'There's way more emotion involved in this' - Robert Thornton thrilled as Al Shaqab and Amo go to 600,000gns for Too Darn Hot filly

High emotion and even higher prices were on show at Tattersalls on Tuesday as Book 2 of the October Yearling Sale caravan rolled on.  As trade entered the latter stages the market was led by a daughter of Too Darn Hot who brought the hammer down at 600,000gns. 

She would be joined at that price by the very last lot of the day, a Sea The Stars filly.

As with so many other yearlings sold at Park Paddocks over the last seven days, it was bloodstock agent Alex Elliott, acting on behalf of the partnership between Amo Racing and Al Shaqab, who struck the decisive bid for the daughter of Too Darn Hot.

The filly, whose dam is a Galileo sister to Royal Lodge Stakes runner-up Ontario, was bred and sold by Paul Dunkley’s Apple Tree Stud, the Gloucestershire farm run by Robert ‘Choc’ Thornton.

“I don’t do emotions,” said a visibly emotional Thornton, who expanded on why the result meant so much to him and the team. “It’s just what Paul’s put in, as well as all the girls on the stud.

“This filly’s a queen, she’s beautiful. I thought she’d get 200,000gns, then I thought maybe 400,000gns, but not that. I’ve loved her all the way through and of course you’re tempted to keep her. But at the same time the boss has put a lot of money in with not much back, bar bits and pieces.”

Thornton enjoyed plenty of memorable days in the saddle in his former role as a leading jump jockey, including winning a Champion Hurdle aboard Katchit in 2008 and a Queen Mother Champion Chase on Voy Por Ustedes 12 months earlier.

Asked how those results compared to the success of breeding, raising and selling such a prized yearling, Thornton said: “It doesn’t. It’s completely different. There’s way more emotion involved in this. She always moved well and has always looked the part, but the way she’s taken everything, she’s been unbelievable. It’s just brilliant.”

Robert Thornton: "There's way more emotion involved in this"Credit: Laura Green

The filly was the third Book 2  purchase made by the Amo Racing and Al Shaqab axis, taking the partnership’s spend in this section of the sale to 1,440,000gns. She was the pair’s second 600,000gns buy after the St Mark’s Basilica filly out of Angelic Light on day one.

“Too Darn Hot is doing it around the world, never mind just here, and she’s out of a Galileo mare as well,” said Elliott. “She’s been bought for Amo and Al Shaqab, who are buying a lot of horses. Some heads could roll next year if these don’t work out!

“I don’t know who’s going to train her but the Al Shaqab guys were very strong on her, Kia and the team were very strong on her too, and it was a very strong price. But that’s what happens when so many other people want her.”

Reflecting on the strength of trade in Newmarket, Elliott said: “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s a bit like being back in the States. I thought Saratoga was the strongest yearling sale I’ve ever been to, but it’s like Tatts have said, ‘Hold my beer!’ I never thought there’d be anything stronger than America.

“It’s great when you’ve got superpowers teaming up, but I’ve got a lot of other clients who are very frustrated because they’ve got to put a bit of a lid on it. Valmont, for example, we have to value them to where there’s a bit of juice left to train them and trade them.”

Late drama

There was a late twist at the end of the near 11-hour session when the very last lot into the ring, a Sea The Stars filly offered by Stauffenberg Bloodstock, equalled the day’s high price of 600,000gns. 

The winning bid was struck by Jane Mangan, standing with Thady Gosden down the back stairwell. The pair were acting on behalf of the Thoroughbred Racing Corporation. 

The Sea The Stars filly out of Monaawara who made 600,000gns at Tattersalls Book 2Credit: Laura Green

“We’ve been trying to buy the right type of filly for the last two weeks; we got two lovely fillies last week in Book 1 and then I thought this filly stood out, I thought she was the best in the book,” said Mangan

“She comes from a great farm and she was just very easy on the eye. There’s no mystery here. We’re very happy to get her because we want to win middle-distance Classics. She fits that bill; she’s by the right horse and she’s got a great damsire.” 

