Equinties - Dunne is BACK

Equinties

Gm Equinauts 

Intern again, soz.

 Mixed luck yesterday. The boys stood next to Teal watching his horse they tipped lto, now win and beat the Godolphin horse they were on yesterday. What a game. 

Now, let’s dive in.   

Headline Roundup

Varian tops day two of the sales 

In a similar story to Monday’s opening day, a SEA THE STARS colt topped day two of Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, though this time it was Roger Varian who splashed the cash.

Out of the two-time Stakes winner ALONG CAME CASEY, this 700,000gns colt is a half-brother to the Gr3 winning mare FELICIANA DE VEGA, who also finished a fair seventh in the 2020 Gr1 Sun Chariot Stakes behind the likes of NAZEEF and CHAMPERS ELYSEES.

The next most expensive sale of the day was a NIGHT OF THUNDER colt that went the way of Jamie McCalmont, agent to MV Magnier, for 575,000gns.

This beautiful yearling out of ASIDIOUS ALEXANDER, a Gr3 placed mare, is the dam’s first progeny - this horse has been bought in a year that has seen NIGHT OF THUNDER offspring shoot up in price at the sales. 

His progeny have sold for an average of £208,862 in 2022, a full £115,000 more than the average sales price per horse from the previous year. 

Looking back to today’s sold yearling, the dam wouldn’t be the most promising in the pedigree book but hopefully Magnier has picked out a good one in a good time for NIGHT OF THUNDER colts - for example, the ex-Godolphin-owned 11-year-old has seen the likes of ISAAC SHELBY pick up Gr2 success in the two-year-old division this year.

He’s only gone and Dunne it! 

Robbie Dunne returned to the saddle with a victory yesterday at Hereford following his 10-month suspension from race riding. 

He rode ERNESTO to victory for Ian Williams, a trainer he has a 12% SR for from 132 rides, in a three-mile handicap hurdle, the horse’s first victory in 13 runs. 

After the race, Dunne released a statement to the world, with the 36-year-old saying he just wants to “get on with [his] riding career”. 

Thank you, Aba.

And finally, the three-time Grade 1 successor ABACADABRAS was retired by Gordon Elliott yesterday after he pulled up at Punchestown as the 4/6 favourite. 

In a race eventually won by DARVER STAR, the Gigginstown-owned legend was unhappy throughout before being pulled up after the third last - he returned back lame and was put into retirement on the spot. 

Aba was a much-loved horse who achieved many great triumphs - success in the Gr1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle, victory in the Gr1 Morgiana, his most recent Gr1 win in the Aintree Hurdle last year, and his famous ding-dong battle with SHISHKIN in the 2020 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. 

A potentially underrated legend of the game who will be missed - enjoy retirement, big man x

Risk On

15.15 AL DASIM

Everyone in the sales bar says it wins.