'We've got to compete' - Amo Racing comes out on top for Irish Oaks heroine You Got To Me at staggering 4.8m gns

Surely no-one could have predicted the words that would follow when Alastair Pim dropped the gavel on Irish Oaks heroine You Got To Me during Tuesday’s instalment of the Sceptre Session at Tattersalls.

The auctioneer looked in Kia Joorabchian’s direction and said: “The bromance is still alive!” And that remark was not the only shock aspect of this transaction, as the Amo Racing man had been forced all the way to a staggering 4,800,000gns to seal the deal.

Pim had peppered Joorabchian with wisecracks throughout the seven-figure showdown, including when he turned his back to the rostrum when a rival bidder held the initiative. “The merry-go-round has started again!” he said, much to the amusement of the packed Park Paddocks auditorium.

But having seen off allcomers, including the Classic-winning filly’s part-owner Graham Smith-Bernal and US trainer Will Walden, sitting besides John Sykes, the Amo Racing principal suggested the feelings were not entirely reciprocated, as he responded to Pim’s quip by saying: “I think he’s having a bromance with himself!”

Once the frivolity was out of the way, Joorabchian expanded on the more serious thinking behind spending such a monumental sum. In explaining the strategy, Joorabchian reaffirmed his desire to reach the sport’s upper echelons, as well as his intention to stand foursquare behind his growing band of stallions.

“I don’t think it’s about getting a buzz, we’re trying to do the right thing,” he said. “We’ve got to compete. We’ve been trying to compete for many, many years and we’ve burnt so much cash trying to do it by trying to pick the next 'one'. But why try to pick the next one when you have 'the one'?

“We have four stallions now that could easily fit her. We’ve got Bucanero Fuerte and Persian Force, who we really like and are very happy with, and then King Of Steel is the obvious one. I’m going to try back King Of Steel as much as I can, and the people that back King Of Steel will get my backing back as well.”

Kia Joorabchian: "I'm going to try back King Of Steel as much as I can"Credit: Laura Green (Tattersalls)

King Of Steel is due to begin stallion duty at Tally-Ho Stud at a fee of €20,000.

You Got To Me was presented by Newsells Park Stud, who bought into the filly after her winning debut towards the back end of her juvenile season. She made significant progress at three, returning with victory in the Lingfield Oaks Trial before finishing fourth in the Oaks itself and the Ribblesdale.

Connections applied a tongue-tie in a bid to curb her headstrong tendencies in the Irish Oaks, and the move had Classic-winning consequences as she got the better of Content and Purple Lily. Caught U Looking, who sold to YuLong Investment, signing as Willingham, at 1,800,000gns on Monday, was back in fifth. You Got To Me was last seen finishing last in the St Leger won by Jan Brueghel.

Joorabchian initially said he was still to decide whether You Got To Me would continue her racing career, but later confirmed she would remain in training at four and would be returning to her current handler Ralph Beckett.

He said: “If you buy a horse like that, you always let the trainer who’s done an amazing job with her carry on."

You Got To Me was hitting the market for the third occasion. She was a 62,000gns foal pinhook by Glenvale Stud, who then resold the filly to bloodstock agent Alex Elliott, a key cog in the Amo Racing machine, for 200,000gns at Book 1 the following year. She has carried the colours of Anthony Ramsden's Valmont operation throughout her career.

Asked what valuation he had placed on You Got To Me on Tuesday, Joorabchian said dryly: “One and a half!”

He continued: “You’re valuing them at what you can buy them at. We [both bidders] were getting to a point where we both thought, ‘This is well overpriced’, but she could be very cheap in the long run. At least we know she’s proven. She won the Irish Oaks amazingly.

"The guys that owned her, Valmont, are dear friends of mine and they’re people I have a partnership with in other horses. Buying this means everything they’ve bought with me now is for free! It’s great for Alex, who bought her originally. It’s great for all of them.”

You Got To Me was bred by Mark Tompkins and Richard Marriott under the Dullingham Park Stud and Sarabex banner. She is the fifth foal out of the Medicean mare Brushing, who Tompkins trained to win the Listed Galtres Stakes.