The filly was bred by Meadow Farm Stud and is the first foal out of Monaawara, a winning Siyouni half-sister to the dual Listed scorer Ataared. The dam was signed for by Mint Bloodstock at 57,000gns at the Tattersalls July Sale in 2021, where she was offered by Shadwell. 

On the joint session-topping price being reached so late in the piece, Mangan added: “I’ve learned over the last two weeks that we all have a similar set of eyes, so it doesn’t matter what time of the day these horses are selling. People will go to the moon for the right horse!”

The brace of 600,000gns lots contributed to another remarkably buoyant set of key market figures. Turnover rose 36 per year-on-year to 24,639,000gns, while the average price went up by 31 per cent to 115,135gns. The median also improved 14 points, up from 66,000gns on day two in 2023 to 75,000gns this time around. Arguably most eyecatching of all was the clearance rate, which hit 91 per cent as 214 lots sold from 234 yearlings offered.

Godolphin continue to see Stars

Just as they did on day one, Godolphin continued to go after the most choice offerings by Sea The Stars, and Sheikh Mohammed’s operation duly walked away with a 550,000gns colt offered by Folland-Bowen Bloodstock.

The youngster is out of Kitcarina, a Shamardal sister to Kitcara, dam of the prolific Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Al Aasy, who is also by Sea The Stars.

The Sea The Stars colt out of Kitcarina who went Godolphin's way for 550,000gnsCredit: Laura Green

Al Aasy has won nine times for Shadwell and William Haggas, with six of those successes coming in Group 3 company. He also finished just a neck behind Pyledriver in the 2021 Coronation Cup.

“Sea The Stars speaks for himself and this is a powerful, strong horse,” said Godolphin’s Anthony Stroud. “He’s a very good mover, comes from a very good farm and the pedigree goes back very well.

“It’s so important to try to get these horses that can stay a mile and a half. We’ve bought a number of horses but we could do with more of that type, and he fitted that criteria. Sea The Stars was a top-class racehorse and is a top-class stallion.”

The colt was bred by Fiona Marner of Windmill Farm under the banner of the Kitcarina Partnership, in conjunction with the Tsui family’s Sunderland Holdings.

“I bought her in training from Andre Fabre and then sent her to Andrew Balding and she did win a race,” said the delighted breeder.

“We sent her to Sea The Stars for her first cover, a foal share kindly arranged by the late John Clarke, and she went back to the sire again for the mating that produced this colt. He foaled with me and spent his time with us until going to Natalie [Folland] and Matt [Bowen] to prep. They’re based at Fonthill Stud and it’s such a lovely farm with beautiful land.

“This colt has always been just such a lovely individual and I’m so pleased for Natalie and Matt. It’s so nice to see young people getting on.”

Matt Bowen and Natalie Folland: consigned the colt out of KitcarinaCredit: Laura Green

Stroud was busy throughout the session and his other acquisitions included the brother to the Group 3-placed Kinesiology offered by Staffordstown. At 260,000gns, the Stroud Coleman Bloodstock signing became the most expensive yearling by Lanwades’ up-and-coming young sire Study Of Man.

“I think Study Of Man has had a good start to his stallion career,” said Stroud. “This horse is a nice, well-proportioned colt from Staffordstown. I think Ms [Kirsten] Rausing runs a fantastic farm and I’ve bought him for Andre Fabre to train. He’s a lovely horse.”

More Stars

Sea The Stars was also responsible for another of the market leaders when Harry Dutfield sold the filly out of Lancashire Oaks runner-up Makawee to bloodstock agent Jason Kelly for 525,000gns. The youngster was bred in partnership between the Turnbull family's Elwick Stud and Sunderland Holdings.

