Muir gutted to see Daddy go but ‘perfect profile for Australia’ leads to 350,000gns sale-topping transaction

As is so often the case at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale, international investment was very much to the fore in Newmarket on Monday. 

European imports continue to dominate the headlines in Australia, with Via Sistina’s course-record Cox Plate romp being the latest case in point. Ciaron Maher is among the Australians who can look forward to welcoming a new recruit after the leading trainer’s talent scout Will Bourne combined with Billy Jackson Stops to secure Go Daddy at a market-topping 350,000gns. 

The son of Smooth Daddy proved steadily progressive over the course of 12 starts for William Muir and Chris Grassick. Although his sole victory came at two on his handicap debut at Nottingham from an official mark of 83, he changed hands on Monday rated 105. 

His efforts at three include finishing third in a pair of Group 3s, namely the Geoffrey Freer Stakes won by Al Aasy and the Deutsches St Leger won by Prydwen. He was last seen finishing fourth behind Subsequent in the Listed Noel Murless Stakes. 

Although his future lies in Australia, Bourne explained that Go Daddy will head to the Newmarket yard of Harry Eustace, brother of Maher’s former training partner David, before boarding the plane to Australia. 

“He profiles perfectly for Australia and I was chatting to Ciaron and he loved him and how consistent he is,” said Bourne. “The plan is to keep him in work here with Harry, then he’ll go down on the horses-in-training flight. 

Will Bourne: "He has that perfect profile for Australia"Credit: Laura Green

“We’ll target the Manion Cup, which William Haggas has done really well in winning with Favorite Moon and Post Impressionist, so we’ll aim to run him straight off the plane during the Sydney Carnival. Harry has prepared horses like Sir Dragonet for us to win a Cox Plate, so Ciaron has full faith in Harry. They work very well together.” 

On the price, Bourne added: “400,000gns was our max and I’d have been thrilled to get him for 250,000gns, so anywhere between is pretty much bang on. He has that perfect profile for Australia so I don’t think he was missed by anyone.”

Go Daddy had been to the sales on three previous occasions. He first fetched €16,000 at the Goffs November Foal Sale when SFF Bloodstock signed the ticket, before a €36,000 transaction at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale ten months later, when Diego Dias brought the gavel down. He was then sold to Muir at the Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale at €50,000. He is the fifth foal out of the Listed-winning Invincible Spirit mare Libys Dream. 

There were decidedly mixed emotions for Go Daddy’s former trainer, as Muir said: “I don’t want to sell them, this isn’t what I do it for. I hunted around the sales and I bought Fearless Freddy for just 8,000gns, Go Daddy was €50,000 at the breeze-up sale, but what do you do? The prize-money is so pathetic over here, the owners have to get something out of it. 

“Go Daddy and Freddy will go on, and Spaceport [bought by Highflyer Bloodstock] was cheap at 100,000gns. He’s got so much to come, all three of those horses do. They’re really nice horses with big potential. I’ve bought 12 yearlings recently so we’ve picked a few up as well. Hopefully the clients who sold today will reinvest.” 

Two-year-old Fearless Freddy was signed for by Busuttin Racing and JP Bloodstock having been knocked down to Patrick Sells at 280,000gns. The son of Territories enjoyed much better fortune than on his first visit to the ring as he was retained by his vendor at just 8,000gns at Book 3 of the October Yearling Sale. 

Fearless Freddy: will head to Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young in AustraliaCredit: Alisha Meeder

His value improved on the back of three wins from six starts, including his latest outing at York. He had to overcome major trouble in running on the Knavesmire but, despite getting into the clear only late on, showed a turn of foot that carried him a widening length and a half clear. That effort was given a Racing Post Rating (RPR) of 92. 

“He’s going to Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young in Cranbourne in Australia,” said Sells. “I bought a horse for them last year that could have been a carbon copy. He’s called Craig, he was second in the [Group 1] Toorak Handicap two weeks ago and runs in the Golden Eagle this week. 

“I went to see this fella down at William’s last week, and he described him as a tiger. If you watch his run at York, every time I watch that replay I think he can’t win. To have that turn of foot over a mile on soft ground, that’s what we’re looking for. Hopefully he’ll be another Craig. I’ve been watching him all year but that York run was the big one.” 

Sells added: “There was a lot of interest in him but these owners have had good success with horses like him. He’s a Territories out of a Motivator mare, Craig is a Territories out of a New Approach mare. Even down to the splint on his near fore, he’s just like a carbon copy, it’s almost a bit weird! He’s got a bombproof mentality though and wants to win, and you’ve got to pay for that.” 

Muir and Grassick’s Linkslade Stables sold eight lots on the day for a combined 802,000gns. 

Coolmore play the wildcard

A strong wildcard offering was headed by the Coolmore-consigned Monumental. The two-year-old son of Kingman won a Gowran Park maiden for Aidan O’Brien but showed even better form in defeat on his last two starts, finishing second to Bay City Roller in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes and third to The Waco Kid in the Group 3 Tattersalls Stakes.

