A COLT from the first crop of star miler Mohaather shared top honours on the opening day of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale when purchased by Joe Foley of Ballyhane Stud for 80,000gns.
“He looks a weapon," said Foley. "He looks a lot like his grandsire Showcasing and is a really good example. He is a lovely colt and the mother was good. She was rated 90 and was useful. We bought a Ribchester filly from the same family here in October. I underbid Mohaather as a yearling - he was a really high class racehorse and we were very keen to buy one by him."
Of future plans, Foley added: "He looks like a racehorse and we will try and make him a racehorse - when he was getting to 40,000 and 50,000 guineas he started to get into racing money!"
Dwayne Woods of vendor Brook Stud was equally delighted with the sale and commented: "He's a dinger! He was bought by superlative judges, and he is a horse who will go forward and make up into a proper yearling."
Bated Breath filly
Composer Rupert Gregson-Williams spent 80,000gns on a filly foal by Bated Breath.
Gregson-Williams is an award-winning composer of scores for film, television and even video games. His credits include Wonder Woman, Hotel Rwanda and The Crown. He was represented at Newmarket on Wednesday by bloodstock agent Tom Goff of Blandford Bloodstock.
The Bated Breath filly is the second foal out of the Shamardal mare Naqaawa, the winner of one race and placed in the Listed John Musker Stakes. That mare is a half-sister to six winners, including the listed winner Shaqira (by Redoute's Choice). She was bred by Shadwell and bought by this foal's breeder Yvonne Jacques and Brian Grassick Bloodstock for 180,000gns at the Tattersalls December Males Sale four years ago.
"She is by Bated Breath and I am breathless," laughed Jacques after the 80,000gns sale. "She is a beautiful mare," added Jacques of Naqaawa. "I would love to keep all my stock, but it is not practical, we are trying all the time to make all the right decisions. We try and sell a few foals. The mare is not in-foal, but is going to Dark Angel this spring."
Goff said: "She has been bought for stud owner Rupert Gregson-Williams, who has a lovely farm in Surrey, an establishing and growing farm. She is a beautiful filly from a very good farm and with a lovely back pedigree. She has loads of class and quality, a good body and good movement. She could race or could come back here next year, we will see how she progresses through the year."
Glenvale strikes
A colt by first season sire Sergei Prokofiev was the subject of a spirited bidding duel when Charles Shanahan, signing under the Glenvale Stud banner, saw off the attentions of persistent underbidder Tally-Ho Stud to secure Selwood Bloodstock’s colt for 72,000gns.
"The sire seems to be getting gorgeous looking horses from what we have seen," said Shanahan. "He was obviously in training at Ballydoyle and it was thought he had an awful lot of potential. From the stock that we have seen, we thought it would be great to get one looking like the one we’ve bought. We are thrilled to get one that looks like he does - he is a great mover, loads of scope, loads of strength, everything you look for in a foal that you want to sell on as a yearling. He was definitely the one we wanted to buy today.
"I am so impressed with his stock. ‘Flash’ [Conroy] collected one earlier today so we are very keen on the sire and let's hope for everyone he can kick on over the next two years. This colt goes back to Ireland and Glenvale."
Conroy had earlier gone to 40,000gns for the Sergei Prokofiev colt sold by W. H. R. John & Partners. That April-born foal is out of the three-time winner Livella Fella (Strategic Prince), who is the dam of one winner from two runners.
First by Earthlight
The first foal in the ring this week by first season sire Earthlight went to Yeomanstown Stud’s David O’Callaghan for 65,000gns.
"He is a cracking colt. Bred at Ladyswood which is a lovely farm and they are great people, we love selling for them," said Tom Blain of consignor Barton Stud. "He came here and performed well, and we got a good price. I hope Yeomanstown does well with him. I have seen him throughout the year, he has been with us for five or six weeks and has been very straightforward and very professional. He is just a really nice type, and I like the stock by Earthlight that I have seen."
The colt is out of the Invincible Spirit mare Some Spirit, runner-up in the Group 3 Fairy Bridge Stakes and an own-sister to One Spirit, winner of the Listed Whitehead Memorial Stakes and placed in three group races.
Pinhook plan
Pinhooker Roger Marley spent 55,000gns on a son of Iffraaj out of the winning Piccolo mare La Napoule. She is the dam of four winners from four runners – her two-year-old of this year Tyndrum Gold (Muhaarar) was a Kempton winner on his debut at the beginning of the month for trainer Roger Varian.
Marley said: “He’s been bought for a pinhooking syndicate so he’ll come back for resale. I thought he was a nice, square colt and the dam is proven. I thought he was a no-brainer. We’ll be trying again for the rest of this week so we’ll see how we get on.”
Irish buyers
Francis Woods of Abbeylands Farm gave 44,000gns for a Saxon Warrior colt, the third foal out of Fulminate (Charm Spirit), sold by Tweenhills Stud.
Fulminate was a winner at two, but her two immediate female ancestors were both Group 1 winners – her dam Quiff (Sadler's Wells) won the Yorkshire Oaks and was runner-up in the St Leger, and her granddam Wince, won the 1000 Guineas and the Fred Darling Stakes.
"He is a nice sort, and will be for resale," reported Woods. "He has a great walk and is by a sire who looks as though he is going the right way."
Tweenhills also sold a colt by classic winner Kameko to Eddie O'Leary's Lynn Lodge Stud for 45,000gns.
The four-day sale continues on Thursday.
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