Galileo Filly Lights Up Book 1 Closer

[Wandering Eyes]

NEWMARKET, UK-MV Magnier and Georg von Opel’s Westerberg teamed to take home the top lot, a regally bred daughter of Galileo (Ire), at last week’s Goffs Orby Sale, and they followed the same pattern on Thursday when teaming to purchase the top lot during the final session of Tattersalls October Book 1-and the top-priced filly of the sale–Barronstown Stud’s Galileo filly out of GII Royal Heroine Mile S. winner Quiet Oasis (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) (lot 525) for 2.1-million gns.

There were an extra 33 lots catalogued this year but only five more yearlings sold than in 2018, leading to a reduction in the clearance rate by four points to 82% for the 397 horses to have changed hands. Figures dropped slightly in accordance from last year’s stellar returns but Book 1 still produced the second-highest turnover ever at 102,429,000gns, which was down by 4%, while the average price dropped 5% to 258,008gns and the median by 10% to 150,000gns.

At the conclusion of Book 1 of the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented, “There have been some spectacular highlights at Book 1 of the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale including two outstanding colts breaking the 3-million guineas mark with the Dubawi colt out of Alina achieving the highest price for a yearling colt in the world this year. In total we have had 10 yearlings make 1-million guineas or more reflecting the extraordinary quality of the yearlings assembled for Book 1 and we have welcomed buyers from throughout the world, all of whom are drawn to the sale by its unrivalled reputation as Europe’s premier yearling sale.

“After eight consecutive years of growth with turnover rising from 51-million guineas in 2011 to last year’s massive 106- million guineas, the aggregate has fallen a little short this year, but the sale has still produced turnover in excess of 100 million guineas which is the second-highest in the sale’s history and yet again a huge tribute to the vendors who have brought the cream of the European yearling crop to Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. We are fortunate to have so many of the world’s top stallions currently standing in Europe with five of them, Dubawi, Frankel, Galileo, Kingman and Siyouni all producing yearlings which have sold for a million guineas or more this week and there is no doubt that the global achievements of these stallions play a big role in attracting so many overseas buyers.”

The session-topping Galileo filly is the third foal from the dam, who has thus far been mated exclusively with Galileo. Her first foal, Lancaster House (Ire), was trained by Aidan O’Brien and her second, a filly, was bought by Badgers Bloodstock at Goffs Orby last year for €400,000. The family traces back to the matriarch Park Express, responsible for the likes of New Approach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the dam of G1 Investec Oaks winner Was (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Von Opel’s agent Jamie McCalmont noted it is a family he is familiar with further up through his association with Paul Reddam, who raced Quiet Oasis.

“We raced the dam with Paul Reddam and I was lucky enough to buy her, and we sold her to [Barrontown’s David and Diane Nagle] so I knew the mare really well,” McCalmont said. “She was the one horse we really wanted in the sale. It wasn’t a shock that she made that much money and we’re very happy to have her.”

Von Opel has made a significant splash across the Goffs Orby sale and Tattersalls October Book 1 in his quest to assemble a top-class broodmare band, and McCalmont was also in action early during in the session to secure another Barronstown Stud Galileo filly, the half-sister to Coolmore first-season Ivawood (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) (lot 371) for 850,000gns. That G2 July S. and G2 Richmond S. winner is the mare’s first foal, and last year at this sale a full-sister to this filly made 1.2-million gns from Godolphin and is in training with Charlie Appleby.

The dam, Keenes Royale (GB) (Red Ransom), is out of the G1 Prix de l’Opera victress Kinnaird (Ire) (Dr Devious {Ire}) and therefore a half-sister to G2 Royal Lodge S. winner Berkshire (Ire) (Mount Nelson {GB}).

McCalmont pointed out that, further down the page, his mother bred the listed-winning Salford Mill (Ire), whose sister Recambe (Ire) produced last year’s five-time Group 1-winning filly Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}).

“I really liked the pedigree, and it’s an old Aga Khan pedigree if you keep going back,” McCalmont said. “This is a Galileo filly, and you only have to look at the Arc last weekend where the first six horses were all Galileo line, and the first [three] favourites in the mile race tomorrow are Australia, Galileo and Frankel. [Georg von Opel] reads that every day in the paper, so what can you say? And they’re not going to be around forever.”

Von Opel is a London-based businessman and currently has horses in training with Aidan O’Brien, John Gosden and Ralph Beckett. He races under the moniker Westerberg, the name of his German-based family farm. Von Opel has made a few of his significant purchases at the yearling sales in partnership with Coolmore, and he bought the top two lots at Goffs Orby, both Galileo fillies.

