Cover image courtesy of Tattersalls

At A Glance

>> Buying through agent John Ferguson, Waller spent 520,000 gns (AU$999,180) across three horses, Desert Icon (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Crystal Pegasus (GB) (Australia {GB}) and Born A King (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

>> Paul Moroney combined up with Armando Duarte to purchase Keats (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) off Ballydoyle for 200,000 gns (AU$384,300), and the colt will go to Mike Moroney to train .

>> Australian Bloodstock and agent Ronald Rauscher purchased two horses, teaming with Ciaron Maher Racing to secure King's Charisma (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) for 170,000 gns (AU$326,655).

>> Neasham and Blandford Bloodstock paid 150,000 gns (AU$228,225) for Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) .

>> Darby Racing/de Burgh Equine paid 57,000 gns (AU$109,525) for New World Tapestry (USA) (War Front {USA}).

>> Dynamic Syndications/Dean Watt Bloodstock, with the help of Amy Meade Bloodstock, paid 35,000 gns (AU$67,252) for Jack Duggan (USA) (Jack Milton {USA}).

>> The session turned over 6,570,700 gns (AU$12.63 million), down 19 per cent from 8,134,300 gns (AU$15.63 million) last year.

>> The average declined to 27,264 gns (AU$52,388) from 31,286 gns (AU$60,116) .

>> Median was down to 12,000 gns (AU$23,058) from 18,000 gns (AU$34,587).

>> The clearance rate remained healthy at 86 per cent .

>> The overall average hitherto has is 22,081 gns (AU$42,428), compared with 30,154 gns (AU$57,940) in 2019; and the median is 10,000 gns (AU$19,215), as against 16,000 gns (AU$ 30,744).

Piranesi leads Sale at 300,000 gns

Top billing among the William Haggas draft went to Piranesi (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), who had dropped back to a mile at Ascot earlier in the month to win for the second time in four starts. He is bred with no ceiling, as a half-brother to G1 Racing Post Trophy winner Rivet (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) out of a Galileo (Ire) half-sister to Superstar Leo (Ire) (College Chapel {GB}), the flying filly who has gained fresh celebrity as the second dam of dual G1 Prix de la Foret winner One Master (GB) (Fastnet Rock).

And Jane Chapple-Hyam, who signed a 300,000 gns (AU$576,450) docket for the 3-year-old gelding (Lot 675), felt that he has plenty of scope to keep developing with maturity. “I’m just the caretaker trainer,” she said. “He’ll be off abroad, but I can’t say where yet. He’s for an overseas client, we work together, and we felt he was a good-looking horse who liked the distance the other day and hopefully there’s more improvement in him.”

Since himself leaving Haggas, sibling Rivet has been campaigned in Hong Kong and Australia and it may yet prove significant that Chapple-Hyam has good connections in both locations.

There was no guesswork required about the destination of stakes-placed 4-year-old Desert Icon (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and 84-rated 3-year-old Born A King (GB) (Frankel {GB}), for whom John Ferguson gave 210,000 gns (AU$403,515) and 120,000 gns (AU$230,580) as Lots 664 and 668, respectively.

He was acting on behalf of Chris Waller, as indeed would be the case when he gave 190,000 gns (AU$365,085) for Crystal Pegasus (GB) (Australia {GB}) in the draft of Sir Michael Stoute. This Sir Evelyn De Rothschild homebred, presented as Lot 697, had taken seven attempts to break his maiden but then followed up in a Yarmouth handicap last month. He is certainly entitled to keep progressing, being out of a half-sister to elite scorers Crystal Ocean (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Hillstar (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).

Desert Icon is a three-time winner who was last seen when placed in the Listed Foundation S. for Haggas, while he was an impressive 8.5l winner at Newmarket earlier this year. He is out of dual winner Plume Rose (GB) (Marchand De Sable {USA}) and is a half-brother to three winners, including Group 3-placed Gardol City (Fr) (Elusive City {USA}).

Born A King was an impressive winner for Haggas at start number five at Lingfield last month and has since been placed at Chelmsford. The Frankel colt is out of Fairwater (USA) (Empire Maker {USA}), who is herself a half-sister to Listed-placed Dancetrack (USA) (First Defence {USA}), from the family of Grade 1 winner Mizzen Mast (USA) (Cozzene {USA}).

Gaining admission to the Ballydoyle party

The latent potential even in graduates of a stable as thorough and accomplished as Ballydoyle had been reiterated just before the sale by the G1 Cox Plate success of Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). And the top lot of the Ballydoyle draft, Keats (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), will also be heading to Australia after Armando Duarte landed Lot 623 with a single bid at 200,000 gns (AU$384,300) for Ballymore Stables Australia / Paul Moroney Bloodstock.

