Cover image courtesy of Tattersalls
Written by Brian Sheerin (TDN Europe) and Jessica Owers
After appearing among the buyers on the second day of Book 2 on Tuesday, some of Australia’s top trainers and bloodstock agents were at it again on Wednesday for the final session of the 2023 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
Annabel Neasham, Chris Waller and Suman Hedge each accounted for a total of three horses across the sale's final trading.
Neasham, in alliance with Blandford Bloodstock, spent 100,000gns (AU$201,000) on Lot 1208, a Study Of Man (Ire) colt that was consigned by Staffordstown, Ireland. This was an obvious purchase because the colt is a half-brother to Neasham’s outstanding gelding Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}), who has ripped through four Group 1 victories since his importation to Australia (and 10 Group victories all up).
Zaaki (GB) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Lot 1208 is from the Sadler’s Wells (USA) mare Kesara (GB) and, along with Zaaki and this colt, she is also the dam of the stakes-placed Kirks Ryker (GB) (Selkirk {USA}).
Chris Waller, buying alongside James Ferguson, had struck earlier in the session with 1092, a Too Darn Hot (GB) colt from the draft of the well-known Watership Down Stud, which has a handful of mares at Yarraman Park and Twin Hills in Australia.
At 140,000gns (AU$280,000), this colt is from the stakes-winning mare Frankel Light (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), with an extended page that includes Waller’s very useful import of some years ago, the Dansili (GB) gelding Le Juge (Ire).
Lot 1092 - Too Darn Hot (GB) x Frankel Light (Ire) (colt) | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
Le Juge was twice a winner of the G3 BRC Chairman’s H. for Waller in 2019 and 2020, and he appears in this pedigree as a half-brother to the dam of Lot 1092.
Whipping in the Australian trio on Wednesday was Suman Hedge who, on the day Saxon Warrior (Jpn) posted a raceday double in Queensland, went in for 80,000gns (AU$160,000) for Lot 1119 by the same sire. This bay filly, who was attractive with two long white socks on her hindlegs, is from a Storm Cat (USA) mare and a half-sister to the Bernardini (USA) stakes performer Galles (USA).
This is an interesting page with the second dam, Illustrious Miss (USA) (Kingmambo {USA}), a Group 3 winner that was third in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas. It features stakes winners in the US, Ireland, Italy, Denmark and Dubai.
Lot 1119 - Saxon Warrior (Jpn) x Gracefield (USA) (filly) | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
Metrics down, but…
The final day of the 2023 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale concluded with 211 lots sold of the 274 offered, and an aggregate of 17,373,000gns, which is just over AU$35 million.
The top price on the closing session was 425,000gns (AU$855,000), with the top price of the sale overall lingering at the 725,000gns (AU$1.46 million) paid by Godolphin for Lot 552A in Book 1, a Dubawi (Ire) wildcard filly from the exceptionally well-related Park Bloom (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
By the close of trade, key metrics across Book 2 had taken a dip, with the aggregate falling by 11 per cent compared to 2022, and there were similar dips in median and average, which fell by 11 per cent and 10 per cent respectively. The clearance rate, down by one per cent, was still a respectable 85 per cent.
“As referenced last week, the 2022 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale reached extraordinary heights, the like of which we may not see for many years to come, so for Book 2 to produce returns which, although falling short of last year, compare favourably with all bar two renewals of Europe’s largest yearling sale, gives some perspective,” said Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony.
“This year’s sale has achieved an average in excess of 80,000gns (AU$160,000), a median second only to last year’s runaway record and a clearance rate of 85 per cent. The outstanding Dubawi filly who topped the sale was the second highest-priced filly ever sold at this sale.”
The session-topper
The final session of Book 2 was topped by Lot 1309, a Sea The Stars (Ire) colt consigned by the Irish operator Norelands Stud. He cost 425,000gns (AU$855,000) when going to Blandford Bloodstock’s Richard Brown.
Lot 1309 is out of the Dawn Approach (Ire) mare Miss Aiglonne (GB), who is a half-sister to the Group 1 winner Mekhtaal (GB), also by Sea The Stars. It was combination of pedigree and physical attributes that enticed Brown to go to 425,000gns for the colt.
“He’s not a huge horse,” the bloodstock agent said. “He’s a perfectly sized horse for me. I got to see Baaeed quite a lot in William Haggas’, and Baaeed has this huge, flat quarter and great width of hip. He wasn’t actually a huge horse. This horse had a similar hind-end. He has great movement and is just a classy animal.”
Brown added that he was a realist, but buying a horse like Lot 1309 kept the dream alive.
“Buying a horse who looks like that and is by Sea The Stars, it gives you a chance of having a top Group 1 horse. Sam Guyette, who works for Juddmonte, has been helping us get through the numbers this week and he told me very early that there was a special horse for me to see. I sort of raised my eyebrows and went down to see him, and I went ‘Wow, this is a very serious horse’.”
Joseph O’Brien lands a Siyouni
Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien had been a constant presence across the three days of the sale and he bought horses at every level. In the final session of Book 2, he spent 310,000gns (AU$625,000) on a Siyouni (Fr) colt, picked up for Opm Equine, a partnership that includes the American bloodstock agent Justin Casse.
“Siyouni has had an exceptional year,” O’Brien said. “This is a nice, strong colt and we’re lucky to have gotten him. We’ve had a few by Siyouni and he’s one of the top sires in the world. We’re delighted to have him.
“He’s been bought with Justin Casse and Olivia Perkins-Mackey, who works with Justin. We’re looking forward to hopefully a mature 2-year-old.”
The Siyouni colt was Lot 1194, consigned by Grangemore Stud in Ireland and a son of the Invincible Spirit (Ire) mare Joie De Vivre (Fr).
This is the family of the Champion mare Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and her full sister Rhododendron (Ire), the latter the dam of this year's English Derby winner Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).
