Coolmore snaps up Beach Frolic on Day 2 of Tattersalls Mares' Sale

Cover image courtesy of Tattersalls

Beach Frolic takes centre stage

The subject of many bloodstock headlines prior to the Tattersalls December Mares’ Sales, proved eminently deserving of the attention, even if she was denied the standing-room-only reception usually reserved for the stellar lots during this typically blockbuster session.

A depleted ‘COVID-19’ gathering greeted her on her arrival in the ring, but the bidding was soon opened at 1 million gns (AU$1.91 million) by Julian Dollar, with Rob Speers and online bidders also getting involved in the earlier rounds. Eventually, as is so often the case at this level of the market, it was Coolmore’s MV Magnier who had the greatest reserves, and his bid of 2.2 million gns (AU$4.2 million) from outside in the dark of Park Paddocks proved to be the decisive one.

“She’s a lovely mare and she has already bred an exceptional racehorse,” said Magnier of the dam of this year’s champion 3-year-old Palace Pier, and whose yearling colt was sold at October Book 1 for 320,000 gns (AU$611,520).

“The yearling by Highland Reel that Jamie McCalmont bought is a very nice horse, too,” Magnier continued. “She is a special mare, and they don’t come up for sale very often. Palace Pier is an exceptional horse and she is a good producer. I would say that we will cover her with Galileo.”

He added, “I would also like to say that Lady Carolyn Warren has done an amazing job all the way through with this mare.”

Lady Carolyn Warren and her husband John co-bred Beach Frolic and Palace Pier with the late Duke of Roxburghe and consigned the 9-year-old mare (Lot 1731) in foal to Blue Point (Ire) through their Highclere Stud. Her sale proved an emotional moment, not just in parting with a star broodmare but also in the ending of a partnership with the late duke, who was a longtime friend to the couple and whose Floors Stud completed a partial dispersal during the same session.

“I’m not usually emotional, but she was an amazing mare and it has been such a story and a long journey,” said Lady Carolyn. “John bought her grandmother Miss D’Ouilly for very little and the whole family has given us so much pleasure. We just hope for Coolmore and the team that she will produce a champion for them. I’m sure she will."

Lady Carolyn also paid tribute to her staff at the stud. She said, “This is for all the team at Highclere, who do such an amazing job, day in, day out, every morning, all the care and all the attention. She looked magnificent and this is for everybody.”

‘Need for speed’ fuels Sonaiyla demand

The frenzied competition for Sonaiyla (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) was an instructive snapshot of the state of the European breeding industry – with no less aristocratic a farm than Moyglare going as far as 900,000 gns (AU$1.72 million) in its thirst for the commercial speed associated with her sire.

But perhaps the bigger story was the remarkable work of Paddy Twomey, who took custody of Sonaiyla after she was sold by the Aga Khan Studs at the Goffs November Sale only a year ago, to BBA Ireland for €110,000 (AU$200,200). At that stage, she had won a maiden and a seven-furlong handicap for her previous trainer.

Twomey, equipping her with a tongue-tie and visor, brought her back to win a Listed sprint at Cork. After just holding out over seven in a handicap, she dropped back in trip for consecutive podiums in Group company–most notably when beaten a length into third in the G1 Derrinstown Stud Flying Five S.

After seeing off sustained competition for Lot 1717, first from Demi O’Byrne and then from Joseph O’Brien, Fiona Craig of Moyglare candidly declared, “Basically, it’s a need for speed! I think that’s why everyone else was bidding on her too. She has something that we find hard to breed, and there is that Group 1 placing. She is a pretty filly, too, and she’s an outcross. She can go to anything. I am so struggling with all our mares, and (aside from her own sire Dark Angel) she can go to any of the top 15 stallions by stakes winners, which makes her invaluable. She can go to Galileo, Frankel, Dubawi, Kingman, Sea The Stars, anything.

"Now we go forwards. Knowing me, I will get a two-mile horse out of her! But hats off to Paddy, he did some amazing job.”

Twomey was modest about his role. “We enjoyed racing her, she’s a very clean filly and very easy to train,” he said. “Rory (Collins, of Ennistown Stud) was my first owner, and this was the plan for her starting off: I’m a trader by nature, and a leopard never changes his spots.”

