'I thought he was an absolutely smashing horse' - Wathnan's €550,000 Blue Point breeze-up colt to debut at Newmarket

Our resident bloodstock experts profile the well-bred eyecatchers and expensive purchases set to grace the track.

REALIGN

British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes (6.53 Newmarket, Friday)

Forecast odds: 4-1

What's the story?

Realign, who makes his debut at Newmarket on Friday in the novice event over six furlongs, doesn’t have much in the way of storied family history, but he does come with an eyecatching price tag.

Not as a yearling, when, offered by Normandie Breeding, he fetched €150,000 from George Mullins at the Arqana October Sale, but he must have come on in leaps and bounds subsequently as he was the sixth most expensive lot at the breeze-up sale back in Deauville this May, when he set Blandford Bloodstock back €550,000. He was consigned there by Mocklershill.

He carries the colours of Wathnan Racing on his debut at Newmarket for William Haggas, with Cieren Fallon in the plate.

How's he bred?

By the ultra-promising young sire Blue Point, who had a particularly good day at Glorious Goodwood on Wednesday with two winners, Realign is the second foal out of dual winner and Listed place Maggies Angel, by Dark Angel.

Listed has tended to be the limits of this colt’s immediate family, but connections will harbour hopes he can improve the fortunes.

His half-sister by No Nay Never, Casaurina, got off to a promising start at Craon last summer, but after three not-so-good runs she was picked up for €14,000 at Arqana in February by JD Moore. That might prove a good bit of business.

Maggies Angel is out of Last Bid, a three-time winner and Listed-placed, and who, mated exclusively with Dark Angel, has foaled two other black-type performers in San Andreas and Sistine Madonna.

What was said at the sales?

At the same time as purchasing a Mehmas colt in Doncaster the month before Realign was put through his paces in Deauville, Richard Brown’s card had been marked by Willie Browne, he revealed to reporters after signing the docket at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale for €550,000.

Mocklershill's Blue Point colt selling to Richard Brown for €550,000 at ArqanaCredit: ZUZANNA LUPA

The Blandford Bloodstock man explained: “Willie Browne is one of the great breeze-up consignors and has sold a lot of good horses. I bought what, in my opinion, was the best Mehmas colt in Doncaster off Willie and he said to me then, ‘I have a Blue Point colt going to Arqana and I think he’s very special.’

“When Willie comes out and says that, and then the horse looks like he does and breezes like he does, I was pretty determined to be there at the finish.

“I thought he was an absolutely smashing horse with great strength and scope, and I think he has a lot of his father about him, so we’re delighted. I would hope he might be out in July.”

Close but not quite a cigar on that front!

Who does he face?

The obvious place to start is with Godolphin homebred Shadow Of Light, a three-parts brother to Earthlight and winner on his debut at Yarmouth last month, when the Racing Post’s in-running comment concluded with ‘cosily’. The Charlie Appleby-trained son of Lope De Vega will seek to remain unbeaten under Harry Bentley.

Shadwell homebred Elyam, trained by Richard Hannon and ridden by Jack Mitchell, carries a ‘promising’ Post in-running comment into the race following his third-placed effort on his debut at Newbury. He is by Kingman.

Those two plus Realign will probably be the front three in the market.

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