Exceptional Trade Continues at Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale

The third session of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale continued the remarkable momentum of the second with exceptional trade resulting in turnover in excess of 10 million guineas, breaking the record aggregate for the sale. Ten lots sold for over 200,000 guineas and the clearance rate was a remarkable 93%.

Boltaway Tops Session at 400,000 Guineas

The Juddmonte draft is a customary highlight of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale and it provided the top lot on the third day of this year’s renewal when BOLTAWAY was knocked down to Najd Stud and Peter & Ross Doyle for 400,000 guineas. 

The three-year-old DUBAWI colt is out of the four-time Grade 1 winning mare PROVISO and has shown smart form himself with four wins from six starts for Roger Charlton this season, earning a ‘Timeform’ rating of 100. 

Najd Stud representative Saad bin Mishraf commented:

"We tried to buy this horse privately but that wasn't possible and so we waited for this sale. It's proved to be one of the toughest markets I have ever seen for horses in training. He's by Dubawi, whose offspring have succeeded in Saudi Arabia and out of a Dansili mare, and Dansilis have done very well in Saudi Arabia so he had the right pedigree. He also had size and good feet for racing on dirt.

"He has not been over-raced and he vetted 100 percent, which was one of the main reasons for trying to buy him. All the races in Saudi Arabia are on the up, with better prize money sometimes increased by four or five times. There are races for locally-bred horses and imported horses, and while we don't have many imported horses the ones we have are very good." 

Snowden Racing Secure Old Flame for 250,000 Guineas

Najd Stud had found themselves in the unfamiliar position of underbidders one lot earlier when OLD FLAME, the first of the Juddmonte Farms draft to be offered at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale, was bought by the Sydney-based Snowden Racing and Will Johnson Bloodstock for 250,000 guineas. 

Colum McCullagh, Snowden Racing's Racing and Bloodstock Manager, took time out from morning track work to discuss the purchase of the three-year-old son of INVINCIBLE SPIRIT:

"He will be on the first shipment from Europe to Australia. He looks to have the right sort of profile for Australia and is by Invincible Spirit, who has such a huge influence here through his son I Am Invincible. 

"He should suit a lot of races here over distances from 6 furlongs to a mile, he is a real-sprinter miler type. He has not been bought for a particular client and we will look to syndicate him."

McCullagh added: "He came highly recommended by his trainer, who loved him every morning and evening. I have to give special mention to Will Johnson, who spent time in Newmarket as assistant to trainer Roger Varian. Will has put a lot of work into the catalogue and it is great to have someone with his knowledge of racing in the region. 

"To have a horse from such an organisation as Juddmonte Farms speaks for itself – Old Flame has just two dams on the page and has a stallion's pedigree."

Formerly trained by Ralph Beckett, OLD FLAME has won two of his four starts and was offered with a ‘Timeform’ rating of 100p. His dam LILYFIRE is a half-sister to TANTINA, the dam of Group 1 winner CITYSCAPE and BATED BREATH and the grandam of St Leger winner LOGICIAN. 

Fundamental Makes 240,000 Guineas

Normal order was resumed by the time FUNDAMENTAL had entered the ring with Najd Stud securing the well-bred DARK ANGEL colt for 240,000 guineas. The Cheveley Park Stud bred and owned colt is out of the dual Group 1 winner INTEGRAL, herself a daughter of the Champion mare ECHELON, and was consigned by the Castlebridge Consignment on behalf of John and Thady Gosden.

The dual winner has shown smart form this season including when runner up in the Listed King Charles II Stakes and was offered with a ‘Timeform’ rating of 113. FUNDAMENTAL is the twelfth lot bought by at the Autumn Horses in Training Sale by Najd Stud, the leading purchasers at the sale for a total spend of 2,491,000 guineas.

McKeever Secures King of Clubs for 230,000 Guineas

Strong Australian demand has been a feature of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale and continued unabated during the third session. Johnny McKeever struck at 230,000 guineas on behalf of the leading training partnership of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott for KING OF CLUBS, a three-year-old colt by INTELLO consigned by Hughie Morrison’s Summerdown Stables.

"King Of Clubs is for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott," reported McKeever. "He is a lovely horse, Robbie Waterhouse liked the form, I liked the horse and Hughie Morrison recommended him. It is the same formula we have always used – find the horse we like, with the right form, with the right rating, and hope he or she adapts to Australia. We think this is a horse who looks like he will make a nice stayer in Australia."