Hard to imagine a better mare

A corresponding craving for speed drove demand for a similar package in the 4-year-old Kurious (GB) (Kuroshio), who was also sold for 900,000 gns (AU$1.72 million) as Lot 1737 after winning Listed and Group 3 sprints at Sandown for Henry Candy, while leased to Hot To Trot Racing.

Purchaser Charlie Vigors of Hillwood Bloodstock pointed to her unraced dam, Easy To Imagine (USA) (Cozzene {USA}), as a quite extraordinary mare. Two of this filly’s siblings have won Group 1 sprints, Tangerine Trees (GB) (Mind Games {GB}) landing the Prix de l’Abbaye and Alpha Delphini (GB) (Captain Gerrard {Ire}) the Nunthorpe S.

“Like for like, she must be one of the best producers of recent times,” he said. “I mean no disrespect to the stallions she’s been to, but she is far outperforming her covers. I’m delighted to get this filly, as a Listed and Group 3 winner out of such a fantastic mare, and slightly amazed that we were able to–though we had to stretch a bit. She’s for the same clients who sold their Lope De Vegas (horses) well (i.e. through Hillwood, including a 900,000 gns (AU$1.72 million) colt (Lot 320)) at the October Sale. They are British-based and have reinvested. We’ll see how the spring unfolds before we decide on stallions.”

Hot To Trot lease their runners from breeders, including this filly’s consignor Whitsbury Manor Stud and its clients. Breeder Marie Matthews bought Easy To Imagine from Gainsborough Farm for just 5200 gns (AU$9937) in 2002 – a remarkable price, given that she is out of a Grade 1-placed daughter of Danzig (USA).

Australian mares find new homes

While Winning Ways, offered as Lot 1726 and consigned by Geneses Green Stud in foal to Kingman (GB), did not reach a price to see her sold, two other Australian mares are on their way to new homes.

Listed winner Crafty was offered by Tweenhills Stud as Lot 1598, and the half-sister to Group 3 winner Lunar Rise (Starcraft {NZ}), was snapped up by Bugley Stud Agent for Bentall and Fitzwilliams for 85,000 gns (AU$162,435).

She is in foal to Nathaniel (Ire) and has already produced a winner in Royal Family (Fr) (Frankel {GB}).

Necklace, the half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner and Darley sire Sepoy, was offered by Hazelwood Bloodstock in foal to Mastercraftsman (Ire) and sold to Galileo Chrome/Compass Stallions for 60,000 gns (AU$114,660).

Russian fortune

The failure to sell a Camelot (GB) filly out of an unraced Cape Cross (Ire) mare at the Orby sale last year has ultimately proved the prelude to a proper “touch” for a partnership from Sylvester Kirk’s Cedar Lodge Stables.

The filly, bought in for €28,000 (AU$45,780) when offered by co-breeder Camas Park Stud at Goffs, ended up being registered in the silks of Mrs. Johnny McKeever as Russian Camilla (Ire). By the time she was entered for this Sale, she could be advertised as a full sister to Russian Camelot, a dual Group 1 winner in Australia this year prior to finishing third in the G1 Cox Plate. After the publication of the catalogue, moreover, Russian Camilla put her head over the parapet at Kempton-and won.

There was a corresponding improvement in demand, then, when she was cashed in here as Lot 1667 for 300,000 gns (AU$573,300) to Michel Zerolo, acting on behalf of Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm.

“Reasonably obvious, really,” said Zerolo with a smile. “She’s a full sister to a talented horse, a pretty filly from a beautiful family, and hopefully there will still be some improvement in her.”

That will be the responsibility of Jean-Claude Rouget, who takes on the filly now. Her family, of course, was there all along: the dam is out of a stakes-winning own sister to Stagecraft (GB) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}), with all that entails. All credit, then, to Jeremy Brummitt for putting the pedigree back on the world map by picking out Russian Camelot for Danny O’Brien in what was a fairly pioneering enterprise: he cost 120,000 gns (AU$229,320) in Book 1 here as a yearling.

Willetts, Widden and Rosemont in action

New Zealand-based agent Paul Willetts went to 65,000 gns (AU$124,215) for Sing A Rainbow (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) who was offered in foal to Sea The Moon (Ger) by Highfield Bloodstock.

