WHILE all eyes are on the potential top lots before a sale, it is the subsequent rags-to-riches stories that attract the most attention in the aftermath, and the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale has produced two of the best fairytales of the year.

At Royal Ascot, 35,000gns buy Crystal Black played out the sweetest chapter in his rise through the ranks, as Ger Keane’s recruit landed the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes, inciting dreams of Melbourne Cup glory.

An impressive Group 3 winner next time out, he was ruled out of a trip Down Under due to an infection, but the dream remains alive for next year. Previously trained by Dermot Weld for breeder Moyglare Stud, the Teofilo six-year-old has won six of his last seven starts for new connections.

Prague gives him a run for his money in the happy ending stakes. The son of Galileo was bought by Dylan Cunha’s head lad Amedeo Dal Pos as an unraced three-year-old from Coolmore for just 10,000gns and now boasts a rating of 117. He broke his maiden in impressive style at Sandown in June and progressed to take second in a Group 3, before drawing clear in the Group 2 Joel Stakes.

Prague is the cheapest of 15 group winners so far this year to have been sourced at the Autumn Horses In Training Sale, though Group/Grade 2 winners Annaf and Outbox came close at 16,000gns.

They continue a long history of bargain buys, earlier ones being Haydock Sprint Cup victor G Force (25,000gns), Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Jet Setting (12,000gns), Doomben Cup third Junoob (3,500gns), Group 1 Turnbull Stakes winner Kings Will Dream (7,500gns), dual Group 1 winner Makfi (26,000gns) and multiple group scorer Rohaan (20,000gns).

Other side of the story

The average price of 1,089 horses sold at last year’s sale was 30,951gns- a marked drop from the 2022 average of 35,949gns- but still the second-highest in the sale’s history, as was the turnover. The median dropped one point to 15,000gns, while the clearance rate came in at 87%.

Top lot status was awarded to Balance Play after McKeever Bloodstock, Gai Waterhouse and Adrien Bott paid 575,000gns for the 101-rated three-year-old. After placing in a Canterbury trial, the Lope De Vega made his Australian racecourse debut earlier this month, finishing eighth of nine in a $60,000 handicap at Warwick Farm.

Twenty-eight lots selling for 200,000gns or more was perhaps the best indicator of strength at the top of the market. Potential highlights in next week’s catalogue are:

Lot 140: Jungle Drums is now a listed winner after landing the Rockingham Stakes at York, having finished second in another stakes race in July

Lot 236: The progressive Desperate Hero posted a career-best effort when fourth in the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye on his most recent start

Lot 272: Witness Stand was retained at 90,000gns at last year’s sale, but has since placed in a Group 3 and landed a listed race, bringing his rating to 115

Lot 295: Francisco’s Piece gained further blacktype this week when third in a listed sprint in Deauville, adding to a win and second at listed level

Lot 303: Surprisingly, Twilight Calls is without a stakes win, having finished second in both the King’s Stand Stakes and Temple Stakes in 2022

Lot 304: The Breeders’ Cup was mentioned as an option for Right And True after his listed win in the Star Appeal Stakes last time out

Lot 322: The Natalia Lupini-trained Rebel Diamond completed a hat-trick of wins in the Listed Blenheim Stakes

Lot 327E: Monumental is one of a number of exciting wildcards from Coolmore. The Group 2 second and Group 3 third is rated 109

Lot 554: Atlantic Coast is now a dual stakes winner following a listed win at Saint-Cloud on his most recent start

Lot 655: Lady With The Lamp is now rated 98 after flying home to win the Listed Legacy Stakes at Dundalk

Lot 672: Success at group or graded level appears imminent for listed victor Mountain Bear, who finished third in a Keeneland Grade 1 since the catalogue was printed. It was his second placing at the highest level, having finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, while he has placed in five group/graded contests overall

Lot 673: Fighter earned a rating of 105 when making all to an effortless victory in the valuable Petingo Handicap at the Irish Champions Festival

Lot 674: Fourth in the Gallinule Stakes and fifth in the Queen’s Vase, The Equator finished second in the Melrose Handicap last time out

Lot 675: Chemistry was awarded the Listed Vinnie Roe Stakes due to interference close home and went on to finish second in the Petingo Handicap

Lot 707: Miss Cynthia secured blacktype in the Coral Marathon before gaining a belated maiden win. Fourth in the Group 1 Prix du Cadran since, the Sea The Moon filly is out of an own-sister to Lush Lashes

Lot 727: Klondike won a listed race over a mile and six furlongs in June and dropped back to win a Group 3 over an extended mile and a half in August. Declared wind surgery last year may concern potential purchasers, though

Lot 735: Paul and Oliver Cole’s progressive three-year-old Black Run may improve when upped in trip, as the 98-rated Nathaniel colt is out of a mare who won over a mile and a half

Lot 749C: Torivega has reached a new high this year, the four-year-old sprinter finishing second in the Bold Lad Handicap and third in the Group 3 Renaissance Stakes

Lot 749E: Irish Cesarewitch and listed winner The Euphrates placed in two Group 3s and finished fourth in the Irish St Leger. He cost 800,000gns at the venue’s Book 1 Yearling Sale

Lot 749G: Delius has come a long way since his debut win in April, going on to complete a hat-trick in a Group 3, before placing in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris. Second in a Group 2 next time, he was last seen finishing a respectable eighth of 16 in the Arc

Lot 1059: A listed third and Group 3 fourth in the Acomb Stakes made The Waco Kid a highlight, even before his Group 3 winning update in the Tattersalls Stakes. Hugo Palmer subsequently mentioned the Criterium International and Breeders’ Cup as possible targets

Lot 1063: Epictetus has been disappointing this season, but appeals on last season’s two stakes wins and his preceding second to Auguste Rodin in the Group 1 Futurity Trophy

Lot 1066: Juddmonte home-bred Macduff was second at listed level and fourth in the Royal Lodge Stakes as a juvenile, returning to finish third in the Group 3 Classic Trial at Sandown. He was gelded after two disappointing performances and went on to finish a seven-length third in a listed race

Lot 1068: Juddmonte’s home-bred Task Force had wind surgery after his second to Vandeek in the Middle Park Stakes last year and was stepped up in trip this season, finishing third in a Group 3 and the Group 2 Joel Stakes

Lot 1075: Third in the Dewhurst Stakes two years ago, Nostrum won a listed race and finished second in a Group 3 as a three-year-old. Runner-up in the Criterion Stakes this summer, he disappointed last time after wind surgery

Lot 1083: The Andre Fabre-trained Flight Leader won a Group 3 last season and is twice a winner since

Lot 1110: Solario Stakes victor Aablan will be offered out of training, having not run since September last

Lot 1129A: Talented juvenile La Bellota posted a career-best when second in the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes

Lot 1129F: German Group 3 and Chester listed winner Al Shabab Storm is a notable wildcard from Andrew Balding

Selling begins at 9.30am each day. The catalogue can be viewed online at www.tattersalls.com.