Sun Stud Takes Centre Stage at Tattersalls Opener

Mark Smith - Wednesday October 9

While Sun Stud clearly took the honours with their 3,600,000 guineas session topping son of Dubawi, there was plenty of other Australian action on the opening day of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

The star colt (pictured left) was consigned by Hazelwood Bloodstock on behalf of the Victorian-based Sun Stud, who purchased the colt's dam Alina via David O'Callaghan at the 2015 Tattersalls December Mare Sale for 65,000 guineas when carrying the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes winner Barney Roy (Excelebration).

Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation are rarely beaten for a Dubawi colt and they outlasted the Coolmore team for the session topper.

From consigners to purchasers, Sun bought three lots.

They teamed up with Qatar Racing to purchase a Showcasing colt for 120 gns, then signed for a Galileo half-brother to Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes winner Art Connoisseur for 200,000 gns and a Kingman filly out of the stakes-winning Sadler's Wells mare Adonesque for 120,000 gns.

Aquis Farm has been busy at sales world-wide in 2019 and they purchased, in partnership, a Galileo half-brother to Grade 1 Florida Derby winner Materiality and Grade 11 winner and Kentucky Oaks runner-up My Miss Sophia for 325,000 gns out of the Newsells consignment.

Aquis teamed up with champion US trainer Todd Pletcher to purchase a Fastnet Rock half-sister to Group III winner Wannabe Yours out of the stakes-winning Galileo mare Wannabe Special for 110,000 gns.

Another big player on the world stage, Phoenix Thoroughbreds, purchased just one lot on the opening day, shelling out 525,000 gns for a Frankel colt (pictured right) who is a brother to the Group II winner Elarqam and a half-brother to Group III winner Fountain Of Youth out of the Champion 2yr old filly in Europe in 2003 and Champion 3yr old filly in Ireland in 2004, the 5-time Group 1 winner Attraction (Efisio). 

Brad Spicer's Spicer Thoroughbreds, chipped in with one lot A Camelot colt out of the lightly raced Sea The Stars mare She's Mine for 140,000 gns.

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He's a really nice staying type, a lovely big good moving, rangy horse that is probably going to take a bit of time," Spicer told Tattersalls.com.

"We are after those staying types back in Australia. We have really good prizemoney for the cups back at home so hopefully, in two or three years time, we're talking about him in a Caulfield or Melbourne Cup.

"The Camelot's work back home. We have a nice horse who was actually sold by the same stud, a horse called Furrion who was favourite for the Queensland Derby.

"So it gives you a bit of confidence that they can perform on our hard tracks.

"I think this is the way of the future for us (purchasing yearlings). We will keep buying a few of the tried horses and mix it up with a few yearlings. Obviously, they are six months behind when we take them home but you only really lose the spring preparation they cane come back as autumn three-year-olds and run in races like the Queensland Derby and then on to the Cups after that.

"We bought a Sea The Stars colt and a Sea The Moon colt last year, they haven't got to the races yet but they are showing all the right signs hence I'm back here this year with a bigger cheque book hoping to buy some more.

"We are going back home tomorrow but we will be bidding from home on the third day and hopefully get another colt."

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