Boughey breaks into big league with 800k Night Of Thunder colt at Tattersalls

Cover image courtesy of Tattersalls

At A Glance

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Total Book 2 turnover was up by 2% to 69,657,500gns (AU$150.6 million) compared to last year, which is a record for the sale

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The median was also a record, which climbed 9% to 76,000gns (AU$164,300)

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The average dropped slightly by 1% to 107,496gns (AU$232,400), and the clearance rate was also down slightly by 1% to 90%.

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Trainer George Boughey purchased a Night Of Thunder colt for 800,000gns (AU$1.73 million) on behalf of leading owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum.

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Night Of Thunder put in a dominant performance at Book 2, with 17 lots selling for a combined sum of 5,525,000gns (AU$11.9 million). His 325,000gns (AU$702,300) average was 134,353gns (AU$290,300) clear of his nearest pursuer, Starman.

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Baaeed was the leading first-season sire by both aggregate 2,314,000gns (AU$5 million) and average 144,625gns (AU$312,500),

Lindsay Park active at Tattersalls

Lindsay Park Racing were active at Tattersalls during Book 2, collecting a Lope De Vega colt (Lot 620) for 160,000 gns (AU$344,000) in conjunction with John Foote Bloodstock. Offered by Kellsgrange Stud, the colt is a full brother to juvenile Group 3 winner La Barossa and a half to French stakes performer Itsy Bitsy (Belardo).

They also picked up a Churchill filly (Lot 650) also in conjunction with John Foote Bloodstock for 48,0000 gns (AU$103,700 ). Offered by Highclere Stud, the filly's grandam Karen’s Caper (War Chant) was a Group 3 winner in Great Britain and America, and also twice Group 1 placed.

Gallery: Lindsay Park purchases at Tattersalls Book 2, images courtesy of Tattersalls

The Bloodstock Manager of Lindsay Park, Josh Rix was at Tattersalls and explained Lindsay Park’s line of thinking, purchasing at the yearling sales.

“We had a few clients that together wanted to try a different angle,” Rix said.

“They have bought tried horses before, but they are becoming pretty expensive, especially with the exchange rate and with other buyers in the market pushing the prices up a bit, so we thought we would try a different angle, buy some of the yearlings and get them home as soon as we can.

“They will go down to some late spring grass and some summer sun on their back and will get some more growth into them and we will take out time and break them in and they will get used to our conditions from day one. They will be on our firmer grounds in the summer paddocks, and on our tracks from the beginning of their education.”

When asked how he had found the market, Rix commented, “Book 2 has been much more friendly than Book 1. Especially with our exchange rate.”

Boughey adds another Night Of Thunder colt to the barn

Trainer George Boughey was the latest big name to join the Night Of Thunder fan club at Tattersalls when going to 800,000gns (AU$1.73 million) to secure a colt by the stallion on behalf of leading owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum.

Boughey has enjoyed success with the progeny of Night Of Thunder already, notably through that owner's Bow Echo, who was last seen winning the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket in September.

The Wednesday sale-topper was consigned by New England Stud and Boughey drew comparisons to his Group 2 winner by the stallion shortly after outbidding Anthony Stroud on the colt.

He said, “We had some stiff competition – he has been bought for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid and he looks very similar to Bow Echo. Sheikh Obaid picked him out and obviously we are delighted to train him. The colt is from a good family and the mare was a Listed winner. He looks like he will be one for next summer onwards. Sheikh Obaid is a patient owner and hopefully this colt can emulate what Bow Echo did.”

Boughey added, “We have had three or four by the sire and they have all won their maidens, but Bow Echo is the first with us to go on and look like a better horse. It is great to have the horse in the barn.”

The sale-topping colt is out of Golden Horn mare Quenelle D'Or and was offered by New England Stud on behalf of breeders Lady Riblat and Stanley House Stud.

New England's Peter Stanley said, “For a first foal to fetch that sort of price, it is magnificent. It is really thrilling, but Night Of Thunder is an incredible stallion. He is upgrading his mares to an extraordinary level and we are lucky we have taken the punt and used him. We used him a few times and it is paying off.”

He added, “I thought this would be one of the nicest horses in the ring this week and I said to my brother that this horse could make any amount of money. You start at a level and you need two people to lock horns and we were lucky that two great judges were there and did just that. I do think he will be a racehorse – he has it all. He has class and he has a lovely outlook. We have been excited about him for a long time.

“I don't think Lady Riblat has had a broodmare before. My brother [Lord Derby] raced Quenelle D'Or with John and Lady Riblat. They had a lot of fun, so I said to them at the end, 'Why would you want to sell her?' So, we played the breeding game. John had heard that you always lose money breeding horses. I had him on the phone during the bidding and he enjoyed every minute.”

Camelot colt generates big profit

One of the stories of the day, if not the entire Book 2 sale, came when Stanley Lodge manager Nick Cope, along with Ard Erin Stud's Tom and David Brickley, transformed their 80,000gns (AU$172,900) foal purchase by Camelot into a 475,000gns (AU$1.03 million) yearling to Alex Elliott, bidding on behalf of MV Magnier and Peter Brant.

