Grab 'em while you can - meet the one-hit wonders of Tattersalls Book 2

Dubawi was as usual among the headlines from the first week of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, but Book 2 buyers have just the one youngster by the Darley supersire to assess.

The venerable 22-year-old is sire of the colt out of 2015 Prix de Diane heroine Star Of Seville (lot 1205), being offered by Lady Bamford’s Daylesford Stud, which has not sold its own yearlings at Tattersalls for a decade. 

The Lady Bamford homebred Star Of Seville, who limbered up for her Chantilly Classic success by winning the Musidora Stakes at York, is the dam of two winners from three runners, both also by Dubawi, though at a modest level.

Their full-brother would have been worthy of a spot in Book 1, but the Daylesford team felt he would stand out in Book 2 and we will see how that pans out come Wednesday.

Dubawi is one of 22 sires with just the one yearling in Book 2, another being Ashford ace Justify, who this month chalked up a seventh individual Group/Grade 1 winner when Ramatuelle got it all together to win the Prix de la Foret.

His sole offering, via Mountain View Stud, comes late in the piece on Monday, a colt out of the Listed-placed Dorothy B (700).

The Fastnet Rock mare, a half-sister to the dam of Starman, has produced two winners from five runners.

The Aga Khan Studs’ Siyouni is a bigshot sire with a solitary representative in Book 2, namely a colt out of Secret Gaze offered by Newsells Park Stud (1151).

Siyouni, photographed at his Haras de Bonneval home, is one of the big-name sires of Book 2Credit: Zuzanna Lupa

The mare is by Galileo and out of the late Newsells super-producer and money-spinner Shastye. Secret Gaze was herself a 1,350,000gns Book 1 buy, and while unraced, the fact she is a full-sister to Japan, Mogul et al is guaranteed to have heads turning to her yearling who walks the ring on Wednesday.

Secret Gaze has one winner from two runners and foaled a colt by New Bay this year.

Darley sire Masar, the 2018 Derby winner, is another of the one-hit wonders at Book 2.

Meon Valley Stud offers a filly by him out of the Oasis Dream mare Tropicana Bay (482), dam of four winners from five runners, notably useful handicapper Goodwood Odyssey, who has done well for the Goodwood Racehorse Owners Group. Tropicana Bay had a colt by Sergei Prokofiev this year. 

Masar could do with a breakout performer and this filly’s family includes Bella Colora and Stagecraft – maybe she can be the one.

There are other Derby heroes too with just the one yearling at Book 2, namely Golden Horn and Sir Percy.

Overbury Stud’s Golden Horn, who also won the Coral-Eclipse, Irish Champion Stakes and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in a stunning three-year-old career, is represented by a colt out of the New Approach mare Citronella (643).

Golden Horn: Overbury sire has a colt consigned by Clearwater Stud at Book 2Credit: Overbury Stud

Clearwater Stud’s offering, from the family of Coronation Cup winner In The Wings, is certainly a youngster bred with Epsom in mind.

Sir Percy, now retired after sterling service at Lanwades Stud, has a colt out of the Green Desert mare Diablerette (690), a half-sister to Group 1 winner Lady Jane Digby – and he’s a special one too, as his breeder Kirsten Rasuing explained in Good Morning Bloodstock last week.

“I’m very pleased with all my yearlings this year, and among them is a nice chestnut colt who is the very last yearling to be produced by Sir Percy,” she said.

“He’s a magnificent horse out of Diablerette, who produced a good one called Pondus. It’s going to be quite bittersweet to see the last Sir Percy go through.” 

Sadly, Dandy Man will not be appearing among sires’ names at yearling sales all that far into the future either, the Ballyhane Stud linchpin having died aged 20 in December.

The Group 1-getting sire has a colt consigned by Killourney Mor Farm out of unraced Ribchester mare Magical Summer (921).

Talking of Ribchester, his sire, Darley’s Iffraaj, is happily still going strong aged 23. His 13 top-level winners also include rising star sire Wootton Bassett, Chriselliam and this year’s Lockinge Stakes winner Audience.

His solitary yearling at Book 2 is a colt out of unraced Harbour Watch mare Moghrama - dam of three winners from three runners - offered by the Forge Stables (958).

Iffraaj’s studmate Territories continues to rate great value, having stood this season for £10,000, the breeding season being followed by another Group 1 winner for the sire in Lazzat, who is unbeaten in six starts.

His representative at Book 2 is a colt out of New Approach mare Never Change who is consigned by Oaks Farm Stables (993).

Territories, pictured at Dalham Hall Stud last year, is represented by a colt from Oaks Farm StablesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Never Change has two winners from two runners, including Grade 2-placed Masseto, and had a filly by Perfect Power this year.

Coolmore’s 2,000 Guineas hero Magna Grecia has not yet set the sire ranks alight, but he’s only eight so there’s plenty of time for a reversal of fortune, and maybe the filly out of the Cadeaux Genereux mare Dubai Power (709) can play a part in that in future.

