Cover image courtesy of Newhaven Park Stud

Cool Aza Beel, a winner of the G1 Sistema S. and the R. Listed Karaka Million for trainer Jamie Richards and Te Akau Racing, will stand at Newhaven Park in 2021 alongside young stallion Xtravagant (NZ), who remains at his existing price of $11,000 (inc GST).

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Newhaven Park are proud to stand Cool Aza Beel

Newhaven Park announced in January that it had secured Cool Aza Beel for stallion duties and Principal John Kelly said the response since that point had been very positive.

"We’ve been really pleased with the response we have got. He's got a very good syndicate behind him that have taken shares in the horse and we are receiving quite an amount of enquiry about bookings to him. We are over the moon with that," he said.

"I think being out of a fast Australian family and being such a good 2-year-old, and then having the attraction of Savabeel, really helps. He's a six-time Champion sire, Savabeel, and he is doing such a great job, and he is having such a great run in Australia."

Backing up Cool Aza Beel's efforts on the racetrack, where he won four of his six starts, including those dominant wins in the Karaka Million and the Sistema S. in 2020, is a pedigree which most Australian breeders will be well familiar with.

His dam, Cool 'N' Sassy (Testa Rossa), is out of Elle's Decree (Red Ransom {USA}), who is a half-sister to G1 VRC Sprint Classic winner Malaguerra (Magnus). Another half-sibling is Tennessee Midnight (Danehill {USA}), who is the stakes-winning dam of Group 1 winner Aloha (Encosta De Lago), grandam of Group 1-performer Libertini (I Am Invincible) and great-grandam of G1 Champagne S. winner Seabrook (Hinchinbrook).

"That Australian family is a big help as well. There have been four or five Group 1 winners in that pedigree in the last five or six years, plus Libertini. It’s an evolving family," Kelly said.

The other great advantage for Cool Aza Beel in the Australian market is that he is Danehill (USA)-free in his pedigree.

"If you look at his pedigree, he's by Savabeel and out of a Testa Rossa mare. She's out of a Red Ransom mare who is in turn out of a Bletchingly mare. They are the three strains we want to use with these Snitzel, Not A Single Doubt mares and the daughters of every Danehill-line stallion," Kelly said.

"If you go and look at the statistics of all the nicks around those lines, they are fantastic. That's what really attracted us to him. The whole package. His sireline and his female-line will be pretty appealing to most broodmare owners in Australia."

Backing that up, according to Kelly, is a stallion who has the physique to really appeal to Australian breeders.

"He has that presence about him. He's 16 hands, he's strong, and he's got a lovely head and hip on him. He's a great mover and our experience would be that most stallions produce what they are. If he does that, he's going to produce really attractive foals and hopefully they can turn into good racehorses," he said.

Watch: Cool Aza Beel (NZ) win the G1 Sistema S.

Assessing the right fee for a new stallion to the market can be tricky, but Kelly is confident Newhaven Park has got the balance right at that $16,500 (inc GST) introductory price point.

"I think you'll find that he’ll be very attractive at that price. We haven't seen many service fees yet, but as a Karaka Million winner and a Group 1-winning 2-year-old, he will be very attractive to people. We need to stand stallions where people can make a dollar and we feel that's what he is," he said.

Xtravagant on the up

Xtravagant, the dual Group 1-winning son of Pentire (GB), enters his fifth season at Newhaven Park having recently celebrated his first winner with the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained He's Xceptional at Cranbourne.

Also placed twice at metropolitan level, He's Xceptional has proven the flagbearer to date for Xtravagant's first crop of 2-year-olds.

"Obviously, being by Pentire out of a Zabeel mare, he was never going to have a crack at the early 2-year-olds, but he has had seven starters and a winner. He's had a couple of placegetters as well," Kelly said of the stallion.

"Every trainer who has got them likes them and if you watch all of his horses, they all finish their races off. We are very hopeful that as we get into the late part of their 2-year-old careers and the spring of their 3-year-old season, they will really come to the fore.

