Yulong and Milburn Creek on the board during ‘very competitive’ Keeneland opener

Cover image courtesy of Keeneland

Galileo show continues for Yulong

Yulong Investments’ relentless appetite for the world’s best breeding stock shows no signs of slowing down any time soon, with BBA Ireland signing the docket for four broodmares on behalf of Yuesheng Zhang’s global operation for a combined total of US$3,525,000 (AU$5,474,000) during the opening session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Mr Zhang has made no secret of his adoration for the progeny of the late great Galileo (Ire), whose reputation as a broodmare sire is bettered only by his own progeny’s achievements on the racetrack. BBA Ireland’s Michael Donohoe was on hand to secure a quartet of mares by the breed-shaping stallion in foal to a variety of America’s finest sires, spearheaded by Group 1-producing mare White Hot (USA) (Galileo {Ire}), who boasted a positive test to America’s reigning Champion Sire Into Mischief (USA).

Yulong also welcomed a pair of Galileo mares in foal to Coolmore’s red-hot shuttle stallion Justify (USA). Season Ticket (Ire), the unraced half-sister to multiple Grade 1 champion Tepin (USA) (Bernstein {USA}), was secured for US$450,000 (AU$699,000), and Butterfly Rose (Ire), the daughter of Grade 1 winner Amazing Maria (USA) (Maria’s Son {USA}), was purchased for US$525,000 (AU$815,000).

The operation’s fourth and final purchase of the day, again under the BBA Ireland banner for US$450,000 (AU$699,000), came in the shape of Urban Hill (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), who has already produced the stakes-class Ohtwoohthreefive (USA) (Union Rags {USA}) from her only two foals to race.

All options remain open for the regally bred quartet according to Yulong’s Sam Fairgray, who told The Thoroughbred Report that the operation’s purchases will remain in the US for the time being.

“We bought the four Galileo mares, a couple of them are in foal to Justify who is going brilliantly, and Mr Zhang obviously has a real affinity with Galileo,” Fairgray said.

“They were all from lovely families, so it’s fantastic to be able to add some more well-pedigreed mares to the broodmare band that is growing worldwide.

“At this stage they’ll all stay in America and foal down there, then we’ll decide what to do with them. There are plenty of options for them and Mr Zhang has some other ideas that we might try, but there’s a likelihood that a couple of them could end up here in Australia.”

The most expensive of Yulong’s quartet of purchases at US$2.1 million (AU$3.3 million) was White Hot, the three-quarter sister to G1 English Derby hero and former Coolmore stallion Pour Moi (Ire), who was offered in foal to four-time Champion US Sire Into Mischief as Hip 170 by Stone Farm.

White Hot’s first foal, Pizza Bianca (USA) (Fastnet Rock), landed the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf during a stellar race career, one which reached its pinnacle on Tuesday night when she sold to Gavin O’Connor on behalf of Lexington financier John Stewart for US$3 million (AU$4.7 million) at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

Fairgray revealed to The Thoroughbred Report that Yulong was one of the underbidders on the Group 1-winning mare during Tuesday night’s fierce bidding battle, so securing her dam White Hot was a most welcome tonic for the team.

“Her first foal is a Group 1 winner and if you can keep breeding fillies out of a mare like that and keep building the family, that’d be the key,” Fairgray said.

“She’s obviously in foal to a phenomenal stallion and she is from a fantastic family. When you want these nice mares you’ve got to front up and pay for them.

“She has some beautiful bloodlines and should be an easy mare to mate. It’s exciting to add a mare of this quality.”

Milburn keen on Munnings

Another Australian outfit which made its presence felt on the opening day of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale was John Muir’s Milburn Creek, who was assisted in its US$220,000 (AU$342,000) purchase of Hip 197, the cleverly monikered Beyond Mybudget (Can) (Munnings {USA}), by Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA).

Hedge, who watched from afar as Wiggum (Rich Enuff) - a horse whom he did the mating for and subsequently purchased as a yearling - landed a valuable 3-year-old contest on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington, is currently in the midst of a spell overseas securing bloodstock from the Northern Hemisphere for various clients.

Fresh from buying a filly by former Coolmore shuttler Saxon Warrior (Jpn) and a colt by Cambridge Stud shuttler Almanzor (Fr) from Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, the leading bloodstock agent was on hand to help Milburn Creek secure the Group 3 placegetter Beyond Mybudget, who was consigned by Taylor Made Sales.

This was the third time that the former Mark Casse-trained mare had passed through a sales ring, having fetched US$105,000 (AU$163,000) as a yearling before being sold at the Ocala Select 2YO Sale for US$200,000 (AU$311,000) as a juvenile.

A daughter of Canadian stakes winner Amiable Grace (Can) (Alphabet Soup {USA}) and from the family of US Grade 2 winner Awesome Baby (USA) (Awesome Again {Can}), there were several reasons why Milburn were drawn to the daughter of Munnings according to Hedge, who was taken with the mare from the moment he first laid eyes on her.

