Whitsbury's 'year never to forget' as Chaldean's sister makes a million

Written by Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin, TDN Europe

Cover image courtesy of Tattersalls

It wasn't too hard to imagine that a Kingman (GB) half-sister to this season's leading juvenile in the UK, Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}), would steal the show at Tattersalls, and with shades of two years ago it was Juddmonte that swooped for the weanling from Whitsbury Manor Stud's increasingly influential broodmare Suelita (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) at an even million gns (AU$1.87 million).

This time though Juddmonte's General Manager Simon Mockridge was forced to stake almost double the amount it took to buy Chaldean, and that is largely thanks to the colt's exploits this season, with his four victories including the G1 Dewhurst S., G2 Champagne S. and G3 Acomb S.

But Suelita is far from just a one-trick pony: her five black-type offspring and six winners from six runners include the G2 Mill Reef S. winner and young sire Alkumait (GB), by Whitsbury Manor's Juddmonte-bred stallion Showcasing (GB), and his full sister Get Ahead (GB), who has been retained by the Harper family of Whitsbury Manor.

It was Chris Harper who bought the four-time winner Suelita at Tattersalls nine years ago for 21,500gns (AU$40,300), having been involved in the family in the past through Chaldean's third dam Horatia (Ire) and a half-sister to her fourth dam named Heady (GB). The breeder, whose son Ed is now at the helm of Whitsbury Manor, wiped away tears as Suelita's latest offspring left the ring with a seven-figure price-tag.

He said, “This is Gerald Leigh's old pedigree and years ago Gerald and I shared Horatia and Heady. This mare came up for sale and I went and had a look and thought she was a lovely mare, all quality. If I can buy for under 30,000 I do and she has been such a star. She's in foal to Showcasing and I hope she has a filly for obvious reasons, because she has to go back to Frankel now and if she has a filly then we won't be able to afford to keep her.”

Harper added of the million-guinea transaction, “This is a fabulous moment, it has never happened before, and we are all so thrilled.”

Whitsbury Manor is currently riding the crest of a wave as the breeder of one of the most exciting juveniles of the season and with a stallion roster that includes the proven Showcasing, leading first-season sire Havana Grey (GB), and Sergei Prokofiev (USA), whose first foals have been well-received this week.

“It has been a year never to forget,” Harper added.

As with so many bloodstock auctions this year, the December Foal Sale also appears to be going from strength to strength. Last year 19 weanlings made 200,000gns (AU$376,100) or more; this time around it was 24. That pushed the session aggregate to 20,045,000gns (AU$37,641,000), more than 3 million gns (AU$5.64 million) clear of the 2021 tally, with the average arising by 20 per cent to 111,361gns (AU$209,400) and the median by 13 per cent to 68,000gns (AU$127,800). With 180 foals sold from 223 offered, the clearance rate was 81 per cent.

Heatherwold's last hurrah

The purchase of the sale's top lot was by no means Juddmonte's lone strike as Mockridge signed for four of the six most expensive weanlings of the session for a total of 2,425,000gns (AU$4,560,000). The quartet included a Frankel (GB) filly bred by Eminent Kind Ltd and the final offering from Mike Caddy's Heatherwold Stud. The February-born weanling, who was sold for 500,000gns (AU$940,000), is the second foal of the dual Listed winner and Grade I runner-up Awesometank (GB) (Intense Focus {USA}).

“It is bittersweet really, as she is the final youngster to be sold from Heatherwold Stud under Mick Caddy's ownership,” said Heatherwold's bloodstock advisor Jeremy Brummitt. “He is ceasing operations and has gone out with a bang.”

Langton Stud's day in the sun

In a cloudless blue sky above Park Paddocks a daredevil pilot in a small plane was flying a loop-the-loop over Somerville Paddock R at Tattersalls as members of the media and fellow breeders flocked to congratulate Giles Wates. With two members of his Langton Stud draft (Lots 928 and 929) having just exited the ring for a cumulative price of 685,000gns (AU$1.28 million), it's likely that Wates felt like looping the loop himself, for this was by far the biggest sale result for his Dorset farm since he decided to sell his stock solely as foals 10 years ago.

“I am just about getting my breath. It has been great but it has been quite stressful too,” said Wates after being paid a huge compliment by one of the best breeding operations in the business when Simon Mockridge of Juddmonte Farms went to 500,000gns (AU$940,000) for the Lope De Vega (Ire) filly out of the G3 Oh So Sharp S. winner Poet's Vanity (GB) (Poet's Voice {GB}).

He continued, “It has been a few years getting here, but we have got there now, we are on our way and the team has done a great job.”

A half-sister to fellow stakes winners and proven black-type producers Lesson In Humility (Ire) (Mujadil {USA}) and Boastful (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}), Poet's Vanity was bought by the Wates family with Richard Brown from Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale for 200,000gns (AU$375,500) and proved to be worth every penny, with a Group win to her name as a juvenile followed by a placed finish in the G3 Nell Gwyn S. and two further victories.

Taking the long view with Frankel

In the upper echelon of the foal market the air can get a little thin for pinhookers but a variety of owner/breeders were out in force on Friday, looking to bolster their own broodmare bands with new blood.

Along with Juddmonte, the successful operations of Moyglare Stud, Shadwell, Sumbe, and Gestut Fahrhof were among those investing at the top end of a strong foal market and each of those named went home with a Frankel weanling.

