Online play from onsite buyer lands session's top Sea The Stars colt

Image courtesy of Tattersalls

Online and in person

Gerard Lowry, of Oneliner Stables, emerged from the cloak of cyber anonymity after the hammer came down at 170,000 gns (AU$326,600) for a January colt by Sea The Stars consigned as Lot 718 by Newsells Park Stud.

“It’s a platform that’s there to be used, and it’s nice to see it succeed,” Lowry reasoned. “It’s an interesting tool and it was good to try it out.”

Lowry, in fairness, has never lacked enterprise; nor its close kin, daring. Two years ago, after all, he went as far as 330,000 gns (AU$634,000) for another son of Sea The Stars at this same auction, and returned for Book 1 of the October Sale in 2019 to sell him to Godolphin for a game-changing 725,000 gns (AU$1.4 million).

Relative to the built-in stud fee, this colt represented a relatively feasible ‘stake.’ He is out of a young Dubawi (Ire) half-sister to three Group 1 winners in Italy.

“Sea The Stars out of a Dubawi mare, he had it on both sides and comes from an outstanding family, with two champions under the second dam,” said Lowry. “He’s a lovely individual, has great movement and was our top pick of the day so we’re delighted to get him. All going well, and with a bit of luck, he’ll be back for Book 1 next year and try to do us proud.”

Julian Dollar, of Newsells, hoped that the result would encourage breeder Graham Smith-Bernal. “He bought the mare with Jill Lamb here three years ago from Kiltinan,” he explained. “She had a very nice Frankel who sold well but sadly, she then had a beautiful Kingman who died as a foal.

“She’s now in foal to New Approach. Mr. Smith-Brunel is a very nice man, new to the industry: he will race a few, wants to do some breeding as well, and has a few mares boarding with us.”

Lowry also took bronze on the podium for the day’s boldest prices, giving 140,000 gns (AU$269,000) for a typically elegant son of Camelot (GB), sold by Belmont Stud as Lot 751. He is out of an Oasis Dream (GB) half-sister to Juliet Foxtrot (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who won a couple of Graded stakes and also made the frame three times at Grade 1 level after export to the US.

“The cross works. Sir Dragonet won the G1 Cox Plate and he’s out of a mare by Oasis Dream, who’s a champion broodmare sire,” Lowry said.

A foal sale, of course, is a real test of confidence in the medium-term viability of the commercial market and business on the second day held up tolerably well, in the circumstances.

Understandably, as so often in the pandemic year, the clearance rate was conspicuously strong, with 84 per cent sent to a new home, up from 79 per cent at the equivalent session last year

From a slightly reduced offering (247 lots into the ring, down from 266), turnover slipped 18 per cent to 7,014,800 gns (AU$13.5 million) from 8,532,700 gns (AU$16.4 million). That yielded an average of 33,888 gns (AU$65,115), down 17 per cent from 40,826 gns (AU$78,450), while the median slipped to 25,000 gns (AU$48,000) from 33,000 gns (AU$63,400).

Hyde backing Saxon Warrior

Among the usual cavalry of new stallions, few appear as eligible as Saxon Warrior (Jpn) to introduce something different into the European breed. The son of Deep Impact (Jpn) will also tick commercial boxes, however, as a Group 1 winner at two and a Classic miler who always travelled so strongly; and, if the development of Lot 603 is any kind of guide, he is also making quite a print on his first foals.

Presented by Highclere Stud on behalf of his breeders Leonidas and Marina Marinopoulos plus partners, he is the third foal of Aktoria (Fr) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}), a young mare who won at Listed level in France, and his fifth dam is the remarkable Stilvi (GB) (Derring Do {GB}), a flying filly on the track prior to producing winners of the G1 Irish Derby and G1 Dewhurst S., plus runners-up in both the G1 1000 and G1 2000 Guineas.

The colt gained a precious seal of approval in the signature, on a 160,000 gns (AU$307,440) docket, of Timmy Hyde Snr. of Camas Park Stud, whose seasoned eye later picked out a colt by the same sire, Lot 747, for 100,000 gns (AU$192,150). He was consigned by Glashare House Stud.

