Creationist given a leading role with Ken Condon at February Sale finale

Ken Condon's dual Group 1 scorer Romanised will have a useful new work companion as he bids to add to his wins in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and Jacques le Marois, after Rupert Pritchard-Gordon went to 60,000gns for dual winner Creationist during day two of the Tattersalls February Sale.

The four-year-old son of Noble Mission was offered by Roger Charlton's Beckhampton House Stables, for whom he reached a peak Racing Post Rating of 98 when beaten just a head in a Class 2 Kempton handicap.

"He's been bought to go to Ireland and to Ken Condon's and, although he will run as a dual-purpose horse, the main reason he's been bought is to be a work companion for Romanised," said Pritchard-Gordon, who is also racing manager for Romanised's owner Robert Ng.

View full Tattersalls February Sale results and stats

"Creationist is well rated and looks as though he will do that job well. I'm sure Ken will find a few options on the track for him too."

Friday witnessed Creationist make his third appearance at public auction, and it was a case of third time lucky as he had gone unsold at $45,000 when offered at the Keeneland September Sale, and was also bought back by his vendor at €78,000 when offered at the Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale.

Rupert Pritchard-Gordon: 'I'm sure Ken will find a few options on the track for him'Credit: Laura Green

Of Condon's stable star Romanised, Pritchard-Gordon added: "He's in a really good place at the moment, he's about 12 or 14 pounds above his racing weight and Ken is really pleased with him.

"We will probably go straight to the Lockinge without a prep race and we'll aim to go for a racecourse gallop before he runs, if a track will be kind enough to let us use somewhere. We'd like to use an away-day to get his blood up as he has not run since September."

The 60,000gns mark was also hit earlier in the session, however that sum was not enough to bring the gavel down as three-time winner Ginger Fox was bought back by David Loughnane Racing.

Ramsden takes another Quantum leap

Jonathan Ramsden, son of former trainer and legendary gambler Jack, secured the session's second top lot, with St Just set to race for his Quantum syndicate having changed hands for 55,000gns.

The three-year-old son of Golden Horn won once from five starts for William Haggas, and will now continue his racing career with Jedd O'Keeffe, who trains all of Quantum's string from his Middleham base.

"This was my nap of the sale and I'm delighted to get him," said Ramsden. "He'll go to Jedd now. We'll probably geld him, he's still quite lowly rated but we'll take our time with him and he's likely to have a summer turf campaign. The interesting thing will be how far he stays, the dam was basically a seven-furlong horse but I think he'll be a nice horse however far he stays."

Bred by Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar, St Just is the first foal out of Alfajer, a daughter of Mount Nelson who won a fillies' maiden and was placed at Listed level for Marco Botti. St Just had been through the ring on one previous occasion, when signed for by Jill Lamb at 40,000gns at the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale.

Jonathan Ramsden: 'horses in training fits in with the other things I do with my life'Credit: Laura Green

Expanding on Quantum's growing portfolio of horses, Ramsden said: "We've now got 12 horses, and all of them are with Jedd. There are a small number of clients involved, half a dozen or so, and we effectively started off last year with six or seven horses.

"All the horses we've bought so far have won, bar one, though he [Marnie James] finished second in a valuable handicap, so we've been lucky so far."

All 12 of Quantum's horses have been sourced while in training, though, as Ramsden explained, the syndicate is equally happy to trade when the money is right. He said: "We're trying to do it, as I'm sure everyone is, with a reasonably sensible economic approach.

"We sold a horse called Starcaster for a lot of money to Australia after he won at York. We bought him here for 35,000gns, so that was a good start. We also have a nice hurdler called Tavus, who's in the Triumph and the Boodles Hurdle at Cheltenham.

"We bought him here too [for 105,000gns] and he's won two from three over hurdles. There's a chance we might send him to the next boutique sale at Cheltenham two or three weeks before the Festival and try our luck there, and if someone wants to give us a lot of money we might sell him.