Sing A Rainbow is out of Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Beatrice Aurore (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who also produced the Group 3 winner Lavender’s Blue (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

Widden Stud and Tweenhills came together to purchase Worship (Ire) (Havana Gold {Ire}), in foal to Iffraaj (GB) for 45,000 gns (AU$85,995).

She is out of Up In Time (GB), who is a Group 2-winning daughter of Noverre (USA) from the same family as Listed winner Zaman (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) and Group 3 scorer Summer Fete (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}).

Rosemont and David Redvers secured Lot 1799, Promise Of Success (GB) (Dansili {GB}) for 27,000 gns (AU$51,597). She has been placed in one of her three starts for Godolphin was offered by Induna Stables.

Patience rewarded in Time Saver

Celebrating a successful 850,000 gns (AU$1.62 million) bid for Time Saver (GB) (Frankel {GB}) (Lot 1727), Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock remarked that horses like this only come on the market “very rarely”. And you knew exactly what he meant: the 4-year-old, though unraced, is a half-sister to Juddmonte’s Group 1 winners Timepiece (GB) (Zamindar {USA}) and Passage Of Time (GB) (Dansili {GB}), herself the dam of the young sire Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Yet she was actually sold in this ring last year to Aquis Farm for very nearly as much, at 750,000 gns (AU$1.43 million) –and had since gained the bonus of a covering by Kingman (GB).

“I didn’t think we would actually get her,” admitted Brown. “We went a long way for her last year, when we thought she was the stand-out in the Juddmonte draft. Obviously she’s come back in foal to a very exciting stallion. It is a phenomenal family: there was a Grade 1 winner in America the other day, right down the bottom of the page, and Time Test is a young stallion I have a lot of time for. It’s just a very active pedigree and I am delighted.”

Brown added that the mare, presented here by Genesis Green Stud, will proceed to the Cumani family’s Fittocks Stud. “We knew she was going to be hard to buy, so we put a partnership together made up of some British-based owner-breeders,” he explained.

Further adventures await Defoe’s dam

One way or another, things have not quite worked out for Dulkashe (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) since she produced a first foal no less distinguished than G1 Coronation Cup winner Defoe (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}). But while now rising 12, that distinction still counted for plenty as she entered the ring as Lot 1605, consigned by Miltown Park Stud. With a Churchill (Ire) foal aboard, she raised 525,000 gns (AU$1 million) from David Redvers of Tweenhills.

“Daughters of Pivotal that have thrown Group 1 winners are not terribly common,” Redvers said, naturally meaning in the sales ring and not on the track. “She’ll go into our core group of mares, who will be split between Kameko, Zoustar and one or two outside stallions. We’ll sit down and see who we think will suit her best: the idea was to get the mare first, and then the stallion. But while we’ll give it a long hard think, I’d say Kameko would be a distinct possibility.”

Though herself a winner in the same yellow and black silks carried by Defoe, Dulkashe was bought at this Sale in 2015 for 90,000 gns (AU$172,000) by Faisal Al-Thani–at a time when her ill-fated son was still only a yearling. Defoe broke many hearts at Roger Varian’s yard when suffering a fatal injury on the gallops in July.

Dulkashe’s own dam was by another elite broodmare sire in Riverman (USA) and, while proving light in black-type progeny, she is a sibling to a stack of Group performers and/or producers, including the dam of that splendid campaigner Mubtaker (USA) (Silver Hawk {USA}), who won the G2 Geoffrey Freer S. three times and also chased home Defoe’s sire in the 2003 Arc. The third dam, meanwhile, was a half-sister to Scottish Rifle (GB) (Sunny Way {GB}), who won the G1 Eclipse S. for that delightful Jockey Club stalwart, Sandy Struthers.

Floors Stud finale

A part-dispersal which began with a select batch of six Book 1 yearlings—two millionaires among them—drew to a close as seven mares from Floors Stud took to the ring on Tuesday afternoon. The till receipts show a total of 1,308,000 gns (AU$2.5 million) for the septet, at all levels of the market, but as a reminder of the immensely popular man who bred them, they represent a priceless legacy.

The 10th Duke of Roxburghe, best known in the bloodstock world as the owner-breeder of the brilliant filly Attraction (GB) (Efisio {GB}), died last August, prompting a gradual reduction of the stock at his farm in the Scottish Borders.