“Saxon Warrior was a hell of a racehorse,” Hyde said. “One of the best in many years and this is a lovely individual. We’ll be sending him back to the sales.

“I’m absolutely delighted for the breeders,” said Lady Carolyn Warren of Highclere. “They have been in the game a long time, and lovely people as well. Our horses live with them, when they go to French stallions, and we sell their yearlings over here.

“This is a gorgeous horse, with a great temperament, who was very popular down in the yard and what a lovely example of how lovely Saxon Warrior’s stock are. He’s a real credit to his sire.”

Cigars on Havana Grey

A rookie with a rather different profile is Havana Grey (GB), sent to market as a straight-down-the-middle conduit of commercial speed. There is no shortage of that around, of course, so Ed Harper of Whitsbury Manor Stud was palpably moved to see Lot 741, a February colt out of a mare by the farm’s stalwart Compton Place (GB), hit the ball out of the ground with a 130,000 gns (AU$250,000) sale to Harry Sweeney of Paca Paca Farms.

“It is amazing, somebody from Japan wants a horse by the stallion we stand for six grand,” he said. “I did love the foal, I have just stared at him ever since he was born. There’s a slight tinge of sadness, that I suppose I won’t be watching him race here, but I can’t complain at the price.

“The Havana Greys have gone so well, it’s just fantastic. Everybody has been opening the doors to see them, and they have been going to good homes as well. This market is really tough, if you have the wrong model. But with the right model, you get well paid.”

Ervine family flourishing

A February colt by Kodiac (GB) out of a speedily-bred Iffraaj (GB) mare looked a pretty safe formula for a market like this and Lot 610, consigned by Keith Harte for Max Ervine, duly achieved 110,000 gns (AU$211,365) from Tally-Ho Stud.

But he also had the benefit of a cosmopolitan update, since the publication of the catalogue, in the recent stakes success at Aqueduct of his juvenile half-sister Illegal Smile (Ire) (Camacho {GB}).

Their dam is an unraced half-sister to Ervine’s fast and hardy sprinter Galeota (Ire) (Mujadil {Ire}), whose own mother had been retrieved, at the end of her racing career, after selling to Darley Stud as a yearling.

Harte, who sold a 130,000 gns (AU$250,000) Churchill (Ire) colt for Ervine in Book 3 of the October Sale here, paid due credit to a patron who tends primarily to sell yearlings.

“Another great foal from Max’s farm in County Down,” he said. “We are very lucky to have him as a client. He only has five or six mares. This is a cracking foal, we had a lot of interest from all the top buyers, and he was bought by the right men who support the stallion well.”

Zoustar colt popular

David Redvers of Tweenhills reckoned he has seldom seen as many vettings in one day at a foal sale as preceded the arrival in the ring of Lot 691, a son of the stud’s coveted Australian commuter Zoustar from a very brisk Cheveley Park family.

Sure enough, the colt reached 100,000 gns (AU$192,150) before being knocked down to none other than Tattersalls Marketing Director Jimmy George.

Within five minutes, George was also signing an 82,000 gns (AU$157,560) docket for Lot 694, a filly by the same farm’s tragic Roaring Lion (USA). After enduring some amiable teasing from Alastair Pim on the rostrum, George explained that in both cases he was literally holding the phone for insurance broker David Howden, who has been introduced to the game by Redvers.

“David has got himself involved over the past couple of years and is very enthusiastic,” Redvers explained. “He has seen all the foals at the farm and particularly loved those two, who will be kept to race in his own colours.

The Zoustar is out of a Pivotal (GB) half-sister to Group 1 winner Hooray (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) named Bewitchment (GB).

Howden may be a novice, but he’s in step with some of the most astute judges around, judging from the 110,000 gns (AU$211,365) paid by Yeomanstown Stud for another Zoustar colt, presented by Plantation Stud as Lot 738. This one gains some extra Australian dash through his dam, an Exceed And Excel half-sister to that remarkable racemare Gorella (Fr) (Grape Tree Road {GB}).