Westerberg’s list of purchases was augmented late in the day by a Dubawi (Ire) filly (lot 540) out of the G1 Prix Jean Romanet winner Ribbons (GB) (Manduro {Ger}) at 725,000gns. The 9-year-old mare was bred by and raced for the Elite Racing Club but was later sold to an American breeder who operates under the breeding name of Pursuit of Success LLC. Elite Racing Club has long been a client of Chris Budgett’s Kirtlington Stud and by coincidence Ribbons later returned there as a boarder when changing hands.

“James Delahooke bought Ribbons for an American client who is a really charming man and I am delighted for him that the filly has sold so well. We’re chuffed to bits as it is a tricky market,” said Budgett. “When this filly was born I said to James, ‘She looks exactly like Ribbons did’, and he said, ‘How do you know?’ He hadn’t realised that we have mares for Elite Racing Club but it was lovely for Ribbons to come back. She’s a nice mare and the family is improving all the time.”

A Timeless Page

The session-topping filly was the second part of a late-day high-priced double for Coolmore’s kingpin stallion, following Manister House Stud’s daughter of Question Times (GB) (Shamardal) (lot 524), who was the pick of Peter Molony on behalf of Qatar Racing for 800,000gns.

The bay likely boasted one of the most beautiful pages in a book of such; out of the listed-placed Question Times, she is a three-quarter sister to G1 Irish Derby victor Latrobe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Listed Salsabil S. winner and G1 Investec Oaks second Pink Dogwood (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), as well as a half to G3 Gladness S. winner Diamond Fields (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). Question Times is a half-sister to Sunday Times (GB) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), the dam of GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}).

“Galileo is the daddy of them all and it’s a wonderful pedigree,” Molony said. “She’s a sister to a Derby winner and probably should have been a sister to an Oaks winner and you can’t get much better than that. We’re just delighted to get her because we weren’t sure we’d be able to buy her. She’ll join the Qatar broodmare band someday.”

Consignor Luke Barry of Manister House Stud added, “She’s a beautiful filly from a magnificent family , and she’s a testament to Galileo. The very best of luck to Sheikh Fahad and Qatar Racing.”

Another high-priced purchase for Galileo on the day came in the form of Glenvale Stud’s half-sister to G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest winner and young sire Garswood (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) (lot 493), who was picked up by Amanda Skiffington as agent for 900,000gns. The filly’s second dam is Cheveley Park Stud’s influential producer Irresistible (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}).

Hazelwood King Again

Adrian and Philippa O’Brien’s Hazelwood Bloodstock has just 12 yearlings to sell in 2019, and they made a big mark with a small draft at Book 1. Day one saw Sun Stud’s Dubawi (Ire) half-brother to Group 1 winner Barney Roy (Ire) (Excelebration {Ire}) set the high mark at the sale of 3.6-million gns, and on Thursday Hazelwood offered John Camilleri’s Kingman (GB) colt out of the Australian Group 3 winner One Last Dance (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) (lot 475). As had happened with the Dubawi colt-and numerous others at the top of the market this one-the bidding battle came down to MV Magnier and Anthony Stroud on behalf of Godolphin, and while Sheikh Mohammed’s operation had the final say for the Dubawi, it was the Coolmore team that prevailed for the Kingman colt at 1.8-million gns.

Adrian O’Brien was in ebullient mood in the aftermath, and he said, “This has been the most magnificent horse from day one. He oozed quality and is out of a super fast mare from Australia. My sincere thanks to his breeder John Camilleri for allowing us to take care of this mare and her progeny and the very best of luck to MV Magnier and the Coolmore team; he looks like a proper racehorse.”

The April-foaled bay is the first living foal out of One Last Dance, who has a Frankel weanling and is back in foal to Kingman. One Last Dance is herself a daughter of the G3 Thoroughbred Breeders S. winner One World (Aus) (Danehill), and the family traces back to the great matriarch Crimson Saint, whose descendants include the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile victor Royal Academy and the great American sire Storm Cat.

“If you see the mare she’s enormous, a typical Australian model so I think she suited Kingman,” O’Brien added. “Kingman was a miler, but he was a fast miler.

Camilleri, best known in his native Australia as the breeder of the great Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) and G1 Golden Slipper winner Vancouver (Aus) (Medaglia d’Oro), keeps around 12 broodmares in Europe split between Hazelwood and Norelands Stud in Ireland and was selling for the first time at Tattersalls this week. The Kingman colt topped his transactions, while on Wednesday he sold a Dubawi (Ire) filly out of Group 3 winner Florentina (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}) (lot 289) to Peter Brant for 475,000gns.

