'He'll be our first horse with Eve Johnson Houghton' - Middleham Park bags sale-topping Golden Horde colt

The 2023 edition of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale came to a close on Saturday, with Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony acknowledging "a recalibration from the dizzy heights of last year" when records had been broken at an astonishing rate. 

From 1,862 lots offered this year (compared to 1,847 in 2022), 1,531 sold at a clearance rate of 82 per cent and for turnover of 158,567,500gns (down from 199,325,100gns in 2022). The average of 103,571gns was down 18 per cent year-on-year, while the median of 52,000gns was ten pent cent lower.  

The final session of Book 3 and the single Book 4 session concluded proceedings, with Middleham Park Racing going to 35,000gns in Book 3 to secure a colt by Sumbe's first-crop sire and Commonwealth Cup winner Golden Horde. 

Consigned by Jamie Railton, the chestnut is out of the Mastercraftsman mare Habbat Reeh, making him a half-brother to Dhabab, a dual winner, third in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes and last weekend a close fourth in the Nearctic Stakes at Woodbine. He is set to join Eve Johnson Houghton as the first Middleham Park horse with the Group 1-winning trainer. 

Middleham Park's Tom Palin said: "We loved him and thought he was the standout of the day. He looks a real racy type with a nice walk and it's an active page as well; his half-brother was beaten only half a length in a Grade 2 in Canada last Sunday. 

The Golden Horde half-brother to Superlative Stakes third Dhabab takes his turn around the Park Paddocks sales ringCredit: Alisha Meeder

"I've been impressed by the Golden Hordes; he was a very fast racehorse and his stock look racy as well. He'll be our first horse with Eve Johnson Houghton; she's delighted to train him for us. I don't like to pigeon-hole trainers but she seems to have had a particularly good season with her two-year-olds."

He added: "You could see him winning a nice restricted race on his debut, and then look at what Eve tends to do – Woodcotes, Ascot and all those sales races along the line. It's great to have her on the Middleham Park trainers' roster."

The colt's unraced dam is a half-sister to multiple Listed winner and Group 2-placed Boomshackerlacker and to Pink Moon, dam of Listed Further Flight Stakes winner Rajinksy. 

Just four lots earlier, Henry Candy had struck the winning bid for Overbury Stud's filly by red-hot first-season sire Too Darn Hot. The Dalham Hall Stud stallion is responsible for Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Fallen Angel and May Hill Stakes winner Darnation from six black-type performers overall.

Henry Candy: "I'm delighted to have something by Too Darn Hot"Credit: Alisha Meeder

The trainer said of his 34,000gns purchase: "My client wanted a grey filly and this is what she is! I'm delighted to have something by Too Darn Hot, the page is absolutely fine and she fits the bill." 

The first foal out of the stakes-placed Lethal Force mare Grey Mystere, her page includes Prix Saint-Alary winner Coquerelle, Prix de Malleret winner Luth De Saron and Roi Normand, winner of the Grade 1 Sunset Handicap at Hollywood Park. 

Bursea Lodge's filly from the first crop of Whitsbury Manor Stud's Sergei Prokofiev was another highlight, selling to the Ontoawinner syndicate for 30,000gns. The bay is out of the winning Lord Shanakill mare Little Lady Katie and is a half-sister to three-time winning Adaay filly Enraged.

The Castlebridge Consignment's Mehmas colt out of Moment Of Hope, a winning daughter of Casamento, also made 30,000gns when selling to Michael Dods. The February-born individual hails from the family of St James's Palace Stakes winner Excellent Art and Railway Stakes winner Painted Cliffs.

Adam Kirby took home the 16,500gns Book 4 top lot, a colt by Expert Eye out of Electric Feel, a half-sister to triple top-level winner Glass Slippers. She was consigned by Windmill Farm.

End of sale statement

While unable to match the blockbuster 2022 edition of the October Yearling Sale, this year's figures were nonetheless well above-par, and Mahony said at the conclusion of trade: "Although some way below last year’s runaway record-breaking returns, a substantial sum has been spent at Tattersalls which has been bettered only once.

Edmond Mahony: "The preeminent status of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sales owes everything to the support of the breeders and consignors"Credit: Laura Green

“There have been some memorable highlights, including the 2,000,000gns October Book 1 sale-topping Frankel colt, who is the highest-priced yearling to be sold in Europe this year, the 725,000gns Dubawi filly who headed Book 2 and is the second-highest-priced filly ever sold at Europe’s largest yearling sale, and some astounding pinhooking triumphs throughout the past two weeks which, as ever, reflect the professionalism and commitment of the consignors.

“The pre-eminent status of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sales owes everything to the support of the breeders and consignors, primarily from Britain and Ireland, but also from France, Germany and Italy, who entrust us with the cream of the European yearling crop year after year. Evidence of this support and the peerless quality of the yearlings is to be seen on racecourses around the world, with Tattersalls yearlings consistently winning at the highest level on the global stage."

He continued: "To date in 2023 Tattersalls yearlings bought for as little as 5,000gns have won Group 1s in Britain, Ireland and France as well as Australia, Hong Kong and the USA. It is this unrivalled level of achievement which brings buyers to yearling sales at Tattersalls from throughout the world, alongside the domestic British and Irish buyers, for whom the Tattersalls October Yearling Sales are unmissable. 

The Tattersalls October Yearling Sale concluded on SaturdayCredit: Alisha Meeder

“While the total 2023 yearling spend at Tattersalls has been the second highest ever, we should recognise that there has been a recalibration from the dizzy heights of last year and we should pay heed to this. With specific regard to Books 3 and 4, it has not been ideal to have coincided with the top-class racing at Newmarket, but this will not be the case again for the foreseeable future. 

"With a wider perspective, our industry faces challenges which we all acknowledge. Nevertheless, we should not lose sight of the fact we have an outstanding internationally admired product, much of which has been showcased over the past two weeks at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sales and which we will continue to work tirelessly to promote."

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