King Of Change filly overcomes market turbulence to bring ‘life-changing money’ at 180,000gns

There were challenging market conditions during the breeze-up section of the Tattersalls Guineas Sale, although the vendors who fared best still came away with some handsome returns. 

Topping the market was Donovan Bloodstock’s King Of Change filly from the family of Slade Power. Henry Lascelles tried hard to land the youngster but Oliver St Lawrence, standing beside Bryan Smart, ultimately proved the more determined with a bid of 180,000gns. 

This wasn’t Danny O’Donovan’s first big result this year, nor his first with the progeny of King Of Change, as he sold two lots for a combined £580,000 in Doncaster last week. The sales-topping filly was pinhooked by O’Donovan and Adam Potts for £20,000 at last year’s Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale. 

“It’s incredible, really,” said O’Donovan. “Going in there I thought she was going to make 120,000gns or 130,000gns but to get that price in such a tricky market, it’s incredible. 

"King Of Change has been fantastic to me all year as that’s three of them that I’ve got life-changing money over. It’s an incredible feeling and I’m so pleased for the rest of the shareholders, Adam and Brian Sheerin. I think this can put things on the up from hereon in.” 

He continued: “The pressure is off completely now. It was off by the end of Doncaster really, but loads of friends of mine and other vendors are finding it very tough. The wheel is always turning and next year it could be me who’s struggling, so I’m just grateful that everything has come together this year.” 

O’Donovan hailed King Of Change as his “hero of the year” having turned a profit on three lots by the Starfield Stud resident. His first offering, a filly out of Greatest Virtue, went from 8,000gns yearling to 80,000gns juvenile on the bid of Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah during the Craven, while the filly out of Evie Speed improved from £39,000 yearling to £280,000 two-year-old at Doncaster. Alex Elliott signed the docket for the latter on behalf of Amo Racing.

The sale-topping King Of Change filly takes her turn in the sales ring at Park PaddocksCredit: Alisha Meeder

Explaining how he came to have three members of a debut crop that numbers just 49, O’Donovan said: “King Of Change wouldn’t have been on many radars last year but he was a very good racehorse himself and we liked his stock and knew they’d be affordable. This filly was £20,000 in Doncaster and has thrived all the way through and furnished into a really nice individual. 

“Me and Adam work hard at the sales and we buy physicals over pedigrees and we really liked these three. There was nearly a fourth King Of Change because we actually underbid another one! When we started stepping these horses up seven or eight weeks ago I actually texted Micheal Orlandi [of Starfield] and said, ‘This stallion is going to come up with a good one.’ Straight away, right from the first bit of work, they all showed a bit of class. Hopefully they go and do it on the track now.”

He added: “Hopefully we can keep the ball rolling because we have a lovely bunch going to France and then on to Goresbridge. We won’t celebrate just yet as it’s back home tonight, off the boat in the morning and back on the boat at 4pm tomorrow afternoon, so it’s all systems go.” 

The filly will head to Smart’s North Yorkshire stable while connections formulate a plan. 

The trainer said: “We liked the filly, she breezed really well, so we’ll get her home and see where we go. Everything we’ve seen by King Of Change has breezed well. Her new owner was keen to have a filly and if she could get some black type then she’ill be a breeding prospect.”

There was another big result for King Of Change later in the session when first-time consignor Anderson Bloodstock sold the filly out of Ramamara to Alex Elliott and Amo Racing for 120,000gns. The youngster was pinhooked by Ilson Correa for just €8,000 last September. 

“This is the first year we’ve done this by ourselves so we’re delighted,” said Anderson Correa. “I have so many people to thank, including Robson Aguiar, Roger O'Callaghan and my brother, who has helped so much. I’m delighted that she has been bought by such a good judge. We bought four yearlings last autumn and sold two today, and we have another to sell at the Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-Up Sale.” 

King Of Change, whose first crop were conceived at Shadwell's Derrinstown Stud, is standing the current season at Starfield at a fee of just €5,000.

