'He could be another Bucanero Fuerte' - Robson Aguiar nets £200,000 sale-topping Wootton Bassett colt

A well-related son of Wootton Bassett with more than a passing resemblance to wide-margin Phoenix Stakes hero Bucanero Fuerte led the market in Doncaster on Wednesday as the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale got off to a particularly lively start. 

Introduced by auctioneer Andrew Nolan as being by “one of the hottest sires in the world”, the youngster was the subject of a prolonged bidding tussle that ended at £200,000 when Robson Aguiar played the winning hand online. 

Aguiar is hoping to repeat the success he has enjoyed with Bucanero Fuerte, who he sourced for €165,000 at Arqana a little over 12 months ago. 

“He really reminded me of Bucanero Fuerte when I bought him as a yearling,” said Aguiar. “He’s got a good loose walk, he’s very athletic and has a good pedigree. If he works out I think he could be another Bucanero Fuerte. I see a lot of value in this horse at that price.” 

The Wootton Bassett half-brother to Flying Childers Stakes winner Trillium is knocked down to Robson Aguiar for £200,000 at the Doncaster Premier Yearling SaleCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

Aguiar is not only a leading breeze-up consignor but also a key cog in the Amo Racing machine. He said plans remain fluid for his latest headline purchase, adding: “I bought him for myself at the moment but we’ll see, maybe later on I could have a partner in the horse. I’ll get him home, break him in and see how he’s going before deciding what I do with him. He could breeze or race but I like him a lot and for me he really stood out in this sale.” 

Coolmore's Wootton Bassett has enjoyed a banner year on the track, with Bucanero Fuerte joined by other high-achieving sons like King Of Steel and River Tiber. His current crop of yearlings are the first bred since the son of Iffraaj made the switch from Haras d’Etreham to Ireland, where he was introduced at €100,000. 

The six-figure youngster was bred by the Keswick family’s Rockcliffe Stud and offered through Highclere Stud. He certainly has the pedigree to live up to his eye-catching price tag as not only is he by a sire on fire but is out of the Dick Poole Stakes runner-up Marsh Hawk, making him a sibling to three winners, all of whom have black type. 

The highest achieving of the trio is Trillium, who saw off The Platinum Queen to land last year’s Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes. Marsh Hawk’s other offspring include the Listed-placed pair American Kestrel and Mohawk King. 

“We’re delighted with the price,” said Ed Sackville, bloodstock advisor to the Keswick family. “Rockcliffe have had a lot of luck selling at this sale. They sold a £200,000 horse here last year [Mai Dubai], who won yesterday. Goffs always do a great job and we thought this horse was perfect for this sale and a standout on pedigree. Best of luck to the purchaser, who has a fantastic record with the stallion.”

The busy session of selling generated turnover of £9,082,000, a one per cent year-on-year increase, an average of £49,629, which was up ten per cent, and a median of £36,000, a dip of five per cent. The clearance rate hit a healthy 84 per cent as 183 sold from 218 offered. 

Sackville on Point 

Sackville was on the other side of the docket later in the session when he signed for Longview Stud’s Blue Point colt at £180,000. The youngster is out of So Hi Society, a daughter of Society Rock who was Listed placed and fourth in the Lowther Stakes during her time on the track. 

“I thought physically he was a real standout,” said Sackville. “The sire needs no introduction, he’s obviously out of a fast race filly, and the pedigree goes back to a lovely Wildenstein family. 

“He’s going to be trained by Dave Loughnane, who has a good record with two-year-olds. He’s been bought for a British owner who was keen to get a two-year-old type, so we thought there’s no better place to come than to Doncaster.” 

Longview Stud's Blue Point colt out of the stakes-placed So Hi Society Credit: Sarah Farnsworth

Blue Point has stolen a march on his first-season sire rivals with 30 European winners and five stakes performers, most notably Molecomb Stakes scorer Big Evs.

The son of Shamardal was represented by another six-figure lot later in the session when Peter Fahey signed alongside Clive Cox at £110,000 for Pier House Stud’s colt out of Spark Fury. The youngster was pinhooked as a foal for just 37,000gns before the sire’s debut runners reached the racecourse. 

