Sea The Stars colt steals the show at 700,000gns as intensity ramps up at Book 2

Day two of Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale brought a day of increasingly intense trade that reached boiling point shortly after 7pm when Roger Varian struck the day’s highest bid of 700,000gns to secure the Sea The Stars colt out of Along Came Casey from Longview Stud.

The dam won four races, including a brace of Listed contests, and has bred two winners since retiring to paddocks. The best of her brood is Feliciana De Vega, whose record is capped by victory in the Group 3 Darley Stakes.

“I think the stallion can’t do much wrong at the moment,” said the trainer from his usual bidding position down the back stairs opposite the rostrum. “The mare is a stakes winner and she’s bred a very good one already so he ticked all the boxes.

Roger Varian: 'I didn’t realise he’d cost as much as that'Credit: Laura Green

"We had to dig deep to get him but I’m delighted we did. He’s a late-summer horse and he’s bred to want middle-distances at three. You never know how quickly they’ll come to hand but he’s quite a mature horse.”

That took Varian’s Book 2 haul to 1,000,000gns having also signed for a 300,000gns Saxon Warrior colt during day one. He continued: “I thought [the Sea The Stars colt] was one of the better horses of the week.

“There’s a few this week with that real Book 1 quality and I thought he was one of them. I didn’t realise he’d cost as much as that; I didn’t know what he would cost or what I would have to spend, but my client [on the phone] was keen to get him.”

Trade went up a gear or two compared to day one, so while the opening session’s figures kept on par with 2021, Tuesday’s results brought some chunky year-on-year increases. An almost identical number of lots were offered and sold as 12 months ago, with 217 selling at a clip of 88 per cent, and those transactions brought turnover of 23,366,000gns, a 26 per cent increase.

The average was also up by 26 per cent at 107,677gns, while the median rose by eight per cent to 70,000gns, having been 65,000gns 12 months ago. Those sales took turnover across the two days to 41,984,000gns, leaving the sale just 12,528,000gns shy of a Book 2 record with a full session and 273 catalogued lots to go.

Magnier joins Night Of Thunder fan club

Coolmore joined the growing fan club behind Night Of Thunder when MV Magnier’s name appeared on the docket of two lots by Darley’s Kildangan Stud-based stallion. The pricier of the pair was knocked down to Jamie McCalmont, who signed alongside Magnier and White Birch Farm at 575,000gns.

The colt was offered by Mountarmstrong Stud and is out of Asidious Alexander, a daughter of Windsor Knot who won the Listed Prix Six Perfections and finished runner-up in the Group 3 Prix du Calvados in the colours of Noel O'Callaghan.

“He’s a lovely horse by Night Of Thunder,” said McCalmont. “We thought he was the best colt in the sale and was the one horse we wanted to buy today, so we bought him. Between this sale and the last, we thought he was probably the best individual by the stallion.”

Lot 1073: the Night of Thunder colt out of Asidious Alexander sells for 575,000gnsCredit: Laura Green

Earlier in the day Mark McStay of Avenue Bloodstock went to 265,000gns for the Night Of Thunder filly out of Violet's Gift from Ballyhimikin Stud. The youngster is a sibling to two winners, most notably the Listed-placed Kodiak West.

“She’s a gorgeous filly by a sire who’s just getting better and better,” said McStay. “He’s had an amazing season with Highfield Princess. We had to dig deep to buy her.

"She’s come from a good nursery at Ballyhimikin. She’s a lovely specimen, the mare’s already bred a black-type horse and the Coolmore boys were very high on her. I believe she goes into training with George Boughey.”

Poignant result for Chasemore Farm

Chasemore Farm has had more ups than downs this season, with graduates such as Lezoo and Noble Style winning major prizes on the racecourse. And Andrew and Jane Black’s operation welcomed another big result at Tattersalls on Tuesday as their Starspangledbanner colt brought 550,000gns from Mick Kinane of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Starspangledbanner has already clicked with this family to great effect as the colt is a full-brother to the Group 3-placed juvenile Breege, while the dam, Wowcha, is a Zoffany half-sister to the stallion’s first-crop star The Wow Signal.

