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Hong Kong Jockey Club part with £325,000 for colt
A colt by former Darley shuttler Teofilo (Galileo) was the headline act of the Tattersalls Ireland Sale - which was moved to Park Paddocks in Newmarket amid the coronavirus pandemic - after the Hong Kong Jockey Club forked out £325,000 - a record figure for the sale.
Catalogued as Lot 165, the colt is out of Gearanai (Toccet), making him a brother to Guaranteed, who landed the Eyrefield Stake (Gr 3, 1m1f) in 2018 and this year’s Acomb Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) winner Gear Up.
Gearanai herself is half-sister to Group 3 winner Plainswoman (Zensational).
The colt was bred by Jim Bolger and he was sold by Bolger's granddaughter Clare Manning of Boherguy Stud in just her second year as a yearling consignor.
"He has been a superstar since he has been here," smiled Manning. "He has the pedigree and the physique, he was busy and had a number of vettings, but it was difficult in this climate to gauge how much people had in their pockets.
"I did not know that [breaking the record] I was hoping for around £200,000, but to get what he did! He came to prep eight weeks ago and has always been straightforward, he is one of those that just have got something about them.
"I have had a brief chat with granddad and he is absolutely delighted."
Mick Kinane said that he did not expect to have to go to that level to secure the colt.
"Phew!" said Kinane, who outlasted Alex Elliot. "He is a lovely horse, and we didn't think we'd be pushed that hard. He was a stand-out, he could have been sold here in a few weeks at the October Sale. Hopefully, he can run like his brother, he was a good horse."
The sale's previous best price was €275,000 given by Shadwell in 2018 for the Grove Stud-offered Kodiac (Danehill) colt out of Lady Lucia (Royal Applause).
The Hong Kong Jockey Club purchased two yearlings on the first day of the sale, having spent £55,000 on a colt by former Windsor Park shuttler Mastercraftsman (Danehill Dancer) earlier in the afternoon.
Late in the day a colt by Mehmas (Acclamation) made £190,000 when bought by Joe Foley from the draft of Beechvale Stud. Offered as Lot 222, the colt is a half-brother to recent Matron Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) winner Champers Elysees (Elzaam).
"He was a very athletic foal, and we really liked him to spend €19,000 on him," said Tara Armstrong of Beechvale Stud.
"Champers Elysees had finished second in the Birdcatcher then so we were hopeful she would go on.
"We also thought Mehmas might have big chances to become first-season too. My Dad has looked after him since last year so it is all down to him.
"We were all watching the Matron Stakes, and my brother Chris was at the races – he works for Aidan O'Brien and was with runners. It was a great day."
Purchaser Joe Foley, buying on behalf of Clipper Logistics, said: "“I hadn’t thought about it! [the price]. He is a particularly nice colt. The mare is good, and has actually bred two good Elzaams.
"Obviously Champers Elysees is there, but even without her he was a lovely colt and obvious.”
Earlier on in the afternoon, Clive Cox went to £75,000 for a Bluegate Stud-consigned colt by Red Jazz (Johannesburg), who is from a family the trainer knows well.
It came as no surprise to see Cox leave the sale with the colt in tow, having trained his brother Snazzy Jazzy, whose biggest success came in the 2018 Prix de Seine-et-Oise (Gr 3, 1200m) and the Lambourn-based trainer - who was buying on behalf of Middle Park Racing - was delighted to be taking him home.
"We’re delighted to get Snazzy Jazzy’s brother who won the sales race and was a prolific earner for us,"said Cox. "I loved him when I saw the horse, he is really athletic, and sadly there are not many Red Jazzes around. I am delighted to secure him, especially for Middleham Park Racing as he is our first horse for them. I’m really thrilled to have an opportunity to train a horse like this for them.
"They were both athletic horses and knowing his brother it makes a lot of sense. He’s a nice horse and a full-brother to a 110-rated horse from a proper black-type family. The mare is still quite young as well."
Catalogued as Lot 72, the colt is out of Bulrushes (Byron), whose five foals to race all been runners, including three stakes winners the aforementioned Snazzy Jazzy, fellow Group 3 winner Ross Castle (Bushranger) and Listed winner Ten Year Ticket (Rock of Gibraltar).
Bulrushes herself is half-sister to a Group 2 winner Tariq (Kyllachy) and the dam of fellow Group 2 winner Mobsta (Bushranger).
The most expensive lot of the day was a filly by Juddmonte Farms sire Kingman (Invincible Spirit), who hails from the operation’s most prolific families, and she was snapped up by Katie Walsh of Greenhills Farm for £70,000.
Catalogued as Lot 98 and offered as part of the Castlebridge Consignment, the filly is out of winning Smart Strike (Mr Prospector) mare Continental Drift, making her a sister to 102-rated and Group 3-placed Masen.
Continental Drift herself is a daughter of dual elite level winner Intercontinental (Danehill), who is herself out of Listed-winning blue-hen mare Hasili (Kahyasi).
Hasili’s mark on the breed is undeniable, producing Grade 1 winners Cacique (Danehill), Heat Haze (Green Desert), Champs Elysees (Danehill) , who would also prove himself to be a successful sire, Banks Hill (Danehill) - the dam of Group 1 winner Romantica (Galileo) and Listed scorer Ideal World (Kingmambo).
Hasili also produced Group 2 winner Dansili (Danehill), who is also a successful sire and Group 3 winner Deluxe (Storm Cat).
“She has been bought to breeze," said purchaser Katie Walsh. "She has a pedigree to die for and she will always hold her value as a broodmare.
"Hopefully, her full-brother will go on next year as a three-year-old and do some more. He got very hot in the stalls last time and then ran too free, but I know they are mad for him at Ger Lyons'. This filly has a lot more positives for me than negatives."
Later in the afternoon, Hubie De Burgh of De Burgh Equine went to £68,000 for filly by Coolmore Stud-based sire Australia (Galileo) and he will head into training with Harry Eustace, who will take over the reins at his father James’ Newmarket-based stables early next year.
Eustace - who is Australian-based trainer David’s older brother - will take over from his father after four and half years as assistant to William Haggas and was during that time entrusted to oversee the training of Addeybb (Pivotal) prior to his wins in the Ranvet Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m).
"She is for a new client, new to the industry, and he particularly wanted to send a horse into training with Harry Eustace," said de Burgh.
"She is by a good young stallion, who is a proven producer of Group performers. She comes from a good family, and if she becomes a stakes performer she will be worth many multiples more."
Catalogued as Lot 115 and offered by Manister House Stud, the bay filly is a first foal out of the unraced mare Dillydallydo (Holy Roman Emperor), a daughter of the Listed winner Dolydillie (Dolphin Street) and from the family of the champion racehorses Sholokhov (Sadler’s Wells) and Soldier Of Fortune (Galileo) and Group 1 winner Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy).
Overall on Monday 172 lots sold for €4,421,441 at an average of €25,706 and median of €20,330. At the 2019 renewal 200 lots sold for €5,084,500 at an average of €25,423 and median of €21,000. The second and final day concludes on Tuesday.
