Cassie Tully on the Freshman sires represented at Tattersalls Book One

The Tattersalls October Yearling Sale kicks off with Book One on Tuesday and while it’s precursor last week, the Goffs Orby Sale, included no fireworks and painted a rather bleak picture of what the market has succumbed to due to the pandemic that we are trudging through, the show must go on and there is much to discuss.

Book One plays host to the most mouth-watering pedigree pages that will hit the market and subsequently the most jaw-dropping prices. Last year witnessed the Dubawi half-brother to Barney Roy make 3.6million guineas, the Frankel half-brother to Golden Horn fetch 3.1 million and a Kingman colt out of a full-sister to Fame And Glory selling for 2.3 million. Sheikh Mohammed bought all three.

The next three most expensive went the way of MV Magnier and ten lots made one million guineas or more.

A 3.5million guineas Dubawi colt out of treble Group One winner Dar Re Mi topped 2018 sale (making him a full-brother to Too Darn Hot), with the 3.4million guineas Galileo colt out of Shastye close behind in price (now known as Grand Prix de Paris winner Mogul).

The first foal of American dual Grade One winning mare Dank was a filly by Galileo and she reached a 4 million guineas price when knocked down to Godolphin in 2017.

This year, some of the most exciting pages include the full-sister to Group One winners Japan and Mogul, the first foal out of Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Intricately (by Dubawi), the Galileo full-sister to St Leger and Irish Derby hero Capri and the first foal out of a full-sister to Hydrangea, Hermosa and The United States.

There are half-siblings to the likes of this year’s Commonwealth Cup winner Golden Horde, French Guineas winner Beauty Parlour, Derby and Arc hero Golden Horn, dual Group One winner and young sire Shalaa, Newmarket Guineas winner and sire Magna Grecia, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Line of Duty and champion sprinter Marsha.

They are the pages set to attract the biggest pockets but whatever those pockets may be willing to part with in this abnormal year is another story. No yearling reached the €500,000 mark in the Goffs Orby Sale last week, in which there would normally be at least six or seven.

Interestingly along with the world’s most proven and coveted sires, Book One also contains a select number of yearlings by some of the exciting young sires with their first crop and below is a refresher on who they are in order of number of yearlings they have entered in Book One.

Caravaggio

The son of Scat Daddy, who stands at Coolmore, has the most yearlings for a freshman sire in Book One (22), all of whom were bred off a fee of €35,000 in 2018.

Caravaggio won all of his four starts as a two-year-old including the Listed Marble Hill Stakes, Group Two Coventry at Royal Ascot and he culminated his juvenile year with a win in the Group One Phoenix Stakes. He returned at three and prevailed over Harry Angel and Blue Point in the Group One Commonwealth Cup as well as winning the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh and placing in both the British Champions’ Sprint Stakes and July Cup.

Churchill

Churchill, the son of Galileo out of Storm Cat mare Meow has 20 yearlings to represent him in Book One, who were also conceived off a €35,000 fee. He was a European Champion two-year-old winning five of his six starts including both the National and Dewhurst Stakes and then went on to win both the British and Irish Guineas at three. He and Caravaggio are the only two freshman sires to win Group One races at both two and three years.

Ulysses

Ulysses, who was the most expensive retiree in Britain in 2018 at £30,000, has 14 lots entered in Book One. The son of Galileo and Oaks winner Light Shift won the Group Three Gordon Stakes at three and placed fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. But his best form came at four, beating Barney Roy in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes and Churchill in the Juddmonte International.

Ribchester

Ribchester, like latest sire-sensation Wootton Bassett, is by Iffraaj. His 11 lots entered in Book One were conceived at a fee of €30,000 at Darley’s Irish base, Kildangan. And that fee has since dropped to €20,000 in 2020. A top miler, Ribchester won the Group Two Mill Reef Stakes at two, the Prix Jacques Les Marois at three while also placing in the 2000 Guineas, the Sussex Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. But he won three further Group One races at four-years including the Lockinge, Queen Anne and Prix du Moulin.

Almanzor

These yearlings will certainly be inspected closely as Almanzor is none other than the European Champion Three-Year-Old of 2016 from that first crop of just 21 runners by Wootton Bassett, who could not be any more in-vogue at the moment.

Almanzor stands at Haras d’Etreham in France for a fee of €35,000 since his inception and he is represented by ten yearlings in Book One this year. A Listed winner at two, Almanzor won the French Derby as well as the British and Irish Champion Stakes, beating Found on both occasions, as a three-year-old.

Profitable

This son of Invincible Spirit is another whose best form came at four. Running 23 times in total, Profitable won his maiden at two, a Listed race at three and had a brilliant three in a row on his return at four, winning the Group Three Palace House Stakes, Group Two Temple Stakes and the Group One King’s Stand Stakes. He did return at five and placed second in the King’s Stand but did not win another race. A resident of Kildangan Stud, Profitable stands for €12,000 and has seven lots entered in Book One.

Postponed

This son of Dubawi conceived his six Book One entrants at a fee of £20,000 at Dalham Hall Stud. Visiting the racetrack on 20 occasions from two to six years, Postponed won the Group Two Great Voltigeur Stakes at three then the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at four followed by three straight Group One races at five - the Dubai Sheema Classic, Coronation Cup and Juddmonte International Stakes.

Highland Reel

A globetrotting hero with seven Group One wins under his belt and €9,500,000 in earnings, beating the European-trained record, Highland Reel won the Group Two Vintage Stakes at two and went on to win Group One races at three, four and five including the Breeders’ Cup Turf, Coronation Cup, two Hong Kong Vases, and so on. He also claimed a second place in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. He has five representatives in Book One conceived at a fee of €17,500.

Decorated Knight

This son of Galileo from that famous family of Giant’s Causeway, Gleneagles and Happily, has two yearlings selling in Book One bred off a fee of €15,000. Decorated Knight won his three Group One races at five years including the Irish Champion Stakes, beating Poet’s Word and Eminent.

El Kabeir

El Kabeir is a son of Scat Daddy who ran solely in America and won the Grade Two Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at two years and two Grade Three races at three. He retired to Yeomanstown Stud in Kildare at a fee of €8,000 and has two yearlings selling this week.

Time Test

The second freshman son of Dubawi represented in Book One who stands at the British National Stud for €8,500 also has two yearlings in Book One. He was a multiple Group winner at three and four and also placed at the highest level on four occasions.