A new connection for O'Ryan as 320,000gns Carracci kickstarts Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale

Aidan ‘Mouse’ O'Ryan is best known for his connection with the Gordon Elliott stable, but the agent’s 320,000gns acquisition that headlined day one of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale is headed east rather than west after being secured on behalf of a new Middle Eastern client. 

O’Ryan signed on behalf of SBS Global, the nom de plume of Saudi Arabia’s Prince Saud bin Salman, when Coolmore presented Carracci, a winning and Group 3-placed son of Quality Road. The three-year-old was third to Hans Andersen in the Ballylinch Stud 'Red Rocks' 2,000 Guineas Trial Stakes back in April, and was last seen finishing fourth behind Piz Badile in the Listed Diamond Stakes at Dundalk. His latest effort saw him achieve a career-best Racing Post Rating (RPR) of 108. 

“He’s a lovely horse and the sire, Quality Road, speaks for himself,” said O’Ryan. “They love the stallion in Saudi Arabia and he’ll head out there as soon as possible. The profile suits, his form is good and he has a brilliant pedigree.” 

Carracci is out of Butterflies, a Group 3-placed daughter of Galileo and the blue hen Mariah's Storm. This blue-blooded lineage means the dam is a sibling to the likes of Giant's Causeway and You'resothrilling, who in turn bred Gleneagles, Happily and Marvellous, among others.

Carracci: "They love the stallion in Saudi Arabia and he’ll head out there as soon as possible"Credit: Laura Green

This was the third time the SBS Global name has appeared on a six-figure docket at Tattersalls this year, as they also secured the 115,000gns French Claim and the 100,000gns Pivotal Revive during the August Sale. Those two purchases were made through agent Marco Bozzi. 

O’Ryan added: “SBS Global have bought plenty of horses; they were buying yearlings in Keeneland and in Europe, as well as breeze-up horses and then horses in training here in August. This is my first time buying for them, I just got a call asking to give them a bit of help. We were anxious to get Carracci so I’m delighted we were able to get him. He was the main one they wanted.”

That transaction helped Coolmore head to the top of the consignors’ table as the operation sold 14 lots for a combined 805,000gns. The draft also contained the Listed-placed Salt Lake City, who went the way of Australia-based outfit Domeland at 100,000gns.

Firebird takes flight

Firebird may have much less form in the book than some, but she realised one of the day’s biggest prices nonetheless having been knocked down to an online bid from Stroud Coleman Bloodstock and Paddy Twomey at 260,000gns. Alastair Donald filled the role of underbidder.

Offered by Barton Sales on behalf of Lady Ogden, the two-year-old daughter of Lope De Vega was a big eyecatcher on her sole start to date, in which she was beaten a length and a quarter into second in an Ayr maiden won by Golden Strike. After running on strongly from in rear the filly was awarded an RPR of 71. 

That performance backs up the promise offered by her pedigree as she is a sibling to two useful performers in four-time winner Tolstoy, who boasts an RPR of 103, and Balalaika, a 92-rated daughter of No Nay Never last seen running third in the Sandringham Stakes at Royal Ascot. Balalaika came under the hammer during the July Sale and topped the third day when she was knocked down to BBA Ireland at 330,000gns.  

Firebird: "She’s a good-looking sort by Lope De Vega"Credit: Alisha Meeder

“She’s been bought for a client as a racing and then breeding prospect,” said Matt Coleman. “She goes to Paddy Twomey. We know the filly well as I looked after the late Sir Robert and Lady Ogden’s horses. She’s a good-looking sort by Lope De Vega, has always shown plenty in training [with Rebecca Menzies] and put in a promising run on her debut. Fingers crossed she can go on to get some black type next year.” 

Coleman added: “All of the mare's runners have achieved high ratings, and this year's Too Darn Hot yearling made 110,000gns [to Powerstown Stud during Book 1]. Bluestocking, who’s under the second dam, finished second in the Irish Oaks in July and was a neck second to Poptronic in the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes on Saturday, so it’s a happening family.” 

De Foy makes 215,000gns play for Hong Kong-bound Rascal

The once-raced Rascal Recknell is set to switch from Owen Burrows to Kevin Philippart de Foy before potentially heading on to Hong Kong after bringing 215,000gns late in the session. De Foy explained the two-year-old son of Wootton Bassett was set to sport the colours of Wee Sean Gan, owner of recent Cornwallis Stakes scorer Inquisitively. 

“He’s been bought for the same owner as Inquisitively,” said De Foy, who signed the docket alongside the name Sam Wright Bloodstock. “The plan is the same with this horse, we’ll keep him in Britain for a bit before sending him to Hong Kong. 

"We’ll give this horse plenty of time, he’s a nice, big colt and he made a very good debut. He looks like a good prospect.”

Rascal Recknell: Wootton Bassett colt is bound for Hong KongCredit: Alisha Meeder

An €80,000 Arqana yearling purchase by Durcan Bloodstock, Rascal Recknell ran third on his debut at Sandown in August for an initial RPR of 80. That form has received several notable boosts, with the winner Royal Supremacy scoring again from an official mark of 82, runner-up Colorada Dancer winning at York and the fourth, Skellet, landing her next race before finishing a neck second in the Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes. 

