NEXT week’s Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale will reveal plenty about the health of the racing and bloodstock market.

Will the top prospects be snapped by Middle Eastern buyers to race in Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Qatar? Will Australian agents be looking for Cup prospects? How active will the Americans be, and how many Irish trainers will be hunting for new recruits for the all-weather and National Hunt season?

Billed as the world’s largest sales of horses in training, the four-day auction starts at 9.30am on Monday, a bank holiday in Ireland. Plenty of Irish trainers are sending consignments, including Aidan O’Brien, Jim Bolger, Jessie Harrington, John Murphy, Donnacha O’Brien, Johnny Murtagh, Joseph O’Brien, Michael O’Callaghan, John Oxx, Fozzy Stack and Dermot Weld.

There are 48 representatives from Ballydoyle, including the group race winning trio of three-year-olds Nobel Prize, Royal Dornoch and Royal Lytham.

However, the catalogue is dominated by drafts from the biggest British training yards, such as those of Richard Hannon, Richard Fahey, Roger Varian, Sir Michael Stoute, and Andrew Balding.

Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum’s Shadwell operation has entered 87 horses, including 18 rated over 95 by Timeform.

Derby fifth

This week it was revealed that high class three-year-old colt English King, who went to post as 100/30 second favourite for the Derby, is to be offered for sale as a ‘wildcard’ next week. He will be catalogued as Lot 1153A and come into the ring on Wednesday.

Trained by Ed Walker for owner Bjorn Nielsen, the regally bred son of Camelot was an eye-catching fast finishing fifth at Epsom, a neck behind 2000 Guineas winner Kameko and three parts of a length in front of subsequent Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Mogul.

English King had earlier won the Lingfield Derby Trial impressively but he was well behind Mogul in two subsequent starts later in the season, finishing fourth in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Goodwood, and a well-beaten sixth in the Grand Prix de Paris.

Irish wildcards

On Thursday it was announced that the recent Curragh Group 3 winner A Case Of You was one of seven wildcards added to the sale.

Trained and owned by John McConnell, A Case Of You is a two-year-old colt by Hot Streak and is already rated 108. He looks sure to be one of the sale-toppers.

Other late entries include Andrew Slattery’s Cork winner Ascot Adventure, Jessica Harrington’s Fairyhouse scorer Choice And Chance, and Roger Teal’s Sandown listed race winner Gussy Mac.

Juddmonte draft

This year’s Australian Group 2 winner Imaging, purchased at last year’s Autumn Horses in Training Sale, provided yet another reminder of why the Juddmonte consignment is an annual highlight of the sale.

This year’s Juddmonte team, which sells on Wednesday, includes smart handicappers Blue Mist, Society Lion and Derevo, all rated 105 or more. Another high-rated Juddmonte offering is the exciting three-year-old colt Emissary.

Johnny Murtagh has put the prolific Lord Rapscallion in the sale, and he will be sold under The Castlebridge Consignment banner, as will Roger Charlton’s promising three-year-old colt Bullfinch, sold as part of the Waddesdon Stud dispersal with an official rating of 103 and a Timeform rating of 111p.

The pick of Richard Hannon’s large entry is probably the 118 Timeform-rated listed winner Urban Icon, who ran a fine race to be beaten only two and a half lengths in the Group 2 Park Stakes at Doncaster on his last start.

Last year’s sale was topped by the two-year-old Summer Sands (625,000gns) and two classy juveniles in this year’s catalogue are dual Group 2 runner-up Devious Company and the listed winner Acklam Express.

Sales protocol

In accordance with the sales company’s Covid-19 protocol, next week’s sale is not open to the public. Those wishing to attend must complete the medical questionnaire on the tattersalls.com website immediately.

Live internet bidding and telephone bidding are also available with further information available on the Tattersalls website.

Info

Sale: Tattersalls Horses In Training Sale

Date: Monday, October 26th (9.30am) to Thursday, October 29th

Lots: 1,618 catalogued (approx 300 withdrawn to date)

Email: info@tattersalls.com

Web: tattersalls.com