GERMAN Group 3 winner Aemilianus topped Thursday's trade at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale when knocked down for 250,000gns to the Qatari trainer Gassim Ghazali, standing with bloodstock agent Will Douglass.

Blandford Bloodstock’s Stuart Boman made a bold opening bid of 100,000gns but gave way as bidding developed into a duel between Ghazali and bloodstock agent Marco Bozzi, with the former emerging triumphant for the four-year-old German-bred son of Holy Roman Emperor.

Consigned by Barton Sales, Aemilianus has won three of his 11 starts including the Group 3 Grosser Preis der Landeshauptstadt Dusseldorf and has placed a further three times in group company, including since catalogue publication.

"I am delighted, I have been waiting for this horse - three days I have waited for him!" said Ghazali. "Some quality horses have been through the ring, but I have been outbid by Wathnan Racing and Najd Stud. I hope this horse will make it to some good races in Qatar, the pedigree should suit Qatar."

"I like the sire and I won the Qatar Derby last season with a son of Holy Roman Emperor called Emperor Maximus, the sire's progeny tend to like the track in Qatar and the good ground."

Ghazali added: "I am not too sure of the horse's level and how that will slot in once he gets to Qatar. I know the horses from England and how they will work into the Qatari programme, Germany is a little different. I am hoping this horse will be good enough for either the ITM Cup or the HH The Amir Trophy."

Aemilianus was previously trained by Markus Klug for owner-breeder Gestut Schlenderhan.

The four-year-old is a half-brother to Group 1 Critérium International winning sire Alson and the German 2000 Guineas winner Ancient Spirit.

Promising juvenile

The second highest priced lot of the fourth day was the promising two-year-old Tchaikovsky and, as so often at this week's sale, there was spirited competition from Middle Eastern buyers for the Bated Breath colt.

Underbidder Gassim Ghazali nearly secured both of the session’s six-figure lots, having seen off the efforts of bloodstock agents Matt Coleman and Will Douglass, but it was Najd Stud who struck again for the colt with a successful bid of 100,000gns. It was the 13th purchase of the week for Prince Faisal bin Khalid bin Abdulaziz's Saudi Arabian-based racing and breeding organisation.

Consigned by the Castlebridge Consignment on behalf of John and Thady Gosden’s Clarehaven Stables and owner Lady Ogden, Tchaikovsky claimed a stylish maiden win last week in a seven furlong novice at Kempton beating the 83-rated American Bay with the 81-rated Kings Valley, who realised 140,000gns on Monday, further down the field.

"This horse goes to Saudi, his starts have been good and hopefully he will do well for us in Saudi," said Najd Stud’s Saad Bin Mishraf. "We are looking for differing types of horses all the time as we have a variety of races in the country."

The sale concludes on Friday.