The Camelot colt, who is out of the Listed-winning Clodovil mare Tigrilla, was one of the talking horses coming into the final day of Book 2 and he didn't disappoint. Eventually, it was Elliott who saw off the attention of Anthony Stroud to provide Cope with his greatest day on a sales complex.

“It's my biggest day in the game by a long, long way,” an emotional Cope said. “It's very emotional. When a horse like him, who was a pleasure to deal with the whole way through and was just an absolute gentleman of a horse, does that for you, it's amazing. He is one of those horses who just thrived every day for us. This is life-changing for me. It's massive. Absolutely massive.”

Along with the Brickley brothers, Cope sourced the Camelot colt from Baroda Stud at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale. He was making all of the right noises coming into Wednesday's session, with Cope admitting it was a bit of a struggle to keep a lid on his emotions as the horse entered the ring.

He said, “It's hard. Book 2 can be a hard sale for people to negotiate. We had some massive shows this morning and we knew we were getting on the right shortlists and that we were getting some very good second looks. It just blew up and, when it all works out, it's amazing what can happen in that ring. About five lots before the horse went into the ring, we were looking around to see who was down at the barn earlier in the day. Thankfully, it all came together and the ring just warmed up. Everyone you hoped would turn up did and there were just bids coming from everywhere.”

Cope added, “The Brickley brothers and I always team up together at the foal sales when we can. We try to work the sales as hard as we can and sometimes you come across the real deal, which he was. He did everything right for me all week – didn't put in a bad show and, when they do that for you, you can't ask for much more. He vetted really clean and had a great scope, great x-rays and a great attitude. He's just an unbelievably athletic, easy-moving horse.”

Elliott was flanked by MV Magnier and Paul Shanahan as the gavel fell and confirmed that the Coolmore partners were determined to land the colt.

The agent said, “He is by Camelot and out of a black-type mare who has produced a good horse by Twilight Son. This colt was very well bought by Nick Cope and the boys, and the team was very determined to get him. A lot of the Camelots are real staying types to look at, but I think this mare might speed him up; you could be looking at anything from 7f as a 2-year-old and then as an older horse to a mile plus. We all liked the idea that she would put in speed.”

Breeders of Ombudsman enjoy another day in the sun with Night Of Thunder

Ombudsman's breeder James Hanly warmed up for Saturday's Qipco Champion Stakes by recording yet another memorable day in the sales ring when selling a Night Of Thunder filly to Henry Lascelles for 700,000gns (AU$1.51 million).

Hanly sold Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder), who is a general 15-8 favourite for what is being billed as one of the races of the season, at this sale in 2022 for 340,000gns (AU$735,000).

The master of Ballyhimikin Stud in Ireland has been well-rewarded for his loyalty to sire sensation Night Of Thunder and, along with co-breeders Anthony Stroud and Trevor Stewart, enjoyed another day to remember at Park Paddocks with this filly going to Lascelles on behalf of a major owner-breeder in Britain.

“Night Of Thunder has been an absolute revelation. He's been fantastic for us and we've been so lucky to be involved with him,” said Hanly's son, Jack. “We've been on the bandwagon for a long time now; I don't think we sent him a mare in his first season but every year after that we have. That's really down to Anthony Stroud, he knew from the start how good he was and he kind of bullied us into following him!”

He added, “This filly had a lot of vets, there was a lot of chat about her and a lot of interest. She was an absolute queen down at the box and she was foot perfect here in the ring. We were expecting a good result but this is huge.”

The Night Of Thunder filly is out of Princesse de Saba (Dariyan), who placed in Group 3 company when in training in France. She was sourced by Stroud for €87,000 (AU$155,64) at Arqana in 2021, and has already proved to be a solid producer for connections, given her Mehmas colt made 270,000gns (AU$583,600) at this sale last year.

“The mare has done us proud,” Jack continued. “The half-brother we sold last year was a really good first foal and he's gone down to Australia. She's a nice, attractive mare and I think you have to buy them on the physical as well as the pedigree, and hopefully they'll pass that onto their stock. We loved her from the very beginning.”

That sale contributed towards what has been a memorable two weeks or so for Ballyhimikin, with the farm selling seven yearlings at Book 1 for 3,605,000gns and a further eight yearlings at Book 2 for a combined sum of 1,975,000gns.

“We've had a great crop of yearlings this year and people seem to like them, so hopefully they'll carry on and do well on the track now,” Jack said. “That's the most important thing.”

Asked whether the Hanlys would be making their way towards Ascot to support one of Night Of Thunder's leading performers on Saturday, Hanly concluded, “We can't miss it. It's the race of the year. It'll be some shootout.”

Thought for the day

There has been a lot of money spent at the yearling sales this autumn, but that money has been concentrated between a very thin list of buyers at the top end. Book 2 followed a familiar theme with either Alex Elliott, Amo Racing or Anthony Stroud responsible for 13,327,000gns (AU$28.8 million) of the total 69,657,500gns (AU$150.6 million) spent at Book 2.