ONE of 35 lots sold this week from Ballydoyle, the Coolmore-consigned Carracci (Quality Road) is destined for sunny climes after being purchased by Aidan ‘Mouse’ O’Ryan for 320,000gns, having seen off underbidder Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland. He topped the opening session of the sale.
“He has been bought for SBS Global and he goes to Saudi Arabia,” said O’Ryan. “He is my pick of the sale, I love the sire and he speaks for himself. This horse’s form is good, and we were keen to get him. He should be one for the big races in Saudi in the spring.”
Trained by Aidan O’Brien, Carracci won at two and was placed in the Group 3 2000 Guineas Trial Stakes at Leopardstown in April. He was fourth on his most recent start in the Listed Diamond Stakes at Dundalk in September.
The colt comes from a top pedigree, being out of the group-placed Butterflies, a Galileo daughter of Mariah’s Storm, the dam of Giant’s Causeway and grandam of the classic and Group 1 winners Gleneagles, Happily, Joan Of Arc, Marvellous, Decorated Knight and Above The Curve.
The following day Denmark (Camelot) was bought by Guy Mulcaster for Chris Waller Racing, and now heads to Australia with a sale price of 240,000gns.
The three-year-old colt won at Naas as a juvenile and ran last time out in the Group 1 St Leger. He was second in the Melrose Handicap at York in August. Denmark is out of Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Board Meeting, and she is a half-sister to Bright Sky, European champion three-year-old filly in 2002 when she won the Group 1 Prix de Diane-French Oaks and the Prix de l’Opera.
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