Donald's smash and grab

Jamie Railton’s Earthlight filly was among the sale’s talking horses and a three-way contest broke out when the youngster took to the ring. 

Bobby O’Ryan, taking instructions on the phone by the ringside, initially duelled with Alex Elliott, who was hidden away in the offices. Just when it looked as though the latter had won out, Alastair Donald joined the fray with a solitary bid that pushed the price to £160,000. 

The filly, a sibling to two winners and from the family of Group 1 performer and sire Zousain, is set to sport the familiar black and red colours of Hong Kong-based owner PK Siu. 

“She’s for Ed Walker and a Hong Kong client,” said Donald. “She was the only one on the list, so I can go home now! I loved her to bits. Mr Siu had Waipiro and Stormy Antarctic and we’ve bought the odd filly for him before. The last filly we bought him was Indian Blessing and she was a Group filly.”

The Earthlight filly out of Nozhar in the Doncaster ring on TuesdayCredit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

Darley’s Earthlight covered his debut book at a fee of €20,000 and had three lots average €108,335 at the Arqana August Sale. Donald said of the sire: “I haven’t seen many by Earthlight but a couple made a lot of money in Deauville and the talk is very hot on him.” 

The six-figure transaction also yielded a tidy profit for Railton, who pinhooked the youngster for 62,000gns when she was offered by Tweenhills at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale. 

“The team that prepped her did a great job,” said Railton. “She was an exceptional physical. She could’ve gone to any sale as she was in Book 1 and Arqana. Tim Kent [Goffs UK managing director] was keen to have her so we were happy to support Goffs. I’m glad it’s worked out because she deserved every penny of that. She’s a really good horse. We’re very lucky that we have a good team who prepare these horses and an amazing sales team. The horse does the rest.” 

Hughes on the hunt 

Richard Hughes was among the day’s busiest buyers and the trainer capped a productive afternoon by securing the catalogue’s sole offering by Sea The Stars at £160,000. Consigned by Barton Stud, the colt is out of Tiger Eye, a winning Frankel sibling to the Group 2 scorers Caspian Prince, Spirit Quartz and Tuscan Gaze, the latter of whom won the Italian Derby. 

“You don’t get many by Sea The Stars at Doncaster,” said Hughes. “He’s out of a Frankel mare though, which I thought was an even bigger bonus. I really liked the horse and didn’t think he’d be affordable to be honest. He probably lacked an inch in height to fit in at a different sale but we bought a Frankel here for £200,000 [Mai Dubai] last year and he won his maiden yesterday, so you can get the odd horse like that here.” 

Reflecting on his buying spree, Hughes added: “We got six in the end. Five of them were bought on spec, so I’ve got to go home and sell them now!”

St Lawrence on the march 

Havana Grey continues to go from strength to strength and agent Oliver St Lawrence confirmed himself among the sire’s fanclub when he went to £150,000 for a colt from Hillwood Stud. The youngster was another profitable pinhook from the session having cost Hillwood €52,000 at last year’s foal sales. 

An upwardly mobile young sire is not the only positive to be gleaned from the colt’s pedigree, as his dam, Ski Slope, is out of Flying Five Stakes winner Danehurst, which makes her a sibling to Listed scorer Birch Grove and Magic, dam of this year’s crack three-year-old sprinter Shaquille. 

The Havana Grey colt out of Ski Slope who made £150,000Credit: SARAH FARNSWORTH

“I loved the horse from the first moment and I’m a big fan of Havana Grey, he’s really going places,” said St Lawrence. “He marched along and he’s got a nice pedigree. If he manages to win a big race he’s got enough there to be a stallion. He’s a lovely horse.” 

The agent’s purchase was made on behalf of Bahraini interests. No firm training have been put in place but Archie Watson stood besides St Lawrence as he signed the docket. 

Another lot brought £150,000 later in the session when Teme Valley Racing’s talent scout Richard Ryan secured a son of New Bay offered by Barton Stud. The colt is the first foal out of the 101-rated Intello mare Sweet Promise. 

