Gm, Equinauts

Trying to get the newsletter done when the racing starts at 10am is bloody hard work! We’re going to start tomorrows big Saturday edition now basically.

It doesn’t look like we’ve missed anything today though bar a bit of a gamble on Amo’s ALPINARA. She will have needed to win today just to secure a bit of value as a broodmare prospect, but we’re not sure how the race will stack up. It was bad.

Anyway, let’s forget about Amo’s struggles, we think we’ve found our own little gamble.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

❌SUPER SOUMI APPEAL

In one of the most contentious moments at Royal Ascot, ‘Super Soumi’ was given a ban after his tactical riding on PUERTO RICO when opening up the door for Moore on GSTAAD:

Soumillon is set to appeal his eight-day suspension today after being found guilty of using "team tactics" in the St James's Palace Stakes where stewards ruled that Soumillon deliberately moved off the rail to create a clear passage for stablemate GSTAAD.

He is expected to challenge by arguing his positioning was consistent throughout the race and did not amount to deliberate interference.

Aidan O'Brien has denied any collusion or team instructions, stating his runners are entered only to ensure an honest pace, and no action has been taken against the Ballydoyle trainer.

This isn’t the first time this has happened, previous high-profile cases, including those involving Seamie Heffernan in 2006 and Johnny Murtagh and Colm O'Donoghue in 2008, helped shape the current rules governing team ‘tactics’. Since then, O'Brien's stable has avoided further sanctions despite regularly fielding multiple runners in major races.

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💶SALES TOPPER

The Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale produced a new record when WALK THE TALK, a half-brother to Grade 1 winner TALK THE TALK, sold for €400,000 after a big battle between familiar spenders in the ring.

Ultimately purchased by Robcour's Rob Acheson and Mags O'Toole, the KARAKTAR gelding surpassed the previous sale record set just 24 hours earlier, with Tom Malone and big JP McManus among the underbidders.

The sales numbers make you wince. The turnover exceeded €20.9 million for the first time in the sale's history. Insane. Average and median prices also reached new highs, while the clearance rate stood at an impressive 89 per cent.

Elsewhere, GOLIATH DU BERLAIS continued his rise as a leading jumps sire, with one of his lads selling for a quarter milli to Ian Ferguson after being bought as a foal for just €40,000. Dan Skelton paid €230,000 for a SAINTS DES SAINTS half-brother to Grade 2 winner HE’S ON FIRE, while Gordon Elliott secured a son of MOISES HAS for €225,000.

CRYSTAL OCEAN finished as the sale's leading sire as a whole, with 30 lots selling for almost €2.5 million.

🎩BIG ABE

Aidan O'Brien unleashes one of his most highly regarded juveniles at the Curragh today in ABRAHAM LINCOLN, the €2.3 million WOOTTON BASSETT colt who topped last year's Arqana August Sale.

It’s a mixed pedigree. He’s out of Group-winning juvenile HIGH CELEBRITY, who was a 5f horse but ha a habit of producing stayers. Most of her progeny have won over 10f!

If this lad is anything like his siblings then todays 6f might be way too sharp!

Eye’s on the 16.33.

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