'There's just something about her' - Sumbe returns for 850,000gns full-sister to Charyn

Grangemore Stud’s Futoon has not missed a beat so far and her latest offspring took her to the head of the early exchanges at Thursday’s final Book 1 session of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

The first two runners of the multiple stakes-placed Kodiac mare have been the Mill Reef winner Wings Of War and the Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte scorer Charyn, who has taken a close third behind Paddington in this season’s Eclipse and St James’s Palace Stakes, as well as a fourth to Aidan O’Brien’s stellar colt in the Irish Guineas.

Guy O’Callaghan has understandably continued to bring Futoon back to Dark Angel, who stands at his family’s Yeomanstown Stud, and a full-sister to that pair soared as far as 850,000gns.

It was Charyn’s owner, Nurlan Bizakov’s Sumbe, which claimed her at a fee more than three times that which their present team member cost at Book 2 a couple of years ago.

The Dark Angel sister to Charyn takes her turn around the sales ring on the third day of Tattersalls Book 1 Credit: Laura Green

“I’m absolutely thrilled with that, and thrilled with the farm that has got her,” said O’Callaghan. “She has been spectacular at home. We had to come here a day early because of the storm last week, she’s been here nine days now and hasn’t put a foot wrong.”

O’Callaghan added that the elevated figure was justified on what he’d seen of the February-born individual.

“She’s very similar to them, she’s probably the best,” he said. “They've all done great but there’s just something about her.

“My brother David and I had been following the mare as a four-year-old with Kevin Ryan, so we were very keen to get her at the sales [bought for 100,000gns at the December Mare Sale in 2017]. She’s from a really fast family and she’s been very good to us ever since.”

Cheveley week ends on a high

With its selling concluded Cheveley Park Stud turned buyer early in the afternoon for New England Stud’s Sea The Stars filly out of Hundi, who is a half-sister to smart seven-furlong performer Dubai Poet from the family of Irish Leger winner Flag Of Honour.

It took 550,000gns to secure her from the team’s position outside the ring in a protracted bidding process, and Cheveley Park’s managing director Chris Richardson hopes she will be worth the wait.

"Mrs [Patricia, owner] Thompson was very taken with her when she saw her," he said. "She has beautiful balance, lovely movement, a great quality head and she’s obviously by a very successful sire in Sea The Stars with a pedigree that’ll be one to keep for breeding in the future.

Cheveley Park added lot 407, a Sea The Stars daughter Hundi from New England StudCredit: Laura Green

"We also bought a Blue Point filly from Ballyphilip Stud for 170,000gns. She was a sharper type, whereas this is more a Classic type."

At a Book 1 which was not heading towards records after what have been some bounteous years, the Newmarket flagship breeding operation was among plenty of vendors leaving a bit deflated.

"It’s been tough, it’s been tough for many people," said Richardson. 

"We’ve had to take five home, sold three only, so it’s not been easy. We just didn’t catch the imagination on this occasion but when you’ve got homebreds, they come in all shapes and sizes, some people will like them and some won’t. 

"But they’re all families that we’re happy to put into training. You have what you have and we’ve done very well in the past with horses that we’ve sold."

Read more from Tattersalls:

Coolmore and Godolphin renew Tattersalls rivalry as blue-blooded Frankel colt fetches 2,000,000gns 

‘The bank manager will be happy again!’ - Coolmore and Godolphin clash over 1,050,000gns Ghaiyyath sibling to Victoria Road