Unlike at recent sales when Sheikh Mohammed’s buying team has purchased yearlings in the name of Godolphin, the 36 new recruits from Tattersalls Book 1-including the 1.2-million gns joint top lots on Thursday–were all signed for by the sheikh’s long-time ally Anthony Stroud in the name of Stroud Coleman Bloodstock.
With the sheikh and his son Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed both present, along with a large number of Godolphin associates, including trainers Saeed Bin Suroor, Charlie Appleby, John Gosden and Simon Crisford, it was clear that Godolphin’s support for Book 1 was as strong as ever, and the 36 yearlings bought raised a tally of 21,075,000gns-20% of the Book 1 gross.
Thursday's purchases included:
Lot 389, a Dubawi (Ire) colt whose third dam is the blue hen producer Magnificent Style (USA), for 1.2-million gns.
Lot 431, a Galileo (Ire) half-sister to young Coolmore sire Ivawood (Ire) for 1.2-million gns.
Angus Gold Buys Invincible
Angus Gold went to a joint sale-topping 2.6-million gns at this sale in 2016 for a Dubawi (Ire) colt out of Zee Zee Top (GB) later named Emaraaty (GB), and Sheikh Hamdan’s racing manager jumped into action late in the sale’s final session for that one’s close relative, lot 508, by Invincible Spirit (Ire).
Gold had to go to 900,000 gns to ensure he would carry Shadwell’s blue and white silks.
“He’s a very well-bred horse by a very good stallion from a fantastic family,” Gold said.
“He’s a very well-bred horse by a very good stallion from a fantastic family,” Gold said. “We had this horse Emaraaty that we paid a lot of money for a few years ago. He has plenty of ability–he’s slightly declined to show it the last couple times but he’s had a nice break and he’s just touched down in America. I think he is a good horse; he has tons of talent. I think he’s going to go to Chad Brown.”
Other Notable Lots:
Sun Bloodstock signed for three yearlings on Thursday. An Oasis Dream (GB) colt (lot 449) for 320,000 gns, a Camelot (GB) colt (lot 403) for 240,000 gns, and Invincible Spirit (Ire) filly (lot 505) for 140,000 gns.
At the close of three days’ trade, 392 yearlings were traded from 456 offered for 106,503,000 gns, up 4% from last year when 349 were sold for 102,290,000 gns. The clearance rate was up to 86% from 79%-the highest at this sale in more than a decade. The median climbed slightly (2%) to 167,500gns, while the average dipped 7% to 271,691gns.
Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said, “It is an extraordinary statistic that for seven consecutive years, Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale has produced record turnover climbing from just over 50-million gns in 2011 to this year’s new record of more than 105-million gns.
"We genuinely believed that last year’s phenomenal October Book 1 would not be matched for a very long time, but yet again Europe’s top Thoroughbred breeders have sent us the most outstanding collection of yearlings and buyers from throughout the world have responded accordingly."