Despite a sprinkling of pinhooking successes, trade was far from plain sailing, with a notable drop in aggregate sales and a clearance rate described as “well below par” by Tattersalls’ chairman Edmond Mahony. 

Turnover fell by 17 per cent compared to last year’s record level, with receipts totalling 4,943,500gns. The average price was broadly in line with last year’s high at 41,895gns, though the median told a more testing tale by dropping ten per cent to 27,000gns, having been 30,000gns 12 months ago. Most concerning of all was a clearance rate of 72 per cent as 118 sold from 163 offered, meaning 45 juveniles failed to find a buyer.

Jackson-Stops gets everything he wants with 160,000gns Mehmas

The progeny of Tally-Ho Stud’s Mehmas occupied two of the top three prices, with the biggest figure generated by a colt from Eddie Linehan’s Lackendarra Stables. After signing the 160,000gns docket, agent Billy Jackson-Stops said: “He’s for Andrew Balding and Opulence Thoroughbreds. He’s by the right sire, obviously, and out of a mare by the right broodmare sire. 

“He did a lovely breeze and is a really lovely type. I wanted to buy something that was going to be pretty active this year, so on that front he was everything we wanted. I loved his breeze, loved his attitude and I know the consignor well and he always does a good job.” 

Billy Jackson-Stops: "He did a lovely breeze and is a really lovely type"Credit: Alisha Meeder

The colt is out of the Pivotal mare Raincall, who in turn is out of the Australian Group 1 winner Lone Rock. Linehan pinhooked the colt for 55,000gns from the Highclere draft during last year’s Book 2. 

“We gave a good throw for him in Book 2 but we targeted this sale specifically in the hope that he might stand out a bit,” said Linehan. “He’s a very nice horse, looked the part and vetted well. The good ones are always easy to sell. He stood out all along for us and the day we bought him we thought we'd got a bit of value.” 

Lackendarra brought a quartet of juveniles to the Guineas Breeze-Up Sale and sold all four for a combined 347,000gns. 

Longways riding the storm with 150,000gns Hello Youmzain

Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock secured a brace of lots who cost 150,000gns apiece, including the Hello Youmzain colt out of Dream Dreamer who was pinhooked by Longways Stables for 35,000gns at Book 2. 

“He was popular and he’s always been a fast horse at home,” said Longways Stables’ Mick Murphy. “All the clock men were on him but I was hopeful more than confident. The market is in a very tricky place at the moment. We’ve had a tough Craven and a tough Donny, so it’s nice to get one of them over the line.” 

Expanding on the state of play at this spring’s two-year-old sales, Murphy continued: “There’s a lot going on in the world at the moment. We’re in our own bubble and don’t really think about it, but when you step outside the bubble there’s a lot of conflict and the world isn’t in a great place. 

“It’s also gone back to being very reliant on the clock. If you clock well then you have a good chance of selling well, so long as everything stacks up afterwards with the vetting and the physical, but it can be very lonely if you’re not on people's lists. There’ll probably be a knock-on effect for the yearling and foal market too. 

"This is what we do though, and we’ve no choice but to continue because we know nothing else. The game has been very good to us over the last ten years so we just have to ride out the storm.” 

The Hello Youmzain colt out of Dream Dreamer was knocked down to Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock Credit: Alisha Meeder

Murphy offered an emphatic response when asked if results during the earlier sales increased the pressure heading into a potentially season-defining event at Arqana next week.

“Oh yes, very much so,” he said. “We have 13 going to France and I think we have some very nice horses. They might look a bit expensive at the moment because we bought them when the market was stronger, but we’ll just have to wait and see.” 

Murphy is hoping to be joined in Deauville by the other half of the Longways Stables team as his wife Sarah has been absent from the earlier sales as she continues treatment following a cancer diagnosis last year. 

