WITH an average for four yearlings sold of 426,250gns, Frankel was the leading sire in Book 2 of the sale. Hardly a surprise given the outstanding year the champion sire of 2021 is having.

Bidding opened at 100,000gns for Genesis Green Stud’s son of the Dubawi mare Qaws, and quickly developed into a battle between Will Douglass and an online bidder. In spite of Douglass employing strong bidding tactics, the anonymous computer bidder was not to be denied, winning out at 700,000gns. The colt was bred by Rabbah Bloodstock Limited.

The mystery keyboard warrior was Michael Donohue of BBA Ireland. He said: “Frankel is doing everything on the racetrack and in the sale ring. The two hottest sires are top and bottom of the pedigree, and he is out of the Dubawi mare. This colt is a great individual and wouldn’t have looked out of place in Book 1. We are surprised by the price we had to give, it was our last bid.”

Genesis Green’s Michael Swinburn said: “During prep he has just gone ‘whoop’ and turned into a Dubawi with a Frankel walk. He just a beautiful horse to deal with, as most Frankels are. I am delighted with the price.”

Three of the four yearlings by Frankel sold were in the top 10 lots at the sale. Consigned by Watership Down Stud, the Andrew Rosen and Edward Easton-bred son of the sire, a 450,000gns colt out of the US stakes-winning Sea The Stars mare September Stars, was bought by Blandford Bloodstock’s Richard Brown for Saeed Suhail, owner of this year’s Derby winner.

Immature horse

“He is a smashing colt; we tried on a load of Frankels last week and did not get close. He is an immature horse; there is a lot of improvement to come. He will be given plenty of time and hopefully will reward us as a three-year-old,” said Brown.

Retained last year for 130,000gns, that decision was vindicated when the Cumani’s Fittocks Stud sold their Frankel filly out of an unraced half-sister to Japanese and Hong Kong Group 1 winner Admire Mars for 425,000gns to BBA Ireland’s Michael Donohoe, beating off Shadwell and Juddmonte.

“She is not the biggest,” said Sara Cumani of Fittocks. “We thought she’d change and develop over the year, and be worth keeping for now. We put the filly in Book 2 because we thought she might be a little bit lost with the great big Frankels in Book 1. We couldn’t be happier with that result. She is a real pocket rocket.”

Donohoe added: “This is a lovely, sweet filly. She should come to hand early. We will send her to Ireland, get her broken in and decide on a trainer in either England or Ireland. She is for an existing client who has had some luck with the sire before.” BBA Ireland spent 2,237,000gns on 13 lots, making them the second-biggest purchasers in Book 2.