Written by Paul Vettise
Images courtesy of Tattersalls
John Camilleri’s most famous home-bred Winx (Street Cry {Ire}) has been named Australia’s Horse of the Year for a record fourth time and the Fairway Thoroughbreds principal celebrated in style some hours later on the other side of the world.
He savoured an outstanding result during the final session of Book 1 at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale when his son of Kingman (GB) sold for 1.8 million guineas (AU$3,438,000).
Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale came to a close with three lots selling for 1 million guineas or more, taking the number of seven figure yearlings to ten. Heading the way was the daughter of Galileo (Ire) from Barronstown Stud who realised 2.1 million guineas (AU$4,011,000), the top priced filly at the sale.
Camilleri sold the Kingman colt out of One Last Dance (Encosta de Lago) through Adrian and Philippa O'Brien's Hazelwood Bloodstock draft and he was purchased by MV Magnier.
The dam, who is from the family of the hugely influential stallion Storm Cat (USA), won the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude and the Listed Blue Diamond Preview before relocating to the Northern Hemisphere.
"It is very special to be here and sell here," Camilleri said. "I have a small band of broodmares in Europe, around 12, and they are in Ireland at Norelands and in the United Kingdom at Hazelwood. It is a mix of both European and Southern Hemisphere bloodlines.
"I sent up some mares from Australia, they were not in-foal on Southern Hemisphere time, but I thought their bloodlines were good enough to come to the Northern Hemisphere.
"I sent up some mares from Australia, they were not in-foal on Southern Hemisphere time, but I thought their bloodlines were good enough to come to the Northern Hemisphere.” – John Camilleri.
"I love racing and horse sales and travelling for both, and it is a pleasure to be here, but the stallions whom I would call elite are currently in Europe – Dubawi, Kingman, Galileo and Frankel."
Camilleri will now be hoping to see his colours to the fore aboard Fasano (Lonhro) in Saturday’s G2 Yulong Australia Stan Fox S. at Randwick, in which his David Payne-trained colt will be ridden by Brenton Avdulla.
He also bred the G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Vancouver and bred and races the Coolmore stallion’s recent G3 Gimcrack S. placegetter Ticket To Ride.
Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale has been a memorable one for Hazelwood with their three sold lots realising 5.875 million guineas in total.
"It is unbelievable," Adrian O'Brien said. "This colt has oozed class since day one, he is just full of quality. I am so grateful to my clients for this opportunity to work with such horses.
"I wish the best of luck to MV Magnier and Ballydoyle, but this colt does look as though he will be the proper racehorse."
Popular filly
Early in the evening, Barronstown’s Galileo filly out of the G2 winner Quiet Oasis (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) was purchased by Magnier and Georg von Opel’s Westerberg. She is a sister to the recent Listed Listowel S. winner Lancaster House (Ire).
"She is a lovely filly and her full-brother Lancaster House is a good horse," Magnier said.
Eugene Daly's Longview Stud also enjoyed an outstanding sale whose two Book 1 offerings sold for 1.975 million guineas (AU$3,772,225). The first was a Sea The Stars (Ire) colt out of Lopera (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), who was purchased by Godolphin for 875,000 guineas (AU$1,671,250)
Sea The Stars (Ire) colt purchased by Godolphin for AU $1,671,250
That result represented a profitable pinhooking success as the colt was bought for 400,000 guineas (AU$764,000) at the December Foal Sale.
Longview later sold its homebred son of Dubawi (Ire) from the Group 3 winner Miss Marjurie (Ire) (Marju {Ire}) who was knocked down to Godolphin for 1.1 million guineas (AU$2,101,000).
"There have been some spectacular highlights at Book 1 of the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, including two outstanding colts breaking the 3 million guineas (AU$5.73 million) mark. The Dubawi colt out of Alina achieving the highest price for a yearling colt in the world this year,” Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said.
“The Dubawi colt out of Alina achieving the highest price for a yearling colt in the world this year.” - Edmond Mahony.
“We are fortunate to have so many of the world's top stallions currently standing in Europe with five of them, Dubawi, Frankel, Galileo, Kingman and Siyouni all producing yearlings which have sold for 1 million guineas (AU$1.97 million) or more this week and there is no doubt that the global achievements of these stallions play a big role in attracting so many overseas buyers.
"As ever, we should acknowledge the fantastic support we have received from Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum as well as the Coolmore team.
Edmond Mahony, Tattersalls Chairman
“They have all enjoyed amazing success with their Book 1 horses over the years and we look forward to seeing this week's purchases bringing further success in due course.
"We now turn our attention to Books 2, 3 and 4 of the October Yearling Sale starting on Monday and we have catalogues of real quality which will appeal to a wide cross-section of buyers at all levels of the market."
The Book 1 aggregate was 102.249 million guineas (AU$195,295,900) with the 397 lots sold at an average of 258,008 guineas (AU$492,795) and a median of 150,000 (AU$286,500).