"He didn't win his first race as a 2-year-old until May, and he was brilliant there, and then he was a brilliant horse through his 3-year-old season."

Xtravagant's had consistently strong books through his four seasons at stud, and his two crops through the yearling sales have proven quite popular.

They averaged $66,994 across 43 sales in 2020 and then $52,550 across 20 sales in 2021 to date. Significantly the median price for his progeny has gone up from his first crop to his second crop, from $40,000 to $42,500.

Kelly said much of the demand at the yearling sales in 2021 has been driven by repeat buyers, which is an endorsement of the impression his first crop has made.

"We've been really happy with the way the people who bought them last year have come back and bought them this year. We can only take positives out of that," he said.

"They've got confidence in him and we will be disappointed if we are not sitting in a position at this time next year with a stallion who has people pretty excited."

It was only a month ago that Widden Stud announced it would be taking over the former Eliza Park property near Kerrie in Victoria, and true to the word of Antony Thompson at the time, the roster expansion has come quickly with the announcement of two new recruits.

The exceptionally talented Russian Camelot secured two Group 1 victories in an 11 start career and he will be joined by precocious sprinter Doubtland at the Victorian property.

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Russian Camelot will stand at $22,000 (inc GST), while Doubtland will launch his career at $16,500 (inc GST). Widden have also announced that shares and lifetime breeding rights are being offered.

“We’re aiming to build a sustainable commercial roster of sires for the Victorian market that can satisfy the needs of a wide range of breeders and in Russian Camelot and Doubtland we have two outstanding prospects,” said Widden Stud owner and proprietor Antony Thompson.

Russian Camelot had an unusual profile when he debuted with a win at Ballarat in October 2019, although officially aged three in the racebook, he was actually only two years and seven months old. The colt, born in Ireland and purchased by Jermey Brummitt for 120,000 gns (AU$239,400) at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale with Danny O'Brien and partners, would go on to become the only Northern Hemisphere-bred 3-year-old to win an Australian Derby.

He returned in the spring with a gallant second in the G1 Makybe Diva S before claiming his second Group 1 victory, at only his seventh start, in the G1 Underwood S.

"A winner from 1400 to 2500 metres, he was a Classic victor, a genuine weight-for-age champion and his profile suggests to us he could ultimately be a similar style of sire to So You Think,” said Thompson.

His final appearance was a first-up second in the $5 million The All-Star Mile, beaten 0.5l by Mugatoo (Ire) (Henrythenavigator {USA}). Soon after it was announced that the colt would be retired immediately, due to a tendon injury sustained in the race.

“I think he’s the best horse I’ve had anything to do with, particularly to do so much so early in his career,” trainer Danny O’Brien said.

“He’s got charisma, if you’ve ever seen him close-up at the races, he just looks the part. He is a horse that just turned up in any weather and under any conditions, gave his all and never let anyone down. He was just an outstanding racehorse."

Doubtland adds million-dollar looks

A quality yearling, Doubtland was secured for $1.1 million from the draft of Arrowfield Stud at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale by Hawkes Racing.

He didn't take long to show his ability, winning on debut in March of his 2-year-old year then following that up with a decisive victory in the G3 Kindergarten S. Returning at three with a fifth behind fellow Widden Stud first-season sire Anders in the G3 San Domenico S., Doubtland headed south to secure the G2 Danehill S. at Flemington before finishing fourth in the G1 Coolmore Stud S.

“He was the most expensive yearling by Not A Single Doubt sold in 2019 and his win in the Kindergarten was by the biggest margin ever achieved by a colt in that race,” said Thompson.

Doubtland's pedigree is also sure to hold immense appeal to breeders, being a son of outstanding sire Not A Single Doubt whose own son Extreme Choice sired G1 Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside from his first crop.

His damline is also rich in quality, being from the Group-placed Miss Sharapova (Ustinov), a half-sister to top sprinter Villa Verde who is also by Not A Single Doubt. Further back, this is the family of exceptional juvenile and stallion Rory's Jester.

