Equinties - the secret buyer

Gm Equinauts 

This has been a big morning for news. Some bullish, some very bearish.

I’ll start by commenting on the bad stuff. Poor old ADAGIO died this morning. Trained by Pipe and owned by same owners (who helped us land first leg of our famous BMG treble in 2020 with PANIC ATTACK), ADAGIO was leading the market for the Ces. Massive condolences to all those connected, I know one of them reads this newsletter. Sad day for you, I’m really sorry.

Further bearish news, for SAKHEER backers only really, is that Varian’s weapon scoped dutty this morning and has subsequently been pulled from Saturdays big race. This is great but extremely lucky news for BGP Capital members as CHALDEAN was my first tip to them, even when SAKHEER was still set to run, earlier this week (he’s fucking flying apparently). I got veeerrry late word this morning Varian was going to pull SAKHEER just before the ante-post markets were taken down ahead of declarations, so naturally tried to top but this news is simply pure, pure luck – what you need for ante-post betting!

On to some interesting/amusing news, powerhouse owner, Magnier (Aidan O’Brien’s bank roll) went to 800k for a Frankel horse last night at the Tatts sale. The horse is a full bro to that Frankel horse who had to go to the US because (apparently) he tested positive for a load of performance enhancing drugs after his romp at Navan. Note use of the word ‘apparently’, Im not confirming and I certainly ain’t getting done for defamation.

This WAS NOT public news but naturally, we heard about it and, well we were the only ones on Racing Twitter talking about it, despite a lot of industry people knowing exactly what happened. Cough cough, Kevin Blake et al.

Assuming this full bro is going to be trained by Aidan O’Brien, I imagine Magniers instructions will be ‘don’t get caught this time, Aidan, ffs’.

Now, let’s dive in

Headline Roundup

Stacks on stacks

Following their six million guineas splash on day one, Godolphin continued their sales dominance yesterday at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale as they spent a whopping 2.8 million Guineas on Watership Down Stud’s FRANKEL colt.  

Out of the 2013 Gr3 Mussidora Stakes winner SO MI DAR, a DUBAWI mare out of the three-time Gr1 victor DAR RE MI, the boys in blue made lot 221 the most expensive yearling to be sold in the world this year – he was described as a “magnificent FRANKEL lookalike” by the auctioneer. Good selling point I suppose. 

However, Godolphin didn’t completely get their way at the sales yesterday as Coolmore out-muscled them to secure a three-parts sibling to BROOME and POINT LONSDALE. 

Another by FRANKEL out of SWEEPSTAKE, a Listed winner who has foaled five winners’, this colt was sold to Coolmore from Croom House Stud for 2.4 million guineas. Coolmore also picked up a FRANKEL yearling out of SHAMBOLIC for 1.5 million guineas earlier in the day. 

Whispers for Knight’s secret owner

Elsewhere at the sales, big money agent Richard Knight secured a LOPE DE VEGA half-sister to BATTAASH and THE ANTARCTIC for 1.8 million guineas – it’s still ‘supposed to be’ mystery whom Knight was buying for, however, whispers are its for Saleh Al Homaizi… the joint owner of top sire, AUTHORIZED. Saleh used to be a partner in Blue Diamond Stud (think NASHWA owners) and has got out and is going big on his own by the looks of it.

He also picked up the sister to BLACKBEARD for €2.6 million at the Goffs Orby Sale. Size mover.

The JPY is down but the hands are up

Leading Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi secured his first DUBAWI offspring yesterday as he spent 1.8 million guineas on a half-brother to DIGITAL AGE, the 2020 Gr1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes winner. 

Yahagi had no intentions of hiding his reasons behind the purchase, as he said: “I want to win the Arc - he looked just like DUBAWI, he has many of the sire’s best attributes.” Not quite sure a DUBAWI will win you the Arc lad but good luck.

More: 

Nicholls suffers setbacks 

Paul Nicholls revealed yesterday that both CLAN DES OBEAUX and TOPOFTHEGAME had suffered setbacks in recent weeks, putting their intended targets in the bin.  

The former, last season’s Betway Bowl winner, will miss the first half of the season following a “minor setback” – his main aim will now be to retain his Aintree Grade 1 title in 2023.  

And the latter, the 2019 RSA winner who hasn’t been seen on the track for three and a half years, has been retired by connections after suffering another injury.  

The 10-year-old had been earmarked as a Grand National horse for this season by Nicholls, so to see his career come to an end after years of injuries and setbacks is very sad. Good luck in retirement boy! 

Interested in the sales/breeding side of things?

Here are the Lots to look out for today:

Lot 372 - KINGMAN colt o/o Champion 2yo BEST TERMS. He’s a half-brother to Gr2 winner, Gr1 placed STAR TERMS. His half-sister by Sea The Stars sold for 1.5mill last year (unraced to date).

Lot 374 - FRANKEL filly o/o Gr3 winner BIG BROTHERS PRIDE. Residual value comes into it being a filly, she’s a Frankel and she’s a half-sister to a Gr1 winner. A milli might be needed to buy her, will sell around 11:20/30 this morning.

Lot 379 - FRANKEL o/o the Pivotal mare BLUE WALTZ. Luca Cumani’s (sire of smokeshow, Francesca Cumani) farm offer him, and the cross is very good having produced NASHWA, VERACIOUS and CRACKSMAN.

Lot 382, 384 and 387 - this will be a big half hour. 3 DUBAWI colts, 2 o/o Galileo mares (the first two) and the third being owned by Stradivarius’ owner Bjorn Nielsen and o/o a Gr3 placed mare who has produced 2 group/listed placed/winners to date.

Lot 390 - a colt who could throw his hat in the ring to be top lot. A KINGMAN, three-part brother to MAGNA GRECIA and half-brother to ST MARKS BASILICA. Say no more!

Lot 482 - GOLDEN HORNS half-brother by KINGMAN.

Lot 527 - DUBAWI colt o/o HORSEPLAY whose half-brother won at Ascot the other day for Godolphin. Wouldn’t surprise me if this chap goes to the same outfit for a pretty penny. Dam won the Lancashire Oaks.

Risk On

Due to how busy our team are at the sales; any bets will be posted late on twitter.