Pakistan Star half-sister heads Stauffenberg's Book 1 draft

A Golden Horn half-sister to Hong Kong celebrity Pakistan Star is sure to draw international interest when she goes under the hammer at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

The filly, bred by the illustrious German nursery Gestut Wittekindshof, will form part of the draft from Stauffenberg Bloodstock.

She was already in possession of a prestigious pedigree as a sibling to Pakistan Star, the most popular horse in Hong Kong due to his rehabilitation from a recalcitrant slow-starter to dual Group 1 winner this year, but she received a further boost to her page on Sunday when Night Of England, out of a half-sister to her Listed-winning dam Nina Celebre, finished second in the Preis der Diana.

“She's handling everything well and looks like she'll be a classy filly,” said consignor Philipp Stauffenberg. “She's a lovely mover and well made. I like her a lot.

“She hasn't displayed any of the behaviour that Pakistan Star became well known for at the start of his career. She is very much working with us, not against us.”

Stauffenberg pointed out that the Golden Horn filly's pedigree appeal does not stop with her connection to Pakistan Star.

“Her dam is a Listed winner and the next two dams both won the German Oaks, so the page is good overall. It's a very solid family with a lot of class.

“The dam is back in foal to Lope De Vega, and Golden Horn was such a wonderful racehorse you have to hope he passes on his talent to his offspring.”

Stauffenberg Bloodstock is also taking to Book 1 two colts out of Group 1 winners – a son of Charm Spirit and the great Aquarelliste, and a son of Sea The Stars and German Oaks heroine Rosenreihe.

Most of the German operation's lots at Tattersalls this year will be offered on behalf of clients, with Stauffenberg putting the swashbuckling pinhooking he has become renowned for in recent years on ice due to market forces.

“Last year the prices in the top end of the foal sales were crazy, even for a brave man who has spent a lot of money on pinhooks over the years,” he said.

“It will be interesting to see how the yearling sales will respond to the more down to earth trade for two-year-olds at the breeze-ups; there might be a period of levelling off. I'm not being negative, but I am cautious not to get carried away with expectations.”

Stauffenberg does have a number of less expensively purchased foals he is looking forward to reselling at the yearling sales this autumn, and one in particular by a sire who has made a big breakthrough this year.

“There is one in Book 2, a Camacho colt who cost 62,000gns and so is one of the most expensive foals by the sire,” he said. “So I'm glad the sire is having a great year with Signora Cabello and Teppal. This colt has a physique that could have made him a Book 1 horse but I preferred him to be in Book 2.”

Like the half-sister to Pakistan Star, the Camacho colt also enjoyed a notable update on Sunday as he is out of a half-sister to James Garfield, an honourable runner-up to Polydream in the Prix Maurice de Gheest.

Stauffenberg will be offering his largest draft of yearlings at Tattersalls this season, in his fifth year selling at the venue.

“I'm very happy with the individuals and their pages, I don't think I've ever had such quality.,” he said. “It's difficult to get your hands on these horses as a small consignor, so I'm glad my clients have entrusted them to me to get them the highest price possible.

“I'm grateful to Angus Gold and Tom Goff, wonderful judges who suggested I should consign under my own banner in the British market, which I did for the first time in 2014.

"It's gone much better than I ever could have hoped for.”

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