“I’m looking forward to getting to Deauville and hopefully Sarah can make an appearance,” said Murphy. “She finished her treatment three weeks ago. It’s been tough. She had surgery in October and then had chemo and radiation therapy, so it’s been a rough couple of months for her. She’s not a confirmed runner for Deauville but her bag is on the lorry with the horses, so hopefully she’ll make an appearance.” 

The Hello Youmzain colt is Brown’s third purchase by the sire after going to £220,000 for a colt from Kilminfoyle House Stud in Doncaster and 200,000gns for a C. F. Bloodstock-consigned colt at the Craven. 

Richard Brown was active at Park PaddocksCredit: Alisha Meeder

“I seem to be cornering the market in Hello Youmzains as that’s the third I’ve bought this breeze-up season,” said Brown. “I bought this colt for Sheikh Juma, who’s been particularly keen on him from the start. I put a list together, it was quite a short list, and he seemed fairly excited about the horse appearing on it so he was keen to have a go. 

"He looks like a lovely horse up here and obviously did a very good breeze. He goes to James Tate.” 

On the sire, who stands at Haras d’Etreham at a fee of €22,500, Brown said: “We don’t know much about the stallion yet but he’s got the credentials to make it. I hope he does anyway because I’ve bought three of them now! They’ve all got a bit of class and style about them. To be honest, he wasn’t really on my radar during the yearling sales but they’ve stepped up here to be very much on my radar at the breeze-ups.” 

Brown’s other 150,000gns purchase was the Mehmas colt out of Camisole offered by Yeomanstown Stud. The youngster was a 48,000gns foal pinhook by James O'Callaghan and belatedly repaid connections’ faith after he was retained by Yeomanstown at 20,000gns at Book 2 last year. 

Springs’ son heads to Dubai 

Mocklershill presented just about the best-bred lot in the catalogue in the shape of Alice Springs’ son by Quality Road. The Coolmore-bred colt is the fourth foal out of the daughter of Galileo, who won three Group 1s during her time at Ballydoyle. 

Agent Colm Sharkey signed the docket at 140,000gns. He said: “He’s for a Dubai-based client who was pretty keen to get him. He’s had the horse earmarked for weeks; he loves the pedigree. 

"The horse will ship to Dubai and will get all the time he needs. Being by Quality Road, the dirt pedigree works out there, where he’s had success. This is a big strong horse who vetted well, so there aren’t many negatives.” 

Alice Springs has bred two winners at paddocks, the best of the pair being the Group 3-placed Dubawi filly Prettiest. 

Farrell a man for all season 

Cormac Farrell proved himself a man for all seasons on Thursday as a productive 24 hours included selling a Masar colt for 130,000gns as well as seeing Dancing City, who he prepared to win a maiden point, land the Grade 1 Channor Real Estate Group Novice Hurdle at Punchestown. 

The Masar colt, who was knocked down to Archie Watson, Blandford’s Tom Biggs and Tom Palin of Middleham Park Racing, was making his third appearance at the sales. He was pinhooked by Luke Lillingston as a 36,000gns foal but was retained by his vendor at 45,000gns at Book 1 last year. 

The Masar colt on his way to a 130,000gns sale to Archie Watson, Tom Biggs and Tom PalinCredit: Alisha Meeder

“The horse breezed extremely professionally,” said Farrell. “He’s got a big, long stride and he’s a staying horse but still clocked well, so you’d imagine he’s got a big future. Fair play to Middleham Park, Archie and Tom Biggs for stepping up and buying him because it’s a great price. Hopefully he’s very lucky for them.” 

Reflecting on Dancing City’s third Grade 1 success, Farrell said of the €28,000 Land Rover Sale buy: “That’s very exciting. I was actually speaking to Willie [Mullins] this morning and they’re delighted with him now they’ve stepped him up in trip. They’re going to campaign him over fences next season, which is something to look forward to.” 

Watson suggested the Masar colt would be campaigned with a view to Royal Ascot, saying: “He’s a lovely horse and a very good physical, the sort of horse we love to buy. He did a very good breeze for a horse of his type because he’s going to be a seven-furlong horse or miler. His times and what he did stood up well against all the speedier types. 

