You Won’t Learn That At School! – Teenage Pinhookers Make Half-A-Million At Tattersalls

[Wandering Eyes]

TATTERSALLS, ENGLAND – The young pinhookers behind the 450,000gns Minzaal filly that lit up Book 2 will face an interesting proposition when they return to school on Tuesday given the teenagers each walked out of Tattersalls on Monday with more money than their teachers will earn in a year. 

Fionn White (16) and brothers Jack (17) and Max Galway (13), whose father Richie is racing manager at Punchestown and son-in-law of Jessica Harrington, will do well to ignore sales catalogues for school books from this day on given the three whippersnappers turned their €85,000 investment into more than €500,000 at the current exchange rate. 

There are some things you can't learn in a classroom and for White, who operates under Clunemore Lodge Stud, this was not his first rodeo given he sold a Gleneagles colt for 230,000gns at this sale last year. He has sourced the colt for just €36,000 as a foal. 

In the case of lot 668, who was knocked down to Karl Burke for 450,000gns, the Baroda Stud-drafted Minzaal filly benefited from a major pedigree update given the sister, Saratoga Special (Mehmas), won a Listed race for trainer Jessica Harrington. 

Shortly after the hammer fell, Harrington's daughter and assistant trainer Kate joked that, 'There was more pressure on Saratoga Special than any other horse in the yard this year!' 

However, while White might only be 16, he doesn't do pressure and took the life-changing sum in his stride. 

“[I] didn't expect it all,” he cooly said. “[I] can't get over it – can't even put it into words. Jack, Max and I went around the foal sales together. Jack and Max had to go back to school but, because I was in transition year, I had the year off and spent that with Baroda Stud. I really liked her as a foal so I followed her in. I rang Richard to ask him how Saratoga Special was getting on and he told me that she was very nice and would win this year. Saratoga Special won a Listed race – it always helps, doesn't it?”

Asked if he felt any emotion as the bidding climbed, White added, “The sweat was pumping out of me. I can't really put it into words. We're going back to school tomorrow. Last year I had a Gleneagles that made 230,000gns and I bought him for €36,000 so that was nice as well.”

Saratoga Special won a Listed contest over the minimum trip at Ayr back in June. The dam, Chiclet (Dandy Man), was similarly speedy and reached a rating of 100 for trainer Tracey Collins. She has produced another highly-rated runner in Turn On The Jets (Mehmas) and Burke was not going to get beaten on the latest offering from the mare.

He said, “She is lovely sort – vetted well and I am delighted to get her. We have bought a couple by the sire and a few months back now Jim Cowley, who used to ride Minzaal, said that he was a lovely, laid-back horse and recommended the progeny to us. I have been impressed by them. She has been bought for an owner in the yard. I did not think that she would get to that amount. It is a lot of money – hopefully she can run!”

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