A LONG but successful two weeks of yearling sales at Tattersalls in Newmarket will end this morning with a few hours selling in Book 4.

Meanwhile, Book 3 was being headed, at the time of going to press, by a son of Gleneagles from the family of the recent Group 1 Grosser Preis von Baden winner Mendocino. He was bought by Cormac McCormack for 140,000gns from Croom House Stud.

“He is for MV Magnier; trainer not decided,” said McCormack. “He is the nicest horse in the sale. He is a lovely horse, has a great step, good delivery and a touch of class about him. Everyone says that [Coolmore] only buys expensive horses, but I think this is a nice horse.”

The February colt is out of the Pivotal mare Shannow, an own-sister to the dam of Mendocino and the Group 3 winner Marshmallow.

Eight lots on Thursday brought 100,000gns or more, and the outstanding first-season sire Havana Grey was responsible for two of them.

Carmel Stud sold a homebred filly out of the Kyllachy mare So Brave for 125,000gns, bought by Joe Foley for Clipper Logistics. “She is a lovely filly, we saw her yesterday. She was the first one we saw, she was recommended to us by the breeders and by Ed Harper from Whitsbury,” said Foley.

He added: “She is a really good-looking filly from a fast mare who I remember when she was with Archie Watson; she was real speedy, fast two-year-old. This her first foal, and importantly the breeders are mating the mare well. She has a foal by Showcasing and has been to Pinatubo, which is encouraging for us.”

Thoughts

Foley has bought 55 yearlings this autumn for Clipper Logistics and the associated syndicate Bronte. He offered a few thoughts on the market. “It has been strong from the start and strong today, which is brilliant to see. It just shows the fortitude of this business. It is a great sport, a great business, and people get fun out of investing in racehorses.

“Maybe after the negative times we have had in the recent past, and maybe will have in the future, people are keen to spend some money and have some fun. Investing in the bloodstock industry is a fun investment! You can love football or cricket all you like, but you can’t invest in them.”

Whitsbury Manor stands Havana Grey and they sold a full-sister to this year’s talented two-year-old Cuban Mistress for 115,000gns to Anthony Stroud. Ed Harper, who was all smiles, said: “It’s been a year of updates for our mares. Mares that were in the twilight zone of our broodmare band are now mares that are zipping up the escalator and suddenly look exciting. When you get two stallions in your roster like Showcasing and Havana Grey they’re just constantly doing favours to the broodmare band. It’s just magic. It’s been a fantastic year and I’m scared that 2022 might end!”

Serious update

Also from Whitsbury Manor, and also selling for 115,000gns, was a Showcasing filly with a serious update. Her two-year-old half-brother by Havana Grey, Shouldvebeenaring, won the Listed Ripon Champion 2yo Trophy. The filly sold to Blandford Bloodstock’s Richard Brown for 115,000gns.

Brown said: “She has been bought for Sheikh Juma for whom we bought Swingalong [won the Group 2 Lowther Stakes] for last year. He was very keen to buy another Showcasing. I am delighted to get her, she has a good update and she comes from a very good farm. She will go to Karl [Burke], who trains Swingalong.”

A filly by first-crop sire Calyx was sold by Rockview Stables to BBA Ireland for 105,000gns. The half-sister to recent listed-placed Felix Natalis, the dam’s first foal, was bought for 12,000gns as a foal.

Eleanor Dunne said: “We just thought she was a very attractive, racy filly and she was out of a Dubawi mare. But we got very lucky with the update. She’s been fantastic since she got to the farm, thrived all the way through her prep: she has a wonderful temperament and has been a pleasure to be around.”

Also selling for 105,000gns, to David Redvers, was Lodge Park Stud’s daughter of Camacho, and she had two important updates. Her three-year-old Swedish Derby-winning half-brother Hard One To Please is now a Group 3 winner, while her two-year-old half-sister Dandy Alys was runner-up in the Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes.

Best breeders

“I have been incredibly lucky with Camacho,” said Redvers. “I have bought five or six stakes winners by him. This filly would have deserved a place in Book 2 and would have deserved to have made twice that. I have bought her entirely on spec; I will put her to Sheikh Fahad and David Howden and see what happens. I am in for a good bit of her. The farm is probably in the top five best breeders in Europe. I bought Ocean Road from Lodge Park and she is now a Grade 1 filly.”

Damian Burns of Lodge Park said: “This filly is what we are all about really, using nice proven stallions such as Fast Company and Dandy Man and then we can reap the benefits the following year. The mare is nine years old and is nice to have at home.”

Two yearling colts brought 100,000gns on Thursday, Ballyhimikin Stud’s Night of Thunder son of the listed winner Kambura being bought by Nick Bell, while Alex Elliott signed for Jamie Railton’s Sea The Moon colt out of another listed winner, the Group 3 St Simon Stakes runner-up Mountain Bell.