Coolmore missed out on the big lots in the opening session of Tattersalls October Book 1, with MV Magnier the underbidder on Tuesday’s record-breaker. On Wednesday at Park Paddocks, Magnier went to 4,000,000 guineas for a Frankel colt who is a brother to Fillies’ Mile winner Ylang Ylang.
Nothing on day two challenged the European record 4.6 million guineas Godolphin paid for a Night Of Thunder colt on Tuesday. Still, four more yearlings made seven figures, and Godolphin’s spending over the two days passed 20 million guineas.
Frankel brother to Ylang Ylang tops day two
Lot 237 was always going to be popular. He was bred by Newsells Park Stud and Merry Fox Stud and is out of the stakes-placed Shamardal mare Shambolic. She is already the dam of Ylang Ylang, whom Coolmore bought at this sale and who went on to win the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile. Newsells and Merry Fox bought Shambolic for 800,000 guineas in 2019, and her offspring have now made 9,625,000 guineas between them in the Book 1 ring.
The family is in good form on the track as well. The colt’s two-year-old brother Hmas Perth won on his debut at the Curragh last Saturday, and the family also includes Act Of Kindness, third in this year’s Nell Gwyn Stakes.
Magnier signed for the colt in partnership with Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm, and it was Coolmore’s first seven-figure purchase of the week. “He’s a lovely horse and Newsells do a great job,” Magnier said. “They’ve bred a lot of good horses, including his sister, who we bought here a few years ago. Aidan and Dad were here the other day, and they both liked him a lot.”
Newsells owner Graham Smith-Bernal was keen to talk about the colt’s attitude. “For me, it was his temperament that was so special,” he said. “He has always been a horse more interested in interacting with humans rather than other horses. Of course they have already done well with the family through Ylang Ylang. In my book, this colt is a couple of notches up from her.”
That makes him the second most expensive yearling of the sale so far, ahead of Godolphin’s 3.8 million guineas Wootton Bassett colt from Tuesday. Three of the seven most expensive lots so far were sold on Wednesday.
The rest of Wednesday’s top five
Four more yearlings broke the million-guinea mark on day two. These are the rest of Wednesday’s five most expensive lots.
1,600,000gns – Night Of Thunder – Sweety Dream (Dream Ahead) colt
Ace Stud have enjoyed success this season with the likes of prolific handicap winner Double Rush and the 1000 Guineas and Sun Chariot Stakes runner-up Evolutionist. They were the latest owners to go to seven figures in the ring, purchasing a son of Night Of Thunder out of Dream Ahead mare Sweety Dream, a Group race winner in France. Listed winners Are We Dreaming and Town And Country are half-siblings to the colt, while full sibling Romantic Style has scored at Group 3 level. Ace Stud’s Paul Curran said: “He was the standout for us of the whole week.”
1,600,000gns – Justify – Stars At Night (Galileo) colt
Another 1,600,000gns purchase was a Justify colt out of Stars At Night. The youngster was another bought by Coolmore on a more assertive day for the powerful Irish operation than on day one. The colt is the most expensive Justify yearling at Tattersalls so far and no wonder: he is a half-brother to Group 2 winner Poker Face as well as a full brother to Hmas Perth, and Aidan O’Brien juvenile on the scoresheet this season. This price tag may look light depending on his older sibling’s exploits at three in 2027.
1,500,000gns – Night Of Thunder – Purple Ribbon (Gleneagles) colt
Godolphin’s most expensive purchase on day two of Tattersalls Book 1 did not produce the fireworks of day 1, but was the main contributor to wards them passing the 20,000,000gns mark across the opening two days. One of the more intriguing sales, this Night Of Thunder colt is a first foal of Gleneagles mare Purple Ribbon, a two-time winner for Charlie Fellowes who was runner-up at Listed level. Vendors Hascombe and Valiant Stud announced the sale as “a great result for the family.”
1,500,000gns – Frankel – Swirral Edge (Hellvelyn) filly
Bond Thoroughbreds and Paddy Twomey combined to round out the top five on day 2 of book 1. They splashed 1,500,00gns on the most expensive filly of Wednesday’s action, a result of Frankel’s mating with Swirral Edge. The dam has produced Group 1 winner Mill Stream among four racing offspring so far, as well as Group 2 winner Asymmetric and Listed scorer Crownbreaker. A Frankel half-sibling to those black type winners promises much.
Day two in numbers
Wednesday’s session could not match Tuesday’s figures. Of the 141 yearlings offered, 120 were sold, a clearance rate of 85%. Turnover was 42,625,000 guineas, down 10% on the same session last year. The average slipped 1% to 355,210 guineas, but the median rose 2% to 220,000 guineas.
Frankel was the day’s leading sire, with 12 lots sold for 11,915,000 guineas, an average of 992,917 guineas. Newsells Park were the leading consignor, selling 16 lots for 9,295,000 guineas.
Godolphin remain the dominant buyers. They have signed for 18 yearlings at a combined 20,860,000 guineas, already more than they spent across all three days of last year’s sale. Coolmore and White Birch Farm had bought five lots for 7.25 million guineas going into Thursday’s final session.