'He’s an unbelievable stallion' - Godolphin and Amo Racing clash over 3,700,000gns son of Sea The Stars

Godolphin, with Sheikh Mohammed at the centre of the huddle, squared up against Amo Racing as a well-related son of Sea The Stars fetched 3,700,000gns midway through the opening session of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. 

Amo principal Kia Joorabchian was back in his usual position opposite the rostrum, while Sheikh Mohammed and his advisors were stationed outside by the parade ring. Godolphin talent scout Anthony Stroud issued the final 200,000gns increase that moved the colt to the head of the Book 1 market. 

“Don’t walk away from me,” implored auctioneer John O’Kelly as Joorabchian paced about the bidders’ area. But when the Amo Racing man declined to take the bait, the hammer fell on the day’s third millionaire offering, out of five by the close of play. 

The colt became not only the most expensive yearling of 2025 but the most expensive ever sired by Sea The Stars. The youngster is also the joint-fifth most expensive lot to change hands in Book 1 history. The roll of honour is headed by the 5,000,000gns Galileo filly Al Naamah, who went the way of Al Shaqab Racing in 2013.

Sheikh Mohammed: the Godolphin principal was on deck at Tattersalls on TuesdayCredit: Laura Green

“He’s exceptionally good-looking and from a very good stud farm,” Stroud said after signing for the Longview Stud-consigned youngster. “He’s by Sea The Stars, it’s a very good Rothschild family and he was majestic in the way he moved. He’s an extremely lovely horse. Obviously the family works well with Sea The Stars, he’s an unbelievable stallion. He really stood out to us among the horses here.” 

The colt is a sibling to three winners, including his Listed-placed half-sister Crystal Caprice and his two-time winning brother Crystal Mariner. The seven-figure youngster is the sixth foal out of Crystal Zvezda, a Listed-winning homebred for Sir Evelyn De Rothschild. 

In turn, the dam is out of Crystal Star, making her a sibling to five winners. These include champion older horse Crystal Ocean, whose finest hour came when getting the better of Magical and Waldgeist to win the Prince of Wales's Stakes. Crystal Ocean is closely related to this colt, with both being by Sea The Stars. Crystal Ocean and Crystal Zvezda are also siblings to three-time Group 2 scorer Crystal Capella and Pattison Canadian International victor Hillstar.

On the price tag, Stroud said: “You have to pay for the ones you really want, and he’s the one we really wanted, without doubt. Valuations are difficult and you always have to pay more than you feel because you want the horse. Godolphin have supported the sale hugely, and it’s only the first day. There’s still two days to go.”

Anthony Stroud: "You have to pay for the ones you really want, and he’s the one we really wanted"Credit: Edward Whitaker

The colt was bred under the Ed's Stud banner after Crystal Zvezda changed hands during the dispersal of stock from De Rothschild’s Southcourt Stud in 2022. Stroud Coleman Bloodstock signed the ticket on that occasion at 775,000gns. The colt is bred on the Sea The Stars-Dubawi cross responsible for six stakes winners, including Group 2 scorers Map Of Stars and See The Fire. 

Godolphin were back into seven-figure territory just five lots later when bidding a round 1,000,000gns for the Too Darn Hot colt out of Dane Street from Airlie Stud. The youngster is a sibling to six winners, most notably Moyglare Stud Stakes heroine Skitter Scatter, who also has a Sea The Stars filly entered in Book 1 as Lot 424 on Thursday. 

Godolphin are already involved in this family as they raced the Listed-winning three-parts brother Victory Dance, while Juddmonte own the Fortune Stakes-winning half-sister Skellet. 

There is plenty of top-level form high up on the page as another half-sister, Data Dependent, is the dam of Belmont Oaks heroine Aspen Grove. Consent, who appears beneath the second dam, won the Group 1 Prix de Royallieu for Sir Mark Prescott at Longchamp on Sunday.

The Blue Point colt out of Boston Rocker sells to Godolphin for 1,000,000gnsCredit: Edward Whitaker

“It’s a great price and I wish Godolphin all the best with him,” said Airlie’s Anthony Rogers. “He’s a lovely horse, he’s a racehorse. You don’t want to believe you’re going to get a million. He had a good update and we’re delighted with the result, but if I start coming to a sale saying ‘I think I’m going to get a million’ then you’re a bit bloody crazy! She’s been an unbelievable mare. We failed to sell her here about 15 years ago. That was quite good!” 

Godolphin returned to a source of past success when bidding 1,000,000gns for a well-related son of Blue Point earlier in the day. The colt was presented by James Hanly’s Ballyhimikin Stud, the same outfit that sold Prince of Wales's Stakes and Juddmonte International hero Ombudsman to Sheikh Mohammed three years ago. 

The Blue Point colt is out of Boston Rocker, making him a sibling to Group 2 winner San Donato and this year’s Gimcrack Stakes runner-up Rock On Thunder. 

“He’s a super horse, he never turned a hair all week,” said Hanly, who bred the colt in partnership with Stroud and the late Lady O’Reilly’s Skymarc Farm. “He travelled very well, he settled in well here, he showed so many times. A week ago he was out in a field without a rug covered in mud! We like to keep them out as much as possible.”

Those purchases helped Godolphin go well clear on the leading buyers’ table, their 9.3 million guineas on ten yearlings more than double the amount invested by the day’s second-biggest buyer, with Amo Racing picking up three new signings for a combined 4.6 million guineas.

More from Book 1:

'If he’s a very good horse he’s going to be a stallion' - Amo Racing outmuscle Coolmore for 3,600,000gns Frankel colt 

Photo gallery: Edward Whitaker's photos from the opening day of Tattersalls Book 1