannabe Posh (Grand Lodge).
Earlier in the day, Voute snapped up three-time winner To Nathaniel (Nathaniel) for 185,000gns from the draft of his former trainer John Gosden.
Catalogued as Lot 682, the colt is the only winner out of winning Sea The Stars (Cape Cross) mare Too The Stars.
Too The Stars herself is out of Irish 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) winner Finsceal Beo (Mr. Greenly), making her a half-sister to Group 2 winner Ol’ Man River (Montjeu).
Later on in the day, the Voute completed the sale-topping trio when taking home dual winner Tell Me All (Lope De Vega) for 180,000 gns.
Offered by trainer Sir Mark Prescott and catalogued as Lot 711, the son of Lope De Vega (Shamardal) is out of Prix De Diane (Gr 1, 2100m) winner Confidential Lady (Singspiel), making him a half-brother to Listed-winning Red Box (Exceed And Excel).
Explaining the process ahead of bidding online, Voute said: "We vetted a whole slew of them and then I came up to Tattersalls yesterday, looked at all the horses who made the short, short list.
"And we said we'd do it on the internet. It was very easy to do, I registered at the beginning of the week, it has been great. There was no need to be up there today."
When asked if he felt he missed out anything by not being in the sales ring, he added: "For form horses it is perhaps slightly different, it is there for everyone to see – other than taking a lame step in the ring prior, but we had a vet there to cover that eventuality, the same vet who has vetted them all."
Expanding on the purchase plans, the team of four are to be aimed initially at the King's Cup races rather than the big international Saudi Cup meeting.
"They have been bought for King's Cup races and series,” Voute said. “The Saudi Cup day needs very good international horses, not that these aren't good horses, and they might develop into the that if they act on the surface."
Of the timing of this inaugural August Sale, Voute said: "The timing fits in for shipping. I have been involved in other operations when we have taken horses out of the October Sale and it has been a bit tight to get them to perform at the highest level that very next year or next season.
"We felt that if we could just steal a month or two months to get them there and acclimatise, it might make the difference. When we have bought horses privately before and sent horses over a bit earlier we have had a bit more success."
On the final day of the sale, Voute also snapped up Kasbaan - a son of Dansili (Danehill), paying Jamie Railton 65,000gns for the one-time winner.
At the close of trade Tattersalls reported that 510 lots had sold for an aggregate of 8,430,400gns at an average of 16,530gns, while the median sat at 9,000gns.
Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony said: “Another post-COVID Tattersalls sale with a clearance rate around the 90 per cent mark has to be regarded as a success. We made the observation after the recent Tattersalls July Sale that this sort of clearance rate would be noteworthy under normal circumstances, but in the face of the multiple challenges that everyone currently faces these sort of returns are little short of miraculous.
“From the Tattersalls perspective we salute all those who have supported this new fixture and made it such a success. Vendors, purchasers, vets, farriers, stable staff, the list is endless and everyone, whatever their role, has worked incredibly hard to ensure the smooth running not only of this week’s August Sale, but of all our recent sales.
“In addition to the extraordinary clearance rate, the other notable feature of the August Sale has been the huge impact of our recently introduced live internet bidding facility, which is particularly well-suited to sales of this nature. From start to finish there has been sustained internet bidding from throughout the world at all levels of the market and it has been fantastic to see this technology being so quickly and widely embraced. It certainly bodes well for the forthcoming sales at Park Paddocks and we will continue to ensure that the platform is as simple and easy to use as possible.
“Naturally there has been plenty of discussion about whether this new August Sale will become a more permanent Tattersalls fixture and the success of this week has certainly demonstrated enthusiasm from vendors and purchasers alike. In a normal year there would be a major yearling sale taking place this week, but we will see how the rest of the Tattersalls sales season unfolds, have a look at the calendar and assess how best to proceed once we have a clearer picture."