"He’s got a chance of being a Chesham horse so we’ll give him every chance of getting there. We’ll get him home and see how he fits in with the others. If he can debut before Ascot then grand, but if not I’m sure he’ll be a lovely horse for later on.” 

Outside the box thinking helps Kavangh turn another profit 

Pinhooking profit wasn’t easy to come by on Thursday but Roderic Kavanagh of Glending Stables was rewarded for some creative thinking when his Amaron colt, already named Nobler, was knocked down to Stuart Boman of Blandford Bloodstock at 120,000gns. The agent signed alongside Go Racing. 

Kavanagh paid €26,000 for the sibling to Listed winner Noble Music and the Group-placed Noble House and Niyama when he was presented by Gestut Etzean at BBAG last September. 

Roderic Kavanagh: "He’s something a bit unique and a lovely horse to go with it"Credit: Alisha Meeder

Reflecting on his German pinhooking mission, Kavanagh said: “It was outside the box thinking and I’d imagine he’s going to be the only Amaron being sold at a British or Irish breeze-up this year. He’s something a bit unique and a lovely horse to go with it.

“He’s a very well-bred horse, the mare has done no wrong, and there’s that angle for trade on those who look like they’ll get a trip but still show a bit of speed. He’s a quality horse and breezed very quickly for a horse you know is going to stay a mile, or even a mile and a quarter. 

"He’s a lovely mover, had great rhythm to him and was very clean-limbed; your typical German bred. He’ll stay the trip and be sound as a pound, and Stuart Boman loves that type of animal.” 

Although the result was one of the day’s more eyecatching transactions, it pales in comparison to the success Kavanagh enjoyed during the Craven Sale when his Galileo colt went from 125,000gns yearling to 1,000,000gns two-year-old when hammered down to Godolphin. 

Mahony acknowledges market challenges 

In his end-of-sale statement, Mahony said: “Demand in the Horses in Training section of the 2024 Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up and Horses in Training Sale has without doubt exceeded expectations, with domestic British and Irish buyers competing strongly with their international counterparts to produce record-breaking trade, comfortably surpassing the previous records for turnover, average and median, as well as the number of lots selling for 100,000gns or more. 

“The clearance rate for the horses in training was a remarkable 94 per cent, yet again demonstrating the sustained global appetite for British and Irish horses in training sold at Tattersalls, and the horses belonging to Coverdale Stud and Titanium Racing were particularly sought after, with buyers from throughout Europe, the Gulf region and Australia all making their presence felt.” 

He continued: "Nevertheless, the strong and diverse demand that produced the wide-margin record-breaking Guineas Horses in Training Sale was not matched in the Breeze-Up section of the sale and while the combined turnover for the Breeze-Up and Horses in Training is a record, and the Breeze-Up average and median prices have held up well in relation to last year’s record-breaking sale, the clearance rate has been well below par.

“In the months leading up to both the Tattersalls Craven and Guineas Breeze-Up Sales members of the Tattersalls team have made promotional visits to a host of international markets, including America, Australia, Bahrain, the UAE, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Sweden, and the two sales continue to attract considerable numbers of overseas buyers. But, as has been noted at the earlier breeze-up sales, there is a selectivity to the market which has been reflected in clearance rates that have not matched the impressive levels achieved last year. 

“It is clear that there are challenges in the current marketplace, challenges which reflect wider economic realities, but it should also be recognised that competition for quality British and Irish bloodstock remains robust and diverse. The breeze-up consignors have, as ever, done an outstanding job, there have been some spectacular pinhooking successes today and there is no doubt this year’s renewal of the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale will further enhance the sale’s reputation as a consistent source of Group 1 horses.” 

Read more

Dance lots dominate as beleaguered owner's stock fetch 1,701,500gns at Guineas Horses in Training Sale 

John Dance-affiliated lots bring 567,500gns as six-figure filly holds sway