'If they keep winning, we’ll keep buying' - Cunningham continues recruitment drive with 160,000gns Dark Angel colt

An invigorated buying bench drove a lively trade at Tattersalls on Tuesday, where the Somerville market was led by a pair of 160,000gns purchases.

Tattersalls offered a significantly slimmed down catalogue compared to 12 months ago, with 257 lots coming under the hammer during a single session. Last year saw 426 yearlings presented over a two-day affair. While this inevitably impacted aggregate sales, all other key market indices showed healthy year-on-year gains.

The average price was up 21 per cent to 34,255gns, a new high mark for the sale that was underpinned by ten six-figure lots, while the median rose by 14 per cent to 25,000gns, having been 22,000gns in 2024.

The clearance rate was a rock-solid 89 per cent as 230 yearlings found a buyer. A 40 per cent cut in offered lots saw turnover clipped in by 12 per cent at 7,878,500gns.

Rebel reloads

Phil Cunningham’s Rebel Racing outfit has already enjoyed a productive 2025, both on the track and beyond. The year began on the Gold Coast where he teamed up with leading Australian trainer Ciaron Maher to take a slice of a Snitzel colt who fetched a then-auction record A$2,800,000.

At the start of last month Cunningham revealed in-house trainer Richard Spencer would be setting up a Dubai branch of the Newmarket operation, while Two Tribes has carried the Rebel Racing colours to victory in a pair of heritage handicaps, the most recent of which came in the Stewards’ Cup at Glorious Goodwood.

Cunningham has also been busy restocking for next season and beyond, and Highflyer Bloodstock’s Anthony Bromley bid 160,000gns on the owner's behalf to secure the Dark Angel colt out of Measure Of Magic offered by Grangemore Stud.

The colt is the first foal out of the mare who won a pair Listed sprints for Johnny Murtagh and also finished third in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup won by Campanelle in 2021. The six-figure youngster was born on January 3.

“I think he’s got the earliest foaling date of a yearling I’ve seen this year!” said Cunningham. “Hopefully he’ll be early. The optimistic trainer tells me this will probably be our first two-year-old runner next year, so let’s see if he’s right.”

Phil Cunningham: "I think he’s got the earliest foaling date of a yearling I’ve seen this year!"Credit: Alisha Meeder

Spencer added: “We’ve had luck with the sire so hopefully he is what he says on the tin.”

That was far from the team’s only acquisition of the day. With around 50 lots still to sell, the Highflyer-Cunningham axis had signed for six lots at an outlay of 577,000gns, putting them in pole position on the buyers' table. The group included a 135,000gns son of Too Darn Hot offered by Plantation Stud and a 100,000gns Mehmas colt from Tally-Ho Stud.

The Tattersalls spend follows on from Doncaster, where the team signed for eight lots at an outlay of £830,000.

“We’ve bought some more expensive horses [of late],” added Cunningham. “We tend to come to Doncaster and here and look for the more precocious types we can crack on with and it seems to be going well. If they keep winning, we’ll keep buying.”

Bromley was also involved in the purchase of ten yearlings with Eve Johnson Houghton, a haul that cost a combined 277,000gns. By the close of trade, Highflyer’s name had appeared on the docket of 27 lots for a cumulative spend of 1,218,000gns, meaning Bromley accounted for 15 per cent of turnover and 12 per cent of sold lots.

Havana Grey filly exceeds expectations

Earlier in the day a three-way tussle propelled the Havana Grey filly out of Josefa Goya to the head of the market. The business end of the bidding concerned Richard Hughes and an unidentified online bidder, but it was Rabbah Bloodstock’s Jono Mills who came over the top of that pair with a bid of 160,000gns.

The filly was bred from Fonthill Stud’s foundation family by Lord Margadale and sold by Norris Bloodstock, who presented Windsor Castle Stakes scorer Havana Hurricane at this event 12 months ago.

“She has been extremely busy, we’ve had plenty of vets, which gives you confidence, and she vetted clean,” said consignor Jenny Norris. “It’s lovely for Lord Margadale; he wasn’t going to give her away, he’s had the whole family and it’s close to his heart, but I said we could be brave as she’s been very popular.”

She added: “We didn’t expect her to make quite that much, but we had targeted this sale to be a standout. The pedigree is strong enough to go later in the year, but the family has done so well here that we wanted to keep that trend going. It’s a good start to the Tattersalls season for us – let's hope she goes on to become a Royal Ascot winner!”

The Havana Grey filly out of Josefa Goya is knocked down to Rabbah Bloodstock for 160,000gnsCredit: Alisha Meeder

The filly is a sibling to five winners, most notably Listed Prix la Fleche scorer Francisco's Piece and Italian Group 3 winner Windstormblack, who later raced in Hong Kong Campione. She is bred on the same cross - Havana Grey over Sakhee’s Secret - as the Group 3 scorers Rumstar and Rosy Affair and the Listed-winning Cuban Mistress.

Auctioneer Matt Hall described the filly as having “Queen Mary written all over her” and Mills said he expected the six-figure signing to come to hand early.