You Got To Me was not the only Beckett-trained filly to change hands for a seven-figure sum on Tuesday as River Of Stars drew an online bid of 1,650,000gns from a purchaser signing as Oakley Creek.

The five-year-old daughter of Sea The Stars won four races, with her biggest victory coming in the Group 3 Bronte Cup at York. She also has Group 1 form to her name having finished runner-up, beaten just three-quarters of a length, behind Grateful in the Prix de Royallieu on her latest start.

Beckett said: “She has been a joy to train and campaign thanks to her robust constitution, and you’d be very hopeful she’ll make a terrific broodmare.”

The Woodford Thoroughbreds colour bearer was picked up at the December Foal Sale in 2019 at a cost of 400,000gns. She is from a deep German pedigree that has been added to by her Listed-winning half-sister Apadanah. Her other siblings include Ancona, who was Listed placed in Italy, and Amazonka, dam of this year’s Coventry Stakes scorer Rashabar. Her second dam is Group 1 Preis der Diana heroine Amarette, who counts Criterium International winner Alson among her descendants.

Believing: set to continue her racing career with George BougheyCredit: Laura Green

Top-class sprinting filly Believing is set to continue her racing career before a planned visit to City Of Troy after Coolmore’s MV Magnier brought the hammer down at 3,000,000gns earlier in the session.

Day two of the December Mares Sale saw plenty of online traffic and a bid of 2,800,000gns came from an unidentified digital participant. Magnier and Coolmore colleague Paul Shanahan were both deep in discussion on their phones in the packed gangway, and after a brief deliberation Magnier’s hand appeared above the crowd and signalled that he wanted to round the price up by fully 200,000gns.

The move deterred any further online increases, and means the daughter of Mehmas returns to her stable at George Boughey’s Newmarket base.

“Both Ryan Moore and George Boughey were pretty keen to keep going with her,” said Magnier. “So we’re going to send her back to George, who has done a great job with her.

"We’re going to then see how she’s going and then maybe look at something like Dubai. Then she’ll be covered by City Of Troy.”

Believing has proved tough as well as talented, running 24 times over the course of three seasons in training. She won six races and was placed a further nine times.

Five of those victories came in black-type company, including three Listed races, the Group 3 Prix Texanita, as well as the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes. She was also placed in four Group 1s, including when producing a career-best effort on the figures when runner-up to Bradsell in this year’s Nunthorpe Stakes.

Believing was appearing at public auction for the third time. She first fetched 70,000gns from JC Bloodstock at Book 2 in 2021, and was then resold through Kilminfoyle House Stud at the following year’s Craven Breeze-Up Sale. Highclere signed the ticket at 115,000gns.

MV Magnier was in action to purchase BelievingCredit: Laura Green

“She’s been a model of consistency all through her career and I think she’s shown so well up here at the sale,” said Boughey. “The prospect of her racing on was a huge thing to get her value over two [million], and now she has the chance of going on and winning a Group 1 next year.

“MV and Coolmore were supporting Mehmas at Book 1 and we’d spoken about it before, so there was a bit of a plan to go on next year. It’s very exciting. She’s a beautiful outcross for all their stallions so I’m guessing it made plenty of sense for them.”

This is the second seven-figure sales success that Boughey has supplied for Highclere in as many years as 12 months ago the outfit sold 1,000 Guineas heroine Cachet to Katsumi Yoshida for 2,200,000gns.

Boughey added: “I had my suspicion that she’d make what she did, but it’s great for Highclere to have such good fillies to race and it’s great for their shareholders, who are a great group of owners. It’s the perfect ending for them and for us. We’ve had a few horses together [with Coolmore] recently and I’m delighted to have a filly to race at such a high level for such a big operation.”

The daughter of Mehmas has something of a mixed pedigree as she is the second foal out of Misfortunate, whose siblings include the dual Group 3 scorer Miss Sally and the Grade 2-winning chaser Quazar.

The breathless session of selling saw what is believed to be record turnover for a single day at a European bloodstock auction. The aggregate closed at 55,168,500gns, which is up 14 per cent on this day 12 months ago. The average price was almost identical to 2024 at 275,845gns, while the median was up 30 points at 120,000gns, having been 92,000gns at the corresponding session. The clearance rate was 85 per cent as 200 lots sold from 235 offered.

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