The Autumn Horses in Training Sale came to an end on Friday, with 1,023 lots selling for a combined £33,253,000.
The 110-rated Lost King topped the sale when purchased by Najd Stud/Archdale Bloodstock, and he’s set to be targeted at races in Saudi Arabia.
Adrian Keatley’s 98-rated Tyrrhenian Thunder was also sold to race abroad, with Ciaron Maher/JS Bloodstock picking him up for 600,000gns.
While the eye is often drawn to these big-money purchases, it can pay to take notice of those bought towards the lower end of the financial spectrum, with shrewd connections bidding to improve them.
Eagles Attire & Bad Boy Rizz – The Horse Watchers
The familiar orange and black silks of The Horse Watchers had success at this sale last year with Arklow Lad, whom they purchased for 42,000gns from Kieran Cotter and who improved 16lb, winning three times, including the Epsom Dash.
They were on the board with four purchases this time, and two of them, Eagles Attire and Bad Boy Rizz, particularly caught the eye.
The former cost £85,000 as a yearling for Valmont and made his debut in a valuable €66,000 conditions stakes at Deauville, finishing sixth to the now 106-rated Northern Champion. He failed to go on from that for Oliver Cole, but two of his subsequent three efforts were in good novice and maiden races, and he wasn’t entirely disgraced on his handicap debut when returning from a 114-day break in August.
He’s still entirely unexposed, and a mark of 70 doesn’t look beyond him to get off the mark.
Bad Boy Rizz was purchased from Ross O’Sullivan in Ireland, and given the owners’ record with purchasing horses in training from across the sea, he should be noted. He was behind some smart sorts in maidens last season, before belatedly getting off the mark in October.
He was in good form at the beginning of this year, running to an RPR of 87 in a Naas handicap, but he’s come down 17lb in the weights despite remaining fairly consistent, and he is exactly the type of sprinter his new connections do well with.
Barefoot Beach – Nick Bradley / David Easterby
Nick Bradley has a keen eye for improving horses from elsewhere, and given his excellent record with fillies, his £20,000 purchase Barefoot Beach should be noted.
The Kodi Bear filly was a 25/1 winner on debut for Richard Hannon at Kempton last September, but has only been seen three times since, all this season. Her form has been progressive in defeat, with figures of 223.
All of her efforts have come on the all-weather, and she could be one they target for the All-Weather Championships this season.
Accelereight – Megan Nicholls / Harry Derham
Megan Nicholls was busy buying for her father, Paul Nicholls, as well as Dan Skelton, Harry Derham and Victoria Malzard, with the majority going for a fair sum, but the £13,000 purchase of Accelereight for Harry Derham caught the eye at the lower end of the prices.
The Galiway gelding was a modest horse for Johnny Murtagh, with his best effort a second in a Ballinrobe handicap. He looks a big, backward type on the Flat, but the progeny of Galiway have begun to shine over hurdles, with the likes of Vauban, Jimmy Du Seuil, King Rasko Grey and Gala Marceau. I’d expect him to be much better over hurdles, and he can pick up a juvenile hurdle this term for Harry Derham.
So Alex – James Owen
Every man and his dog appears to improve for the switch to James Owen’s yard, and he picked up So Alex for 25,000gns. The son of Sottsass was progressive in handicaps for Richard Newland last season, but hasn’t been able to regain the winning thread this year.
He hasn’t been entirely out of form, and it’ll be interesting to see whether Owen campaigns him as a dual-purpose horse, given he’s a half-brother to a former 143-rated chaser for David Pipe.