Cover image courtesy of Goffs
Sparkling Plenty (Fr) (Kingman {GB}), winner of the G1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly just over 24 hours previously and billed as the headline act at Monday's Goffs London Sale, was knocked down for a whopping £8,100,000 (AU$15,600,000) only for it to emerge that the filly had been brought back by owner Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois.
Eventually it was revealed that a deal was struck by Al Shaqab Racing to buy into the Patrice Cottier-trained sister to G3 Jersey S. winner Noble Truth (Fr) for £5 million (AU$9.5 million).
It was reported that Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani had been in attendance at the sale, and it is understood that Sparkling Plenty will remain with Cottier following the part-sale.
Out of the Frankel (GB) mare Speralita (Fr) and closely related to the Japanese Classic winners Soul Stirring (Jpn) (Frankel {GB}) and Stars On Earth (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), Sparkling Plenty was sold in absentia.
She achieved the ultimate update when swooping to claim Survie (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) and Tamfana (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) in a pulsating edition of the Prix de Diane on Sunday.
While Sparkling Plenty was the undoubted star of the show, an unraced Kingman (GB) daughter of six-time Group 1 winner Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) was predictably popular with agent Hamish Macauley striking the winning bid for the Oaks Farm Stables-drafted 2-year-old on behalf of Amo Racing at £650,000 (AU$1.2 million).
Lot 6 - Kingman (GB) x Laurens (Fr) (filly) was purchased by Hamish Macauley and Amo Racing for £650,000 (AU$1.2 million) | Image courtesy of Goffs
Amo boss Kia Joorabchian has a number of high-profile horses to look forward to at Royal Ascot this week and warmed up for the meeting with a net spend of £1,130,000 (AU$2,200,600) after adding the Dermot Weld-trained Taraj (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) to his team for £480,000 (AU$921,600).
A 14-1 chance for Thursday's G3 Hampton Court S., Taraj was last seen finishing third behind subsequent Derby-placed Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in a Group 3 Derby Trial at Leopardstown. The colt was bred by Weld's Springbank Way Stud.
There were a number of notable buybacks throughout the session which led to just 13 of the 23 lots offered being sold. The most high-profile buyback of them all was Nurlan Bizakov's unbeaten Lazzat (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) at £2,250,000 (AU$4,300,000) while Adrian Keatley elected to hang onto leading G2 Coventry S. contender Francisco's Piece (GB) (Mayson {GB}). For the 13 lots sold, it generated £8,040,000 (AU$15,400,800) at an average of £618,462 (AU$1,200,400) and a median of £200,000 (AU$384,000).
Aussies snatch two
There was some Aussie action overnight at the Goffs London Sale. Ciaron Maher Bloodstock, alongside Richard Ryan, were the first to strike in the select catalogue, securing Lot 15, Pentle Bay (GB), a 2-year-old son of New Bay (GB), for £400,000 (AU$768,200) from the consignment of Saffron House Stud.
Lot 15 - Pentle Bay (GB) was purchased by Richard Ryan and Ciaron Maher Bloodstock for £400,000 (AU$768,200) | Image courtesy of Goffs
Pentle Bay holds a nomination for Saturday’s Listed Chesham S. after breaking his maiden at Leicester in eye-catching style. Pentle Bay is out of the Galileo (Ire) mare My Wish (Ire), who is a daughter of Mona Lisa (GB) (Giant’s Causeway {USA}). Mona Lisa won the Listed Give Thanks S. and was placed in the G1 Prix de l’Opera, the G1 Coronation S., and the G1 Irish Oaks.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, along with Mckeever Bloodstock, were the next and final Australians to secure a lot from the Goffs London Sale. The trio paid £200,000 (AU$384,100) for Lot 22, Asian Daze (Ire) (Frontiersman {GB}) from Fox Covert Stables.
The filly was placed in the Listed Kooyonga S. at Navan and has won three races from 10 starts. She holds an entry in Friday’s Sandringham S. at Royal Ascot. The stable confirmed through social media that Asian Daze will contest the 1600-metre feature.