“We were walking around looking at our shortlist and Trish Muir spotted the horse,” Hedge recalled. “She said, ‘Look at that mare over there’ and pointed over to her, and when we saw her walking she was beautiful with a really good action, so we called her out.

“As soon as we saw her we thought she was really nice, beautifully athletic and well put together, so we were keen.

“Her pedigree is nice and open, and we thought she’d suit the Australian stallions really nicely. We also felt physically that she’d be up to the quality of mares that they have at Milburn, because they have a really high standard of mare there, so it’s a pretty high benchmark.

“Scott Holcombe, who is an incredible judge, is here with John (Muir) and they had already purchased a mare by Munnings - they like the stallion and they wanted to get some more bloodstock by him. We think she will fit in really well.”

A plan as to which stallion Beyond Mybudget will visit for her maiden cover is yet to be made, and Hedge revealed that the multiple stakes placegetter, alongside any other mares that Milburn is successful in purchasing over the coming days, is likely to remain Stateside until her successful suitor has been identified.

“I think usually what Milburn do is leave the mares here in the States for a period of time and then they’ll send them down to Australia,” he added.

“I can’t speak for Scott and John as for matings, because they may look to do a Southern Hemisphere cover in America for next season, but if they don’t do that they’ll ship her down and look for a stallion that will suit her next spring.

“Milburn have some other mares on their shortlist, so we’ll have a crack, but it’s very competitive. Yesterday at Fasig-Tipton was incredibly strong and again today there was plenty of competition on these nice mares.

“Hopefully they can buy a few more, but if not, we’re very happy with this one to take home.”

Following on from their sole purchase during Tuesday’s Fasig-Tipton November Sale, the Newgate-SF Bloodstock combination struck again at Keeneland on Wednesday, securing three-time Listed scorer Lady Edith (USA) (Street Boss {USA}) for US$240,000 (AU$373,000).

Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency as Hip 247, Lady Edith is the best performed racemare out of the Listed winner Lady Grantham (USA) (Yankee Gentleman {USA}) and won over distances up to and including 1300 metres.

Diverse buying bench powers electric Keeneland November opener

The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale gained momentum throughout its opening session and concluded a day of competitive bidding Wednesday evening with 11 seven-figure mares and a median up 30 per cent from its 2022 counterpart.

“It was a good day. It was a really good day,” said Keeneland President Shannon Arvin. “We were really pleased with the session overall. The theme of the century seems to be that the quality sells and there was really high demand for the quality. There was great international participation, but plenty of domestic participation as well. There was a real diversity among the buyers. It was a very, very strong market.”

During Wednesday's session, 120 horses grossed US$54,340,000 (AU$84,392,000). The average of US$452,833 (AU$703,300) was down eight per cent from the corresponding 2022 session, which included a US$4.6 million (AU$7.1 million) fractional interest in champion Flightline (USA). The median of US$375,000 (AU$582,000) was up 29.31 per cent from a year ago.

White Hot was the day's top seller in the ring, when BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe bid US$2.1 million (AU$3.3 million) for the dam of Pizza Bianca (USA) (Fastnet Rock), but the session had a post-sale topper when Puca (USA) (Big Brown {USA}), carrying a full sibling to G1 Kentucky Derby winner Mage (USA) (Good Magic {USA}), was purchased by John Stewart for US$2.9 million (AU$4.5 million) after initially being led out of the ring unsold.

The mare capped a busy couple of days for Stewart, who also purchased a colt by Curlin (USA) for US$600,000 (AU$932,000) on Wednesday, as well as seven horses on Tuesday at Fasig-Tipton for US$13,350,000 (AU$20,730,000).

“There is a lot of confidence in the breeding industry right now,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “I think the median jumping just over 30 per cent when you include Puca, is a significant increase.”

Shadwell Racing, which purchased the co-topping weanling at Fasig-Tipton on Tuesday, purchased Wednesday's highest-priced foal when going to US$750,000 (AU$1,165,000) for a colt by Gun Runner (USA) (Hip 154) from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. The colt was the top of a particularly vibrant weanling market Wednesday.

Last year's November Book 1 section had six weanlings sell for US$400,000 (AU$621,000) or more. Twelve hit that mark on Wednesday.

“The foal market was especially strong, we thought today,” said Arvin. “We had double the number of foals this year sell for US$400,000 or more than last.”

With 65 horses reported not sold, Wednesday's buy-back rate was 35.14 per cent. It was 26.49 per cent a year ago.

“There was some protectionism in the market,” said Lacy. “A lot of people were setting reserves that were not letting horses go. They were not going to sell them short. There were quality mares not being sold off cheap which I think is great for the industry. When you speak to the sellers, they were comfortable that they were not going to sell this one below a certain value. And that's okay.”

The Keeneland November sale continues through to November 16, with sessions beginning daily at 10am (2am AEDT).