Who lit up the sales rings in 2015?
With the major yearling sales a thing of the past for 2015, it makes for interesting reading to look back at some of the top priced yearling buys of the year. Needless to say, the horses mentioned below will enjoy closely scrutinised racing careers – as top priced yearlings have a variable history, to say the least, in terms of top level success.
While young sires such as Frankel (Galileo), Nathaniel (Galileo) and Sepoy (Elusive Quality) all proved popular, it was the “old” guard such as Deep Impact (Sunday Silence), Dubawi (Dubai Millennium), Fastnet Rock (Danehill), Tapit (Pulpit) and War Front (Danzig), whose yearlings continued to set sales rings alight – around the world.
Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale 2015
Sepoy – Sister Madly colt AUD $1.2 million
2015 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale Lot 613 (Sepoy – Sister Madly)
From the first crop of his sire, this colt is by the Elusive Quality horse Sepoy, whose ten wins included the Gr1 Golden Slipper, Gr1 Manikato Stakes and Gr1 Blue Diamond Stakes. As an outstandingly fast and precocious horse, Sepoy, who hails from the same female line as successful sire Canny Lad, certainly fits the bill to be a popular sire “Down Under”. This colt’s dam Sister Madly won four including the Gr2 Salinger Stakes and is a half sister to champion Silent Witness. Sepoy’s popularity would continue at the Easter Sale, where a colt by the champ fetched $1.6 million.
NZ Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale
Fastnet Rock – Il Quello Veloce filly $800 000
2015 New Zealand Premier Yearling Sale – Lot 429 (Fastnet Rock – Il Quello Veloce)
By a champion sprinter and sire, this filly shares her sire Fastnet Rock with such outstanding females as Amicus, Atlantic Jewel, Diamondsandrubies, First Seal, Sea Siren, and 2015 Investec Oaks winner Qualify. A beautifully bred filly, she is out of former NZ Champion 2YO Filly Il Quello Veloce, a daughter of Pivotal sire, Captain Rio, and a three parts sister to Aus Gr1 winning speedster Terravista.
Inglis Easter Yearling Sale
Snitzel – Admirelle colt AUS $2.2 million
2015 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale – Lot 264 (Snitzel – Admirelle)
By champion sire Redoute’s Choice’ best sire son, this blue blooded colt’s sire, Gr1 Oakleigh Plate winner Snitzel, had a banner season in 2014-2015, when his runners included a trio of Gr1 winners in Hot Snitzel, Sweet Idea and Guineas winner Wandjina. This colt, who was bought by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum – a well known name in South Africa – is out of a stakes placed daughter of champion sprinter, General Nediym, and is an own brother to Gr1 BRC TJ Smith Stakes winner, Snitzerland. The latter is himself now a sought after young stallion.
JHRA Select Sale
Deep Impact –Jioconda colt $1.895 million
2015 JHRA Select Sale – Lot 107 (Deep Impact – Jioconda)
It was a case of Deep Impact first the rest nowhere at the 2015 JHRA Sale. Not only did the former Japanese Triple Crown winner sire the top priced lot (a half brother to former Gr1 Cheveley Park winner Lightening Pearl), but no fewer than seven of the top ten lots sold at the sale were sired by the great son of Sunday Silence. The sales topping colt, who was produced by a stakes winning Rossini mare, hails from the family of St Leger winner Classic Cliche (Salse) and his Gr1 Prix Vermeille/Yorkshire Oaks winning half sister, My Emma (Marju).
Arqana August Yearling Sale
Dubawi –Pacifique colt 2.6 million euros
2015 Arqana August Yearling Sale – Lot 119 (Dubawi – Pacifique)
Leading sire Dubawi has had a breakthrough year in 2015 and is on track to record his first General Sires Title in the UK this year. Not surprisingly, for the sire of 11 Gr1 winners in 2015 (Dubawi’s runners including Dubai World Cup winner Prince Bishop, French Derby winner New Bay and Juddmonte International queen Arabian Queen), proved a massive hit in sales rings around the world. Out of a Gr3 winning ¾ sister to Irish Oaks winner, Chicquita (Montjeu), the Arqana sales topping colt’s dam, Pacifique, is out of Platonic (Zafonic), who is the dam of a Frankel filly who fetched 1.15 million Euros at the same sale.
Keeneland September Yearling Sale
Tapit – Silver Colors colt $2.1 million
2015 Keeneland September Yearling Sale – Lot 614 (Tapit – Winning Colours)
Last year’s US Champion Sire, Tapit, appears on course to defend his sires title in 2015 – the son of Pulpit currently being nearly $5 million clear of runner up Medaglia D’Oro.
Understandably, the Gr1 Wood Memorial winner’s success on the track has ensured his popularity in the sales ring and he was responsible for the two top colts at Keeneland’s mammoth September Sale. The sales topper is out of a daughter of Mr Greeley and 1988 Gr1 Kentucky Derby winner, Winning Colors (Caro). The Tapit/Mr Greeley cross has worked before with Gr1 Las Virgenes winner Zazu and the latter’s Gr2 winning brother Flashback.
Goffs Orby Yearling Sale
Raven’s Pass – Spirit Of Tara filly 2 million Euros
2015 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale – Lot 432 (Ravens Pass – Spirit of Tara)
While former Breeders Cup Classic winner, Raven’s Pass, has enjoyed a solid year on the track, the striking aspect of the 2015 Goffs Orby Sales topper is the ongoing success of dam, Spirit Of Tara. A stakes placed own sister to champion and Irish Derby winner, Salsabil, Spirit Of Tara (Sadler’s Wells) has been a top notch producer with her five stakes horses including ill-fated Gr2 winner Echo Of Light (Dubai Millennium). Remarkably, it is the third time that a yearling out of Spirit Of Tara (also closely related to Breeders Cup winner Northern Spur and former SA sire Second Empire) has topped Goffs – with Echo Of Light topping the sale in 2003 and the latter’s three parts sister, by Dubawi, heading the 2010 sale.
Tattersalls October Yearling Sale (Book 1)
Dubawi – Loveisallyouneed – 2.1 million Guineas
2015 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale – Lot 304 (Dubawi – Loveisallyouneed)
The increasingly influential Dubawi (his son Makfi looks a potential top sire, while another son Poet’s Voice made a pleasing start with first runners this year) once again headed a major sale, when this filly entered the ring at Tattersalls this year. A direct descendant in female line of the “Flying Filly” Mumtaz Mahal, this filly is from one of the finest families in the stud book, with its members including a ton of classic winners including this year’s once beaten Derby/Arc de Triomphe hero Golden Horn (Cape Cross).