Keats, who crowned a busy campaign with a Listed success at Cork last month, is out of the very fast Airwave (GB) (Air Express {Ire}), whose daughter Meow (Ire) (Storm Cat {USA}) has produced dual Classic winner Churchill (Ire) and his sister Clemmie (Ire), who emulated Airwave’s success in the G1 Cheveley Park S.

Moroney’s brother Mike will take charge of Keats at Flemington. Duarte has been serving as their eyes and ears here.

“I’ve known Paul 16 or 17 years, we’ve become good friends, and I know just what he likes and doesn’t like,” Duarte explained. “So since he couldn’t make the trip this year – he’s in quarantine in Australia having gone to the Gold Coast for the sales – I video every single thing that may be a fault until we make sure we’re all right. And this was our pick of the Sale. Normally we’d be looking for a stayer but he looks a miler, or will maybe get a mile and a quarter. And he came very highly recommended by Mick Flanagan, who works closely with Coolmore Australia. It was perhaps more than we wanted to pay, but we think we have a nice horse with a future.”

Perhaps the best-bred horse in the whole catalogue, never mind just in the Ballydoyle draft, was Nobel Prize (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) – a brother to Highland Reel (Ire) and his accomplished siblings. Their dam Hveger (Danehill {USA}) is herself out of a no less celebrated mare in Circles of Gold (Marscay), so even the nose by which Nobel Prize landed a Group 3 prize at Dundalk this summer might make him eligible as a stallion in some jurisdictions or disciplines.

Such is certainly the way John Walsh was thinking in giving 170,000 gns (AU$326,655) for Lot 714 on behalf of an unnamed patron, who will now export Nobel Prize for a stud career. “It’s a fabulous page and he’s a big, strapping 16.1 horse,” the agent said. “My client has pursued him for a while. I remember being impressed when the horse won at Naas as a 2-year-old, though a very late foal [May 7]. There’s been interest in various countries. It’s an international pedigree and would work anywhere, the same Galileo-Danehill cross as Frankel.”

King fit for Australian Bloodstock

David O’Meara, who has nursed King’s Charisma (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) from a rating of 65 to 86 in winning three handicaps, gained a 170,000 gns (AU$326,655) transfer to Australian Bloodstock / Ronald Rauscher (Lot 770).

King’s Charisma was bought out of Book 2 here a couple of years ago by Jeremy Brummitt for just 20,000 gns (AU$38,430) and has since won three of his 10 starts and he will be headed to Cox Plate winning trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.

Australian Bloodstock / Ronald Rauscher also came together for Herman Hesse (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a winner of two of his 12 starts for O'Meara including a recent race at Nottingham over 1m 6f (2800 metres). The pair paid 70,000 gns (AU$134,505) for the 3-year-old gelding, who is out of Group 2 winner Dream Peace (Ire) (Dansili {GB}).

Neasham adds international aspect

Annabel Neasham worked together with Blandford Bloodstock to add some international lustre to her bourgeoning stables, through dual Group 3 winner Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) (Lot 706), who cost 150,000 gns (AU$288,225).

Zaaki won both the G3 Diomed S. and G3 Strensall S. for Sir Michael Stoute in 2019 while he was placed in the Diomed at Epsom again this year. A half-brother to stakes-placed Kirks Ryker (GB) (Selkirk {USA}), his dam Kesara (GB) (Sadler's Wells {USA}), is a half-sister to stakes-winner Persona Grata (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}).

Darby, Dynamic secure their targets

Darby Racing was also active, coming together as it usually does with de Burgh Equine, and securing New World Tapestry from Ballydoyle. From the Group 1-winning mare Tapestry (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the sister to Group 3 winner John F Kennedy (Ire), the extended family of the War Front (USA) colt includes Kingmambo (USA) as well as Group 1-winning duo Real Steel (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

He cost 57,000 gns (AU$109,526) and has won one of his eight starts for Aidan O'Brien and was most recently placed in the G3 Amethyst S. at Leopardstown in July.

Though Amy Meade B/Stock, Dean Watt and his Dynamic Syndications team picked up Jack Duggan, the son Jack Milton (USA) for 35,000 gns (AU$67,252). The 2-year-old was a Tipperary winner for Jim Bolger back in August and is a half-brother to stakes-placed Future Covenant (USA) (Wildcat Heir {USA}), out of a half-sister to G1 Moyglare Stud S. winner Soairse Abu (USA) (Mr Greeley {USA}).

