Written by Paul Vettise
Images courtesy Tattersalls
A 3-year-old from the family of defending G1 Melbourne Cup champion Cross Counter (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) is heading to Australia after his purchase on Day Three of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale.
Darley shuttle stallion Sepoy also made a major impact when his son Salute The Soldier (Ger) was the session’s sale topper when he changed hands for 380,000 gns (AU$725,800) and the second highest-price of the auction so far.
Global Gift (Fr) - Purchased by Ciaron Maher
Group 1 winning trainer Ciaron Maher, who operates in partnership with David Eustace, will welcome Global Gift (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) following his 110,000 gns (AU$210,100) purchase by Blandford Bloodstock and the trainer’s representative Will Bourne.
Offered as Lot 980 by Ed Dunlop Racing, Global Gift has won three races over 1600 metres and is out of Special Gift (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), who was unraced.
The dam is a half-sister to the G3 Prix de Meultry S. winner Do The Honours (Ire) (Highest Honor {Fr}) and she produced the mother of the Charlie Appleby-trained Cross Counter, who on Tuesday will bid for a second Melbourne Cup.
Australian Bloodstock were in the action with the purchase of Korcho (GB), a son of Swettenham Stud shuttle stallion Toronado (Ire) for 85,000 gns (AU$162,350) with Ronald Rauscher.
Presented as Lot 946 by Summerdown Stables, the colt has won three races and is out of Locharia (GB) (Wolfhound {USA}) and the family of Lochsong (GB) (Song {GB}), who won two editions of the G1 Prix de l’Abbaye and the G1 Nunthorpe S.
Bound for Middle East
The session-topper Salute The Soldier (Ger), Lot 1149, was bought by Oliver St Lawrence for owner-trainer Fazwi Nass out of Clive Cox's Beechdown Farm Stables draft.
Oliver St Lawrence
"He goes on fast ground and should suit racing in the Middle East," St Lawrence said. "Fazwi will train, but I am not sure yet whether the horse will go to Bahrain or Dubai. Clive is good trainer and brings them along well."
Salute The Soldier has won four times and was placed at Listed level when third in the Dubai Duty Free Cup at Newbury last time out. He is out of Street Fire (Ire) (Street Cry {Ire}) and the family of the Group 1 winners Monzante (USA) (Marias Mon {USA}) and Skywalker (USA) (Relaunch {USA}).
Salute The Soldier (Ger)
Mekong (Frankel {GB}) was offered the previous day as Lot 694 but wasn’t sold in the ring and was purchased during this session by Khalid bin Mishref and Paul Harley for 400,000 gns (AU$746,000).
He is a three-time winner and second in the G3 Henry II S., when trained by Sir Michael Stoute.
Mekong’s family includes the G2 Park Hill S. winner Hi Calypso (Ire) (In The Wings {GB}) and further back in the pedigree is the former champion performer and multiple Group 1 winner Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}).
Well-related colt
Meanwhile, a half-brother to the G1 Melbourne Cup runner-up Bauer (Ire) (Halling {USA}) was purchased by Quantum and Jedd O'Keeffe for 210,000 gns (AU$401,100) with New Zealand agent Paul Moroney the under-bidder.
Kiefer (GB) (Pour Moi {Ire}), Lot 934, was sold by Eve Johnson Houghton’s Woodway Stables and has won once from eight appearances.
Kiefer (GB)
"This is a lovely horse and came highly recommended by Eve," O'Keeffe said. "I am very lucky that Quantum is working with me, putting its trust in me and sending some lovely horses for me to train.
"Jonathan Ramsden is the brains behind the group, he finds the horses with the profiles that he is looking for, and I check out the physicals here."
"Jonathan Ramsden is the brains behind the group, he finds the horses with the profiles, and I check out the physicals here." - Jedd O'Keeffe
The daily figures from this sale are not directly comparative to last year, but overall, the fact that business is holding up remarkably well has been a talking point among those ringside over the last three days.
Traditionally, the Wednesday of this week revolved around the Juddmonte draft but that had been moved to Monday and had provided a number of opening-day highlights. Certainly the day’s takings were down, at 8,206,000 gns (AU$15,673,460) for 270 sold, but a more telling picture will emerge at the end of Thursday.
The session average for Wednesday was 30,393 gns (AU$58,050) and the median was 16,500 gns (AU$31,515), both of which were down by 18 per cent. Once again, there were not too many horses struggling to find a buyer, and those 270 to change hands represented a clearance rate of 89 per cent.
