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

A Book 1 for the ages concluded on Thursday with five more seven-figure lots and a top price of 2,000,000gns as unprecedented trade saw previous records in all key market metrics blown clear out of the water.

A staggering 126,671,000gns was spent across the three sessions, which is not only a 47 per cent year-on-year increase but a 19 per cent gain on the previous best, which was set in 2018 when turnover hit 106,503,000gns.

The average price was up 30 per cent at 298,752gns, also a new record, while the median was 200,000gns, a 25 per cent increase compared to 12 months ago and 19 per cent more than the previous high mark of 167,500gns in 2018. The clearance rate was 87 per cent as 424 lots sold from 489 offered.

Day three’s top lot was knocked down to Richard Knight, bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client, who went to 2,000,000gns for the Frankel colt offered by Watership Down Stud, consignor of Wednesday’s 2,800,000gns headline act.

The blue-chip youngster was bred by Bjorn Nielsen from Bold Lass, a daughter of Sea The Stars who won four times during her own racing career. Her first foal and only runner to date is the Listed-placed Speightstown filly Amniarix.

“Obviously he’s by Frankel and I underbid a filly by the stallion yesterday,” said Knight after signing his second seven-figure docket of the sale. “They’re as hot as anything and hard to buy so I was well aware we were going to have to pay a good price to get him. He’s a scopey, quality colt and he’s a very relaxed, athletic horse who vetted well.

“The dam has already produced a 100-rated horse and he comes from a nice family. He’s just a lovely colt and we probably had to take on Godolphin, which was never going to be easy. That was the top of our budget but about where we thought we’d have to go to get him.”

Bold Lass is out of My Branch, who won a brace of Listed contests and also finished a narrow runner-up to Blue Duster in the Cheveley Park Stakes. She bred eight winners at paddocks, including Haydock Sprint Cup heroine Tante Rose. Another daughter, Rosie's Posy, is the dam of the Group/Grade 1 winners Dubawi Heights and Make Believe, who is also the sire of Mishriff.

Richard Knight: 'It’s no surprise at all that it’s been such an amazing sale'Credit: Laura Green

The second session of Book 1 became the highest-grossing day in European auction history as 144 sold lots brought turnover of 49,545,000gns, and a flurry of early activity ensured day three began in similar fashion.

Knight reflected on the strength of trade by saying: “This is the best catalogue of individuals we’ve seen at any yearling sale this year. The yearling sales have been very strong so far and we’ve come here and they’ve got the best individuals, so it’s no surprise at all that it’s been such an amazing sale.”

He added: “Top-end bloodstock always seem to be in a slight bubble from the real world and that’s always been the case. We’re very fortunate as an industry that people want to have horses racing in Britain, Europe and worldwide.”

Knight was the second-biggest spender across the three sessions with 16 yearlings sourced for an outlay of 10,455,000gns. Frankel ended the sale as the leading sire by aggregate, with his 25 lots bringing receipts totalling 18,745,000gns and an average of 749,800gns for yearlings bred at a fee of £175,000.

Coolmore catch Frankel fever

Just two lots earlier Coolmore’s MV Magnier, joined by Peter Brant, outbid Godolphin’s Anthony Stroud, who stood with Sheikh Mohammed, at 1,900,000gns for the Frankel colt out of Blue Waltz offered by the Cumanis’ Fittocks Stud.

Magnier and Brant’s White Birch Farm signed for 13 lots for a combined 10,215,000gns across the three days, and 65 per cent of that spent went on four lots by Frankel, headed by the 2,400,000gns sibling to Broome.

MV Magnier: signed for 16 lots totalling 11,465,000gnsCredit: Laura Green

“It’s very exciting, especially considering I’m still an apprentice at this job!” quipped Luca Cumani. “This is only our third year consigning and we had one make 1,600,000gns yesterday [Dubawi colt bought by JS Company and Yoshito Yahagi] and this colt make 1,900,000gns today. It’s been an amazing week and the market has been very strong, and long may it continue.

“It’s very exciting to be part of this environment, I love it. We thought he might make five [hundred thousand] or eight or up, but beyond that you just don’t know.”

The colt is a brother to the winning Blue Boat, who races for Juddmonte Farms after the operation bought him for 450,000gns at Book 1 in 2020. Blue Waltz is a Pivotal half-sister to four winners, most notably the Grade 3 scorer Fantasia and the Group 3 Give Thanks Stakes victress Pink Symphony, who is also the dam of Gleneagles’ Grade 1-winning son Highland Chief.

Luca Cumani: 'It’s very exciting, especially considering I’m still an apprentice at this job!'Credit: Laura Green

The Cumanis race their smart homebred Dubawi colt Out From Under in partnership with White Birch Farm, and Luca explained their connection went back several decades, saying: “Peter has been a friend for many years and I used to train for him in the 80s and early 90s.