“She’s a very nice filly by a very exciting stallion and she’s been reared by a great farm,” said Mills. “I thought she was near the pick of the fillies today. She’s a balanced, attractive horse. We’re hopeful she’ll be a proper two-year-old. Training plans will be decided in the near future.”

Rabbah Bloodstock secured six new recruits for a combined 497,000gns and at an average of 82,835gns.

The 160,000gns price tag equalled the high mark for this sale, which was set in 2022 when Hughes secured the winning and Group 3-placed Zoustar filly Star Music.

Powerstown Stud strikes for Starman colt

Kia Joorabchian was in the building adding to Amo Racing’s rapidly expanding string, but he had to give best to breeze-up consignor Tom Whitehead when Tally-Ho Stud presented the Starman colt out of Pooky. The Powerstown Stud man brought the gavel down with a bid of 145,000gns.

Kia Joorabchian was among the buyers at Park Paddocks for the Tattersalls Somerville SaleCredit: Alisha Meeder

“He’s going breezing,” said Whitehead. “The stallion is flying and this is a nice horse. I’ll probably bring him back here [for the Craven Sale] if the wheels stay on the wagon. Hopefully he’ll be lucky. I bought three last week in Doncaster, where I thought the market was very strong, and it seems to be strong here today too.”

The colt is the first foal of the speedily bred dam, who is herself out of the dual Listed scorer Firenze and therefore a half-sister to Belgrave Stakes scorer Harry's Bar.

Durcan snares daughter of 'red-hot' sire

Ted Durcan was alongside Richard Hughes as the July Cup-winning trainer continued his recruitment drive, but it was under the agent’s own name that he secured Plantation Stud’s Palace Pier filly at 135,000gns.

The youngster is out of Sweet Gardenia, winner of the Tipperary Listed contest registered as the El Gran Senor Stakes.

Palace Pier has created a favourable impression with his first two-year-olds, with his juvenile crop containing Lowther Stakes winner Royal Fixation and the Stonehenge Stakes scorer Morris Dancer. His roll of honour was added to on Saturday when A Bit Of Spirit, a graduate of last year’s Somerville Sale, landed the Group 3 Solario Stakes.

Plantation Stud's Palace Pier filly out of Sweet Gardenia sells to Ted Durcan for 135,000gnsCredit: Alisha Meeder

“The sire’s red hot so I’m over the moon to have her,” said Durcan. “I’m not sure who’s going to train her yet but she’s for an existing client. She looks nice and racy, she’s a lovely moving filly.”

On the state of trade, Durcan added: “I genuinely think any nice horse is making its money. There was a strong market last week [in Doncaster] and it’s a strong market here today. There’s plenty of people around and nice horses aren’t being missed by anyone. I think it’s a healthy market overall.”

Barnett battles back

Nathaniel Barnett filled the role of underbidder when the Dark Angel colt out of Measure Of Magic made 160,000gns, but the agent atoned for that reversal later in the day when striking for a filly by the same sire at 120,000gns.

The youngster in question was presented by Yeomanstown Stud and is a sister to the black type pair Diabolic, a Listed winner at Woodbine, and McManaman. The six-figure filly is set to go into training with Karl Burke.

Nathaniel Barnett: 'This filly has a very strong page and looks a lovely, precocious type'Credit: Alisha Meeder

“She’s been bought for Will Sangwin,” said Barnett. “So far all of the horses we’ve had together have been in France, and we’ve had a lot of luck out there, but Will’s based up in Yorkshire and was keen to have a horse over here.

“I had a two-year-old with Karl last year called Antonin Dvorak, he was the only yearling for our syndicate [Pimlico Racing] and he won a couple and then sold very well here [bought by Najd Stud for 220,000gns]. That prompted the decision to go back to Karl here.”

Barnett added: “We had a good go at the Dark Angel earlier and underbid him, and she was next on the list. It’s just a coincidence they’re both by Dark Angel, but obviously this filly has a very strong page and looks a lovely, precocious type. Hopefully she’s one that’ll crack on early next year.”

Mahony hails record renewal

In his end-of-sale address, chairman Edmond Mahony said: “This is the fifth year of the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale, and it has proved to be a record-breaking edition, with a joint-record top price, a record number of six-figure lots, a new benchmark for the average, and a clearance rate of 90 per cent [including private sales]

“The sale has quickly established itself as an important fixture in the European yearling sales calendar, and there has been plenty of positive feedback from consignors regarding the high level of inspections over the past couple of days.

“With racecourse successes such as Royal Ascot winner Havana Hurricane, purchased for just 9,000gns last year, and Group 3 Solario Stakes winner A Bit Of Spirit two of 41 Group or Listed performers since 2023 – it is no surprise that the sale has produced such strong results.

“Combined with the prize-money increases for both the Somerville and October Auction Stakes, each of which will be run for a minimum of £200,000 in 2026, it is clear that the Somerville Yearling Sale continues to go from strength to strength.

“We made a conscious decision this year to reduce the number of lots in the catalogue, shortening the sale from two days to one, a move that has been met with numerous positive comments. We now look forward to Books 1 - 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and to showcasing the cream of the European yearling crop.”