Coolmore-bred colt with blue-chip pedigree heads sobering day of trade as Malone goes to 70,000gns

There was a sobering day of trade at the Tattersalls November Sale on Thursday as the event, which had been relocated from the mothballed Ascot venue, generated a clearance rate of just 57 per cent. 

The four-hour session of selling saw 108 lots come under the hammer and 62 changed hands for turnover of 483,100gns, an average of 7,792gns and a median of 4,000gns. From those 108 lots, 46 failed to find a buyer. 

Although the change of location means the statistics are not directly comparable, last year’s Ascot November Sale saw an 80 per cent clearance rate as 68 lots sold from 85 offered. Those transactions generated turnover of £354,800, an average of £5,218 and a median of £2,750. 

Thursday’s market was led by Saint Terry, who was knocked down to Tom Malone after an online bid of 70,000gns. The unraced Coolmore-bred two-year-old was offered by Martyn and Freddie Meade’s Manton Park Racing and was registered as being owned by Manton Park and Anita Gillies.  

“He’s been bought for a client as one owner bought the other partner out,” said Malone. “He’ll go to be trained at Barry Brennan’s Newlands Stables in Lambourn.” 

Saint Terry: heading to Barry Brennan’s Newlands StablesCredit: Laura Green

The colt boasts a blue-chip pedigree as not only is he by Galileo but he is out of Pink Dogwood, a Listed-winning daughter of Camelot who also finished runner-up to Anapurna in the 2019 Oaks. 

The dam, who produced a filly by Dubawi earlier this year, is also a sister to Irish Derby hero Latrobe, while Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Newspaperofrecord appears beneath the third dam. 

It rather summed the session up that even the top sold for a loss, with Saint Terry having cost Martyn Meade 130,000gns at Book 1 of last year’s October Yearling Sale. 

Manton Park Racing also offered the unraced Almanzor colt out of Dieulefit. The French-bred youngster was making his third appearance at the sales after bringing €25,000 as a foal before Martyn Meade signed at €75,000 at last year’s Goffs Orby Yearling Sale. Meade’s name was on the docket again on Thursday, when the colt was hammered down at 32,000gns. The Manton Park draft accounted for 22 per cent of the sale's aggregate.

Frost eyes Gold with Saratoga

Kevin Frost was among the trainers restocking and returned to his Nottinghamshire base having purchased Saratoga Gold for 32,000gns. The prolific performer won eight races for owner David Keast and trainer Charlie Hills, whose Faringdon Place Stables consigned the son of Mayson. 

Saratoga Gold’s best effort on Racing Post Ratings (RPRs) came when he landed a 1m4f handicap at Kempton in July. He won that contest by seven lengths and was given a career-high figure of 100. He has also won around Epsom on two occasions, landing the Amateurs' Derby under Daniel Kyne, for whom he was a first winner, and the Apprentices' Derby with Owen Lewis in the saddle. 

Saratoga Gold sells for 32,000gns at Park Paddocks on ThursdayCredit: Laura Green

“He’s for the Curton House Partnership, Harold and Julie Jones,” said Frost after signing the docket. “I think he’s a horse who can take us to some nice places next summer as he likes fast ground and stays a mile and a half. He’s been bought to have some fun with and was recommended to me. We might give him a couple of runs on the all-weather this winter too.” 

Keast bred Saratoga Gold from the Haafhd mare Lady Sylvia. This was the five-year-old’s first visit to the sales. 

Trafalgar heads juvenile hurdling

Dan Astbury landed the first five-figure lot of the day when he bid 25,000gns for the lightly raced Trafalgar Square, who was offered by Jamie Railton on behalf of Qatar Racing. The two-year-old son of Too Darn Hot ran four times for trainer Andrew Balding and was last seen running to an RPR of 78 when third in a Newcastle nursery over a mile. 

The colt, a 600,000gns yearling purchase by David Redvers, is the second foal out of the classy Turret Rocks, whose five victories include the Group 2 May Hill Stakes. The daughter of Fastnet Rock also finished second to Ballydoyle in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac. This breeding makes Trafalgar Square a half-brother to Age Of Kings, a 1,100,000gns yearling who went on to win the Group 3 Jersey Stakes for Westerberg and the Coolmore partners. 

Dan Astbury: took home Trafalgar SquareCredit: Laura Green

“He will probably go juvenile hurdling next summer,” said Astbury. “He has a seriously good pedigree, the mare stayed 12 furlongs and he looks like he should get ten furlongs on the Flat. He came recommended and he’s probably going to go to Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero.” 

Later in the session Astbury signed alongside trainer Alastair Ralph in a 30,000gns private transaction that secured the dual winner Scintillante from Balding’s Park House Stables. The three-year-old son of Roaring Lion was last seen winning a 1m4f handicap at Kempton that earned him an RPR of 86. Scintillante had come under the hammer on one previous occasion, having cost Balding and bloodstock agent Billy Jackson-Stops 62,000gns at Book 2 in 2021. 

Stapleton steps in

Bloodstock agent Ed Stapleton was the busiest buyer at the recent Autumn Horses in Training Sale, where he spent 138,200gns on 21 new recruits. Stapleton retained his position as the leading buyer by volume on Thursday, albeit with a hat-trick of purchases enough to take top spot. His three buys cost a combined 35,000gns and were led by the 19,000gns Emperor's Clothes from Richard Hughes’ Weathercock House Stables. 

The three-year-old son of Holy Roman Emperor lost his maiden tag on his handicap debut at Chepstow in September, an effort that was awarded an RPR of 81. The £20,000 yearling buy will continue his racing career in the Middle East. 

Ed Stapleton: leading buyer by volume on ThursdayCredit: Laura Green

“He goes to Qatar,” said Stapleton. “He’ll continue to run over ten furlongs, as he's been doing here. He fits the profile and Holy Roman Emperor is popular in Qatar. I’m very happy to get him. He’s for an owner based in Qatar and a new client to me.”

The sale began with the yearling section of the catalogue. This provided a painful reminder of the harsh realities of life at the foot of the yearling market as just five of the 23 offered lots found a buyer. The priciest of the bunch, a Mayson colt from Houghton Bloodstock, was knocked down to Kernow Bloodstock at 5,000gns. 

Ten yearlings were led out of the ring unsold and eight were retained by their vendor. The five yearlings that sold brought an aggregate of 12,700gns. 

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