“To be honest with you, you live once,” Camilleri said when asked why he opted to spread his breeding interests to Europe. “This is a big market in Europe, and why not? I love the industry. I enjoy going to different horse sales and races around the world, so to be a small part of it here in a big pond was appealing, and to achieve a result like today is really special.”

Camilleri said access to what he described as “elite” stallions in Europe also appealed.

“There are very few elite stallions in the world; there are some very good stallions, but I think there’s a significant difference in terms of good and elite and Galileo, Dubawi, Kingman, Frankel and the late Deep Impact; those are elite. They leave a gap to many of the others. In Australia we had Redoute’s Choice, who is no longer with us, and we have Fastnet Rock; those horses who can consistently get those very good champions, Group 1 winners, in my mind are the elite stallions.”

Taking The Longview

Eugene Daly’s Longview Stud brought only two colts to Book 1 and halfway through the afternoon on Thursday they occupied the top two slots on the day’s leaderboard, both having been sold to Godolphin.

Lot 446, the Dubawi (Ire) colt out of G3 Pinnacle S. winner Miss Marjurie (Ire) (Marju {Ire}), led the way with his price tag of 1.1-million gns though was later surpassed by the Kingman colt. Bred by Daly under the name of Ed’s Stud in a partnership, the son of Dubawi is the first foal of his dam, who was a consistent racemare for Chris Van Hoorn and Denis Coakley, winning five races, two at stakes level, and finishing placed in the G2 Lancashire Oaks. Miss Marjurie’s dam Kazatzka (GB) (Groom Dancer) is a half-sister to the brilliant Soviet Song (Ire), who is also by Marju.

“He has a great temperament. He’s all class and he really did tick all the boxes,” said Longview Stud manager Diego Romeo after the colt was led from the ring, bringing his consignment’s tally for two sold to 1,975,000gns.

If a plan works well once, it’s probably worth repeating, and so it proved with Dromoland Farm’s extravagant purchase of a Sea The Stars (Ire) foal last December for 400,000gns. Put back through the ring on Thursday through Longview Stud, he reaped a tidy profit for his connections when sold, also to Godolphin, for 875,000gns. All the same players combined last year when another Sea The Stars colt was pinhooked for 330,000gns and sold on for 1-million gns to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed. That colt, now named Volkan Star (Ire) and in training with Charlie Appleby, is one of the favourites for Saturday’s G3 Zetland S., while the newer recruit is the first foal of the German listed winner Lopera (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}). Lot 413 hails from Gestut Hof Ittlingen’s good family of champion older horse Lando (Ger) and this year’s G1 Deutsches Derby winner Laccario (Ger) and was offered by his breeders last year through Newtown Stud.

“He was an expensive pinhook, but we loved him,” said Romeo. “He is bred on the very good cross of Sea The Stars over Monsun that produced Sea The Moon.”

Qualified To Succeed

Newsells Park Stud bought the Galileo (Ire) mare Perihelion (Ire) privately from Aidan and Annemarie O’Brien’s Whisperview Trading after her daughter Qualify (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) won the Oaks in 2015. After not going in foal to War Front the following year, a return visit proved more fruitful and the resulting filly from that union was one of the most expensive fillies of the final session of Book 1 when selling for 850,000gns to Kerri Radcliffe.

The agent said that she bought lot 495 for an American syndicate and added, “I’m not sure yet whether she will stay here to race or go to America. That’s the great thing about War Front, he gets results on dirt and turf so we have options. She’s an absolutely beautiful filly and from a really good farm. You only need to look at the Arc result at the weekend to see what a good job they do at Newsells Park.”

The result was bittersweet for Julian Dollar and his team as Perihelion died at the age of 14 earlier this year after foaling a colt by Dubawi (Ire).

“In many ways we would have loved to keep this filly after losing the mare but that’s a very decent price for her. Hopefully her Dubawi half-brother will be here next year.”

To cap a memorable week which started with the Arc victory of Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), Newsells Park Stud topped the consignors’ list at Book 1 for the second year running with 16 yearlings sold for a total of 6,590,000gns.

Le Havre Fillies In Demand

The offspring of Haras de Montfort & Preaux stallion Le Havre (Ire) fared well during Book 1 with five lots returning six-figure sums, headed by Willie and Elaine Carson’s filly out of the G2 Park Hill S. runner-up Phiz (Ger) (Galileo {Ire}).

The cross has already produced dual French Classic winner La Cressonniere (Fr) and the dark brown filly (lot 500) was the subject of some intense bidding, with MV Magnier coming out on top at 825,000gns.