However, all the highs of breeding wouldn’t mean so much without the lows, and Chasemore manager Jack Conroy revealed there was a poignant subplot to the six-figure transaction as Wowcha was lost a little under 12 months ago.

Lot 1,008: the 550,000gns Starspangledbanner coltCredit: Laura Green

"The sad news is we lost the mare around this time last year, but she left us Breege so hopefully she can continue the line for us,” said Conroy.

“It was an absolute choker, losing a lovely young mare like that. This colt has been fantastic though and we’ve never had so many vettings on a horse, even in Book 1. He passed all the scrutiny thankfully and Mick Kinane loved him.”

Explaining the thinking behind the mating, Conroy said: “The Wow Signal was an unbelievable racehorse and the mare was lovely and scopey so it made a lot of sense to send her to Starspangledbanner, who’s a proven stallion at a very reasonable price considering his results.

"Breege has done fantastically and we think she’ll be more of a three-year-old as she’s got a bit more length of back than this lad, he’s got a heavier shoulder and will be more of a six-furlong horse. He’ll be all speed.”

Jack Conroy: 'I saw a few Starspangledbanners sell well last week and started to wonder whether we’d made the right decision!'Credit: Laura Green

Chasemore sold four lots for a combined 1,405,000gns during Book 1 of the October Sale, including a personal-best sale of 750,000gns when Richard Knight signed for the Kingman colt out of Wall Of Sound.

Reflecting on a busy week for the team, Conroy said: “All the staff do a great job and it’s a real team effort. Everyone has said how great our horses look and we take great pride in that. From Book 1 to Book 3, they’re all prepped the same.

"This lad could have gone to Book 1 but we chose to come here to stand out. I saw a few Starspangledbanners sell well last week and started to wonder whether we’d made the right decision! Thankfully it’s worked out, so happy days.”

Frankel fever continues

Reigning champion sire Frankel was responsible for a couple of the pricier lots of the day, headed by the 450,000gns colt out of September Stars from Watership Down Stud who was knocked down to Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock.

Bred by Andrew Rosen and Edward Easton, the colt is the third foal out of September Stars, a Sea The Stars half-sister to Group 3 scorer Teodoro and the Group 1-placed Altruistic. The dam won at an ordinary level in Britain before switching to trainer Patrick Gallagher in the US, where she won the Listed Possibly Perfect Stakes.

“He’s a smashing colt,” said Brown. “We tried on a load of Frankels last week and didn’t get close. He’s an immature horse, he needs a little bit of imagination, but there’s a lot of improvement to come. He’s a big frame so will be given plenty of time and hopefully he’ll reward us as a three-year-old.”

Lot 853: the Frankel colt out of September Stars sells for 450,000gnsCredit: Laura Green

Later in the session Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland outlasted Juddmonte’s Simon Mockridge and Shadwell’s Angus Gold to secure the Frankel filly out of Via Lazio from the Cumanis’ Fittocks Stud at 425,000gns.

“She’s a lovely sweet filly who looks racy," the agent said. "She’s probably one of the more precocious Frankels as she looks like she’ll come to hand early. We’ll take her back to Ireland to be broken and a trainer will be decided on later. She’s for an existing client who’s had some luck with the sire before."

Via Lazio was bought by Sara Cumani for 210,000gns at the December Mares Sale in 2019. The daughter of Lawman is a half-sister to three black-type winners, most notably three-time Grade 1 winner Admire Mars. The mare’s two-year-old, the Zoustar filly From Beyond, brought an update to the catalogue page by running third in a warm-looking Leicester novice on her most recent outing.

More Stars for a sire on fire

Having supplied day one’s 800,000gns headline act as well as Tuesday’s 700,000gns top lot, Sea The Stars was represented by another big sale when Ballyshannon Stud’s colt out of Group 3 Fairy Bridge Stakes winner Waitingfortheday made 350,000gns to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock, acting on behalf of former trainer and breeder Peter Harris.

“It’s our biggest result ever at Tattersalls,” said Ballyshannon’s James Hughes, who boards Waitingfortheday for breeder Angela Roche. “Sea The Stars is a phenomenal stallion and he’s only going to get better. Angela Roche owns the mare and she arrived at my farm after the sales [in 2019] and we organised the foal share to Sea The Stars and this is the result. We also have a very nice full-sister at home.”

