Shadwell end two-year sales ring hiatus with 880,000gns Book 1 buy

Shadwell ended a near two-year sales ring hiatus on Tuesday when the operation’s long-serving racing manager Angus Gold went to 880,000gns for the Siyouni filly out of Lah Ti Dar offered by Watership Down Stud during the opening stages of Book 1 at Tattersalls.

Described as “nearly priceless” by auctioneer Alastair Pim, Gold faced stiff competition from Hubie de Burgh, stood with John Camilleri, breeder of Winx, and Kieran Lalor of Al Shira'aa Farms, who was bidding with David Cox. However, after a series of 50,000gns increases had pushed the bid board to 850,000gns Gold delivered the decisive 30,000gns raise from the front of the bidders’ area.

“Sheikha Hissa is very excited to have bought a filly with a pedigree like that,” said Gold. “Obviously there’s an awful lot going on in there and the first three dams are all Group winners, so it’s an incredibly strong family that’s been well nurtured by the Watership Down team over the years.

"We’re hoping to buy some pedigrees for the future and she has one of the strongest pages in the catalogue.”

Lot 24: the Siyouni filly out of Lah Ti Dar sells for 880,000gnsCredit: Laura Green

The filly is the first foal out of Lah Ti Dar, winner of the Group 2 Middleton Stakes in the colours of Lord Lloyd-Webber. The daughter of Dubawi is out of dual Group 1 winner Dar Re Mi, which makes her a full-sibling to the top-class Too Darn Hot and Musidora Stakes winner and Prix de l’Opera third So Mi Dar. The page goes back to Watership Down’s foundation mare Darara, whose five black-type offspring include Rewilding, winner of the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes in 2011.

“We’re delighted with the price and feel it’s an excellent one,” said Watership Down’s Simon Marsh. “She’s a very nice filly and we have an enormous amount of the family to breed from on the farm. We’re thrilled that Angus Gold, Shadwell and Sheikha Hissa have purchased her.

"She’s a fantastic filly for anyone breeding and we’re incredibly lucky to have been breeding from this fantastic family for 25 years. We wish Sheikha Hissa the very best of luck with her.”

Shadwell had not bought at public auction in Europe since the Goffs November Foal Sale in 2020, after which the operation underwent a significant restructuring that saw the volume of stock scaled back.

Considerable drafts of Shadwell-bred and owned stock have been offered across a range of foal, yearling, horses in training and breeding stock sales during the last two years, and Shadwell are also among the consignors offering yearlings at Book 1, with a Too Darn Hot colt out of Layaleena sold to George Boughey for 75,000gns during Tuesday’s session.

Baaeed and Jim Crowley go to post for the Juddmonte International at YorkCredit: Edward Whitaker

The outfit, which is now headed by Sheikha Hissa, daughter of late founder Hamdan Al Maktoum, has enjoyed a banner year on the racecourse led by the brilliant Baaeed, whose ten-out-of-ten record includes six Group 1s. The son of Sea The Stars is set to make his swansong in the Qipco Champion Stakes.

Other top-level prizes have been scooped by Haydock Sprint Cup winner Minzaal and Malathaat, who claimed her fourth US Grade 1 in the Personal Ensign Stakes. Shadwell enjoyed further success on the Saturday of Arc weekend when the Owen Burrows-trained Anmaat continued his upward trajectory with victory in the Group 2 Prix Dollar.

They re-entered the public market at Keeneland last month, when $2.5 million was spent on four lots, headed by a $750,000 daughter of Constitution.

Sheikha Hissa was among those in attendance at Tattersalls and was spotted inspecting yearlings during Monday’s day of showing, and met with Sheikh Mohammed prior to the start of the sale on Tuesday morning.

Gold added: “As far as I know [it’s her first visit to Tattersalls], and it’s certainly her first time coming around looking at horses but I think she’s really enjoyed it. People have been very kind around the sales ground and given her a big welcome. It’s lovely to be able to walk around with her.”

More news:

Dubawi filly brings 'heart-stopping' 1,300,000gns as Book 1 begins with a bang

Yearlings by first-crop sires to keep an eye on at Tattersalls on Wednesday