'He’s a horse for the future' - Have Secret on top at Doncaster at £100,000

The secret was out when Have Secret was offered at the Goffs UK October Sale in Doncaster on Wednesday as the recent winner topped the market at £100,000.

The two-year-old son of Havana Gold was catalogued as a winner having opened his account at Haydock in August but doubled his tally a fortnight before coming under the hammer with a three and a quarter length romp at Nottingham.

Harry Fowler, standing down in the gangway, tried hard to land the progressive juvenile but had to give best to the colt’s trainer Richard Fahey, standing on the balcony above, who struck the sale’s sole six-figure bid to take Have Secret back to Musley Bank Stables.

Have Secret (left) scores at HaydockCredit: John Grossick

The juvenile was offered following the passing of his previous owner, Lady Mimi Manton, who died in August at the age of 97.

“He’s for an existing owner in the yard who’s from the Middle East,” said Fahey. “He’s a horse we like a lot so I’m delighted to get him back. It’s a big shame he had to go to the sales, it would’ve been great for Lady Manton as she loved her racing. He’ll be finished for the year now but I think he’ll go a fair way. He’s a horse for the future.”

Richard Fahey: 'I think he’ll go a fair way'Credit: Edward Whitaker

Bred by Kildaragh Stud, Have Secret is the second foal out of Secret Existence, a winning daughter of Sakhee’s Secret who was also third in the Listed Prix Melisande. He was making his second appearance at public auction in a little over 12 months having been signed for by Fahey and Robin O’Ryan at €60,000 at last year’s Goffs Orby Yearling Sale.

The short, sharp session of selling saw 143 lots offered and 94 find a buyer for a clearance rate of 66 per cent. Turnover was down 20 per cent compared to last year's event, when 19 more lots sold. The average price was £8,636, down four per cent, while the median was £4,500, a ten per cent dip.

Bromley and Thurloe in search of a new Buzz

Highflyer Bloodstock’s Anthony Bromley and Thurloe Thoroughbreds combined at the 2019 edition of this sale to secure catalogue cover star Buzz, who went on to win three races over hurdles, headed by the Grade 2 Ascot Hurdle, and the 2021 running of the Cesarewitch.

They will be hoping to repeat the trick with this year’s purchase having gone to £70,000 for Open Champion, who was offered by Roger Varian on behalf of his owner-breeder Sheikh Obaid Al Maktoum.

The son of Postponed won one of five starts for Varian and achieved a peak Racing Post Rating of 91 when sixth, beaten just two and three-quarter lengths, in a valuable Haydock handicap.

Buzz wins the CesarewitchCredit: Edward Whitaker

“I’ve bought him for the Thurloe Thoroughbred partnership, who we had luck with at this sale a couple of years ago when we bought Buzz,” said Bromley, who wasn’t in attendance at Doncaster so was bidding over the phone via Goffs UK’s managing director Tim Kent.

“The horse was recommended by Roger Varian to [Thurloe's] James Stafford and myself and I’m based in Newmarket so I went and saw the horse on Monday.

“I had Tim Kent on the office phone and James and the mobile relaying the sale across. We hoped we’d get him a little bit cheaper but he was obviously the standout horse in the sale, and would’ve been at Newmarket too but the owner only decided to sell after entries at Tattersalls had closed."

Open Champion makes £70,000Credit: Goffs UK

Bromley added: “He’s a proper rated horse and we’ve bought him to be a dual-purpose prospect. For the moment he’ll go for a month’s break at Trinity Park Stud near Hungerford and James will have a think about who’s going to train him, but it’ll be a dual-purpose trainer.”

Open Champion is the fifth foal and one of three winners out of Nargys, a daughter of Lawman who won the Group 3 Sceptre Stakes during her time on the track. Her other winners are the useful performers National Bank and Global Conqueror, both of whom are by Postponed's sire Dubawi.

Moffatt moves for Cuzco Du Mathan

Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer Jimmy Moffat was among those in attendance at Doncaster and left the sale with a promising recruit having gone to £45,000 for Cuzco Du Mathan, a four-year-old son of Martaline offered by Mill House Stud.