Robinson's ascent through the ranks at Magic Millions to the role of Bloodstock Manager has been relatively rapid after he joined the company as a New South Wales Bloodstock Consultant less than two years ago.

The one-time Godolphin Flying Start trainee, who also worked as Racing Manager for Highclere Thoroughbreds, has a pedigree page to match most in the industry when it comes to working with horses.

The connection was to the fore on the first day of The Championships last Saturday as his father Terry, or TJ as he is known, claimed the $500,000 Newhaven Park Country Championships Final, preparing star 4-year-old Art Cadeau (Artie Schiller {USA}) to the biggest win of his thoroughbred training career.

Dane and the rest of the family, and it seemed half of the towns of Berry and Nowra were there to celebrate an amazing occasion, as Art Cadeau led all the way and kicked clear under Tommy Berry to claim the rich prize on one of Australia's great racedays.

"They are the sorts of days you dream about around the family table. It's huge for my extended family as well. Dad is the eldest of 12 and we had our uncles and aunties, and cousins and friends of the family, they had two busloads come up for the day. The support about him has been unreal," Dane told TDN AusNZ.

Robinson said the innovations Racing NSW has brought in to support country trainers in the past decade, starting with the weekly Highway races and then the feature races during the autumn and spring have been life-altering for trainers like his father.

"The TAB Highways, and the Country Championships and The Kosciuszko, it really has put life back into that country racing industry. There was a point in time where Dad had thoughts about giving it away. Things were really tough," he said.

"But testament to him, without fail he gets up every morning to go to work and his persistence is paying off with the help if the TAB Highways, I think he's won 15 of those now, it’s just an amazing thing. To see where he came from to a position where he can win these races, you wouldn't have dreamt of it 15 years ago."

It was 15 years ago when Terry Robinson elected to end his involvement in harness racing after a brilliant career in the sulky. Growing up as the son, and right hand man, of the legendary harness racing figure Kevin Robinson, TJ had attempted to mix both thoroughbred and standardbreds, before it got too much to handle.

Dane sees Saturday's success with Art Cadeau as a reward for his father's lifelong work with horses and particularly, the effort that he has put in as a thoroughbred trainer in the past 25 years.

"“Dad has worked so hard his whole life, ensuring and supporting the success of our grandfather Kevin and for Regal Lodge, and it’s just amazing to see him get a win like this in his own name - showing he is every bit the horseman our grandfather was," Dane said.

"I think he felt the pressure a bit from being the son of Kevin and having that position in the family. With everyone there on Saturday and winning that race, it's a big tick and I’m sure hugely satisfying for Dad.

"I have no doubt that KJ wouldn't have had a lot of that success without Dad, and it’s just really nice, that after floating across to the thoroughbreds in the 1990s, he now has this success under his own name.”

A national showcase

The 'country-boy-done-good' is a story told many times in Australian racing, and Robinson's success, and the resultant celebrations, drew considerable media attention, something which could prove crucial to a trainer who has never courted a profile, despite his unparalleled skills as a horseman.

"Suddenly you see TJ on Channel 7, free-to-air, who would have even thought of that? It's awesome to see. That sort of exposure generates so much more. You syndicate a couple of yearlings and they sold quite well off the back of that," Dane said.

"It gets the buoyancy back in the stable. For those country guys, it’s been life-changing. To have those sorts of horses bred by a local breeder, Mick Lill, who lives five minutes away from TJ, and they became really close friends, you can’t put it in to words what it means."

The party held to mark Art Cadeau's win spoke a million words, stretching from Randwick to the South Coast.

"We had a couple of busloads going back to the local pub, and a few of us stayed in Sydney and celebrated. Dad had to take the horse home, so he didn't get too long at the racetrack, but he got a rockstar reception, when he turned up at the local pub. He was there right until close, so it was a night to remember. There were a few sore heads on a Sunday," he said.

The husky tone of Dane's voice on the phone a few days after the race gives him up as one of those who may have been nursing a hangover.

