The Galileo colt in the ring on Wednesday before selling for a cool 1,000,000gns Credit: Laura Green
Last of the Galileos provides stunning 1,000,000gns return for Glending Stables as Godolphin win superpower bout
James Thomas (Racing Post) reports from the second and final session of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale at Park Paddocks
Pinhooking triumphs don’t come much more stunning than what transpired at Tattersalls on Wednesday evening. During day two of the Craven Breeze-Up Sale2, Glending Stables’ Galileo colt had a trio of racing superpowers, both established and up-and-coming, squaring up for a seven-figure bidding bout.
The outcome saw the youngster enhance his value from 125,000gns yearling to 1,000,000gns two-year-old.
Once bidding commenced it wasn’t long before the price sailed beyond the half-million mark, with Chris Wall, racing manager to Vandeek’s owner KHK Racing, Amo Racing principal Kia Joorabchian and the Godolphin buying team all still seemingly full of running. Wall was the first to check out but Joorabchian seemed in no mood to back down.
When Godolphin representative Anthony Stroud indicated a bid of 900,000gns it seemed like Joorabchian, who was huddled by the entrance with his team, including agent Alex Elliott, had reached his limit.
Auctioneer Edmond Mahony tried to tempt one last increase from the group by saying: “You might never get the opportunity again.” The prompt plainly had the desired effect as they indicated a raise of 50,000gns. However, Stroud soon returned a 50,000gns bid of his own, at which point a frustrated-looking Joorabchian shook his head and exited the ring.
Roderic Kavanagh is no stranger to success at the Craven Sale, having sold Vandeek for 625,000gns 12 months ago. However, the magnitude of this transaction plainly wasn’t lost on Glending Stables man.
“You do start to dream and the last month has been tense because you know you have something special,” he said. “We were disciplined all year and didn’t lose the run of ourselves, but when this horse came up [at the yearling sales] you could feel it was a possibility to get something unique.
“It does help that you’ve sold a horse like Vandeek but I didn’t think this would happen. I have other horses coming here and it didn’t happen for them. But maybe that’s just the attributes of this horse, he just doesn’t disappoint. Hopefully he won’t disappoint anyone where he goes next.”
Asked about his expectations heading into the ring, Kavanagh said: “I thought there was a chance he’d make half [a million]. Just because lots of people like a horse doesn’t mean they’ll all turn up. If half of them turned up he might have made only half of what he did, but they all turned up. Everybody could see what I used to see every day. There are no blemishes so hopefully he’s as good as the last one.”
The Coolmore-bred colt is one of just 12 foals from the final crop of the 12-time champion sire, and is out of the Listed-placed Manderley. This lineage makes him a close relation to the Listed winner Hidden Dimples, while his dam, who was also fourth in Miss France’s 1,000 Guineas, is a sister to Gregorian.
“You start looking around and wondering what you’re missing, and maybe that’s why we were able to buy him because people thought there was something missing from the puzzle,” said Kavanagh as he reflected on finding the colt at last year’s December Yearling Sale.
“But there wasn’t, so when the vet gave us the green light we were like, ‘Wow, this is a unique opportunity’. It’s a lot of money to give on day one, but you’re always dreaming of the bigger picture. Everybody’s here and it’s a unique place. You don’t know what’s going to happen until you walk into the ring. At a live auction anything can happen.”
When it was put to Kavanagh that Wednesday’s success might not have been possible without the exploits of Vandeek, he said: “Probably not. He’s been a life changing horse. But that’s selling horses. We’re privileged to be able to get our hands on a horse like this.”
After signing the docket, Stroud said: “We all thought he was a very nice horse. He’s the last son of Galileo going through a public auction and he breezed very well. He comes from the same hotel that Vandeek came from. He deserved to do well and he did.
“When two people want a horse it can make any price. It’s good for the breeze-up business that a horse can go and make that kind of money. Fingers crossed he’s a very good racehorse.”
The colt clocked a notably fast time for a son of a stallion noted for his Classic influence. When Stroud was asked whether he expected the colt to prove as precocious as his breeze suggested, he said: “Charlie Appleby and the boss will make those calls.”
That wasn’t Stroud’s only involvement on the night as not long before he had gone to 525,000gns to secure the Havana Grey filly out of Lady Macduff. The filly not only fetched the same price as day one’s top lot but came from the same vendor too, namely Katie Walsh’s Greenhills Farm.
A Havana Grey filly out of Lady MacDuff equalled the 525,000gns sum which Greenhills Farm had realised already on Tuesday
“I’m emotional tonight, it’s unbelievable,” said Walsh. “It’s just been a great couple of days, it’s been really special. I understand how hard it is to find horses like this. For the last couple of weeks I’ve been saying, ‘Jesus, I can’t have two of them, can I?’ It’s so hard to get one, never mind two. I didn’t really say it aloud, but we all quietly thought it at home as the lads were doing the work with them that these two had something special about them.”
The filly was making her second appearance at the sales after she fetched 80,000gns from Norman Williamson and Mags O’Toole at last year’s Somerville.
Explaining how she came to consign a filly signed for by WillIamson, Walsh said: “Myself and Ross [husband] were here and Mags and Norman were here as well. I liked her, they liked her and we decided we wouldn’t take each other on. Norman bought her and she’s been with me since the fall of the hammer.
“He used to do fillies back in the day but hasn’t done them for a long time, so I said I’m better with the girls so I’ll take her. It’s a dream and I really appreciate it.”
Stroud said: “She was bought by KHK Racing. Obviously they did very well last year [with Vandeek] and she’s a very nice filly who breezed very well and there’s the connection with Havana Grey. It was a great deal of money but sometimes you have to stretch for the ones you really like.”
