Cover image courtesy of Goffs
Ghostwriter tops Goffs London at £2 million
High-class performer Ghostwriter (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who holds obvious claims in the G2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, led the way at the Goffs London Sale on Monday when selling to Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing for £2 million (AU$4.16 million).
A three-time winner – including at Group 2 level – for trainer Clive Cox and owner Jeff Smith, Ghostwriter twice hit the frame behind City Of Troy (USA) (Justify {USA}) last year in the Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International.
Joorabchian held off the attention of American owner John Stewart as underbidder. And, while he was standing beside Alex Elliott when the hammer fell, the Amo Racing boss insisted that there was no pressure on the bloodstock agent given he had instead taken the advice of his son Max before waving the winning bid.
“To be honest, my son picked him out a little while ago,” Joorabchian said. “He was like, 'we've got to buy this.' He's third favourite (7-1) for the Hardwicke. I think he's got a chance to go up to Group 1-level so we'll see.”
Kia Joorabchian | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
Asked if his son was in attendance, Joorabchian joked, “No, I haven't got my son here but I have my adopted son, Alex Elliott. He doesn't have any pressure because he didn't want to buy it. So we're okay, this one's on me.”
Ghostwriter boasts a rating of 118. He is out of the Cheshire Oaks runner-up Moorside (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) and from the family of the 2000 Guineas-winning sire Zafonic (USA).
Asked if Ghostwriter would be staying with Cox, Joorabchian added, “We'll see. I don't know Clive Cox but I'm sure I'll meet him and we'll see. At the moment, I am not buying horses to stay (with their current trainers), I'm buying them to go into our own yard. This one, I don't know yet, because he (Cox) has done a good job with him so we'll have a chat. Alex knows him a little bit better.”
John Stewart’s Resolute Racing buys second top lot
Meanwhile, John Stewart managed to get in on the act when going to £625,000 (AU$1.3 million) to secure Woodshauna (Fr) (Wooded {Ire}).
The Resolute Racing boss had already struck a deal last month on the private market for the Paddy Twomey-trained Rogue Legend (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), who heads the betting for the Windsor Castle Stakes, and was returning to a source he knows well for Woodshauna. The Group 3-winning 3-year-old is trained by Francis Graffard, who also manages the career of Stewart's leading older performer Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Gr}).
Stewart said, “Francis has been telling me about the horse and he was my main target at the sale. He will stay with Francis and target a Group 1 in the beginning of July. I think we got some good value since he was not targeting an Ascot race. I thought he would be a bit more expensive.”
John Stewart, Kia and Alex Elliott | Image courtesy of Goffs
Australian buyers active
McKeever Bloodstock stepped up with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott to purchase three lots for a total expenditure of £610,000 (AU$1.3 million). Winner of two of his five starts, 3-year-old gelding Fantazy Man (Ire) (Shaman {Ire}) has nominations for both the King George V Stakes and the Golden Gate Stakes and both his wins have come in his two most recent starts. He cost £250,000 (AU$520,000). Fellow 3-year-old gelding Solar Army (Ire) (Invincible Army {Ire}) cost £200,000 (AU$416,000) and is the winner of two of his nine starts, and has no Royal Ascot entries.
Lot 19 - Fantazy Man (Ire) | Image courtesy of Goffs
Their third purchase shares a sire with the stable’s group winner Vauban (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) being 3-year-old gelding Mo Chroi (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) who was third on debut, then a winner at his next start. He cost £160,000 (AU$333,000), and also has no Royal Ascot entries.
First Light Racing teamed up with Tony Gollan Racing and David Skelly to spend £250,000 (AU$520,000) on 3-year-old gelding Brindavan (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}), winner of two of his 10 starts. He is entered in Royal Ascot’s Golden Gate Stakes and the John Smith’s Cup Handicap.
Blandford Bloodstock and Australian owner Tim Porter went to £200,000 (AU$416,000) to buy Listed Chesham Stakes winning 4-year-old mare Snellen (Ire) (Expert Eye {GB}) who is from the family of four-time Group 1 winner Novellist (Ire), a son of Monsun (Ger) who stands in Japan. Her Royal Ascot target is the Kensington Palace Fillies Stakes.
Of the 30 horses offered at the Goffs London Sale, 19 were sold. However, Rafale Design (Ire) (Starspangledbanner) and Ali Shuffle (GB) (A'Ali {Ire}), who had won and finished second respectively just 24 hours before the sale, failed to find buyers. Rafale Design was a vendor buyback at £2 million (AU$4.16 million) while Ali Shuffle was retained at £500,000 (AU$1.04 million). All told, the 19 sold horses went for a combined £7.72 million (AU$16 million). The average was £406,316 (AU$845,000) while the median was £300,000 (AU$624,000).