The dam has four winners from six runners, led by this year’s Group 3 Summer Stakes winner Flora Of Bermuda.

Yeomanstown Stud, meanwhile, presents a colt by their sire Shaman out of Dark Angel mare Angel Bright (546), dam of two winners from three runners led by Listed scorer Castle Hill Cassie.

Advertise, Sands Of Mali, Dream Ahead, Twilight Son and Mayson are Group 1-winning sprinters with a yearling for sale over the next few days.

Manton Park’s Advertise, who won at the top level in Britain, Ireland and France, had a good winner at York in August when Cool Hoof Luke took the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes, form that has been franked since by runner-up Shadow Of Light.

Hascombe & Valiant offers a filly out of the unraced Medaglia D’Oro mare Plucky Lass (1052), from the family of Courage Mon Ami and Across The Stars, so there’s a blend of speed and stamina.

Ballyhane Stud’s Sands Of Mali has a Spencer Sales-consigned colt out of Macau (917), a Listed-placed daughter of Dashing Blade and dam of two winners from three runners headed by Macasai, likewise Listed-placed.

Sands Of Mali: colt for sale at Book 2 is a relation to a couple of winnersCredit: Laura Green

It's easy to forget just how good Dream Ahead was on the track – just the five Group 1s thank you very much – and he's a pretty good sire too, with four top-level winners and plenty more at stakes level.

Bearstone Stud offers a colt out of the Kodiac mare Epping Rose (723), whose only runner to date is this year's Group 3 Abernant Stakes winner Washington Heights. 

Fellow July Cup winner Mayson, transferred to stand at Oak Lodge Stud this year having been at Cheveley Park since retired from racing in 2012, has been well represented in 2024 by two-year-old son Francisco’s Piece, and of course he has Oxted and Rohaan on his mantelpiece too.

Bearstone Stud offers a colt out of the Holy Roman Emperor mare Spontaneity (1199), dam of four winners from seven runners, the best of whom has been Group 3 winner Eddie’s Boy.  

Twilight Son shared seven covering seasons at Cheveley Park with Mayson, and stood at the Newmarket farm this year for £6,000. 

Kildaragh Stud offers a filly by the Diamond Jubilee and Sprint Cup winner out of Group 3-placed Mayson mare Rosebride (1124). She has two winners from four runners, led by Significantly, last year’s Ayr Gold Cup winner and also Listed-placed.

Significantly (noseband) wins the Ayr Gold Cup - his half-sister sells at Book 2 Credit: GROSSICK RACING

From the ranks of non-British or Irish-based sires, there are colts by Haras d’Etreham trio City Light (735), Hello Youmzain (1101) and Victor Ludorum (1044) – who will move there for the 2025 covering season from Haras du Logis – plus another colt by Haras de Bouquetot’s 2,000 Guineas hero Galileo Gold (982). 

WinStar Farm sadly lost four-time Grade 1 winner Improbable to ataxia in March. He was reported to have been bred to 329 mares in his first two books, with his first crop being two-year-olds of 2024.

They include the Listed winner Governor Sam, who took his record to four wins from five starts at Keeneland last Sunday.

On Tuesday, Rathbarry Stud offers a filly by Improbable out of War Front’s daughter Great Warrior (793) and from the family of Bold Arrangement and Belvoir Bay. She is undoubtedly an interesting proposition,

Improbable stood alongside More Than Ready at Winstar for a couple of seasons, before the farm’s foundation sire was euthanised aged 25 in August 2022 due to the “cumulative effects of old age”. 

More Than Ready was a rarity in achieving elite status in both hemispheres, having been the most-travelled shuttle stallion there has ever been, going to Vinery Stud in Australia for 19 consecutive seasons from 2001.

On Wednesday, the Castlebridge Consignment offers a colt by the truly great stallion out of the Listed-placed Distorted Humor mare Sea Of Snow (1149), the dam of two winners from two runners.

This colt’s third dam is Snow Bride, producer of seven winners headed by the great Lammtarra.

Sale factfile 

Where Park Paddocks, Newmarket 

When Three-day sale begins on Monday, with sessions starting at 10am 

Last year’s stats From 734 lots offered, 626 sold (85 per cent) for an aggregate of 53,978,500gns (up 11 per cent year-on-year), an average of 86,228gns (down ten per cent) and median of 62,000gns (down 11 per cent)

Notable graduates Charyn (sold by Grangemore Stud, bought by Sumbe for 250,000gns), Dubai Honour (sold by Taroka Stud, bought by Rabbah Bloodstock for 110,000gns), Mill Stream (sold by Redpender Stud, bought by Stroud Coleman for 350,000gns), Romantic Warrior (sold by Corduff Stud, bought by the Hong Kong Jockey Club for 300,000gns)

Read this next:

'You've got to get them early' - Kia Joorabchian reflects on multi-million splurge on extraordinary day at Tattersalls