Overseas buyers to the fore on opening day of Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale

International money from a variety of players dominated proceedings at Monday’s opening day of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale.

In a testament to the enduring and far reaching appeal of this sale, Monday's group of six-figure lots fell to interests from Saudi Arabia, Australia and America in addition to those closer to home in Britain and Ireland.

It was Saudi Arabian interests, acting through Ted Voute, who came out on top at 335,000gns for the day’s session-topper Archetype.

Listed-placed for Simon Crisford, the Le Havre colt came into the sale as a five-time winner after landing his most recent start, a conditions event at Chelmsford City. He will now continue his career in Saudi Arabia for Prince Faisal Bin Khaled’s Red Stable and has the King’s Cup as a long term target.

“He is the all-round package,” said Prince Faisal’s representative Saad bin Mishref. "He's a really smart, sound horse who should suit our races - both the distances and the surface - and we hope he’ll be one for the King’s Cup later on.”

Chris Waller (right): not resting on his laurels after Winx's Cox Plate victoryCredit: Michael Dodge

Successful day for Aussie buyers

A busy day for Australian buyers was led by the sale of three-time winner Mr Reckless to Guy Mulcaster for 240,000gns on behalf of Winx's trainer Chris Waller.

The Reckless Abandon colt has steadily risen through the ranks for Jamie Osborne this season and was last seen scoring over an extended 1m3f at Windsor earlier this month.

"He's the right type of horse for us," said Mulcaster. "We took a look at him early in the year and have been following his progress. He stays 1m2f well, which is ideal, but we might try to stretch him out a bit. The prize-money has gone up in Sydney, so hopefully we'll have some fun with him."

Australia is also the destination for Jack Regan and Buffalo River, both progressive horses who commanded 180,000gns apiece.

Agent Jim Clarke, acting with Avenue Bloodstock on behalf of a client making his first foray into the European market, came out on top for the three-year-old Jack Regan. A tough performer, he has won three of his ten starts on the flat and his only outing over hurdles for Ian Williams this season.

"He'll go to Trent Busuttin in Australia," said Clarke. "He's a very good young trainer based in Melbourne.

"This horse has a good rating, has form on good ground and we know he stays - he won his race over hurdles well and his last run [when fourth in the Old Rowley Cup at Newmarket] would seem to have been his best, so he's going there in good form.”

Paul Moroney, meanwhile, signed the ticket on promising two-year-old Buffalo River, a recent winner at Kempton for John Gosden. The son of Noble Mission beat the Listed-placed Ajrar on that occasion, having chased home subsequent Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Royal Marine when third on his second start at Doncaster.

"He'll go to Australia to be trained by my brother Mike,” said Moroney. “He’ll have six months off and plenty of time to acclimatise.”

“I first saw him at Keeneland last year as a yearling and I loved him - he made my final list but I had no one for him.

“He was the horse I really wanted here. On my reading, he has real ability. The form is there but he still has plenty of developing to do, both mentally and physically. He still looks babyish but then he is a Noble Mission and he came into his own as an older horse. To me, there is a lot of Galileo in this colt.”

Whitlock returns to Gosden

A campaign closer to home beckons for Whitlock, who will return to John Gosden after selling to Charlie Gordon-Watson for 200,000gns.
Gosden saddled the son of Dutch Art to win at Windsor and Newmarket this summer for Cheveley Park Stud and will now plot a four-year-old campaign for the horse on behalf of a different, undisclosed owner.

"He's going back to Mr Gosden but for a different owner," said Will Douglass after outbidding Alan King for the brother to Zonderland.

"They've had a few jumpers in the past but for now this horse will have a Flat campaign. He's a really progressive horse and he stands out a bit in this catalogue. He came highly recommended."

Eagle Song to California

Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal had a successful trip to this sale last year when coming away with River Boyne, a 70,000gns purchase who went on to win this season’s Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap.

Yesterday, they returned to the fray in hunt of a similar type and came out successful in their pursuit of Eagle Song, another of the catalogue’s more progressive two-year-olds for whom they paid 160,000gns.

The son of No Nay Never showed fair form on turf for Joseph O’Brien during the summer but a recent switch to the all-weather has prompted real progression, as his pair of wide-margin nursery wins at Dundalk attest.

"I'm not sure where we'll send him yet," said Tim Cohen of Red Baron's Barn. "We have a couple of trainers in California but we'll wait until after the sale and try to spot them to where we think they might fit best.

"He should like the fast ground in California but the really nice thing about this horse is that he arrives with the conditions to really suit the racing there as well - we can run him in first allowance races, which is an advantage as he will be taking on horses who have just won their maidens.”

The jumping fraternity were also a competitive presence, in particular Willie Mullins, who paid 100,000gns for the Listed-placed M C Muldoon through Harold Kirk.

Final figures

Overall, the statistics failed to keep pace with last year, although the varied nature of horses-in-training sales does make year-on-year comparisons of less importance.

All told, 256 horses - 84 per cent - changed hands for a total of 5,588,600gns. The average fell 17 per cent to 21,830gns, while the median dropped by 29 per cent to 10,000gns.

The sale continues on Tuesday at 9.30am.

Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale catalogue and results