“I actually trained the dam of Thunder Gulch [Line Of Thunder] for him and a good filly called Roseate Tern, so we’ve known each other for donkey's years. I’m very grateful to MV and Paul Shanahan, and especially my staff who have done a wonderful job, they’ve really over-excelled themselves.”

Fittocks Stud sold 11 yearlings for a combined 6,010,000gns across the three days, averaging 546,364gns.

Godolphin go again

Godolphin atoned for those earlier reversals when the operation secured two seven-figure lots by their kingpin stallion Dubawi later in the session.

The first was the colt out of God Given, the daughter of Nathaniel who supplied Luca Cumani with his final Group 1 success when winning the Premio Lydia Tesio on her racecourse swansong. Stroud struck the winning bid at 1,500,000gns.

Offered by Whatton Manor Stud and bred by Andrew Stone’s St Albans Bloodstock, the youngster is a half-brother to the Charlie Appleby-trained Silver Knott, winner of the Group 3 Solario Stakes and a leading fancy for Saturday’s Autumn Stakes at Newmarket. The colt is also closely related to God Given’s Dubawi half-brother Postponed

Lot 504: the Dubawi colt out of God Given brings 1,500,000gns from GodolphinCredit: Laura Green

“When you breed a lovely horse it’s always very sad to see them go, but I have 16 mares and one has to keep the operation alive,” said an emotional Stone. “We’re so blessed to have wonderful buyers in the market who are prepared to pay such a wonderful price for a well-bred horse.

“Having bred Postponed I was so excited to see him go on and do so well, and now Silver Knott, and I hope this horse is really good for his new owner. It’s exciting for our little breeding operation and we’re so humbled and really very thrilled.”

Stone reflected on the experience of watching the seven-figure bidding battle unfold by saying: “It was slightly surreal if I’m being honest. He’s such a special horse and he walked around the ring really well. He’s just a big imposing colt and I’d say there are several similarities between him and Postponed.

"It’s the stuff dreams are made of. I’m lost for words, really. A lot of credit must go to Ed Player and the team at Whatton Manor because they do such a fantastic job.”

Andrew Stone: 'It was slightly surreal if I’m being honest'Credit: Laura Green

Stroud added: “We have the half-brother who’s a very promising horse. He comes from a very good hotel and I thought he was a very imposing Dubawi. Charlie’s record with Dubawis is second to none. I thought he was a very nice horse. This one is a bigger, stronger model than the half-brother.”

Around an hour later Godolphin stretched even further to secure the Dubawi colt out of How from Longview Stud, who fetched a final bid of 1,600,000gns.

Bred by Highview Bloodstock, the youngster is another bred on the Dubawi-Galileo cross as the dam is a sister to Classic-winning siblings Minding, Tuesday and Empress Josephine, who in turn are out of dual Group 1 heroine Lillie Langtry.

How was bought by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for 680,000gns in 2019 and her two yearlings through the Tattersalls ring, both bought by Godolphin, have sold for a combined 2,075,000gns.

Lot 530: the Dubawi colt out of How after fetching 1,600,000gnsCredit: Laura Green

Godolphin were out clear at the head of the leading buyers’ chart with 35 new recruits sourced at a cost of 25,355,000gns, a figure equal to 20 per cent of turnover and more than double their nearest challenger. Stroud reflected on a record-busting renewal of Book 1 by saying: “To me it’s been a very, very good sale. I think the horses have really been exceptional, a really good group.

“I think it’s been very competitive with a lot of visitors from America, Coolmore participating, Godolphin participating, it’s nice to see Shadwell, that’s fantastic, the Japanese have bought, and overall prices have been strong and breeders are getting paid. It’s nice to see it was in the Telegraph today and on Good Morning Britain this morning on television. I think overall the standard of horses is reflected by the prices.”

Sheikh Mohammed had been at the side of the Godolphin buying team throughout the final day of inspections and the three days of selling, and Stroud added: “It’s fantastic that Sheikh Mohammed is here. He’s been here for many years and it’s his judgement, he’s lived with horses all his life and he knows them better than all of us.”

Fueled by strong home support from Godolphin, Dubawi was the sale’s leading sire by average as 21 of his sons and daughters brought a mean sum of 849,524gns and an aggregate of 17,840,000gns. The Dalham Hall Stud resident has spent the last six breeding seasons at a fee of £250,000.

Sackville’s strongarm tactics

Some punchy bidding tactics saw Ed Sackville land the Dubawi half-brother to Tropbeau offered by Norris Bloodstock, as the agent brought the gavel down by pushing the price from 900,000gns to 1,000,000gns in one fell swoop. He signed the ticket in the name of Manor House Farm, the nom de plume of John and Jess Dance’s racing outfit.

“He’s a lovely horse by an iconic stallion out of a young, proven mare,” said Sackville. “The whole team loved him: John and Jess Dance, Maria Ryan and James Horton.