Back to work

Getting back to work after a celebration like that can be a chore but as they say, when you do what you love, you never work a day in your life. Robinson's path into the thoroughbred industry, albeit via a different path, was very much inspired by his father.

"I wouldn't be in the position I am in without the family upbringing and the association with horses that I have had. I'm very proud of my family," he said.

He is only a couple of weeks into his new role at Magic Millions, where he will fill the shoes of the much respected and liked, Clint Donovan, who is stepping back from his involvement with the company to focus on his own business interests but will still be involved as an auctioneer.

"It feels a little bit surreal. I've been with Magics for two years now, but it has been in the New South Wales role based out of Sydney. To be approached to come up and take over from Clint, it took me a while to digest how it would go," he said.

"I've spent a lot of time away, firstly through Flying Start and then through Highclere and I just felt like I was getting back into Sydney life, but at the end of the day, it was too good an opportunity to pass up."

Robinson has spent the past month in handover mode with Donovan, something he is very grateful of, and he is getting used to life on the Gold Coast having moved up there earlier in the year.

The biggest lesson he feels he has learned in his two years with the company is the importance of the relationship with clients.

"Understanding the people that are involved and how individuals do business has been really important. To work a lot closer with the leading guys in the industry, you see how their decision-making works. To understand how they make their decisions and help them get the best result for their stock, you can't put a price on that experience," he said.

"Working with Barry (Bowditch, Managing Director) and Clint over the past two years and now into this role, it just gives you a great understanding of how it all operates at a much bigger level."

While the COVID-19 disruption has made it an interesting time to be involved with a sales company, Robinson said the way in which the industry has bounced into 2021 is a vindication of the optimism of those involved.

"I think you have to be. We all deal with hope. We hope for the next good horse to come along, and on the back of very strong sales results this year and on the back of prizemoney continuing to increase, we are the most buoyant market in the world," he said.

"People internationally are looking at it and looking to enjoy the opportunities down here. There's not a better place in the world to be in at the moment than the Australian racing industry."

Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan

The Murrurundi district, north of Scone, is a long way from Royal Randwick, but on Saturday, a few of its locals at Emirates Park will tune in to Day 2 of The Championships. The breeding operation has a brilliant prospect in the G2 Percy Sykes S., and she is the undefeated juvenile filly Najmaty.

With a debut as recent as early March, in a maiden handicap at Kensington, Najmaty is a last-start winner of the Listed Redoute’s Choice at Caulfield. Trained at Randwick by Peter and Paul Snowden, the filly has been faultless.

She’s won two of three trials, placing second in the other, and her two race-starts have netted close to $124,000 in prizemoney. Caller Matt Hill said “she’s a grade above, this little girl,” when she towelled the field at Caulfield a fortnight ago, and she’s an obvious favourite on Saturday.

What might have been

Two-year-old Najmaty is from the Emirates Park broodmare Najoom (Northern Meteor), and it’s a strong, generational family on the farm. Chestnut Najoom is only 9-years-old, and was purchased by Trevor Lobb and Emirates Park General Manager Bryan Carlson at the Magic Millions Sale on the Gold Coast in 2013. They paid $225,000.

She was the only yearling Emirates Park picked up at that Sale, Lot 466 on account of Willow Park Stud. Najoom was bred by Graham Watson from the Arena mare Charlety Star, and she’s been a generous buy.

“Trevor and I were at that Sale looking at yearlings, and she was the only one we bought,” Carlson said. “We don’t normally buy many at all, usually only one or two yearlings a year. Najoom was by Northern Meteor, who was in either his first or second crop, and the female side was really strong. We were looking to inject fresh blood onto the farm, and this was a filly with residual value.”

Najoom showed a lot of promise early in her career. Trained by Gai Waterhouse, at the time of her retirement she had the remarkable record of seven lifetime starts for five wins and a pair of seconds. Her wins included the Listed Hawkesbury Guineas in 2015 and, two weeks later, the G3 Fred Best Classic at Doomben.