The Force is with Fawzi

Oliver St Lawrence gave 160,000 gns (AU$307,440) for Glen Force (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) on behalf of Fawzi Nass, from the Hath House Stables of Sir Mark Prescott.

“He came highly recommended by the trainer,” the agent said. “We have horses with him so if he has put us away, he’ll be for the high jump.”

That typical flourish of mischief did not alter the fact that Lot 721, unusually for the stable, had only tried a distance beyond a mile when winning for a second time in a Nottingham handicap last month.

Other yards to achieve excellent overseas dividends for clients included Roger Charlton, who mustered 140,000 gns (AU$269,010) from Californian interests to help defray costs of the monarch’s Turf operation through her 89-rated homebred Evening Sun (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) (Lot 750).

A profitable adventure

The coup of the day was supervised by that astute horseman Andrew Slattery, who counts jumps champion Faugheen (Ire) among his many discoveries among young bloodstock.

Ascot Adventure (GB) (Mayson {GB}) was originally purchased as a Tattersalls Ascot yearling by Five Star Bloodstock for just £4800 (AU$8784), but was scratched from the Goresbridge breeze-ups by Clenagh Castle Stud. Having been saddled by Slattery to score impressively on debut at Cork last month, he arrived here as wildcard lot 746B–and realised 150,000 gns (AU$288,225) from Woodhurst Construction.

That is the Potters Barr business of Kevin Bailey, who will be putting a syndicate together with John Fitzpatrick. The two friends were standing with Roger Fell, but teasingly remarked that no trainer will be chosen until the remaining shares were sold.

“He’s a very nice 2-year-old and won his maiden really well,” said Fitzpatrick. “We think he will make a really nice sprinter next year.

“He has a bit of size about him as well, so there is some improvement as he grows and that is what you want,” added Bailey. “We’ll give him a break now, and next year will go to war.”

Station stays on fast track

Three smart operations converged productively in Dubai Station (GB) (Brazen Beau), who realised 150,000 gns (AU$288,225) as Lot 554. One of many modestly priced yearlings to have achieved Pattern success for Karl Burke–a 30,000 gns (AU$57,645) graduate of Book 2, he was placed at Royal Ascot as a juvenile and this year added the G3 Pavilion S. – he is now to join a stable that has excelled in the recruitment of elite sprinters. He will do so in the colours of Middleham Park Racing, who have enjoyed such prolific success in 2020.

“He’ll be our first horse with Robert Cowell,” said Tim Palin, director of racing for the syndication umbrella. “We decided we’d try to get a bit of quality if we could, and this horse has a serious engine. It’s now up to the trainer to mastermind some future glories.”

Cowell is embracing that challenge with due excitement. “I’m delighted to get on board with Middleham Park, with their fantastic record,” he said. “This is a plan we’ve been putting together for two or three months. He’s a very good-looking horse that doesn’t have too many miles on the clock, and he’s rated to run potentially in very smart handicaps or stakes races. So he has options. We’ll sit down and have a glass of wine at some point, and come up with a plan.”

International options for 95-rated pair

One of the benchmark types at this Sale is the hard-knocking 3-year-old that has earned a handicap rating that might be hard work over here, but has established his eligibility for pastures new.

Two such, each rated 95, made six figures within a few minutes around lunchtime: Prince Of Naples (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) went to John Egan for 120,000 gns (AU$230,580) as Lot 591, while Byline (GB) (Muharaar {GB}) brought 110,000 gns (AU$211,365) from Alastair Donald (Lot 597).

Both may well be on their way to the Middle East, though Egan was non-committal pending discussion with “a longstanding client” regarding Prince Of Naples, who had put in a timely advertisement when fourth in Listed company at Leopardstown just 10 days previously.

Another six-figure yield from the Somerville Lodge draft, meanwhile, was the juvenile Royal Address (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), acquired as a Doncaster yearling by Blandford Bloodstock for £45,000 (AU$82,350) and sold here – a month after completing a hat-trick in Listed company at Chantilly - for 170,000 gns (AU$326,655) to Emmanuel de Seroux of Narvick International.

Lot 687 will continue her career in California in the silks of Marsha Naify. “A beautiful mover and she looks the type to do well out there,” de Seroux said. “She has plenty of speed, she’s athletic, and looks very sound. Of course, she’s a stakes winner already so will have breeding value one day, but she’ll only be turning three so let’s hope she can win a Grade 1 first.”