Records Continue To Be Broken on The Opening Day of Book 3

Trade remained strong at Park Paddocks into Tattersalls October Book 3, with turnover reaching a record figure for day one of 7,704,500 guineas. The day also set a new record for the number of six-figure lots sold, with nine yearlings reaching 100,000 guineas or more, while the clearance rate reached a healthy 89%.

Whitsbury Manor Stud’s Havana Grey Filly Purchased by Stroud Coleman Bloodstock

Anthony Stroud went to 150,000 guineas to purchase Whitsbury Manor Stud’s HAVANA GREY filly, signing under the Stroud Coleman Bloodstock banner.

The filly is out of ADAAY SECRET, who is a half-sister to the Group 3 winner ROSY AFFAIR and the Listed winner CUBAN MISTRESS, both by HAVANA GREY. She hails from a very fast family which has been developed by Whitsbury Manor Stud over multiple generations, and features talented sprinters such as the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes winner and Group 1 Prix Morny winner DUTCH ART, and the Group 2 Temple Stakes winner PEARL SECRET.

“I bought Rosy Affair here in Book 3, and she is closely related to this filly,” said Stroud, who has been a strong supporter of HAVANA GREY. “This filly is very similar. Whitsbury is such a good nursery of two-year-olds, and my client liked her. I’ve had quite a lot of luck with Havana Grey. I bought Simmering Sun, who is out of an Adaay mare, like this filly”. 

Whitsbury Manor Stud’s Ed Harper said: “I bought the mare in Sicily. She was a bit of a local celebrity out there, she just ran and ran and ran and ran. We had bred her and I wanted to get her back as a broodmare. She had a long journey back home and she has paid us back in spades today.”

“I’d like to say a big thank you to Anthony Stroud as well. He’s bought a lot of good Havana Greys in the last few years. It is great that he’s had so much success with the sire.”

When asked about trade over the two weeks, Harper said: “I’ve been pleasantly surprised, it has been strong from start to finish over these two weeks. I think the sale has been 20 per cent stronger than I thought it was going to be. There’s been a lot of depth to it. Today we’ve been selling all sorts from the really smart ones to the lesser ones, and they’ve all found new homes.”

When asked why he thought that the market was so strong, he said “Horse racing is unscripted. It’s fun to have a horse in training. It’s one of the few things that we can still enjoy. I’m not surprised people are spending money on racehorses.”

Avenue Bloodstock and Ollie Sangster Secure Little Big Bear Filly 

Gillon Bloodstock’s LITTLE BIG BEAR made 125,000 guineas when selling to Avenue Bloodstock, who purchased the filly on behalf of trainer Ollie Sangster. She is out of the winning SEA THE STARS mare AAS DE FAUST, who is a half-sister to the Group 2 Lilly Langtry Fillies’ Stakes winner TERM OF ENDEARMENT and a daughter of the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud third MISS YOU TOO. The family also includes dual Group 1 and Classic winner COVERT LOVE.

“She’s been purchased to go in training with Ollie Sangster,” said Mark McStay. “I’ve been admiring these Little Big Bears all sales season, so I’m delighted to get one. Chris Gillon had her really well produced, he does a tremendous job, and he recommended her to me this morning.”

“I took Ollie to see a handful of horses after I did my first looks this morning, and this was the one that we zoned in on. We absolutely loved her,” McStay continued. “She looks fast, and she’s got size, strength and scope. She’ll be a two-year-old, but I think she could go beyond that, too. Her sibling looks useful in France.”

He concluded: “I believe Ollie has purchased her on spec, so if anybody wants to get involved, give him a call!”

Good Guess Filly Makes 115,000 Guineas to Blandford Bloodstock

Mountarmstrong Stud’s GOOD GUESS filly was purchased by Blandford Bloodstock for 115,000 guineas. The filly is out of the GALILEO mare LA REVEUSE, who has already produced the black type performer, NATIVE IRISH.

“She’s been bought for Michael and Caroline Wates from Langton Stud,” explained Blandford Bloodstock’s Richard Brown. “Michael wanted to buy a filly for Caroline’s 90th birthday and he gave me a budget of 80,000 guineas. I went quite a bit over!”

Brown continued: “I had to ring Michael after purchasing her and I told him that I had some good news and some bad news! I think he thought I’d probably gone 5,000 guineas over and wasn’t expecting that! We go back a long time, as Michael worked with my boss Joss Collins. When Joss died, Michael immediately rang me and said, ‘We’ll be sticking with you.'”

“They are tremendous people. I have only ever bought them two yearlings, and they have both been Stakes fillies, so this yearling has got big boots to fill.”

Explaining the rationale behind the purchase, he said: “She’ll obviously be a potential broodmare further down the line for them if she’s good enough. Physically, she looks like an absolute rocket, she has great strength and balance, and when I walked in the whole ring filled up, and I knew it was going to be difficult to buy her.”

Of the sire, he said: “I have liked the Good Guesses that I have seen, and he is on a farm that can certainly make a first-season stallion.”

Mountarmstrong Stud’s Successful Day Continues as Minzaal Filly Makes 115,000 Guineas   

Trainer James Tate, bidding on behalf of Saeed Manana, went to 115,000 guineas to secure a MINZAAL filly. She is a half-sister to NIGHT IN VEGAS, who has earned over £550,000 in prize money and is Group 2 placed. She is also related to Champion dual Group 1 winning sprinter SLADE POWER.

“Saeed Manana has had a lot of luck buying in Book 3, and he sent me here to find him a racehorse”, explained Tate. “She looks like a racehorse with a little bit of a pedigree, too. Hopefully she will be as good as her half-brother and earn as much. I have ticked the box to nominate for both sales races to maximise her chances!”

“She is lovely, and we couldn’t fault her really”, Tate continued. “We thought she would make 100,000 guineas, and the only question was how much more we would have to go.”

Tate has not trained any horses by the first season sire MINZAAL before but has now added two yearlings by the Shadwell stallion to his string this sales season.

Tradewinds Stud’s Lucky Vega Homebred Colt Makes 115,000 Guineas

Luke Lillingston and Sam Hoskins made the sale ring sit up for the very last lot in the ring on day one of Book 3 when they opened the bidding at 100,000 guineas, but the team’s bold early move was to no avail. Tradewinds Stud’s LUCKY VEGA colt was bought online for 115,000 guineas by Highflyer Bloodstock and Phil Cunningham.

The colt is a first foal out of EXIGENCY and hails from the family of the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes winner PROHIBIT and last year’s Group 2 Lennox Stakes winner WITNESS STAND.

Tradewinds Stud’s Shane Power said: “I think being the last lot actually worked in our favour. Everyone has waited around for him to come in. Obviously, we do plenty of pinhooking, but it has been a nice twist to have success with a homebred.”

Explaining how EXIGENCY came to be part of Tradewinds Stud’s broodmare band, Power said: “Charlie Dee, who works for Luke Lillingston, bought the mare for us here in a November pop-up sale [Tattersalls November Sale] for 16,000 guineas. She is now in foal to Chaldean and has a Native Trail colt foal. It’s nice to finish our yearling sales on a high.”

Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale continues at 9.30am on Friday, 15th October, with Book 4 commencing immediately after.