“You can’t say she was a top-liner,” Carlson said, “but she beat Group 1 horses, and just on her record she should have been a Group 1 horse. She was favourite for the last Group 1 of the year, the Tattersall’s Tiara, but unfortunately she was the first emergency and didn’t get a start.”

Shortly after, injury cut everything short, and Najoom went home to Murrurundi.

A family on the rise

The mare’s first season found her in-foal to I Am Invincible, but the resultant colt died after birth. In her second season, Najoom foaled Najmah (Snitzel), a current 3-year-old and winner of two races in five starts.

Najmah is with the Hawkes team at Rosehill, a handy filly who was retained by Emirates Park for her obvious family value. She was last-start unplaced in the G3 PJ Bell S., jumping quickly and wasting too much too early to be competitive. As a result, she was withdrawn from Saturday’s G2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint.

Najmaty arrived in Najoom’s third season, a darker filly born in mid-October 2018. She has clattered through a promising juvenile career to date, with eventual sights on the breeding barn.

“When we bought Najoom, it was mainly for the female side,” Carlson said. “It’s a very strong family, and it’s only gone from strength to strength since then. When we’re buying, we always try to have those strong female families. All the fillies need to have residual value somewhere, and then if they don’t race, or something goes amiss, we’ve got something to breed from.”

There’s plenty of something on Najoom’s page.

The mare is a half-sister to stakes winners Bhutane Dane (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and Gaze On (Intergaze). Further down, third dam Gainesville (Can) (Afleet {USA}) produced the dam of Criterion (NZ), Varenna Miss (Redoute’s Choice) and Silently (Anabaa {USA}).

It’s also the family of producer Rose Of Cimmaron (Bite The Bullet {USA}), dam of Siege Of Quebec (Fastnet Rock) and Kingstar stallion Bull Point.

“At the time, the pedigree was fresh for us,” Carlson said. “We had a lot of daughters of daughters on the farm, so we needed fresh blood. Over the years, I’ve learned that the best way to do things is to make pedigrees, instead of buying them. It’s easy enough to go and buy a stakes broodmare, but this way, with fillies like Najoom was, you can make them.”

The family received a further spike last week, with Najoom’s half-brother, a colt by Merchant Navy, selling from Charlety Star at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $120,000. He went to Hong Kong buyer Bon Ho from the draft of Segenhoe Stud.

Tactics

Carlson is excited about Najoom’s start at stud. Both Najmah and half-sister Najmaty are performed, black-type horses, and they were good foals.

“For Najoom to get that out of the way already is quite exciting,” Carlson said.

The Emirates Park manager said that they shoot for black-type results with the girls every season.

“Our aim is to produce three or four black-type fillies on the track each year from either homebreds or fillies we buy,” he said. “We’ve already got three 2-year-old stakes-winning fillies this year, and to do that is pretty exciting.”

Carlson added that Nasser and Hussain Lootah’s direction, as the owners of Emirates Park, is to see their colours carried on the top shelf of the sport and, if history is anything to go by, they’re doing okay.

Emirates Park has twice won the G1 Golden Slipper, with Mossfun (Mossman) in 2014 and Estijaab (Snitzel) in 2018. The farm’s graduates include no less than Encosta De Lago, Theseo (Danewin), Dash For Cash, County Tyrone (Danewin) and Al Maher.

“We want to be known for producing good horses,” Carlson said, “and what we’re doing seems to be working. We retain some fillies to produce nice horses down the line and, if we can keep that high standard up, it’s only going to show in the sales ring at the same time.”

Knocking it out of the Park

It’s been a vintage season for Emirates Park.

This year alone, the Murrurundi operation can boast the smart juveniles Lightsaber (Zoustar), winner of three from five for Peter Moody, Enthaar (Written Tycoon), sensational winner of the G3 Gimcrack S. and G3 Chairman’s S., and Hilal (Fastnet Rock), runner-up in both the G2 Skyline S. and G1 ATC Sires’ Produce S.

