Godolphin deny old rivals Coolmore to land 3.6m gns half-brother to Barney Roy

In a scene reminiscent of so many major clashes down the years, Godolphin blew their old rivals Coolmore away with a bid of 3,600,000gns securing the Dubawi half-brother to Barney Roy during the opening session of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale on Tuesday.

Given the weight of pedigree on offer, proceedings got off to a relatively inauspicious start until Alastair Donald and Anthony Stroud, joined by Sheikh Mohammed himself, began to trade increasingly expensive bids. However, it was only once Coolmore entered the fray shortly after the bid board registered 1,000,000gns that it became apparent something big was brewing.

The old foes traded sizeable raises with rare gusto, notably when MV Magnier pushed the price from 1,700,000gns to 2,000,000gns in one fell swoop.

View full Tattersalls Book 1 results

Stroud persisted, even when Magnier, who stood in the bidders' area above the Godolphin camp, raised a trio of fingers in auctioneer Alastair Pim's direction.

"Three million and I sell him up on top," said the auctioneer. Taking instructions from Sheikh Mohammed, Stroud responded with another 200,000gns increase, delivered with a subtle nod of the head.

"Does anyone else want in here now?" said Pim as he scanned the silent ring. "Don't be shy!"

But, when Magnier was almost instantly bested having pushed the price to 3,400,000gns, it became apparent the sheikh did not plan on being denied. As the Coolmore man turned his back on the ring at the 3,600,000gns mark, Pim slammed the gavel down on the year's most expensive yearling colt.

Sheikh Mohammed in discussion with Anthony Stroud and Charlie ApplebyCredit: Edward Whitaker

"He's really athletic, a really good mover, Sheikh Mohammed picked him out and he was his favourite of today," said Stroud after a debrief with the sheikh and Charlie Appleby. "Obviously we stand the stallion and he's out of a Galileo mare, he's a wonderful specimen. He cost a lot, but to get a nice horse that's what you've got to pay."

When asked if Stroud had known who he was up against, he said: "I guessed it was them. They're wonderful judges and fantastic at what they do. To be honest, being in their company is only an honour."

Here, there and everywhere

Sheikh Mohammed has been a notable presence at the biggest yearling sales in the northern hemisphere this year, with his buying team having also secured the €1.625 million sale-topping Dubawi filly at Arqana, as well as having signed for $16m worth of stock at Keeneland followed by a €2.36m spend at last week's Goffs Orby Sale.

"He's been to Deauville, Keeneland, Goffs and now here," said Stroud of the sheikh's sales ring visits. "He's the boss and he's absolutely pivotal in all the decision making. It's great for all of us that he has the time to come to these sales, not just for us buying the horses, but the whole industry.

Anthony Stroud: 'Sheikh Mohammed's the boss and he's absolutely pivotal in all the decision making'Credit: Laura Green

"It's the same with his brother, Sheikh Hamdan, they're completely unique and our industry would be lost without them. We've got so much to thank them for."

Bred by Sun Kingdom, the seven-figure colt is the fifth foal out of Alina, an unplaced Galileo mare purchased by the outfit under the Eliza Park banner for just 65,000gns in 2013. The Hong Kong-based operation stands the likes of Fiorente and Black Caviar's sire Bel Esprit at Sun Stud in Victoria, Australia.

They also keep a select broodmare band of around a dozen in Europe, and rose to prominence in the northern hemisphere having raced Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner National Defense.

"You don't go expecting a result like that but once you go past a million, you never know," said the operation's David O'Callaghan. "He just got better and better every day but you need everything to come right at the sales and even then you don't believe that something like that can happen."

He added: "We bought the mare carrying Barney Roy and we sold him as a foal [for 30,000gns]. And then she threw Wisdom Mind [a Listed-placed daughter of Dark Angel], who we retained."

Damn good dam

This is not the first good turn Alina has done her breeders, as her Kodiac filly topped the 2017 December Yearling Sale when selling to David Redvers for 400,000gns.

While Coolmore and Godolphin may be old rivals, the result was a major feather in the cap for one of the sales scene's newer names, consignor Hazelwood Bloodstock.

"I'm blown away," said the Newmarket-based operation's general manager Adrian O’Brien. "He's a beautiful horse and never missed a trick. He's worked like a champion from day one, but that's an unbelievable figure. I couldn't have possibly predicted it.

"I'm over the moon and so grateful to our amazing clients for giving us this quality of stock. It's phenomenal. It's our third season consigning and only our fifth yearling sale.

"There was an awful lot of interest in the horse, everyone who saw him liked him, but for Godolphin and Coolmore to go head to head in the ring, it's what everyone dreams of."

Day one of Book 1, read all about it...

Anxious wait in the land of hope and glory

One target, one triumph

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