The result was clearly an emotional success for Hughes, who added: “We’ve had the farm since 2000. Unfortunately my late mother, Fiona, passed away in February this year and she would have got a great kick out of this. It would have been great to have her here.”

Explaining the rationale behind his purchase, Harris added: “Jane Chapple-Hyam is going to train him. I like first foals as you start with a clean sheet. I never go for first-season sires because 75 per cent of them are no good, but I think it’s a better percentage with the first two foals out of a mare – you do much better than the average. This is, of course, a theory that is entirely unproven!"

A second lot by Sea The Stars, the filly out of Amazone, brought 350,000gns, with Jake Warren of Highclere Agency striking the decisive blow.

Consigned by Castletown Stud, the youngster was catalogued as a sibling to two black-type performers in German Listed winner Apadanah and the stakes-placed Ancona, while the filly’s full-sister River Of Stars brought a significant update to proceedings having won the Listed Chester Stakes for Ralph Beckett and Woodford Thoroughbreds in late August.

Another for Night Of Thunder

Night Of Thunder’s stock sold like hot cakes right throughout Tuesday and the first offering by the Kildangan Stud resident went the way of Anthony Stroud at 340,000gns.

The colt was consigned by Ballyhimikin Stud, whose James Hanly joked he would need to erect a statue of Night Of Thunder at his County Tipperary farm if the stallion kept up his fine run of form.

This colt is out of Syndicate, a daughter of Dansili bought from the Juddmonte draft at the 2017 December Mares Sale, when Stroud signed the ticket at 25,000gns.

The mare was already a winning sister to the Listed-winning Stipulate when purchased by Hanly but she added a second success to her own race record having switched to John James Feane, while another full-sibling, Runnymede, brought a second helping of bold black type to the page by winning the Group 3 Premio Carlo Vittadini in 2020.

Lot 930: the 340,000gns Night Of Thunder coltCredit: Laura Green

“This colt was a beauty and the sire did him no harm,” said Hanly. “It’s a credit to the staff and the people on the farm. He’s going to John Gosden, so we can hopefully look forward to him being a very good racehorse.

"The mare is in foal to Night Of Thunder again. The pedigree came good after I bought her and my friend John Feane trained her to win a race over in England. The mare showed a lot of ability.”

Prior to Tuesday’s session Night Of Thunder’s 2022 yearling average was running at €251,123, which is a shade over ten times the €25,000 fee at which his current crop was bred. The son of Dubawi, who has been represented by the likes of Highfield Princess and Isaac Shelby this season, stood 2022 at a career-high fee of €75,000.

Well-bred fillies bring 320,000gns

Shadwell continued their October Yearling Sale investment with the 320,000gns acquisition of the Too Darn Hot filly out of Secret Sense from Newsells Park Stud.

The dam won one race herself but is still awaiting her first winner at paddocks, although she hails from one of the finest pedigrees around as she is by Shamardal and out of Newsells Park’s blue hen Shastye, who in turn bred the Group 1-winning brothers Japan and Mogul as well as Middleton Stakes scorer Secret Gesture and the Group 3 victor Sir Isaac Newton, all of whom are by Galileo.

“She has a tough, masculine look about her with plenty of Shamardal,” said Shadwell racing manager Angus Gold. “For us she’s obviously something quite appealing and fits the remit of what we’re trying to do by finding fillies with pedigrees.

“She has one of the best in the book this week and I saw her at the farm a month ago and loved her. Sheikha Hissa liked her very much and was keen to have her. It’s hard to value fillies like her in this market this week, and you don’t know who’s still here, but I thought she could make a bit more so I was glad to get her for that price.”

Shastye was also a smash hit in the sales ring as her offspring generated a staggering 14,200,000gns in Tattersalls yearling receipts. While her daughter Secret Sense has some way to go to match those exploits, she has got her commercial career off to a promising start with her first four yearlings offered at public auction having fetched a combined 1,085,000gns.