Emirates Park has an eye on Hilal being a stallion addition to the farm in the near future and, in addition to these juveniles, there’s Liwa (Mulaazem) in Western Australia, winner of the Listed Supremacy S. and second in the G2 Karrakatta Plate this month.

If that weren’t enough, Emirates Park sold two million-dollar yearlings on the Gold Coast in January.

Lot 612 by Not A Single Doubt from One More Honey (Onemorenomore) went to Tony Fung and Phoenix Thoroughbreds for $1.8 million, while Lot 869, a Written Tycoon colt from Taqaseem (Medaglio D’Oro {USA}) sold to Spendthrift for $1.2 million.

“Selling those colts in January was very exciting,” Carlson said. “In particular, the One More Honey was good because we raced her ourselves. Her first foal selling for $1.8 million was pretty outstanding.”

Najoom has a full sister to Najmaty on the ground at Emirates Park, but Carlson said that foal is likely to be kept.

“Being out of Najoom, being a filly, and she’s a quality filly too, there’s a good chance she’ll be retained,” he said. “The mare missed to I Am Invincible two seasons ago, but she’s in-foal to Tassort right now.”

Fillies, fillies everywhere

Saturday’s Percy Sykes S. is a clash of the titans.

There are three fillies in the field for Godolphin, a daughter of More Joyous (More Than Ready {USA}) in Joyous Legend (Snitzel), an Arrowfield beauty in Yearning (Snitzel), and fillies bred by Phoenix Thoroughbreds, Cressfield Stud and Noorilim Park.

Ten horses will take their place for the 1200 metre sprint, and Najmaty is the market fancy ahead of Crystal Bound (Not A Single Doubt).

“This filly, if she’d been up on time, would have gone to the Golden Slipper,” Carlson said. “But the Snowdens are very good trainers, and they know not to push them if they’re not ready. She won the Redoute’s Choice and that takes the pressure off with the black type behind her, and now we can just sit back and enjoy her racing, and see where it takes us.”

Carlson will also watch Adelong (Medaglio D’Oro {USA}) in the G2 Sapphire S. at Randwick, a mare that Emirates Park bred in 2015 from Snowgums (Redoute’s Choice), while in Perth, Liwa takes her place in the G3 WA Sires’ Produce S.

“It would be terrific if they get a result,” Carlson said. “My gut feeling is that Najmaty will go very well in the Percy Sykes. It’s a strong field, and you’ve always got to be wary of trainers like the Hawkes' and Ciaron Maher, but she’s there and she should run a good race.”

Cover image courtesy of Tattersalls

Positive sentiment after tough times

”That's what I love about this place,” one shopper complained on Tuesday afternoon as a consignor extolled the virtues of the horse being paraded before him. “There's never any bad news.”

Well, he must have spent the last year under a rock.

Pretty universally, all that anyone in the European industry sought from the new breeze-up cycle at Newmarket this week was a renewed sense of stability. And, while the closing session of the Craven Sale at Tattersalls proved somewhat tougher going for vendors than the first day, there remained plenty of encouragement.

Edmond Mahony, the Tattersalls Chairman, took heart at the end of proceedings—being especially pleased with the reception of the £250,000 (AU$445,000) Royal Ascot/Group 1 bonus introduced this year, to supplement the £15,000 (AU$26,700) Craven bonus scheme.

"It is clear that owners have embraced these unprecedented bonuses,” Mahony said. “We have seen solid and diverse demand at all levels of the market from start to finish, producing the best Craven Breeze-Up clearance rate since 2000 and key indicators which have held up well, especially when taken in the context of the COVID-related challenges and restrictions which we are all still grappling with, and which continue to hinder international travel.

“Nevertheless, to hear consistently positive feedback from owners, trainers, agents and consignors about the bonuses has been gratifying, and reinforces our commitment to exploring as many innovative ways as possible to reward owners who buy at Tattersalls with extra prizemoney. There is no doubt that we will see plenty of this crop of Craven Breeze-Up graduates performing at a high level and it would be even more pleasing than usual if the Royal Ascot and Group 1 bonuses were won in the coming months.

