'We're over the moon' - small breeders in clover as Stroud buys 145,000gns filly

Many of the big hitters had left town by the time Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale kicked off at Park Paddocks on Thursday, but still in attendance was agent Anthony Stroud, whose perseverance was rewarded when he signed for a brace of six-figure lots during a decidedly solid day of trade, including the session-topping Territories filly at 145,000gns.

Consigned by Mickley Stud on behalf of breeders Fred Ellis and Thorsten Feddern, the filly boasted a major catalogue update with her half-sister Breathtaking Look landing the Group 3 Sceptre Stakes during the St Leger meeting.

"My friend Fred Ellis and I have been breeding in partnership for 20 odd years and Breathtaking Look was our first Group winner together," said a delighted Feddern, a vet based near Milton Keynes. "This filly is the third generation of the family we've bred together."

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The May foal is out of Love Your Looks, a Listed-placed daughter of Iffraaj who in turn is out of the Listed-winning Play Around. The six-figure transaction represented a best-ever result for the Ellis and Feddern partnership, who breed under the banner of Ellis Stud and Bellow Hill Stud.

"We would've kept her if she hadn't reached her value - but not at that price!" continued Feddern. "We had lots of interest, though it was the same last year with the half-sister, she made her money [43,000gns] but it was nothing like this.

"We're over the moon and I wouldn't have dreamt that we'd crack the hundred thousand mark with this filly. For once it's all worked out perfectly. For us as small breeders it's essential to work in co-operation with Mickley, they did an excellent job here this week, as you'd expect."

BOOK 3: DAY ONE STATS

Offered279
Sold239 (86 per cent)
Aggregate5,211,500gns (down three per cent)
Average21,800gns (up two per cent)
Median16,000gns (unchanged)

The filly was bred during Territories' debut season at Darley's Dalham Hall Stud. The Group 1-winning son of Invincible Spirit, who is from the family of Shamardal and Street Cry, has been available at £12,000 since retiring to stud.

Stroud, who saw off the attentions of frustrated underbidder Joe Foley, said: "She's for an existing client, no decision has been made about where she'll be trained but it'll either be here in England or in France.

"We particularly wanted to buy one by the sire and she looks a very good model. Territories has been throwing some really nice types; she's racey, very athletic and looks fast."

Fred Archer's new recruit

The Fred Archer Syndicate has enjoyed some big days on the track in recent seasons, with The Tin Man winning three Group 1s, including last year's Haydock Sprint Cup, and Archer's Dream dead-heating in the Cathedral Stakes.

And the enthusiastic ownership group now has an exciting new recruit to look forward to after Stroud secured the first six-figure lot of the session, Archer's Dream's half-brother by Free Eagle, at 125,000gns.

"This horse was bought by Jacko and James Fanshawe - more Jacko than James - and will race for the Fred Archer Racing syndicate," said Stroud with a wry smile. "They have Archer's Dream, who they liked a lot, and this is a really nice horse, a nice easy goer who's very athletic. He looks like he'll come to hand early, he'll definitely make a two-year-old."

Bred by Anne Coughlan and offered by Mountain View Stud, the colt is the third foal produced by the useful sprinter Badr Al Badoor, a daughter of Acclamation.

"That's a great result," said Mountain View's Rory Mahon. "He's a very nice colt, very well balanced and looks like a racehorse. It's a good family too. The mare is in foal to Roaring Lion and, colt or filly, I'll be selling that foal in the future. Free Eagle's had a good year too, though I think he'll look like an even better sire next season with his three-year-olds."

Anthony Stroud: 'Everyone assumes I'm here for Godolphin but I still work for other people'Credit: Laura Green

As a central member of Godolphin's buying team, Stroud has been in the spotlight throughout the October Yearling Sale, including at Book 1 where he signed 19 dockets totalling 17,575,000gns on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed's operation.

However, Stroud said it would be folly for rival bidders to presume he is spending on behalf of Godolphin each and every time he steps into the ring.

"Everyone assumes I'm here for Godolphin but I still work for other people. I've tried to buy horses for other people over these last few weeks, I just haven't been able to because the market's been so strong," he said, before acknowledging the part Sheikh Mohammed has played in proceedings.

"There's a huge appetite for horses, but you can't underestimate the contribution coming from Dubai; be that Sheikh Mohammed, Sheikh Hamdan or their friends. We should all be grateful for what they continue to contribute to our industry."

De Vega for Dunlop

Another lot to fetch six figures was the Lope De Vega filly out of Horse Sense offered by Jamie Railton, with the €115,000 pinhook knocked down to Ed Dunlop at 100,000gns.

From the family of Pearly Shells and Magna Grecia, the filly is the first foal out of the unraced daughter of Canford Cliffs.

"She's been bought for an owner who's very keen on Lope De Vega," said Dunlop. "We tried to buy earlier in the week but didn't manage to get anything. She's a lovely, good-walking filly so we're delighted to have got her."

Foley thinks outside of the box

Joe Foley has unearthed a gem or two when panning for gold at past editions of Book 3, including when unearthing Jersey and Boomerang Stakes winner Space Traveller in 2017. The master of Ballyhane Stud was back in action on Thursday and gave 62,000gns for a daughter of Nayef, the sole offering by the sire among the 2,084 lots in the October Sale

"She's for Clipper Logistics," said Foley. "We've been lucky on this day before as we bought Space Traveller here two years ago. I like thinking outside of the box and, as we all know, Nayef is a good sire of fillies."

Joe Foley: 'I like thinking outside of the box'Credit: Laura Green

Another to be offered by Mountain View Stud, the strong-looking filly is the first foal out of Alqubbah, a winning daughter of Arcano who was also placed at Listed level for Shadwell. Further back it is the family of 2,000 Guineas hero Magna Grecia. The dam was bought for £30,000 through Howson and Houldsworth at the 2017 Tattersalls Ascot August Sale.

"The mother was a good, fast filly and the grandmother was good too so it's a deep family," added Foley. "She's a beauty with a lot of class. We'll pick a trainer for her in the new year."

Cox does his Due Diligence

Whitsbury Manor Stud has seen its resident stallion Due Diligence get his second career off to a flying start this year, with his 16 winning sons and daughters topped by a trio of stakes performers, namely the Group 3 scorers Good Vibes and Streamline and the Listed victor Sir Boris.

Those results no doubt contributed to the Due Diligence filly out of Group 2-placed Tongue Twista offered by Whitsbury Manor attracting a winning bid of 60,000gns from Clive Cox early on in Thursday's session.

"She's a real forward-going, ants in her pants sort of filly," said Whitsbury Manor's Ed Harper. "We couldn't have asked for a better first season with Due Diligence with three stakes winners, two of which we bred at Whitsbury, and hopefully this filly will be the first stakes winner of his second crop."

Clive Cox (centre) gets the lowdown from Ed Harper (right) after buying Whitsbury Manor Stud's Due Diligence filly for 60,000gnsCredit: Laura Green

Cox has first-hand experience with the progeny of Due Diligence, having saddled Streamline to success in the Sirenia Stakes last month.

"We've done well with the stallion's progeny already," said Cox having signed the docket. "Streamline was an impressive winner for us, and he came from the same breeders too. She's a really racy filly and a nice model and looks like something to go to war with."

Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale continues on Friday at 10am.

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