"At the moment we're concentrating on horses in training. I've been involved in racing a long time now, and horses in training fits in with the other things I do with my life."

Qatari trainers stock up

Newmarket trainer Conrad Allen got his name among the buyers' list when he secured the well-related Arbiter for 48,000gns, with the Kingman half-brother to Coronet now set to continue his career in Qatar for Hamad Al Jehani.

Arbiter showed ability, albeit without winning for John Gosden, and was last seen finishing runner-up in a Newcastle novice stakes over seven furlongs. Allen said: "Obviously he's got a very good pedigree, he's a handy enough horse with the right make and shape for racing in Qatar and he vetted well.

"He's a keen type - he was on his mettle a bit over seven furlongs at Newcastle last time - so going round that tight track should suit him. He didn't run that long ago and the quarantine is just 16 days. We can keep him ticking over and so he should be ready to roll once he gets to Qatar."

Will Douglass signals the winning bid for Cape AbelCredit: Laura Green

Another lot set to continue his career in Qatar is Cape Abel, who will join the powerful stable of Gassim Mohammad Ghazali after Will Douglass of Charlie Gordon-Watson Bloodstock landed the William Haggas-consigned offering at 40,000gns.

"He's a maiden, and Gassim loves to take maidens back to Qatar," said Douglass. "He's a lovely little horse too, he should wing around the track out there. He came highly recommended by Mr Haggas and he looked in great nick, so he should be ready to roll."

The three-year-old colt, who was bred and previously owned by Bernard Kantor, is the first foal out of Flippant, a daughter of Pivotal from the family of German 2,000 Guineas winners Dupont and Pacino.

Flannery's filly returns home

Sunshine Fantasy came to Tattersalls armed with one of the February Sale's more eye-catching updates, having broken her maiden since the publication of the catalogue, and the three-year-old daughter of Make Believe will now return to Gerry Flannery's Esker Lodge Stud in Roscommon after the breeder struck a winning bid of 36,000gns.

"I bred her, and I have her mother too, but she's 25 now and has retired from breeding," said Flannery, who sold Sunshine Fantasy to Crispin De Moubray for €60,000 at the 2017 Goffs November Foal Sale.

"She won't race again, though I don't have a stallion in mind for her yet, I said I'd worry about buying her first! I'll be spoilt for choice though."

The filly is the 13th foal out of Elshamms, who Flannery bought from Derrinstown Stud for €30,000 back in 2009. The Zafonic mare has produced ten winners, most notably the talented Flaming Spear, who Flannery sold as a foal for €110,000.

Final figures

Tattersalls offered 305 lots across the two-day February Sale, and 264 of those found a buyer for a clearance rate of 87 per cent. The aggregate stood at 3,260,300gns, which was up four per cent compared to the 2019 renewal. The average climbed by 16 per cent to 12,350gns, while the median showed the biggest increase, up by 30 per cent to 6,500gns.

At the close of trade, Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony said: "The first Tattersalls February Sale took place in the year 2000 and the sale is now a well established fixture in the European bloodstock sales calendar, regularly attracting an extraordinarily diverse international cast of buyers, similar to so many sales at Tattersalls.

"The February Sale's ability to draw buyers from all corners of the world has been particularly evident over the past two days with buyers from around 30 different countries all contributing to robust trade from start to finish and a set of figures which compare favourably with last year's February Sale.

"The average and median have both risen appreciably and the top price of 200,000gns for the stakes winning filly I'll Have Another comfortably surpassed last year's top price at this fixture. The turnover has also risen despite a significantly smaller catalogue, and a clearance rate nudging 90 per cent is another clear indication of the enduring appeal of sales of this nature at Tattersalls.

"As ever, the quality consignments from Godolphin, Juddmonte Farms and Shadwell have been well received and in addition to widespread participation from throughout Europe including Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Spain, Sweden and Turkey, buyers from the Gulf region as well as Australia, Kazakhstan, Israel, Libya, South Africa and the USA have all made a significant contribution to a Tattersalls February Sale which has provided a positive start to the year."

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