The 320,000gns mark was hit for a second time later in the session when Cheveley Park Stud’s managing director Chris Richardson landed the Kodiac filly out of Shareva bred and offered by Tally-Ho Stud.

The youngster is a sister to the smart two-year-old Indestructible, who romped away with a Windsor novice stakes before twice finishing runner-up to subsequent Dewhurst hero Chaldean, the most recent occasion coming in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes.

The dam, a placed Rip Van Winkle sibling to Blandford Stakes scorer Shamreen and the Grade 3-winning Shahroze, joined the Tally-Ho broodmare band at a cost of €62,000 at the Goffs February Sale in 2019 when offered by her breeder, the Aga Khan Studs.

“We’re looking for a couple of sharper types this week and she’s a very nice athletic filly,” said Richardson. “We have a share in Kodiac so we’ve used him and it’s a line that’s a good outcross. Mrs Thompson will assess everything in the next couple of days and decide [on trainers] for the [two] fillies we bought last week and this week.”

Sakheer sibling puts young pinhookers in clover

Strong trade ensured that there were some monster pinhooking touches landed throughout the session, with The Gals Gals syndicate turning a 21,000gns Havana Grey colt into a 150,000gns Peter Brant purchase, Mountain View Stud’s son of Masar went from 32,000gns foal to 240,000gns Sackville Donald yearling buy, while Ard Erin Stud also struck gold with their Exceed And Excel colt out of Shortmile Lady.

The youngster was a half-brother to Group 2 Kilboy Estate Stakes scorer Lemista when brothers Tom and Davy Brickley signed for the colt at 50,000gns at last year’s December Foal Sale, but the page had received a significant subsequent boost from another important sibling.

Sakheer was catalogued as unraced but having fetched €550,000 at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale, but has since won a Haydock maiden by no less than six lengths before romping away with the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes by three and a half lengths. The son of Zoffany races for KHK Racing having been bought by Oliver St Lawrence, and the same agent signed the ticket for Ard Erin’s promising youngster at 270,000gns.

“It’s unbelievable, isn’t it?,” Davy Brickley said as he reflected on the result. “He’s been a dude of a horse from the get-go and we loved him as a foal. He oozed quality and had a really good way about him and he just grew into himself all the way through.”

He added of the timely pedigree update: “It’s some luck, but that’s the beauty of this game. Sakheer looks like the real deal so it’s class. This is our second year of doing yearlings so it’s going well and we’ve been lucky. We had seven pinhooks this year and we’re happy with how it’s gone. We’ll enjoy it while the going’s good.”

St Lawrence said the Exceed And Excel colt had been sourced on behalf of clients of Fawzi Nass but said no trainer had been decided upon yet. “He was an obvious horse for us to buy,” said St Lawrence. “We think an awful lot of Sakheer and this is a big, strong horse who passed the vet. Sakheer is possibly a little bit bigger, he’s got a big, powerful shoulder on him.”

Having announced himself as one of the year’s most exciting juveniles the Roger Varian-trained Sahkeer had been set for a tilt at the Dewhurst Stakes after being supplemented for the Group 1 at a cost of £35,000. However, he was ruled out just before declarations after a dirty scope, and St Lawrence confirmed the exciting prospect would be wrapped in cotton wool ahead of a Classic campaign next season.

“He’ll be put away now as there’s nothing else for him to run in and there’s no point chasing after him after the dirty scope,” said St Lawrence. “We were very confident he’d stay seven furlongs and Roger thinks he will stay a mile. We haven’t had that sort of discussion yet but I’d imagine we’ll give him a Guineas campaign to start with and run him in a trial.

"I don’t know what he beat at Newbury; we were looking forward to finding out on Saturday but it wasn’t to be. I felt as if Roger had punched me when he rang me in the morning but that’s the way it happens.”

More news and insight from Tattersalls:

The Gals Gals enjoy fantastic pinhooking return at Book 2

'Dreams do come true!' - Sea The Stars colt brings 800,000gns at Book 2 opener

The year's priciest yearling, a 999 call and a lime green outfit - James Thomas's Book 1 diary

The perfect storm: how the elements combined to fuel blockbuster Book 1

Frankel colts to the fore again as records fall in astonishing Book 1 trade