Bred and formerly owned by Jean-Marie Baradeau, the striking grey ran ten times for Arnaud Chaille-Chaille and was placed on four occasions, most notably when runner-up to subsequent Grade 3 scorer Paradiso in the Listed Prix Wild Monarch.

“Jerry McGrath recommended the horse,” said Moffatt. “His form in France is good, he was second to a Graded winner, he jumps well and is a lovely mover. He’s an old fashioned type of hurdler.”

Cuzco Du Mathan in the Doncaster ringCredit: Goffs UK

Moffatt has made hay this summer with a past Doncaster purchase in Rapid Flight, who was bought for £14,000 in January and has since won five races, all at the trainer’s local course, Cartmel.

Moffatt continued: “He’s for a new man called Tom Gardener, who’s a big friend of Rapid Flight’s owner, Darren Mills. The pair of them have really got into their racing. I think this horse could be running in maiden hurdles around Christmas time and I’m very hopeful for him. He’s a lovely horse and looks like a proper little hurdler. Jerry recommended Rapid Flight to me along with Nicky Henderson so you’ve got to go with him again.”

Out of the Listed-placed Turgeon mare Thisbee Du Mathan, Cuzco Du Mathan is a sibling to five winners, most notably Paul Nicholls’ Grade 2 Pendil Novices' Chase scorer Tamaroc Du Mathan.

Smith secures Song Of Earth

Song of Earth is set to switch from Mags Mullins’ Goresbridge base to the Gloucestershire stable of Julian Smith after the trainer struck a bid of £30,000 for the seven-year-old son of Mahler.

A €26,000 Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale purchase in 2018, Song Of Earth won three races for Mullins, namely a Wexford bumper, a Gowran maiden hurdle and a handicap chase at Fairyhouse.

He changed hands with a peak Racing Post Rating of 129, which was achieved on his latest outing when runner-up at Listowel.

“He’s a nice size with good bone and has good form as well,” said the trainer’s wife, Nicky Smith. “We’re only a small yard but hopefully he’ll benefit from a change of scenery, and taking on the English horses will be a bit easier for him too.

“That’s what Mags Mullins thought. He’s been bought for an existing owner in the yard, Janet Benson, who has Caro Des Flos and Fine By Her. She’s been an owner with us for a fair few years now so we wanted something decent for her.”

Song Of Earth shares the further reaches of his catalogue page with full siblings Jack Doyle, who struck in the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices' Chase, and Native Mission, winner of the Grade 2 Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle.

Massaat leads the way among yearling trade

The priciest lot among the yearlings offering was the Massaat filly out of Princess Palliser who was knocked down to Finn Kent at £20,000 when offered by Mickley Stud.

Kent, who signed the docket under the name Ne-Chance Racing, said: “I was acting for Matthew Hilton who runs Ne-Chance Racing. He came and saw this yearling at home and loved him, but couldn’t be here today so asked me to bid for him. The dam had a Massaat filly foal this year and is in foal to Ubettabelieveit.”

Kent, son of Mickley’s Richard Kent, also reflected on the early promise of the stud’s resident stallion Massaat, who has sired seven European winners at a strike rate of 27 per cent. His record is headed by the Listed third Mascapone and Mas Rapido, who was last seen finishing fourth in stakes company at Santa Anita.

“We have been really pleased with Massaat’s first season on the track,” he said. “It’s been a good solid start from a low number of runners, and he’s had two black-type performers. Anything he does this year is a bonus because we know his stock are going to make better three-year-olds. It’s been good to see his stock being well received here.”

The £20,000 mark was hit twice more during the session when fillies by Havana Grey and Ten Sovereigns were knocked down to Stephen Burdett and Jason Kelly Bloodstock respectively.

At the close of trade, Goffs UK's managing director Tim Kent said: "This sale has a long track record of producing smart performers, Buzz being one of the most recent, and it’s great to see his owners, Thurloe Thoroughbreds, return here to secure another promising type in Open Champion and hopefully he will prove every bit as successful.

"With that in mind, we also wish Richard Fahey, along with all those who bought horses at today’s sale, the very best with their purchases. We now turn our attention to our new boutique point-to-point sale, the Tingle Creek Sale at Sandown Park’s Betfair Tingle Creek Festival, which will see us offer a select catalogue of pointers after racing in the winners’ enclosure on Saturday December 3."

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