“Elwick Stud are fantastic breeders and I’m delighted they got a good price for the filly because she’s gorgeous,” said Kelly. “She’ll go into training in Ireland and go to Paddy Twomey for an existing client of his.

“Sea The Stars speaks for himself and I have a history with the Turnbull family. I know the broodmare, she was a tough mare and hopefully Farhh will be a good broodmare sire. She’s just a stunning filly with a lot of class and quality about her. The market’s strong so you’ve got to be strong to get the ones you want.”

The filly by Sea The Stars out of Makawee who went the way of Jason Kelly for 525,000gnsCredit: Laura Green

Kelly had an involvement in Makawee’s racing career having previously been a key cog in the David O’Meara yard. He also signed for the Turnbulls’ dual Group 1 winner Lord Glitters as a horse-in-training recruit at Arqana in 2017.

Camelot filly captures the imagination

Camelot enjoyed the biggest success of his stallion career when Juddmonte’s homebred filly Bluestocking triumphed in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Another of the sire’s daughters was in the headlines at Tattersalls on Tuesday when Coolmore’s MV Magnier went to 500,000gns for the Camelot filly out of Fort Del Oro from Ballylinch Stud.

The dam was a talented runner herself, with three of her four victories coming in Listed company over sprint distances. The daughter of Lope De Vega has already shown her aptitude as a producer as her second foal is Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes winner Fast Attack.

“Camelot’s having an exceptional year and it looks like we've got a couple of good two-year-olds by him,” said Magnier.

“The lads all liked this filly a lot and in fairness to Ballylinch they’re very good breeders. They sent a good mare to Camelot and they’ve come out with a nice filly who we’re very happy to buy off them. We’ll bring her home and break her in, then decide on a trainer.”

The filly by Camelot out of Fort Del Oro who brought the hammer down at 500,000gnsCredit: Laura Green

Ballylinch Stud’s managing director John O’Connor was understandably delighted with the transaction, and reflected on the trade by saying: “I’m very happy with that price. We were pretty confident she’d sell well because she’s a beautiful filly with the best combination of Camelot and her broodmare sire, Lope De Vega.

“The mare was very quick and has already bred a good one, so the pedigree was stacking up for everybody. Then the physical and the temperament and the ability to show was just exceptional. Pretty well most of the big operations were interested in her.”

O’Connor expanded on the rationale behind the mating between Fort Del Oro and Camelot.

He said: “We’ve done some statistics that indicate that Camelot does well with fast mares, which isn’t something I’d expected. He’s a very solid sire and I like him. I think he brings a lot of quality and class, then if you get the right individual you’re in business. I liked her a lot, I thought she was a very nice filly.”

He added: “Lope De Vega looks very promising as a broodmare sire. I think what he passes on is that athleticism that he has himself. He puts that into his own stock and his daughters seem to be passing that on regularly as well, so you get that action and a big stride.

“I would have quite liked this filly walking around the paddocks at home, but we decided to put her in the sale and at that level it's too tempting to let them go.”

Ballyvolane in clover

Strong trade saw a number of vendors walking on air, but few have enjoyed as productive a couple of days as John Foley of Ballyvolane Stud. On day one of Book 2 a Gleneagles colt pinhooked for €28,000 was knocked down to Amanda Skiffington, agent for MV Magnier, at 280,000gns, while Tuesday saw an Acclamation filly out of a mare sourced for just 12,000gns bring 470,000gns.

The filly by Acclamation out of Lily Beach sold by Ballyvolane Stud for 470,000gnsCredit: Laura Green

“It’s unbelievable,” said Foley. “I have to give my sister Adelaide and her husband, Padhraic Doran, the credit because they bought the mare. This filly is a beauty and we were hoping she might make 80,000gns to 100,000gns, but she has been so popular. This sort of result doesn't happen very often.

"The mare has a very nice Blue Point foal on the ground, and he’s a fine foal and will be kept to sell as a yearling. The mare lives at Knocktartan House and when we wean the foal it comes to me.”

