'I didn't expect him to make that' - Najd Stud goes to 90,000gns for Pinatubo colt

The growing popularity of Darley’s up-and-coming sires has been one of the running themes throughout sales season, and that trend was in evidence again at Tattersalls on Friday as a colt by Pinatubo led the morning market on day two of Book 3. 

Bred by Rabbah Bloodstock and offered by Barton Stud, the half-brother to Group 3 Sirenia Stakes scorer Mighty Gurkha was knocked down to Najd Stud representative Saud Al Qahtani at 90,000gns. 

“I hope Pinatubo will be a good sire,” said Al Qahtani. “He was a champion two-year-old, champion of Europe and by Shamardal, so why not? We put 100,000gns for him as our budget. He might stay here or go to Saudi, we will think about this and decide later on. It’s a good market and a very good selection of horses at Tattersalls.” 

That purchase took Najd Stud’s October Yearling Sale haul to 15 lots and an aggregate spend of 1,386,000gns. The priciest of the operation’s acquisitions were the Pinatubo half-brother to Recovery Run and the Wootton Bassett half-sister to Northern Express who fetched 300,000gns apiece during Book 2. 

Barton’s managing director Tom Blain was another to give Pinatubo his seal of approval, although he admitted this colt’s session-topping price had come as a pleasant surprise. 

Saud Al Qahtani (right): "He was a champion two-year-old, champion of Europe and by Shamardal, so why not?"Credit: Alisha Meeder

“He’s a lovely horse but I didn’t expect him to make 90,000gns,” he said. “He’s been great here, he’s behaved really well, and the stallion is going from strength to strength it seems. His horses have improved a lot from foals to yearlings and we’ve had three now and they’ve all made good money. He’s a very exciting stallion prospect for Darley.” 

On the 90,000gns colt, Blain added: “I’m pleased for the owners. He was born and raised with us and has been very straightforward. He’s a lovely horse and he stood out today. Not deliberately, but he did and that’s got to be a good thing. You’re making decisions on these horses in the spring and they can change so much, but it’s always better to stand out on a lesser day.” 

Following the morning session of Friday’s instalment of Book 3, Barton Stud had sold 44 lots across the October Yearling Sale for receipts totalling 4,111,000gns. Reflecting on trade over the last two weeks, Blain said: “We’ve had a great sale. There have been a couple of mixed results and I think the market is down a little bit but I’m a big believer in being positive. All we can do is control the quality of stock we have on our stud and do our best to sell them to the best people.” 

Tate goes Far for Above colt 

James Tate knows all about Far Above having trained the son of Farhh to win the Group 3 Palace House Stakes before he retired to Starfield Stud, where he was introduced at a fee of €6,000. 

The Newmarket handler now has the sire’s most expensive yearling to date to look forward to having gone to 70,000gns for the Q-Cross Stables-consigned colt out of Bittern. 

“He’s a lovely horse and reminds me very much of his father,” said Tate. “He’s a good size, strong, he looks quick and looked particularly good up here in the ring. I’m looking forward to seeing if he can go as fast as his daddy.”

The dam won two modest races during her time in training with Charlie Appleby then Emmet Mullins, but has already bred one better than herself in the 95-rated Lady Of Inishfree. 

The Far Above colt out of Bittern who went the way of James Tate for 70,000gnsCredit: Alisha Meeder

The winner and Listed fourth is closely related to the 70,000gns colt as she is by Far Above’s sire Farhh. Lady Of Inishfree was at her best at two but Tate said he is expecting speed but not necessarily precocity from this colt, who is the third Far Above to be added to his string. 

“Far Above showed me a lot as a juvenile but he didn’t run as a two-year-old, so we’ll just see how we go with this lad,” he said. “I’m sure he’ll be quick and we’re looking forward to breaking him in.”

This was another good result for Q-Cross Stables as the colt was pinhooked under the banner of Biltern Bloodstock for 27,000gns last November. Luke Coen’s operation also saw a daughter of Invincible Spirit go from €23,000 foal to 115,000gns yearling when knocked down to Joseph O’Brien and Olivia Perkins-Mackey on Thursday.

Coulsty colt catches the eye

Second in the morning market reckoning was Rathasker Stud’s Coulsty colt out of Syamantaka who fetched 48,000gns from trainer Ollie Pears. The youngster is a sibling to Gray's Inn, a two-time winner by Inns Of Court who was last seen finishing fourth in the Group 3 Staffordstown Stud Stakes. 

That transaction continued a fruitful Book 3 for the Rathasker Stud resident, as the operation’s Maurice Burns said: “We had three by him catalogued in Book 3 – a filly made 60,000gns [bought by Howson & Houldsworth Bloodstock and George Margarson] yesterday, this colt fetched 48,000gns and another filly made 45,000gns [from Stroud Coleman Bloodstock and Kevin Philippart De Foy]. 

The Coulsty colt out of Syamantaka sells to Ollie Pears for 48,000gns at Book 3Credit: Alisha Meeder

“We’re delighted with the way the stallion has been received. He’s already proven he is a Group 1 stallion and people are remembering that and coming back. He had small crops and now he has big crops, and we hope he is going to go from strength to strength. They have good physicals, good minds and good bone and we’re delighted with the way they are selling.” 

Coulsty’s yearling crop was bred at a fee of just €4,000 and his Rathasker-consigned trio sold for an average of 51,000gns at Book 3. The sire of Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup scorer Shantisara should have plenty of representation in the coming years as he covered 104 mares in 2021 and 158 in 2022. 

Middleham Park mix it up

The Middleham Park Racing team were among those still batting away on Friday morning and they were rewarded for their perseverance when landing Baroda Stud’s Australia half-brother to Group 2 Vintage Stakes third Room Key at 42,000gns. 

While the leading syndicate’s familiar sky blue silks have been seen aboard speedsters like Prix de l'Abbaye heroine The Platinum Queen and Haydock Sprint Cup second Shouldvebeenaring in recent times, Tim Palin said the group were taking a new direction with the purchase of this colt. 

Middleham Park strikes for Baroda Stud's Australia half-brother to Vintage Stakes third Room Key at Book 3 Credit: Alisha Meeder

“We’re mixing it up a bit and buying a few horses with more middle-distance profiles as they have good residual value,” he said. “If he gets to a rating of 85 or 95 he could be worth a bit further down the line. He’ll probably go to a Newmarket trainer who will bring him along nice and steadily, probably give him a few handful of runs at two and train him essentially with a three-year-old career in mind.” 

A damp morning and even wetter evening stint produced only routine trade, although the split sessions means year-on-year comparisons are redundant. Selling on Friday produced aggregate sales of 1,728,500gns, an average price of 12,175gns and a median of 10,000gns. The clearance rate was 75 per cent as 142 lots sold from 190 yearlings offered.

The Tattersalls October Yearling Sale concludes on Saturday, with a session comprising Books 3 and 4 beginning at 9.30am. 

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