Agent Ramzi Alghul, who signed on behalf of owner Omar Esmil Ghrghar, said plans remain fluid for the 325,000gns recruit. 

“We haven’t decided yet but he’s either going to race in France or Dubai,” Alghul said of the half-brother to Tantheem.

Monumental during his 325,000gns sale to Omar Esmil GhrgharCredit: Alisha Meeder

“He was second in a Group 2, he’s by a very good sire in Kingman and he was trained by Aidan O’Brien, what more can you ask? We’re hoping he does well for us because he’s a very nice horse and he looks the perfect fit for what we want. If he goes to Dubai he’ll go to Bhupat Seemar, but we’ll see what the owner wants to do.”

Coolmore sold 12 lots on the day for receipts totalling 914,500gns. The operation also offered the Group 3-winning Hans Andersen but retained the highly rated son of Frankel when the bidding reached 425,000gns. 

Blandford bonanza 

Blandford Bloodstock’s agents were busy throughout the session, with Richard Brown and Stuart Boman’s signatures accounting for four of the top ten lots. Brown went to 310,000gns for the priciest of the haul in Garfield Shadow, a four-time winner offered by Richard Fahey’s Musley Bank Stables. 

The three-year-old son of James Garfield won at Newcastle and twice at Chester, and was last seen hitting a peak RPR of 104 when beaten just a short head by Holkham Bay in a useful Ascot handicap over six furlongs. 

Brown knows plenty about Garfield Shadow having also signed for the youngster at the Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale, where he was added to Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum’s string at a cost of €155,000. 

Richard Brown: "I have no doubt he’ll give his new owners plenty of fun"Credit: Alisha Meeder

“He’s a talented horse,” said Brown. “I bought him for Sheikh Juma at the breeze-ups and now I’ve bought him for a different client, so I’ve followed him all the way through. He’s a very good-looking horse, very sound and very consistent. He always runs his race and wherever he continues his career I have no doubt he’ll give his new owners plenty of fun.” 

Fahey offered a pragmatic reflection on the six-figure transaction, saying: “When you bring a nice horse to the sale and he gets sold you’re always disappointed because he’s a horse we’d like to train, but that’s the game. He’s made a good price and I wish the new owners the best of luck with him. I’m delighted he made that as he’s a good, hardy horse.”

Brown also went to 300,000gns for Rebel Diamond from The Castlebridge Consignment. The two-year-old son of Cotai Glory has been on a steep upward curve for Natalia Lupini, completing a hat-trick on his latest outing in the Listed Blenheim Stakes at Fairyhouse.

“He’s been progressive and has won his last three starts, including a Listed race last time out,” said Brown. “He was very well presented and looked great, he’s got plenty of size and scope. He didn’t look over trained and looks in great condition, so hopefully he’ll continue progressing as a three-year-old. He’s been bought for an existing client and we’ll decide where he goes at the end of the week.” 

Desperate Hero: progressive four-year-old is heading to DubaiCredit: Alisha Meeder

Boman also went to 300,000gns to secure the improving four-year-old Desperate Hero, who was offered by Jack Channon’s West Ilsley Stables. The son of Captain Gerrard has won six races from 24 outings and has shown sustained progression from sprint handicapper to bona fide Group 1 performer.

He was last seen finishing fourth, beaten less than three lengths, in the Prix de l'Abbaye won by Makarova. He changed hands with a career-best RPR of 113. 

“He’s one of those horses that when I went through his form and his replays, he’s just hard not to like,” said Boman. “He’s got a great action, a powerful stride, he’s roared through the handicap and turned into a Group 1 horse. He always puts it in. I’ve loved him since I started researching him.”

Boman, whose purchase was made on behalf of an undisclosed existing client, continued: “He’s going to Dubai for the Carnival. The sprint division can fall a bit flat there as Godolphin mostly have horses for the mile-plus races, but there’s a good series for the sprinters so hopefully he’ll be there on the World Cup night.” 

On the price, Boman added: “He probably deserved to make more, to be honest, with that rating. He was fourth in a Group 1 last start and wasn’t beaten far in the Flying Five before that. He could run almost every week in Dubai and these sorts of horses, they just keep showing up. He’s an enthusiastic horse, vetted cleanly. He was a cheap horse compared to buying a yearling for 300,000gns!” 

Strong trade not only resulted in a 46 per cent year-on-year increase in turnover, but the aggregate of 9,168,700gns was also a new record for the opening session of the Autumn Horses in Training Sale. 

The average price also went up by 46 per cent to 39,015gns, while the median was up 19 points at 19,000gns. The clearance rate was 80 per cent as 235 lots sold from 293 offered. 

The Autumn Horses in Training Sale continues on Tuesday at 9.30am.

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