IS this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality…

NO, I’ve not indulged too much on pre-Christmas festivities, but the first line did occur to me by the end of the three big sales in Newmarket in recent months. Were these seven-figure purchases from a fantasy land, horses at the top end making way more than vendors could have ever hoped for?

The sales-topping lots, all bought by the same purchaser, did push it almost into fantasy land. How could someone really desire to make such a big splash into the bloodstock and racing scene in the current troubling times for the sport?

The tables below show the top spenders at the three big sales. The investment by Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing Limited comes in a year where their British-won prize money totals come to £448,813.05.

Depending on what side of the fence you watch from, it’s one humongous escalation of interest and where is the return to come from?

In a Big Interview in this paper before Royal Ascot in 2023, Joorabchian said: “I’ve been quite passionate about racing as a sport. I think it has humongous group potential as a sport.

“There are so many elements and factors that make the sport more tactical and interesting than meets the eye.”

It was noted in the interview that, on several occasions during the conversation, Joorabchian referred to a ‘David versus Goliath’ dynamic. These past months, he’s definitely taking on the challenge.

“I think we might be one of the only groups from outside the norm to have come into racing. People wouldn’t normally do that. We’re hoping to prove to people that it’s possible to be done,” was another comment from that interview.

Amo has had decent success for someone pitching in to the deep end, but has also, in the course of recent years, parted company with as many trainers and riders as they have embraced.

And it’s one risky business to be pitching in at the deep end.

A simple example from last weekend was of a yearling by Mastercraftsman out of Alpha Lupi. As a full-brother to Alpha Centauri, and half to Group 1 winners Alpine Star and Discoveries, would he make into the millions if entering a sales ring?

He does exist – named Simpson’s Paradox, he’s a four-year-old gelding, who finished 12th of 19 beaten 31 lengths by Magic Boum in a maiden hurdle at Navan last weekend. Sent off at 125/1, he is now with the third trainer in his career.

Those of us of passing years remember the ITV’s Saint and Greavsie show on Saturday and Greavsie renowned for his phrase “it’s a funny old game” comments. Well soccer might be funny, but racing is damn less predictable.

Many in racing will hope 2025 turns out to be a good one for the purple silks.

IT seems to be a sign of the times that we are quicker to look for flaws in horses than we did 20 years back. Or perhaps a sign of the social media times, where every grumpy git has a platform to comment.

One horse who deserves a bit more love from racing commentators is surely Jonbon.

Perhaps his cost price of £570,000, in these times of so many big-priced horses never fulfilling half of their expected potential, will always be an excuse to knock him, but his form figures read 11/11121/111211/11211-11 and his earnings of £1,015,315 surely make him a horse worthy of a lot of affection. We can forgive a few defeats, especially when the horses (Constitution Hill, El Fabiolo) who have administered those Cheltenham defeats, currently look a lot more fragile than Henderson’s chaser.

He missed his big opportunity in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham last season, but the previous season, he did Cheltenham, Aintree and Sandown, no mean ask these days.

ITV showed some great two milers of old in the Tingle Creek coverage and few two-milers are remembered with the affection as Viking Flagship. He had two Champion Chases to his name and finished second, third and fifth in three other renewals. Many of lesser ability than Jonbon have their name on that roll of honour too.

Viking Flagship’s last race was the Champion Chase 1998, when he was an 11-year-old. And he won a career total of £601,814 in prize money.

His jumps placings read: F211116/ 94410F433/F111111/ 221112/115F211/4311212/ 241333/122135/

Jonbon has made a few jumping errors in his career, but one feature of Saturday’s Sandown card was his assurance over the final fences. We’d seen the bold jumping novice Touch Me Not try to gallop through a fence in the Henry VII Novices, and lost Edwardstone in the Tingle Creek. But at the second last, when Nico de Boinville asked him to come up on a long stride, Jonbon said, ‘I know best’ and went in close on another stride.

There is every possibility now that Jonbon is the complete package and, if staying sound, he is just rising nine and could have two more years at the top and be remembered as one very good horse.

Matthew Sutcliffe@MattySutcliffe

Hard to digest the Ferny Hollow news. Seriously talented and we know these animals are bred to race, but surely comes a point where those fragile sorts are just kept in a field. Tough one.

Sonic Lady@Sonic_Lady

V sad news, Ferny Hollow had so much untapped talent. I don’t understand the comments that connections should’ve retired him before though. He had all the time and care to recover from his injury setbacks. Yesterday had nothing to do with those. Just sad we won’t see him again.

Tim@Tim33120757

I’ve not seen one person say Ferny Hollow should’ve been retired before he reappeared on Sunday.