WITH the final day’s selling still to go, Blandford Bloodstock in their own name and with others had spent more than 2,400,000gns on 21 lots, and more than half of that total involved their purchase of just three lots.

Heading their spending spree was the top lot on Wednesday, Dark Trooper (Dark Angel). A yearling purchase for 60,000gns, the three-year-old gelding has had a prolific season, winning six times, twice recently at Ascot, and netted owner Chi Un Fred Ma more than £100,000. He also earned a BHA rating of 104. Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock was acting for the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamsin bin Hamad Al Thani’s Wathnan Racing.

“The idea is to buy quality over quantity, that is the message from Qatar to Olly Tait, to me and Ali Al Kubaisi who is working the sale with me,” said Brown. “This horse has been on the radar for most of the year because Al Donald, who bought and managed him, and Ed Walker who trained him, have been trying to get me to buy him most of the year, saying there is a lot more to come.

“He is an interesting horse and will go to Qatar, but he is the sort of horse who could come back here. He will be trained by Alban de Mieulle. Wathnan purchased Bolthole at this sale last year. He went on to do very well in Qatar and then came back to France and has won a listed race and finished second in a couple of Group 3 races this summer.”

Brown signed for consecutive lots in the eye-catching draft from Imperium Sales, giving 450,000gns for He’s A Monster (No Nay Never) and 300,000gns for Just Bring It (Harry Angel), both three-year-old geldings. He’s A Monster also holds a BHA rating of 104, and he won for the fifth time when successful at Chelmsford in late September.

“They’ll both go to Qatar,” said Brown. “Everyone on the team was very keen on both of these horses. He’s A Monster was recommended highly by Archie [Watson]. He looks progressive and is a particularly good looking horse. He could end up running on either turf or dirt in Qatar.”

He’s A Monster raced for Lone Star Investments and has won five of his nine starts, while Just Bring It On, who raced for Atlantic Equine, has won his last two starts.