Tattersalls report: Book 1 off to a flyer at Park Paddocks

It was always going to be a tall order for the top-end of the market to scale the same heights 12 months after last year’s record-breaking Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Book 1 twelve month’s ago saw over 127,000,000gns change hands at an average price of 370,500gns. Yet this year, as early as Lot 15 on Tuesday, Kia Joorabchian was signing for a Frankel colt out of Aljazzi for 3,600,000gns after out-bidding Coolmore and MV Magnier.

Aljazzi, winner of the Group Two Duke of Cambridge Stakes for Marco Botti, has already produced two foals of racing age, including Partying, who was also bought by Amo Racing at this very auction last year for a sale-topping 4,400,000gns, but is yet to race for Kevin Philippart de Foy. Aljazzi herself fetched a million at the 2018 Horses in Training Sale.

"The boys loved him, we could not let him go, we want to keep the family tight and see how the family works out – obviously if he becomes a good horse, he is going to be a stallion," said Kia Joorabchian, who was bidding to the podium outside the ring. "He probably goes to Freemason."

He added: "Obviously, we like the filly, though she has not run yet. This is a different project – if she does not run she still has a huge residual value as a broodmare, and we have five stallions; if he does not, then it is a different kettle of fish. We paid more than expecting, then we are up against Coolmore and it is five [partners] against one. It is an early strike!"

Consignor Julian Dollar of Newsells Park Stud admitted he thought there was 'a chance' the colt would make seven figures, but was not always that confident.

"Honestly, when I did the budget in December, I put a 'measly' half a million to him; he was a big raw Frankel, but he has really come together through the year, especially in his prep," he said.

"When two big hitters lock horns, there is always a chance they can make unbelievable amounts, which that was."

When asked if that sale took the pressure off early in a busy and important week for Newsells Park, Dollar laughed: "Yes, a lot! This really helps. These horses are expensive to produce, the nominations are expensive, and we are very fortunate to sometimes get rewarded. Sometimes the harvest does not always go as well as expected, but that was a nice result."

That looked a shoo-in for the day’s top lot, until Lot 90, a Longview Stud-consigned Sea The Stars colt out of Listed winner Crystal Zvezda, went the way of Godolphin for 3,700,000gns, Sheikh Mohammed's operation this time out-bidding Kia Joorabchian and Amo Racing.

The dam  was bought for 775,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale in 2022 and is a half-sister to three black-type winners, namely Crystal Ocean, winner of the Prince of Wales's Stakes and twice the runner-up in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

"He is from a very good stud farm," said agent Anthony Stroud, who signed for the colt. "He is by Sea The Stars and from a great Rothschild family that goes well with sire. This colt is majestic the way he moves and walks, he is a lovely horse. He stood out for us and is the one we really wanted."

He added: "You have to pay for the ones you really want, and he was that horse. You always have to pay more than you want!"

Three further lots reached the million-pound mark. The first of those to go through the ring was Lot 67, a Blue Point half-brother to Group Two Zabeel Mile winner San Donato and from the family of Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Superstar Leo and One Master, who won the Prix de la Foret for William Haggas three years in a row.

The colt is a half-brother to San Donato, a Group 2 winner, and is from the extended family of Superstar Leo, the 2000 European champion two-year-old filly, and grand-dam of the three-time Prix de la Foret winner One Master.

Ballyhimikin Stud's James Hanly said: "He is a super horse, he never turned a hair all week. He travelled very well, he settled in well here, he showed so many times. A week ago he was out in a field, without a rug, rolling in mud and covered in mud! We like to keep them out as much as possible."

It was not long before Godolphin and Anthony Stroud were back signing for Lot 95, a son of Too Darn Hot out of Dane Street, that also reached one-million.

The Airlie Stud-consigned colt is a half-brother to Skellet, who, since the catalogue was published, has finished third in the Atalanta Stakes.

He is also a half-brother to Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Skitter Scatter, whose daughter by Sea The Stars goes through the ring on Thursday as Lot 424 - also from the Airlie Stud draft.

Airlie's Anthony Rogers said: "It is a great price. He is a lovely horse and you can never believe that you are going to get a million for a horse. Dane Street has been an amazing mare for us, and we failed to sell her here about 15 years go! She is still breeding, but she has had a rest this year."

Juddmonte later got in on the action by purchasing Lot 134, a  Night Of Thunder colt out of the Dark Angel mare Express Way.

The February foal's dam is a half-sister to five black-type performers, headed by Oaks heroine Was.

They are out of Alluring Park, dam of the record-priced Galileo filly sold for 5,000,000gns in 2013, while Park Bloom, who is also out of Alluring Park, is the dam of Poker, last year's record-priced yearling colt sold for 4,300,000gns to Amo Racing.

This is also the further family of Derby winner and sire New Approach.

"He is just a super horse, a lovely horse and that is what you have to pay, it is very expensive in there [the sale ring]," said purchaser Simon Mockridge. "He is a very good mover, easy going, and showed well all week. It is an amazing family, it is a wonderful page, and the stallion has been fantastic this year. We are delighted to buy him; he looks a fast horse."

Of immediate plans, he said: "From here the colt will go to Ireland and join Barry [Mahon] at Ferrans to be broken in. He will join the cohort already there and they will be distributed to trainers."

Day two of the sale gets under at 11.00am on Wednesday, with the final day of bidding starting the same time on Thursday. Book 2 begins at 10.00am on Monday.