“He’s a smashing individual out of a mare who was very useful and very rated highly,” said Ryan. “He’s by an exceptional stallion and he’s probably a league above quite a lot of what’s here. He very much fits our profile and we’ve had an awful lot of luck with the stallion. We have a fair notion about who’ll train him but it’s still to be fully decided.” 

The luck with New Bay that Ryan referenced includes Teme Valley racing the likes of Bayside Boy, the Group 1-winning miler who now stands alongside his sire at Ballylinch Stud, and the Group 2-placed three-year-old New Endeavour. 

Bromley joins Rebel alliance

A new alliance between leading dual code agent Anthony Bromley of Highflyer Bloodstock and Rebel Racing’s Phil Cunningham was cemented with the purchase of six yearlings for an outlay of £557,000. The most expensive of the sextet was a son of Mehmas from Tally-Ho Stud who fetched £145,000. Peter Fahey was consigned to the role of frustrated underbidder. 

There are plenty of Classical influences in the pedigree as the half-brother to Listed winner Justifier is out of a half-sister to Kew Gardens. However, the colt’s new connections expect the youngster to come to hand sooner rather than later. 

“He’s a nice straightforward colt that looks like he’ll be a two-year-old runner we can go to war with next year,” said Rebel Racing’s retained trainer Richard Spencer, who expanded on the association with Bromley. “This is a new thing for this year. Phil was keen to get Anthony on board and hopefully we can have a bit of success.” 

Bromley added: “We’re looking for fast two-year-olds, that’s the plan. Mehmas was on our wish list and this colt looked like the archetypal Mehmas. He’s square, has a good bum on him, walks well and comes from a speedy family and the dam was fast. He ticked all the boxes, apart from the fact he was getting a bit expensive! I don’t normally spend up to that level but he looks a proper two-year-old type that’ll hopefully do well for Rebel Racing.”

Breeze-up buyers to the fore

Breeze-up pinhookers were out in force, with a host of six-figure purchases bound for next year’s two-year-old sales. Havana Grey’s Prix Morny winner Vandeek has emerged as the breeze-up sector’s latest poster boy, with the Glending Stables graduate going on to Group 1 glory having been purchased by Anthony Stroud for 625,000gns. 

Norman Williamson will be hoping his son of Havana Grey will prove similarly successful after going to £120,000 for a colt from Whitsbury Manor Stud. The youngster is out of a daughter of Pivotal and hails from the Cheveley Park Stud family of Echelon and Integral. 

“We all saw what Vandeek did,” said Williamson. “The sire is absolutely on fire so I’m delighted to get him. To me he looks like a horse that will need a bit of time but he’s a great mover and has size and scope. I haven’t been able to buy one by Havana Grey before so I’m happy to get one. We had to stretch but that’s what it’s like, the better ones are making a premium.”

He added: “The plus here that gave me a bit of extra confidence is the fact that he’s out of a Pivotal mare. I think in the spring he’s going to turn into a nice horse. Fingers crossed.” 

Earlier in the session Willie Browne and Jim McCartan, signing as JB Bloodstock, went to £105,000 for a Night Of Thunder colt out of a sister to Group 2-winning sprinter Ertijaal from Baroda Stud. Browne explained he was adjusting his approach ahead of next year’s breeze-ups in response to buyers’ reliance on the clock. 

He said: “We’re trying to buy quality rather than quantity. We’ll be cutting down on numbers and being a bit more selective. You need to buy a horse that you believe will clock a good time, instead of buying a good-looking horse that may not. You need something that looks quick.” 

Asked if he felt the clock had a major bearing on buyers’ habits at this year’s breeze-ups, Browne said: “Unfortunately, yes. I’ve never seen it so important. To be fair, most of the quick ones turn out to be the good ones.” 

He also explained what appealed about the Night Of Thunder colt, saying: “This horse is easily explained as the dam is breeding well, her progeny are all highly rated, and Night Of Thunder needs no introduction. He looks like a fast horse; he’s wide and strong with great hindquarters.” 

The dam has bred two winners, including three-time scorer Khanjar, who boasts a Racing Post Rating of 107, and Pinafore, another triple winner rated 99. 

The Premier Yearling Sale continues on Wednesday at 10am. 

Doncaster Premier Yearling Sale

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