I’m A Gambler Tops Second Day of Tattersalls Autumn HIT Sale at 850,000 Guineas

The Charlie & Mark Johnston trained I’M A GAMBLER lit up the Tattersalls sales ring late in the evening when knocked down to Red Baron’s Barn & Rancho Temescal’s Tim Cohen for 850,000 guineas, the third highest price ever achieved at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale. A total of nine lots sold for 300,000 guineas or more, resulting in double digit increases in turnover, average and median. 

I’m A Gambler Sells for 850,000 Guineas to Red Baron’s Barn  

The star turn on the second day of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale was the Charlie & Mark Johnston trained I’M A GAMBLER. The son of NO NAY NEVER won the Listed Guisborough Stakes at his most recent start and was offered with a Timeform rating of 117. Bids flew in from all around the ring including from Wathnan Racing’s Olly Tait and the Najd Stud team, but it was Tim Cohen and the Red Baron’s Barn team including agents Alastair Donald, Joe Miller and trainer Mark Glatt that prevailed at 850,000 guineas.  

Tim Cohen laughed: "The bidding was certainly very creative!"  

"It is hard to find a solid three-year-old and he is one of the highest rated in the catalogue, physically he is beautiful. Certainly I did not want to go that far, but I didn't come this far not to do something worthwhile!"  

Cohen had earlier been underbidder on the second highest priced lot PERSIAN ROYAL and added: "I definitely liked this horse more and his price reflected that for everybody. There are a few three-year-old stakes left this year in California, but he has had quite a few races so we will finish the year and then he can have a little break."  

He finished: "He is a quality individual, he has already proven that so if we can maintain that and can enhance it that will be even better. He does not have much left to prove to me."  

Co-trainer Charlie Johnson said: "It was quite some theatre because bidders that seemed to drop out of the running suddenly came back for more! It just showed what high demand he was in. He’s a phenomenal physical, a beautiful horse, and he’s had no issues all the way through his career. He’s been an easy horse to train as he’s very sound and very tough and he’s really taken off in the last four or five months. It’s a phenomenal result. Watching trade I thought he was going to make 400,000 guineas, maybe 500,000 on a good day, so the end result is quite fantastic.  

"Normally you wouldn’t sell good horses like that but the reality is, I spoke to John Brown a few weeks ago and his dream campaign for next year would involve winning the Lennox Stakes. The horse has just earned five, six or maybe even seven times the prize money of that race for selling here. It leaves a huge hole in our yard to sell a 110 rated horse but economically it was a logical decision for the owner." 

Wathnan Racing Strike for Persian Royal at 450,000 Guineas  

Qatari based Wathnan Racing continued their spending spree at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale when securing PERSIAN ROYAL for 450,000 guineas, their eighth of nine purchases over the first two days for a total of 1,750,000 guineas. Australian Olly Tait did the bidding, sat alongside Qatari trainer Alban de Mieulle and secured the son of AL KAZEEM despite a determined effort from underbidder Tim Cohen.  

The winner of four of his last five starts and Timeform rated 99, the Harry & Roger Charlton trained PERSIAN ROYAL was consigned by Barton Sales and raced for Oakgrove Stud’s owner-breeder John Deer.   Oakgrove's stud manager David Hilton said: "It is a strong market, the horse has done fantastically well and has been well trained. To go through the ratings as he has done, not many horses do that. He will suit the purchaser. I have to give huge thanks to the team at home, the trainers and Barton Stud for consigning him so well."  

Tait reported of the latest and most expensive purchase so far this week for the new Qatar racing entity Wathnan: "He is a beautiful horse, his form is excellent, he looks progressive and he is super consistent. He will be a nice horse for this season but also for seasons to come.  

"We have come to buy enough horses for the stable to be successful, and of the quality to make the stable successful. You never know how things will go when you get here, you put a value on them and see how you go. Every horse sale you get to you always have to pay more for some horses than you expect, and some you pay a little less." 

Inverness Set for Qatar Derby for Wathnan Racing  

Earlier in the day the Qatari based team of Wathnan Racing had struck to secure the high class three-year-old INVERNESS for 380,000 guineas. The son of HIGHLAND REEL won his most recent start at Haydock for trainer Charlie Hills and is Timeform rated 98, and he was purchased on behalf of Wathnan Racing by Olly Tait, alongside Qatari trainer Alban De Mieulle.  

"He has very consistent, progressive form and he will go on firm ground," said Tait. "He is a horse that could hopefully be competitive in the Qatar Derby, he is that level of horse. He wasn't inexpensive but that is what you have to pay for a horse of that quality. He is very willing and his form stands up very well.  

"There is a big programme of racing in Qatar and Wathnan Racing is very ambitious, looking for horses who can win races at different levels. In time a broader Middle East campaign for the horses could be on the radar."

Kyeema Another Bound for Australia at 360,000 Guineas  

Australian interests have played a dominant role in the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale and another lot destined for ‘down under’ is the William Haggas trained KYEEMA, after he was purchased by Domeland’s Roy Cheng for 360,000 guineas. Cheng, who was bidding online, secured the two-year-old gelding despite the determined efforts of underbidders Wathnan Racing.  

Consigned by Haggas’ Somerville Lodge, owned by Miss Yvonne Jacques and bred by her Carisbrooke Stud, KYEEMA was last seen finishing second by a head in the Listed Rockingham Stakes and was offered with a Timeform rating of 104. The SIYOUNI colt is out of a LAWMAN half-sister to Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas winner PHOENIX OF SPAIN.  

Domeland representative Roy Cheng commented: "My boss really liked this horse - he will be heading to Sydney, we are not sure about a trainer yet."  

Al Wasmiyah Stud & Will Douglass Strike for Eddie’s Boy  

The Group winning two-year-old EDDIE’S BOY looked one of the standouts of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training catalogue and so it proved when he was knocked down to Al Wasmiyah Stud, bidding online, for 320,000 guineas. The Archie Watson trained son of first season sire sensation HAVANA GREY was a wide margin victor of the Group 3 Prix Eclipse two starts ago before finishing a close second in the Group 2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte.  

Charlie Gordon-Watson Bloodstock’s Will Douglass spoke on behalf of the successful purchaser and commented: "He is an absolutely cracking looking horse, he has danced every dance this year and has vetted brilliantly, you can't knock what he has done. He is well-made, strong and solid, and he is going to do well in Qatar. I think he has the best two-year-old form in the catalogue.  

"He will aim first for the Al Rayyan Stakes which is run in mid-December, and then for the Al Biddah Mile in early February. We have managed to buy the winner for the last seven years so there is no pressure! The Havana Greys just look tough, tenacious, genuine, straightforward, confident and nice tempered horses, solid leg-in-each-corner horses."  

Of plans for shipping to Qatar, Douglass outlined: "Plans are a bit up in the air at the moment, but we found it works better to leave the horses here for the December race and run them off the plane, then leave them in Qatar for the later race."  

EDDIE’S BOY has proven a great flag-bearer for his owners Middleham Park Racing who bought him with Blandford Bloodstock at the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale for 45,000 guineas. Tim Palin, partner and director of racing for Middleham Park, was delighted with the sales price.  

He commented: "A 45,000 guineas buy at Tattersalls to selling today, there is a certain synergy there. We have sold really well and it is just a privilege to be dining at the top table and selling at the top table. Horse such as him and The Platinum Queen show that even for the cheaper sort of horse, that if you club together and share the expense you can achieve and get to the best places. He has been a fantastic success story under Archie's tutelage."

The Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale continues on Wednesday 26th October at 9.30am.