The filly is the first foal out of Lily Beach, a placed daughter of Sepoy whose siblings include Superlative Stakes scorer Good Old Boy Lukey and the Listed-placed Oakley Girl.

The daughter of Acclamation was knocked down to agent Henry Lascelles, who said: “We waited all yesterday because she was our favourite filly in the whole of Book 2. She’ll stay in Britain but a trainer is still undecided. She’s a lovely individual though, she’s an amazing first foal and by a great stallion. She doesn’t look like a filly who’ll be only an early season two-year-old, hopefully she’ll go on and be a seven-furlong filly or a miler. She’s been bought for an undisclosed client.”

Ballyvolane’s Book 2 bonanza also included the sale of a 200,000gns Churchill colt to Rabbah Bloodstock, while Najd Stud and Nico Archdale went to 105,000gns for the farm’s Space Blues colt.

Dark Angel filly continues Deerpark’s fine form

The Fagan family’s Deerpark Stud enjoyed a banner result at the recent Goffs Orby Sale when Godolphin gave €550,000 for the County Meath farm’s Lope De Vega filly out of Bletchley. And the Fagans' run of form continued on Tuesday when they sold a daughter of Dark Angel and Havre De Paix to Oliver St Lawrence for 450,000gns.

The Listed-winning dam, a 230,000gns addition to the Deerpark herd, has bred two winners from as many runners, with her three-year-old filly Place Of Safety bringing more black type to the page after the catalogue went to press having finished second in the Chalice Stakes and third in the Group 3 Princess Royal Stakes.

The Dark Angel filly out of Havre De Paix sold to Oliver St Lawrence for 450,000gns at Tattersalls on TuesdayCredit: Laura Green

“A lovely filly sold by good people,” was St Lawrence’s assessment. “She had a lovely update and she just looked like a lovely character. She’s very athletic and looks like a fast two-year-old type. I’ve gone over budget but she was just a lovely filly. She’s for Fawzi Nass and team, but I don’t know who’ll get to train her.”

Deerpark’s Peter Fagan said the price comfortably surpassed his pre-sale expectations. The breeder was also quick to heap praise those responsible for the hands-on work with the filly.

“It’s a fantastic result for the farm and the filly hasn’t put a step wrong,” he said. “Although I just breezed in here for the sale, so all the credit has to go to my parents, John and Vourneen, Patrick Kirwan, who’s our farm manager, and Rachel Harvey, who’s done a fantastic job working with us this year. Suzanne Roberts bought the mare, she was quite pricey but she was in foal to Kingman at the time.”

He continued: “It’s been lovely to see Place Of Safety do so well, the Gosdens have done a fantastic job with her. She’s an extremely exciting prospect for next year.

“Dark Angel is just a fantastic stallion and it looks like he’s becoming a fantastic broodmare sire as well. The filly has behaved fantastically all week, she didn’t turn a hair, and we’re delighted that Oliver has put his faith in the farm.”

He continued: "That price exceeded our expectations. We had a lot of interest from all the right people, but you just never know. We’re delighted with the result. Clive Washbourn has the half-sister, Adela Of Champagne, who we raced together; she’s in foal to Baaeed. She had a lot of ability so Clive kept her to breed from. I actually bought the mare off Clive, she’d been David Menuisier’s first stakes winner.

“We’re just delighted to have her. She’s in foal to Gleneagles but we’re yet to decide where she’ll be going next year, although that result has made it a little bit easier!”

The third and final session of the Book 2 Sale starts at 10am on Wednesday.

Read more from Tattersalls Book 2

‘It’s quite moving actually – and I’ll bet you anything he wins!’ – a fairytale finale as Sir Percy’s last yearling finds a fitting home 

'That was more than I anticipated but we're very glad to get him' - Godolphin strike for 875,000gns Sea The Stars colt