'She was a standout individual with a standout expression' - Brummitt goes on a spree at BBAG

Agent Jeremy Brummitt was just about the busiest buyer in Baden-Baden, and kicked off his spree with a €160,000 daughter of Palace Pier. The youngster, who is out of the Listed-winning Siyouni mare Sequilla, was offered by Gestut Fahrhof.

“She was bought for an eclectic English owner of epicurean tastes,” said Brummitt. “Unusually for when I’m here, I didn’t particularly buy the pedigree. I thought it would be highly unlikely that I'll see another Palace Pier with as much charisma and as well-balanced. I thought she was a standout individual with a standout expression.” 

Despite his first yearlings receiving a somewhat lukewarm reception at last year’s sales, Palace Pier’s debut crop of runners have created a highly favourable impression on the track. He has sired seven European winners at a clip of 22 per cent, with three of the seven scoring in black type company. 

His leading light so far is Group 2 Lowther Stakes scorer Royal Fixation, and she is joined on the burgeoning roll of honour by Solario Stakes winner A Bit Of Spirit and the Listed-winning Morris Dancer, who struck in the Stonehenge Stakes. 

‘Everybody in our family is crying!’ - sale of €750,000 Sea The Stars filly prompts mixed emotions 

“We used Palace Pier in his first year at stud, so there’s a two-year-old out there that I hope is going to do us a favour,” said Brummitt. “I’m more than prepared to admit I was a little suspicious about the temperament of his yearlings, and maybe this has helped them come to hand early. I thought this filly exhibited none of those traits - she’s a very cold-blooded filly.

“The great thing about horses with high spirits is, they end up in the right hands. I’m not really interested in how well Palace Pier does with his early two-year-olds, I’m interested in how he does with his three-year-olds. In my view, what we’ve seen so far is no more than strongly encouraging. And it is strongly encouraging, but I’ll decide this time next year whether he’s a good stallion. Obviously I’m prepared to back him otherwise I wouldn’t have bought this filly.”

The agent said training plans were to be determined. 

The agent also went to €140,000 for a well-related Stradivarius colt bought in conjunction with Middleham Park Racing and bid €130,000 for Gestut Rottgen’s Sea The Stars colt. The latter buy is the first foal out of Accola, a Listed-placed Scalo half-sister to the Group 3-winning and German Derby-placed Accon. The colt was sourced on behalf of William Haggas. 

“I thought he was a very good example and a very unusual German yearling in that the horse appeared quite forward and very together,” said Brummitt. “Maybe that’s because he’s a relatively early first foal. He’s got a very interesting damline because the mare is inbred 2x3 to Lando. I don’t think he’s a typical Sea The Stars and I don’t think he’s a typical German yearling with a Classic pedigree. He’s looking for an owner, actually. Mr Haggas enlisted me to find him a nice horse for the shop window, and this is it! All enquiries to William Haggas not Jeremy Brummitt.”

Brummitt ended up with six recruits that cost a combined €593,000.

He also had a particularly enthusiastic word for the Neatico filly out of I Think So bought from Westerberg at €75,000. The filly was bought on behalf of Quantum Leap Racing, the same owner that the agent sourced subsequent Group 1 winner Tamfana for in 2022 at a cost of just €20,000. The filly is a half-sister to Innora, who brought a big update to the table having finished runner-up in the German Oaks on her last start. 

“I buy a filly for the damside, not the stallion,” said Brummitt. “She has a fantastic damside, an unbelievable pedigree. I don’t know whether Neatico has had 40 lives foals, but he’s sired a German Derby second [Schwarzer Peter]. This filly will always be a half-sister to an Oaks second and the second dam bred Isfahan, who’s probably the most underrated stallion in Germany. That’s a fantastic pedigree. Everybody’s heard of Allegretta and nobody talks about having a Lombard mare!”

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