Elaborating on the team’s selection process McKeever added: "Rob Waterhouse is a very clever man on form, he has been an integral part of all the good horses we have bought. He is good at spotting horses that he thinks, on form, will translate to Australia – that takes a bit of pressure off me as all I have to do is look at the horse and decide if physically, he is the right sort of horse.

"We have identified some very good horses – Knights Order, who won the Queensland Derby this year, came out of this sale. We have a good record of spotting the ones to suit us."

KING OF CLUBS is the first purchase for the team at the sale this year, and McKeever explained that the strong market has hindered their plans:

"They have been making more than we have been prepared to spend so we've had two blank days – hopefully we have another couple to follow through today."

Twice a winner and three times placed from six starts this season, KING OF CLUBS is ‘Timeform’ rated 100 and has produced much of his form on good and good to firm ground. Bred by Meon Valley Stud out of the unraced QUEEN ARABELLA, he hails from the stud's leading family of BELLA COLORA which has been represented in recent years by top performers AL SUHAIL, STARCASTER and TELECASTER.

Matthew Flinders to Follow Familiar Path Down Under

The team responsible for purchasing subsequent dual Group 1 winner ZAAKI at the 2020 Autumn Horses in Training Sale made the buyers sheet at this year’s renewal with a successful bid of 230,000 guineas for the appropriately named MATTHEW FLINDERS, whose namesake led the first inshore circumnavigation of Australia. The four-year-old son of SIYOUNI is a dual winner and Listed placed this season for trainer Ed Walker, and was offered with a ‘Timeform’ rating of 107.

MATTHEW FLINDERS will follow in his namesake’s footsteps to join the Warwick Farm-based stables of trainer Annabel Neasham. Boman, accompanied by Neasham’s mother Patricia, commented:

"This is my second purchase for Annabel at this sale, the first one obviously very successful! It is going to be a hard act to follow, but we wanted to target here what we felt was one of the nicest horses for Australia. His ability is far better than what the form book shows. He is a horse who constantly travels best of all in any field he is in. I spoke with Ed Walker and I think he has probably felt he has had a Group horse on his hands for a long time – he wanted him to win his big handicap but he never had his day. 

"The handicapper then forced his hands by raising the horse's mark so high. He ran so well at Chester leading into the Balmoral Handicap in October, and put in another good run there. He is thoroughly consistent and runs to a very high Timeform rating all the time. He is a strong travelling horse and should really suit Australia with the firm ground, and there are a lot of races for him in his distance range."

Boman added: "I am delighted for Annabel. She is flying along, she has two runners in the Golden Eagle on Saturday which is worth A$7.5 million, things are healthy in Australia."

Of last year's purchase Boman smiled: "Zaaki has been phenomenal, it is fantastic. It is remarkable what one horse can do for people's lives and careers."

ZAAKI, consigned by Sir Michael Stoute’s Freemason Lodge Stables, was sold for 150,000 guineas at this sale last year and has since won the Group 1 Underwood Stakes, the Group 1 Doomben Cup and three further Group 2 races.

Late in the evening the wildcard entry YOUTH SPIRIT was added to the list of lots bound for Australia when knocked down for 230,000 guineas to Johnny McKeever on behalf of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, who secured KING OF CLUBS earlier in the evening. The three-year-old CAMELOT colt claimed the Group 3 Chester Vase for Andrew Balding and owner Ahmad Al Shaikh earlier this season and was consigned by Balding’s Park House Stables.

"I really believe that he is the best value horse in the sale. And on price I think he is the best value horse I have bought for about 10 years!" enthused Johnny McKeever.

"I am extremely excited about that... I have been trying to buy the horse all year," he added. "There has been a lot of activity from Australia to buy this horse privately, for various reasons the sale did not quite happen. His level of form is outstanding, he is by Camelot, he is such a beautiful looking horse, he has absolutely everything going for him. I am surprised and delighted, thrilled, I am very satisfied that is my buy of the year."

YOUTH SPIRIT was fifth on his most recent start in the Group 1 St Leger and has also been placed in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes and the Group 2 Vintage Stakes.  

The Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale continues with the fourth and final session at 9.30am on Thursday, October 28th.