Saudi-bound Illusion brings the veil down on marathon five days at Tattersalls

A marathon five days of selling concluded in Newmarket on Friday afternoon as the curtain fell on the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale. Trade followed a similar trend to the October Yearling Sale, with the key market metrics stacking up well in a broader historical context without being able to match the record-breaking highs of last year. 

This year’s catalogue contained 1,756 lots, a 12 per cent increase on the 1,564 entered last year. Of those, 1,258 came under the hammer and 1,089 sold for a clearance rate of 87 per cent. This means that 145 more lots were offered than in 2022 and 83 more sold, an eight per cent increase, compared to last year, when the clearance rate was 90 per cent. 

Despite the greater number of transactions, turnover was down by seven per cent year-on-year at 33,705,774gns. The average price also dropped by 14 per cent to 30,950gns, while the median dipped by six points to 15,000gns, having been 16,000gns 12 months ago. 

The market was led by the 575,000gns Balance Play, who was bought on Tuesday by McKeever Bloodstock on behalf of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s powerhouse Australian operation. The progressive three-year-old provided a dream consigning debut for Alex Elliott’s Imperium Sales. 

Blandford Bloodstock, whose Richard Brown was busy recruiting for Wathnan Racing, topped the buyers’ table with 13 signings costing a combined 1,770,000gns. The leading vendor was The Castlebridge Consignment, which sold 145 lots for 3,849,000gns. 

Leading consignors reflect

“The top end was very strong, as it has been at most of the other sales,” said Castlebridge’s Patrick Diamond as he reflected on the week’s business. “There’s been great support from Australia and throughout the Middle East, which has been fantastic, especially as some of the Middle Eastern buyers will keep the horses here for a while before exporting them. 

Patrick Diamond of the Castlebridge Consignment, who ended the sale as leading vendorsCredit: Alisha Meeder

“Last year was phenomenally strong but obviously it comes in peaks and troughs, and it’s been tougher at the lower end this year. Overall, though, it’s been a great week and we've sold some lovely horses for good yards and nice owners. It’s been a long week but a good week.”

Jamie Railton, whose consignment sold 74 lots for an aggregate of 2,724,500gns, noted a change in the buying bench from recent renewals of this sale, including the strength of certain racing nations and the absence of others, particularly at the lower end.  

“It’s been a different sale,” he said. “Nothing ever stays the same and we’re in a business that’s permanently evolving; people's appetites ebb and flow. It was predictable, even before the sale, that the horse with a profile to suit Australia or Saudi Arabia was always going to be popular, and those with a National Hunt profile also did incredibly well, which is great. 

“In terms of foreign visitors, we clearly had a lot less American buyers here, which was also the case during the October Yearling Sales. Some Americans did buy, but fewer actually got on an aeroplane and came here. In terms of proven racehorses running on the turf over there, European horses are doing incredibly well. Someone like Phil D’Amato is absolutely cleaning up with European imports, so it would have been nice to see more American representatives here themselves.”

He continued: “We’re appreciative of the buyers from throughout the Middle East and the programmes in places like Bahrain and Qatar are becoming so extensive. But what you might call bottom-end sweepers are also important in whatever market you’re trading in. They are crucial and there’s been less of those here. 

“Why there’s less international travel, I couldn’t tell you. Perhaps there’s a little less confidence about because there’s a lot going on in the world today that’s of greater importance than racing. I’m sure that’s a relevant factor. What hasn’t changed is that we have an amazing product that is competitive and revered throughout the world.” 

No illusion for Al-Saif

The market on day five was led by Veiled Illusion, a two-year-old son of Kodiac offered by James Tate’s Jamesfield Stables. The youngster was catalogued as having placed once but came to Park Paddocks armed with a significant update as he opened his account at the third time of asking at Lingfield over seven furlongs on October 5. 

Nawaf Abdullah Al Saif is all smiles after buying session-topper Veiled IllusionCredit: Alisha Meeder

Veiled Illusion’s most recent start was less than 24 hours before he came under the hammer as he finished third in his attempt to repeat his maiden course-and-distance success in the Bet £10 Get £40 At BetMGM Novice Stakes on Thursday afternoon. Nawaf Abdullah Al-Saif was among those to be impressed by his recent performances as he went to 55,000gns to secure the 80-rated colt. 

“He’s in good form and will ship to Saudi Arabia soon,” said Al-Saif. “I think he will like the better weather in the Middle East and should be one to go on both the turf and dirt surfaces at the King Abdulaziz racecourse.” 

This was Veiled Illusion’s fourth trip to the sales and was marginally his most productive. He was bred by Gerry Flannery Developments and sold by Esker Lodge Stud at the Goffs November Foal Sale in 2021, where he was signed for by GHS Bloodstock at €54,000. He reappeared at Book 2 of the following year’s October Yearling Sale and fetched 50,000gns from Rabbah Bloodstock. He came under the hammer for a third time at this year’s Guineas Sale but was led out unsold at £48,000. 

Tate sold 20 lots during the Autumn Horses in Training Sale for an aggregate of 344,000gns and an average price of 17,200gns. 

American Dreams

The second top lot is also set to be exported, albeit with a jumps career in mind. Agent JD Moore, buying in tandem with US-based trainer Cyril Murphy, went to 42,000gns for Ranger Thunderbolt, a two-time winner offered by Robyn Brisland’s Danebury Racing Stables. 

Ranger Thunderbolt is heading Stateside and a career over jumps for Cyril MurphyCredit: Alisha Meeder

The lightly raced three-year-old son of Dragon Pulse was catalogued as having won one race but had doubled his tally last time out. That effort, which came over a mile at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile course, was given a Racing Post Rating of 79. There is some top-class National Hunt form back in the pedigree as Willie Mullins’ six-time Grade 1 hero Sharjah appears beneath his third dam. 

“We bought two here last year and they’ve both gone on to be stakes horses in the US,” said Moore. “This horse has some jumping performers back in his pedigree, form over ten furlongs and he goes on faster ground. He’s been campaigned very well by Robyn Brisland and came here looking in good order.”

Moore added: “On what horses have been making this week, that was the value we had on him. But I guess by the time you get to the end of a sale you always hope you’re going to get them a bit cheaper!”

The two horses Moore and Murphy sourced last year are Gold Charm, a 21,000gns daughter of Golden Horn, and the 32,000gns Travesuras, a son of Hit It A Bomb.

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