The yearling sale season is well underway and demand appears to be strong judging by the Arqana and Goffs Premier Sales held in August. Despite all the doom and gloom around us regarding energy prices, inflation in general and looming recessions around the world the micro-bubble of horseracing appears to be very robust and charging on irrespective of impending global economic doom! Adding to the yearling positivity, The Covex Kid (TCK), a 3yo gelding who was rated 46 just 3 months ago but has zoomed up to 80, was sold yesterday at the Tattersalls Horses In Training Sale for 160,000 guineas to race in Bahrain. That seems excessive to me but then perhaps he's on his way to 100 rating! Well done to trainer Amy Murphy and team.
Our 8th Bated Breath Offspring on show at Doncaster
As far as James Ortega Bloodstock Ltd is concerned, we did have two lots for sale at the Goffs Premier Sale in Doncaster who both sold but at slightly lower amounts than hoped for (Always wanting more Jim!!). Lot 199, a lovely strong Bated Breath colt out of stakes producer Redskin Dancer, sold for £30,000 to Marco Bozzi and Sebastiano Guerrieri who are a top bloodstock agent and trainer partnership based in Italy. This colt is our eighth Bated Breath offspring following the first five who have won and include two black type horses in Ekhtiyaar and Gift List as well as another 103 RPR winner in Kaanoon. Together they have won 15 races and almost £700,000 between them. The sixth runner, First Page trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, came 4th last Sunday in a French race for unraced 2yos and promises to be the sixth winner from six runners for us. The seventh is Mellow Mood, a 2yo filly in training with Sylvester Kirk and full sister to Kaanoon. She looks likely to run fairly soon and from what I have heard she is not without ability. The colt we sold at Donny had loads of views so hopes were high for around £40 to £50k but it didn't quite work out. Whatever, he is in good hands and I am sure has every chance to proove himself another hit as far as our Bated Breath connection goes.
On the second day we sold Lot 316, a full brother to 110 rated Group 1 placed Twilight Calls (TC), who we had sold at the same sale three years previously. I had been hoping to see TC run in the G1 Nunthorpe at York a few days before the sale but unfortunately he wasn't quite right and you have to be to win any race let alone a G1! Incidentally it was great to see Highfield Princess (HP), a filly who has shot up from a rating of 57 to 120 in the last couple of years, win so well. Both HP and TCK give great encouragement to owners whose horses do not win from the get go and take a bit of time to find their true form and this encourages patience with racehorses to give them a chance to develop at their own speed without being unduly pushed perhaps leading to physical issues and not fulfilling full potential.
Twilight Calls brother being shown by Jack at Goffs Premier Yearling Sale
Back to TC's brother and he is a fine looking animal perhaps slightly taller/rangier than TC but with a similar look about him and with a lovely temperament which he needed with all the shows he had over 4 days. Jason Kelly Bloodstock bought him for £52,000 which again was slightly lower than hoped for especially given that we sold his sister (named Fools And Horses (F&H) and in training with Clive Cox) for £70,000 at the same sale in 2021. He will be trained by David O'Meara who trained Redskin Dancer's filly Lincoln Rocks to win 7 races including a Listed at Pontefract and who reached a rating of 107. I did have a word with Clive Cox about F&H and it seems she may be out fairly soon so fingers crossed she shows something as mother Zawiyah is in foal to Twilight Son yet again!
As for TC, hopefully he rapidly overcomes his minor issues and contests the G1 Flying Five 5f G1 race at The Curragh on 11th Sept and/or the G1 Prix D'Abbaye at Paris Longchamps on Arc Day (2 Oct). Even if he is fit he'll need the ground to be Good or better to be able to show his best and that is certainly no given at either venue at this time of the year. Fingers crossed he competes and does well as he could qualify for the Turf Sprint race at the Breeders Cup in Keeneland. Now that would be a lovely trip to make! Come on TC!!