Moyglare Stud has raced a homebred Classic-winning daughter of Frankel this season in the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Homeless Songs (Ire), and Fiona Craig signed for a filly by him from the draft of Luke and Tabitha Lillingston's Mount Coote Stud at 550,000gns (AU$1.03 million).

The filly in question (Lot 1063) is out of Sunny Again (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}), who has already proved her worth as the dam of Group 3 winner Elisa Again (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) and St Leger runner-up Berkshire Rocco (Fr) (Sir Percy {GB}).

Tina Rau has been active throughout the foal sale on behalf of Andreas Jacobs's Gestut Fahrhof and together they signed for a Frankel filly from the Whitsbury Manor Stud draft out of the Listed-placed Heartwarming (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), a half-sister to the G2 Queen Mary S. winner Heartache (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}).

“She's been bought to race,” Rau commented after bidding 320,000gns (AU$600,900).

Sumbe joins Frankel fray

With Mishriff (Ire) having joined the stallion ranks in France at Sumbe, there has been added significance to the purchasing of well-bred fillies and Lot 1056, a New England Stud-consigned daughter of Frankel fitted the bill at 425,000gns (AU$799,200).

A daughter of the dual-stakes winner Mrs Gallagher (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), the filly is from a family the Sumbe team is familiar with and she will be put into training, according to stud manager Tony Fry.

He said, “We were underbidders on the Starspangledbanner (half-brother) as a yearling. She'll go back to Hesmonds Stud now. We have a plethora of stallions so, when she finishes her racing career, she can visit them.”

Prix du Jockey Club winner Mishriff has been set at €20,000 (AU$30,860) in his debut season at Haras de Montfort et Preaux and will stand alongside Golden Horde (Ire), De Treville (GB) and Recorder (GB).

Asked how Mishriff has been received, Fry said, “Super. We haven't started showing him yet but the bookings have started to come in already.”

Sons on the rise

Ghaiyyath (Ire) is one of the first-season sires being much talked about at the sales and he was the only one of his intakes to nudge into the top 10 courtesy of his smartly bred daughter from Norelands Stud (Lot 1074) who was bought by Shadwell for 375,000gns (AU$704,200).

The filly is a half-sister to the Aga Khan's recent juvenile maiden winner Tarawa (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}), who is highly regarded by her trainer Dermot Weld, as well as the Group 3 winners Tanaza (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Taniyar (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}).

Shadwell's Angus Gold has signed for six weanlings this week, including a Frankel half-brother to the German champion 2-year-old Wonderful Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) at 370,000gns (AU$695,700). The colt was bred by Sea The Moon's breeder Gestut Gorlsdorf and consigned from Marwell Park.

Sea The Stars filly heads Southcourt Dispersal

To sell or not to sell will be the decision for James Hanly of Ballyhimikin Stud to make after purchasing a jewel from the partial dispersal of the late Sir Evelyn de Rothschild's Southcourt Stud. Offered as Lot 1002 from Peter Stanley's New England Stud, the daughter of Sea The Stars (Ire) and the Listed winner Waila (GB) (Notnowcato {GB}), from the family of former Horse of the Year Crystal Ocean (GB), was knocked down at 400,000gns (AU$752,200), with Johnny McKeever conducting the bidding on behalf of Hanly.

“James will probably put her back through Book 1, but she also has the potential to be a foundation broodmare,” McKeever said. “It is so hard to get into these families and it is a once-in-lifetime opportunity, sadly, with the passing of Sir Evelyn de Rothschild there is a chance to get into families that would never be available.”

O'Leary's 'big bite' for 280,000gns colt

Eddie O'Leary has been one of the more active buyers at Tattersalls this week, and he has signed for 12 foals at a total spend of 995,000gns (AU$1.87 million), headed by a 280,000gns (AU$526,500) No Nay Never (USA) colt from Awbeg Stud.

That was by far the most expensive of his purchases but, if he was feeling any pressure with his new acquisition, he scarcely made it be known after out-bidding Yeomanstown Stud.

“That's a big bite,” O'Leary joked, before adding, “I hope it doesn't come to bite me back!”

The No Nay Never colt (Lot 965) is out of the winning Aqlaam (GB) mare Southern Belle (Ire) who has produced two winners, including Janoobi (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}).

Heaping praise on his new addition, O'Leary added, “They all say this, but that's actually my pick of the whole sale. He's a brilliant horse by a brilliant sire and hopefully he goes places.”

Brown named FBA Agent of the Year

Richard Brown was named as FBA Bloodstock Agent of the Year for the second year in a row at Tattersalls on Friday.

The Blandford Bloodstock agent, who bought this year's Derby winner Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) for owner Saeed Suhail, was also responsible for buying the G1 Commonwealth Cup winner Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) and G1 Caulfield Cup winner Durston (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) as well as G2 Lowther S victrix Swingalong (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) and G3 JRA Cup winner Desert Icon (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

Geoffrey Howson, honorary president of the FBA, said, “When Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock received his FBA Bloodstock Agent prize last year, he told me that he was determined to win it again in 2022. I replied that the only way he could receive the award two years' running was to have bought the winner of the Derby.

“Immediately after his Book 2 yearling purchase, Desert Crown, won the Derby, he texted me, 'Told you I wanted another bottle of Krug!'”