“Despite the prolonged difficulties with international travel, overseas buyers have again demonstrated their appetite for high-class Tattersalls breeze-up 2-year-olds. Buyers from America, Bahrain, Dubai, France, Italy, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Singapore have all been active, many of them using the live internet bidding platform. As well as paying tribute to the consignors, who have as ever presented an outstanding collection of 2-year-olds, we must again commend everyone for their patience with the regulations and determination to overcome the obstacles we continue to face. We are still having to conduct sales under strict guidelines, but as well as looking forward to the forthcoming Guineas Breeze-Up and Horses-in-Training Sale, we are also looking forward to returning to more normality in the not-too-distant future.”

Patience rewards Yeomanstown's roll of the dice

Yeomanstown Stud recorded two of the biggest sales of the session, albeit both had involved some pretty high stakes. If the yield was relatively conservative, that doesn't alter the fact that both were valued among the best prospects on offer.

Indeed, a glistening Caravaggio colt presented as Lot 143 registered the top price of the day at 240,000 gns (AU$448,650). A half-brother to Australian Group 2-placegetter Wall Of Fire (Ire) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) out of a daughter of G2 Cherry Hinton S. winner Jewel In The Sand (Ire) (Bluebird {USA}), he was bought in this ring for 155,000 gns (AU$289,695) as a foal but that punt did not initially pay off when he was retained for 130,000 gns (AU$242,970) at the October Sale. Patience was rewarded this time, however, with Alastair Donald identifying him to meet a pretty intriguing brief for this type of sale.

“He'll be going into pre-training here but has been bought for a new client to race in Hong Kong,” the agent explained. “He's a lovely big horse with a nice pedigree. The sire looks like he has got a very nice 2-year-old already and I did like the yearlings, they're particularly good walkers, and this horse's movement is very good. He breezed well for a big horse. They don't start racing until they are 3-year-olds in Hong Kong, so we didn't need a 'here-and-now' horse.”

David O'Callaghan of Yeomanstown explained: “We brought him back to Book 1, but it did not quite work out. He is a beautiful colt, and breezed really well. He has a great attitude and hasn't missed a day.”

The other project concluded by the farm concerned Lot 117, a Night Of Thunder (Ire) colt out of Listed-placed Vitoria (Ire) (Exceed And Excel) bought as a Goffs November foal for €120,000 (AU$186,130). He realised 125,000 gns (AU$233,625) from Mark McStay of Avenue Bloodstock, to enter training with Hugo Palmer.

“He was my pick of the Sale,” McStay said. “I am a massive fan of the stallion, ever since my time at Godolphin. I bought Storm Legend at the breeze-ups last year (for £160,000 (AU$285,559) at the Goresbridge Sale) and he was John Oxx's last winner first time out at Naas last autumn. And I remember the dam, she was pretty quick. That gave me a little bit of extra encouragement.”

But so, too, did the grounding the colt has received. “This horse comes from a great farm,” McStay stressed. “They do a super job, and he was recommended by David. He is a big, strong, mature horse, but wouldn't be one to pitch up at Royal Ascot. He'll be a horse that will take a bit more time, you'd love to see him run in the autumn. But he's an exciting horse and I'm thrilled to get him.”

A new Dream for Williams

Hometown trainer Stuart Williams had arrived with a spring in his step after saddling a daughter of Oasis Dream (GB) to win the opener up the road during the afternoon, his first ever juvenile winner on the Rowley Mile. “A slightly dubious stat, to be fair,” he protested with a smile. “Usually we can only really take them up there for the experience.”

But while he may typically lack the kind of youngsters eligible to win maidens at that level, Williams is a good deal better resourced than many other trainers in ways that are arguably more precious yet. And the shrewd eye that had picked out Desert Dreamer (GB) for just 20,000 gns (AU$37,380) in Book 2 last October was happily able to go as high as 150,000 gns (AU$180,350) for Lot 96, an Aclaim (Ire) half-brother to Listed winner Lady Penelope (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}).

