Measured expectation in Italy ahead of a big weekend in the ring and on track

For an Italian racing industry grasping for a bit of optimism, this weekend is about as significant as it gets.

Saturday will see the staging of the Societa Gestione Aste (SGA) Select Yearling Sale, the country’s only meaningful international auction of the year, while a day later its pride and joy, the Derby Italiano winner Goldenas, will pit his wits against the likes of Grand Prix de Paris hero Feed The Flame and crack German colt Fantastic Moon in a cosmopolitan Prix Niel on the Arc trials card at Longchamp.

Just over 100 of Italian breeding’s best prospects, with lots one to 37 by some well-known sires categorised under the instruction of sales director Alessandro Santoni for a 'super select' session, are being offered at an event which has not proved straightforward. Storms which hit the region earlier in the summer have damaged the traditional site, the adjoining La Maura trotting track and instead it will be in the elegant surrounds of the San Siro racecourse itself.

The sport in this country is riddled with financial and bureaucratic issues and expectations for the sale are measured. The sales ground, which is the racecourse stables this year, was sleepy on Friday morning but a handful of international visitors are expected despite the scheduling clash with Keeneland.

One agent who could hold many of the keys is Marco Bozzi, who buys for clients including the likes of the Saudi Arabian Prince Saud bin Salman Abdulaziz. He signed for last year’s €200,000 top price Rinnovati, a Churchill half-sister of Rockfel third Rage Of Bamby, who are both with Eve Johnson Houghton.

Bozzi said: "There wasn’t a big number for selection but there are some commercial stallions and still some very good breeders, like Razza Del Velino and Massimo Parri, and there are some nice horses.

"There’s always something and clients are still asking me to pick the best I think from here."

Although Bozzi is understandably patriotic, he does business around the world and knows to be impartial about what he’s buying.

"They trust me," he said. "I’m always going around, I see millions of horses every year and if I say there’s a nice horse, they can still trust me!"

Bozzi was not involved in the purchase of Goldenas, a Golden Horn colt who came from Goffs and was narrowly beaten by the far more battle-hardened German raider Best Of Lips in the Gran Premio di Milano last time, but is rooting for trainer Endo Botti and owner Fabrizio Cameli, a garden furniture entrepreneur.

Marco Bozzi, pictured at the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale on TuesdayCredit: Alisha Meeder

"We all support him," he said. "It’s a new owner, a nice man, and the horse has proved himself. The form with the German horses he beat, they’ve competed very well in Germany. There's a bit of expectation, although it’s a huge step as he’s not raced since June. 

"In Italy there aren’t big races in July and August, so it’s difficult to prepare for a race like that; he’ll find a lot of very good horses in France."

There are a small handful of major Italian consignors, whose banners are arranged around a timeless-looking yard on the side of the racecourse not dissimilar to those found in Normandy or Chantilly. Pomegranites are ripening in the borders and neat rows of trees between each barn provide much-needed shade.

Razza Del Velino has two of the obvious attractions headed by a professional Sea The Stars filly (lot 14) whose dam has produced black-type winners Sweet Gentle Kiss and Sunset Key. The operation will also consign a New Bay colt out of a half-sister to blue hen Holy Moon (7), dam of the brilliant Sea Of Class.

It is one of the most distinguished modern Italian pages but unfortunately epitomises the problem of the present as it has now largely been picked clean by wealthy breeders overseas.

Razza Vedano's Saxon Warrior colt is from an active family

Razza Vedano, the outfit run by Alfonso Litta Modignani, also brings a strong draft including a Kodiac filly (16) out of a half-sister to Cheveley Park’s Royal Ascot winner Dimension and a robust-looking Saxon Warrior colt (17) from a family which has served the Monza stud well.

"We sold his half-brother by Danon Ballade, Ballade In Milano, for €120,000 to Big Red Farm here four years ago," said Litta Modignani. "That was a big moment for us. Then he won in Japan, so that was a big update."

The Parri family’s Allevamento Le.Gi. is the other likely candidate to produce a leading seller here, with eyes upon a handful.

"We’ve got good numbers," said Massimo Parri’s son, Giovanni.

"The dam of the Holy Roman Emperor filly (5) has already produced a winner in France, and the Camacho filly (26) is from a dam who's a big favourite in Italy, where they are all winners, including of some big handicaps.

"The Dark Angel (20) is the first colt out of a mare who's a half-sister to the Derby winner Kris Kin, hopefully he could do well, while we've some more Classic fillies, a very nice Waldgeist (18) and an Almanzor (9) from an Aga Khan family.

"We’ve had many Listed winners this year, sold last year, and some good winners."

A Waldgeist filly from Allevamento Le.Gi. is expected to make an impression in Milan

Isabella Bezzera, who won the Scurry Stakes at Sandown a couple of years ago with Atalis Bay under her Scuderia Blueberry racing banner, has a Territories filly (28) and another by Cracksman (30) in the super session from her Razza Del Sole.

Another of the breeders who is the backbone of the sector was particularly proud that an Oasis Dream colt she sold here 12 months ago for €75,000 was resold at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale for £220,000 by Tally-Ho Stud, as it showed the quality of individual her homeland is still capable of producing.

The other change is that horses will be offered from 2.30pm local time (1.30pm BST), delayed by an hour from the intended start in an attempt to beat the heat.

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