Ed Sackville: 'If you want to hang with the big dogs you’ve got to bark loud!”Credit: Laura Green

"We’ve tried on plenty but he’s one who we were prepared to go to the max for. We’ve been strong on a number of horses this week but he’s by Dubawi and if, God willing, he becomes a good horse then he’s worth a lot of money.”

When asked about his strongarm bidding manoeuvre, Sackville said with a grin: “If you want to hang with the big dogs you’ve got to bark loud!”

Bred by Lord Margadale, the colt is a half-brother to two winners in Tropbeau, whose finest hour came in the Group 2 Prix du Calvados, and the useful six-time scorer Toussarok.

St Lawrence secures Judge sibling

Oliver St Lawrence has enjoyed a banner year on the racecourse having purchases such as Bradsell, Eldar Eldarov and Sakheer land major prizes such as the Coventry Stakes, St Leger and Mill Reef Stakes respectively.

And the agent was among those to make a noteworthy purchase on Thursday when he went to 800,000gns for the Sea The Stars half-sister to Just The Judge. Bred by Joan Keaney Dempsey and offered by Corduff Stud, the filly became the pricest lot by Sea The Stars offered at Book 1.

The filly is out of Faraday Light, a 19-year-old daughter of Rainbow Quest who was bought by Keany for just €26,000 in 2007.

“He’s for Fawzi Nass and his team,” said St Lawrence. “She’s a lovely filly out of a slightly old mare but she’s sister to a Group 1 winner and there’s lots of fillies in the pedigree so hopefully there’ll be lots of updates to come.

"She’s got a big, wide chest on her and she walks along well. We tried to have a go on the Battaash sister last night but we didn’t even get a bid in!

“The market has been incredibly strong, particularly yesterday. I’ve been surprised at just how strong it’s been, but there hasn’t been a bad sale yet this year. It just seems to march on. I don’t entirely understand it but it’s great for the industry.”

Day three contributed 45,133,000gns to aggregate sales, a 45 per cent gain on 2021’s comparative figure. The average was 320,092gns, up 29 per cent, and the median was 320,092gns, up fully 33 per cent against the 180,000gns recorded 12 months ago. Some 141 lots sold at a clip of 86 per cent.

Mahony hails 'extraordinary' sale

At the conclusion of three blockbuster days, Tattersalls’ chairman Edmond Mahony said: “This has been an extraordinary yearling sale. When the first two lots through the ring on Tuesday morning made 500,000gns and 1,300,000gns, the stage was set and the pace has been unrelenting from that moment on.

“Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale annually showcases the very best yearlings to be found in Europe, and even by the lofty standards of this special sale we felt that this year’s catalogue was out of the ordinary. Nevertheless, we could not have predicted the extraordinary level of trade we have experienced over the past three days.

“Record turnover in excess of 125 million guineas, a rise of almost 40 million guineas on last year’s October Book 1, as well as a record median and a record average price just under 300,000gns are impressive statistics by any standards, but the progression of this sale in recent years has been truly remarkable. Only 12 years ago Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale produced turnover of 48 million guineas and an average of 107,000gns, which puts this week’s remarkable figures into context."

He added: “As well as the huge rises in all of the key indicators, an unprecedented 73 yearlings have sold for 500,000 guineas or more and there have been 16 which have broken the million guineas mark, with the 2,800,000gns Frankel colt from Watership Down Stud being the highest-priced yearling sold anywhere in the world this year.

“Impressive as all the statistics are, the real feature of Book 1 of the 2022 October Yearling Sale has been the sustained demand at all levels of the market, which has contributed to a clearance rate well in excess of 85 per cent.

"Buyers from throughout the world, most notably the Gulf region, America, China, Japan and throughout Europe, have all made a significant impact on a record-breaking sale and particularly notable has been the presence of so many of the world’s most successful racehorse owners here at Park Paddocks for the duration of the sale.

“Their confidence in Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale is hugely appreciated and reflects not only the outstanding quality of the yearlings which the vendors commit to the sale year after year, but also the sale’s unrivalled reputation for producing Classic and Group 1 winners and Newmarket’s status as the European hub of the thoroughbred business."

He went on: “In addition to so many of the world’s leading owners, the number of British and Irish trainers active throughout the week has been notable and their presence has without doubt been influenced by the £7,200,000 in October Book 1 Bonus prize-money which we have distributed since 2016.

"The £20,000 Tattersalls October Book 1 Bonuses are hugely popular and to see so many beneficiaries reinvesting this week is a strong endorsement of a scheme which continues to reward owners at all levels of the Book 1 market.

“To have rewritten the Book 1 record books and to have seen so many breeders and consignors so richly rewarded this week has been wonderful. Europe’s premier yearling sale has lived up to its reputation in spectacular fashion and we look forward to sustaining the momentum into Books 2, 3 and 4 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale starting on Monday.”

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