Two Top Six Figures At Tattersalls

[Wandering Eyes]

It took time for trade to gather pace on the second day of the Tattersalls July Sale, as the six-figure mark was reached belatedly at 6 p.m. The obliging parties were Gassim Mohammed Ghazali and the Richard Fahey-consigned Mr Diamond (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}), with Wednesday’s leading buyer outbidding Jamie Lloyd of Meah Lloyd Bloodstock for lot 507 at 100,000gns.

Will Douglass of Charlie Gordon-Watson Bloodstock works in tandem with Ghazali at the sales and commented on their latest acquisition. “He had excellent form, particularly when finishing third last time out to Awe (GB), who finished fourth in the Britannia S. next time out, before being sold to Hong Kong,” Douglass said. “We also like to buy from Richard Fahey, as he’s very honest.”

As the skies glowed pink and the crowds thinned, the top price was matched by lot 619, Train To Georgia (Scat Daddy), successful on debut in March and subsequently second last month. Consigned by Tuite Racing on behalf of owner Matt Morgan, the 3-year-old gelding is now bound for Dubai, according to winning bidder Tariq Mubarack, racing manager for Al Rashed Racing.

“We saw him win and we were impressed,” Mubarack said. “He’s a good-looking horse, we’re a fan of Scat Daddy and hopefully, he can be a carnival horse.”

Mubarak explained that Al Rashed Racing is relatively new to the horse racing game and has 10 horses in training in the UK, primarily with Peter Chapple-Hyam but also with Richard Hughes and Richard Fahey. Their stable includes the Richard Hughes-trained winner Hareeq (GB) (New Approach {GB}), debut fifth Kassab (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) and 140,000gns buy Mellad (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), fourth on both his starts for Fahey.

Following an opening day which saw figures rise across the board, a quieter Thursday saw the aggregate fail to reach last year’s record high, coming in at 3,218,300gns. As a result, the average of 18,931gns represented a fall of 7%, though the median posted an 8% increase at 13,000gns. Despite a certain lack of excitement, prices very much satisfied consignors judging by the impressive clearance rate of 95%–almost on par with last year. With one day of trade remaining, cumulatively the average is up 8% at 23,139gns and the median sits 20% above last year’s final figure at 12,000gns.

Staying closer to home than the six-figure sales is Current Option (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) (lot 544) after William Haggas’s improving charge was knocked down to Stephen Thorne at 85,000gns. A graduate of Godolphin Flying Start, Thorne assists Irish trainer Ado McGuinness, who is enjoying a career-high run of form, and explained that the son of Camelot would race for a partnership of Shamrock and Dooley Thoroughbreds. “It’s the most expensive horse I’ve ever bought,” said Thorne. “I hope he’s lucky. He was an outstanding physical and was my pick of the sale. Looking at his races, he’s still learning and he came highly recommended by several people.”

Current Option certainly looks progressive, placed on both his 2-year-olds starts and his first two as a 3-year-old, culminating in a 2 1/2-length win in a seven furlong novice stakes last month.

The Dooley side of the partnership comprises three brothers sharing that surname, hailing from Manchester but very much familiar with Irish racing. Their horses with McGuinness include Saltonstall (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who finished a close fourth last time out in a premier handicap at the Irish Derby Festival.

Thorne secured another son of Camelot soon after, going to 60,000gns for Politicise (Ire) (lot 548), also offered by Haggas’s Somerville Lodge. Bernard Kantor’s homebred had shown more precocity than Thorne’s other purchase, having won as a juvenile, and he showed promise this season when finishing third in the Royal Mile H. in April.

Haggas earlier had waved goodbye to Crystal Tribe (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), who posted back-to-back wins over 10 furlongs since the catalogue went to print, and fetched 82,000gns as lot 543 for his updates. The successful buyer was Jamie Lloyd, the British-based half of Meah Lloyd Bloodstock who revealed that the 3-year-old will join Jeff Mullins’s stable in California.

“He seems very progressive and looks in front of the handicapper,” said Lloyd, adding, “He will race at Del Mar and will hope to capitalize on the ‘Ship And Win’ bonus, where imports receive a 40% prize money boost. If he won a conditions race there, for example, he could stand to win $90,000.”

Jamie Lloyd has proven form buying for Mullins at Tattersalls, having paid 95,000gns for another dual winner in Battle Of Hastings (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) back in 2008. He went on to capture three graded prizes for Mullins and owner Michael House, his placed efforts including a second in the GI Hollywood Derby.

Underbidder of the day’s top lot, Jamie Lloyd bought two during the course of the evening, the other being Frontman (GB) (Kingman {GB}) (lot 527) from the Juddmonte draft for 80,000gns. Catalogued as unraced, the 3-year-old colt has run twice since, including when narrowly beaten in a mile maiden. Trained by John Gosden, he is a half-brother to G1 Nassau S. heroine Winsili (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and is now destined for Qatar, where he will be trained by Stefano Ibido for Abdulhadi Mana Al Hajri.

Fearsome (GB) (Makfi {GB}) attracted interest during the more subdued morning session when selling as lot 372 for 80,000gns outside the ring, having initially been bought in. Offered by trainer Nick Littmoden, the 5-year-old posted four successive wins over the winter, after gaining his first win over hurdles in October.

The price of 80,000gns was also paid by Sultan al Ammaj for listed winner Barys (GB) (Kodiac). Offered by The Castlebridge Consignment as lot 562, Nurlan Bizakov’s homebred colt was trained by Archie Watson to achieve an official rating of 100.

Roger Varian offered another popular Hesmonds Stud graduate in Sezim (GB) (Dansili), who followed up on four placings when scoring at Chester last time out. Ali Al-Hadidi bought the 3-year-old, lot 569, for 70,000gns and will be hoping he progresses to stakes level, as three of his siblings did.

Albert Finney (GB) is Bahrain-bound after the son of Kingman (GB) was knocked down to Oliver St. Lawrence, acting on behalf of Fawzi Nass, for 70,000gns. The 3-year-old was offered as lot 520 by John Gosden’s Clarehaven Stables, previously home to horses owned by Albert Finney himself.

The actor thoroughly enjoyed horse racing and owned breeding rights to Seattle Slew, while his Thoroughbred namesake boasted two career wins and a BHA rating of 84. Looking beyond the name, St. Lawrence commented on his purchase: “He’s a horse with a nice profile and a good rating, so hopefully he will suit racing in Bahrain. He likes firm ground, which is essential for us.”

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