After hugging a number of members of the Coolmore team in thanks, Willie Carson, who bought Phiz when carrying this filly at the Arqana December Sale for €600,000, said, “I’d been trying to buy a nice mare here in December and I kept getting blown out of the water. I wasn’t in France but James Delahooke sent me a video of the mare and as soon as I saw her walk I was in love. I went over my budget for the mare but this is a very attractive filly with a walk you’d die for and her temperament has held up well as she’s hardly been in her box since she arrived on Saturday.”

Despite blowing his budget initially, Carson has been rewarded not just with a good sale for the yearling but also with a decent update for the mare by way of her third foal, Al Madhar (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), bred by Robin Geffen, who won a hot Newmarket maiden on debut in July for Sheikh Hamdan.

Newsells Park Stud also received a decent return for a Le Havre filly when the daughter of G1 Fillies’ Mile runner-up Lady Darshaan (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) sold for 575,000gns to John and Jake Warren early in the session. Lot 388 is a half-sister to listed winner Let’s Go (Street Cry {Ire}) and the family received an update on Wednesday when Lady Darshaan’s full-sister Tempest Fugit (Ire) was represented by a debutante juvenile winner. The mare’s second foal Tiempo Vuela (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) romped home to score by three lengths in a novice race at Newcastle, a course where her trainer John Gosden has previously chosen to unleash a raft of decent horses, including Enable (GB).

Hansons’ Pride and Joy

Sven and Carina Hanson enjoyed many good days around the world with their homebred champion racemare Pride (Ire) (Peintre Celebre) and her success has continued in the paddocks. Her son One Foot In Heaven (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) won three group races in France when trained by Alain de Royer Dupre and was third in the G1 Hong Kong Vase, and the mare has produced another four winners for her breeders. For the first time on Thursday, one of Pride’s offspring was offered for sale, and the full-brother to One Foot In Heaven is now the property of Aquis Farm after Demi O’Byrne bid 725,000gns on their behalf.

It was an emotional moment for Carina Hanson, who foaled Pride herself and was in tears after her son left the ring. She said of lot 512 “This is the first of Pride’s offspring we’ve ever sold and her daughter Queen is running in her mother’s race tomorrow so it is a very nerve-wracking few days.”

The race in question is the G3 Darley Pride S. at Newmarket on Friday, in which Queen (Fr), a 3-year-old daughter of Kingman (GB) trained in France by Pia Brandt, will attempt to uphold the fine record of her dam on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile.

Sven Hanson added, “I was so honoured when Newmarket decided to name a race after Pride. The day she won the Champion S. was my best day in racing, to win a Group 1 in Newmarket. There was such an incredible atmosphere when Pride paraded in front of the stands after the race. It gave me goosebumps.”

Pride, now 19, resides at James Hanly’s Ballyhimikin Stud which consigned her yearling colt. Though she has no foal on the ground this year she is in foal to Lope De Vega (Ire).

Carina Hanson said, “One Foot In Heaven was originally supposed to be sold as a yearling. He came to the sale but was found to have a touch of navicular disease. We brought him home and put him in a field for a while but that is how he got his name as we thought we would lose him.”

Now seven, One Foot In Heaven is back in training in France alongside Queen at Brandt’s Chantilly stable after a stint in Australia with Chris Waller.

Wrapping up the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1, Edmond Mahony continued, “As ever, we should acknowledge the fantastic support we have received from Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum as well as the Coolmore team. They have all enjoyed amazing success with their Book 1 horses over the years and we look forward to seeing this week’s purchases bringing further success in due course. They have all made a major contribution to the very top of the market which has been highly competitive from start to finish, but a new dimension has been added by a particularly strong contingent of American buyers. Their presence has been a growing feature in recent years, and we have worked consistently hard promoting the sale throughout America, so it has been genuinely rewarding to see so many new American buyers here this week. They have made a real impact and it looks as if around 50 yearlings will be heading across the Atlantic from this week’s sale.”

“The influence of the £25,000 October Book 1 Bonus understandably continues to be felt at the sale and with more than 180 winners and over £4,500,000 in bonuses already distributed it is little wonder that the beneficiaries are so keen to return to Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale year after year. It is a uniquely rewarding scheme and to see so many syndicates and smaller owners active this week is a clear endorsement of its enduring popularity.

“We now turn our attention to Books 2, 3 and 4 of the October Yearling Sale starting on Monday and we have catalogues of real quality which will appeal to a wide cross-section of buyers at all levels of the market.”

 

The post Galileo Filly Lights Up Book 1 Closer appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

View the full article