“We might run him once this year but the plan is basically to give him as much time as possible.” added De Foy. “He’s a big horse with a big frame but we’ll look to run him a couple of times before he heads to Hong Kong next summer. He has plenty of scope when you see him and I was a little surprised he ran in August, but he showed plenty of ability that day.” 

De Foy also provided an update on Inquisitively, saying: “He’s having a break at the moment so the future is on hold for the time being. We’d love to see him in Europe next year but at the moment there are no plans. He’ll have a break and we’ll see what happens.”

Malone makes his Move 

Golden Move sparked a clash between rival National Hunt talent spotters as Tom Malone, standing by the acorn on the ringside, and Harold Kirk, bidding from the top of the staircase opposite the rostrum, went toe to toe well into six-figure territory. The former brought the gavel down at 215,000gns. 

Offered by Richard Fahey’s Musley Bank Stables on behalf of Rabbah Bloodstock, the three-year-old son of Golden Horn hit a peak RPR of 89 when winning over 12 furlongs at Doncaster back in July. He has finished third on his last two outings, including when behind Mr Alan at Nottingham five days before coming under the hammer. 

“He looks like he wants all of a mile and a half given his run style, which suits us perfectly, and he goes on soft ground,” said Malone. “He’s a beautiful, big scopey horse and we can give him all the time he needs. I loved him. 

"He’s a lovely model and he’ll head to Paul Nicholls. He’s by Golden Horn, who’s a National Hunt stallion now, so it all made sense.” 

Golden Move: powerful son of Golden Horn went the way of Tom MaloneCredit: Laura Green

On the stallion, who relocated to Overbury Stud for the 2023 covering season, Malone added: “The good thing for Britain is that Golden Horn stayed here. When Jayne McGivern took over ownership, that stopped him going to Ireland, because there’d been some huge offers for him. That’s a big positive for the British industry.” 

The Musley Bank Stables draft also featured the 93-rated three-time winner Wootton'Sun, who went the way of another high-rolling Saudi Arabian outfit in Najd Stud at 170,000gns. 

Malone also went to 100,000gns for Golden Maverick, a five-time winner offered by Ian Williams’ Dominion Racing Stables. The son of Zarak, a 35,000gns Guineas Breeze-Up graduate with a rating of 89, heads to Jamie Snowden. 

Kirk may have missed out on Golden Move but Willie Mullins’ sales ring ally had better luck earlier in the day when he won out at 100,000gns for Night Moon. The three-year-old son of Sea The Moon was catalogued as being placed twice but had opened his account in emphatic fashion when scoring at Listowel by eight and a half lengths on his latest of nine starts for David Marnane. 

That success came from an official rating of just 60 but was by some way a personal best and was allotted an RPR of 82. 

Bourne gets busy

This sale has been a happy hunting ground for Australian buyers and the Ciaron Maher team got in on the act when the stable’s head of bloodstock Will Bourne went to 140,000gns for the lightly raced Kings Valley. The two-year-old son of Territories ran four times for Ollie Sangster and twice hit an RPR of 82 when placed in maiden and novice company at Sandown. 

William Bourne: "He’s very athletic, sound, clean-limbed and has good feet, so he ticked a lot of boxes"

The colt is backed up by a big Southcourt Stud pedigree as he is a half-brother to Crystal Pegasus, who was Group 3-placed at Flemington for Chris Waller, and Crystal Hope, who was third in a Listed contest at Newbury for Sir Michael Stoute. This dam, Crystal Etoile, is a sibling to the likes of Crystal Ocean, Crystal Capella and Hillstar. 

“We’ll send him to Harry Eustace for now and then bring him out to Australia as soon as possible,” said Bourne. “It should be straightforward bringing him down and getting him into the system; he looks like a horse who’ll suit our south Sydney stable. He’s run some really good races and has probably been a bit unlucky. 

“He’s still a maiden but he’s lightly raced and only a two-year-old. He’s very athletic, sound, clean-limbed and has good feet, so he ticked a lot of boxes for Ciaron. When I was speaking to him and sending him videos, he was very keen on this horse.” 

He added: “Obviously Territories stood in Australia but I think we’ve trained only one or two of them before, we haven’t had much by him. In Sydney now they have Super Maidens that are worth A$100,000 (£52,000/€60,000), so hopefully he can pay for his plane ride down by winning one of those before going through the grades.” 

The Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale got under way on MondayCredit: Alisha Meeder

Kings Valley was making his second appearance at the sales after being bought by Sangster for 65,000gns during last year’s Book 3. 

Trade seemed to gather momentum as the session wore on and by the time the last of 277 lots had been offered the clearance rate was 84 per cent as 234 found a buyer. 

Turnover was down 27 per cent as 6,273,500gns changed hands, 2,292,600gns less than was spent at the corresponding session 12 months ago. The average was also down by 18 per cent year on year at 26,810gns, although the median was identical to last year’s at 16,000gns.

The five-day Autumn Horses in Training Sale continues on Tuesday at 9.30am.

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