The legs that carried Attraction to her five Group 1 victories were famously wonky, but her aim was true and, through her own exploits and those of her offspring, which include now two stallion sons, the name of Floors Stud has been elevated to a new level, particularly as a proud front-runner for breeding in Scotland.

That name will continue, as Virginia, Duchess of Roxburghe, and her son George Innes-Ker have retained five mares, including Attraction and her daughters Cushion (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), Titivation (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Motion (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). And, while all dispersals carry with them an air of poignancy, the opportunities they present for other breeders to buy into coveted bloodlines counterbalance such woes with the promise of the continuation of those lines, albeit in the hands of others.

“It was sad as well as being exciting for the future, for the buyers,” said Innes-Ker, the youngest son of the late duke. “I know Dad would be extremely proud of the team at home. The mares looked incredible and he would have been extremely proud of the effort they’ve put in.”

He added, “We are keeping five mares and we are trying to keep the Attraction name going as Dad’s legacy. Attraction is carrying a Kingman filly this year and he would be over the moon with that. We’ll also have Cushion, Motion, Titivation and Blinking. Blinking is a 95 per cent blind mare who Dad was completely in love with, so keeping her was essential.”

While Attraction’s daughters have been retained, two of her half-sisters were among the horses sold at Tattersalls for Floors through Kiltinan Castle Stud, with 10-year-old Fusion (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) (Lot 1691) going to Mount Richard Stud for 11,000 gns (AU$21,021). Two years her elder, Federation (GB) (Motivator {GB}) (Lot 1693) was sold in foal to Starspangledbanner, fetching a bid of 60,000 gns (AU$114,600) from JS Bloodstock in Japan, where her 2-year-old son Hitoyogiri (GB) (Shalaa {Ire}) won on debut in September.

In between that pair was Lot 1692, Lady Glinka (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who sold to Sean Browne for 17,000 gns (AU$32,487). Carrying to Time Test (GB), the 12-year-old is a full sister to English and UAE group winner Mikhail Glinka (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), while her dam, Lady Karr (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}), is a full sister to English highweight and G1 Derby winner Sir Percy (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}).

It was the young Redoute’s Choice mare Deep Inside (Fr) (Lot 1696) who took top billing when bought by Anthony Stroud for 425,000 gns (AU$812,175). A winner in France, she is a half-sister to the G3 Park S. winner Chrysanthemum (Ire) (Danehill {USA}) and, even more enticingly, she was sold in foal to the in-demand Lope De Vega (Ire) and has a colt foal by Kingman (GB) to run for her.

Twitch (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}), a daughter of the aforementioned Blinking and from another signature Floors family which includes the Hong Kong champion Viva Pataca (GB), was signed for by Cormac McCormack at 240,000 gns (AU$458,640). The 8-year-old mare (Lot 1694), whose Siyouni (Fr) yearling filly was sold to Ed Dunlop in October, was sold carrying a foal from the first crop of 2000 Guineas winner Magna Grecia (Ire).

Twitch was followed into the ring by Merry Jaunt (USA) (Street Sense {USA}) (Lot 1695), a daughter of the GI Yellow Ribbon S. winner Light Jig (GB) (Danehill {USA}) who is in foal to Night Of Thunder (Ire). She will now join the broodmare band at Tally-Ho Stud, having been bought for 230,000 gns (AU$439,530).

Completing the draft as Lot 1697 was Hibiscus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the full sister to G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Line Of Duty (Ire) who is carrying a May-conceived foal by Siyouni. The daughter of disqualified 1000 Guineas winner Jacqueline Quest (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) was bought by Hugo Merry for 325,000 gns (AU$621,075).

Elaborating on their plans for their retained mares in the future, Virginia, Duchess of Roxburghe, said, “Attraction and Blinking are going to Sara Cumani at Fittocks, who has looked after them so well (when in Newmarket to foal), and we knew that was where Guy would want them to go. Then the other three are going to Watership Down Stud.”

The success of Attraction clearly left a big impression on the young George Innes-Ker, who, standing alongside his sister Isabella, added, “I remember so vividly being a 7-year-old and watching Attraction win, and Dad’s excitement when she won the Guineas. Dad had five attempts to have children who loved racing and it took him until the last one.”