Williams was acting for Opulence Thoroughbreds, as when active at the March Sale recently improvised here. “I'm helping them with the buying but they do have other trainers so he's not 100 per cent certain to come to me,” he noted. “But he's a good strong horse, and athletic, and looks like he will be able to run as a 2-year-old. Unfortunately you have to pay plenty to get those.”

The colt, from the same family of Charm Spirit (Ire), was picked up by consignors Tally-Ho Stud as a Goffs November foal for €95,000 (AU$147,360) and proved worth their perseverance after failing to meet his reserve at 68,000 gns (AU$127,092) in Book 1 here last October.

Williams also gave 125,000 gns (AU$233,625) for Lot 128, a Dark Angel half-brother to Group 3 winner Feliciana De Vega (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) consigned by Church Farm and Horse Park Stud.

Aguiar proves a 'Dab' hand

One of the “touches” of the session concerned Lot 133, a Dabirsim (Fr) colt picked up by consignor Robson Aguair at the Arqana Sale last summer for just €22,000 (AU$34,120) despite boasting none other than All Along (Fr) as his fourth dam. Here he weighed in at 140,000 gns (AU$261,660) from Richard Brown on Blandford Bloodstock, to join David Simcock.

“I bought a horse at the breeze-ups last year from Robson called Cordouan,” Brown said. “And he won very well for John Gosden at Newcastle last night. So I'm going back to the same hotel: I think John's horse is very nice and I hope this one is, too. He came across the track a little bit green, but breezed very nicely and he's a good-looking horse. He'll need plenty of time, but he will get that with David. We'll give him a break now, and hopefully he'd be an August-September, seven-furlong starter.”

We revisited the evolution of Dabirsim as a breeze-up force in coverage of the opening session, when his only other representatives in this catalogue both excelled at 240,000 gns (AU$448,560) (another for Aguair) and 140,000 gns (AU$262,660), respectively. He's certainly doing a precious service for the Sunday Silence (USA)-line in Europe.

Another grand pinhook was completed moments later when Lot 137, a Prince Of Lir (Ire) half-brother to Listed winner Royal Address (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) picked up by George Peckham as a £15,000 (AU$23,270) private sale at Doncaster last year, was sold for 105,000 gns (AU$196,245) to the Cool Silk Partnership. This was exceptional work by the former trainer and it's good to see his talents proving viable in this sphere.

Transatlantic trade pays for Whitehead

The European industry will owe a big debt to breeze-up pinhookers, in the long term, if they remain ahead of the game in importing the kind of American stock that has so often invigorated the gene pool over here.

On the other hand, the Sale-topping Practical Joke (USA) filly who had dominated the opening session was purchased for immediate repatriation, and that is also understood to be the probable strategy with the Union Rags (USA) colt who raised 185,000 gns (AU$345,765) from Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah as Lot 145.

He's certainly bred to excel on dirt, as a son of G1 Alabama S. winner Careless Jewel (USA) (Tapit {USA}) from the family of the brilliant City Of Light (USA) (Quality Road {USA}). He was bought for US$115,000 (AU$148,790) by P.B. Bloodstock for Tom Whitehead of Powerstown Stud at Keeneland last September, on the same trip where he found a son of Practical Joke at Fasig-Tipton for US$75,000 (AU$97,040).

Offered here as Lot 90, that colt gave the Ashford sire yet another hit when making 140,000 gns (AU$261,660) from Irish trainer Michael O'Callaghan. It will be good to see whether the Into Mischief (USA)-line can transfer its brilliance to the European theatre.

“These are both nice horses and I am very pleased,” Whitehead said. “The Union Rags will be a lovely horse later in the year. It was touch-and-go whether we'd get to the US last year, but the sales company was very good and organised it all. That has been a great start, but we are only halfway there! We have another seven or eight to sell.”