The first auction weekend of the new season has come and gone in the blink of an eye and what an auction it turned out to be. It's always proved to be the busiest auction of the season as trainer's wait with baited breath for the midday Saturday bidding frenzy to begin. After a slow uptake on Saturday, things really started kicking off on Sunday morning as the virtual world fraternity clambered to get their hands on some new prized possessions.
The auction always contains a diverse collection of virtual nags, from competitive bottom graders to the very best the site has to offer and there is always something for everyone. So far this season racing numbers have been a little thin in the juvenile arena to say the least. We were always going to see a lot of horses held back for sale and this was possibly to blame. Now they are with their new owners and ready to rock the virtual world, it will come as no surprise to see many of these newcomers hit the track in the coming weeks.
At this point I would like to say farewell to those owners who have decided to call it a day at RaceClubs.com. The decision to leave is always a tough one and I wish you all the very best of luck in whatever you do in the future. You will all be missed in some way by friend and foe and you have been a great servant and competitor to this game. Cheerio!
| 470 | Total amount of lots that went under the hammer |
| 44% | Total amount of lots sold |
| 45 | Number of G2 & G3 horses sold by Shotgun Mike |
| £128.90 | Average cost of one of Black Deaths 27 auction entries |
| £3480.37 | Collective amount that Black Death's horses raised at the sale |
| £2459.63 | Biggest spender - Divine Diva Stables |
| £607.28 | Average price paid per horse - Liveoak Stables |
| 16 | Most horses bought by single trainer - Kopites |
| 297 | Number of auction lots that contained a juvenile colt or filly of any grade |
| 40% | Total number of lots sold that included a G1 horse |
| 54% | Total number of lots sold that included a G2 horse |
| 44% | Total number of lots sold that included a G3 horse |
The Group1 SalesThe announcement made by Black Death early in the season that the stable was to wind down and leave the came, prompted a mass stable clearout. So it was of no surprise to see the auction action centre on his stable. With a total of thirty-one auction entries at G1 level, eighteen of which were unraced juveniles, the bids came in. The pick of the bunch out of the horses he had going in, unraced, was Hot And Regal. This classy miler attracted the attention of Liveoak Stables. She will almost certainly look to compete at the highest level and my guess is that she will feature prominently in the end of season monthly final. Conditions will suit at the Canadian track as they charge over 1600m on the dirt. Liveoak Stables is a very shrewd trainer who has, in my opinion grabbed himself a bargain at the asking price. If she takes to the shorter distances then it will be no shock to see her compete in the sprinters juvenile series but she may well be better suited to next season's Nunthorpe Sprint Final.
Doug, trainer at the Liveoak yard didn't cap his spending on just the one challenge contender. He saw off many others to secure the services of the Slowstables stayer, re-named Nashville Boy. The jet black juvenile was born to the virtual world on August 4th. He clearly has potential and could be a big player this season and for many to come. Referred of, in likeness to the great Melbourne, the colt will have a lot to prove if it is to emulate the former's achievements at the track. With an opening reserve of £700 it was always going to attract bids and when the hammer went down at £1297.79, a wry smile appeared on the winning bidders face. With the monthly challenge series just around the corner it will be immediate work for his new acquisition and who am I to say he won’t be there come the line in the final. With that said it is probable that his main aim for the season would have to be the stayers juvenile championship.
The busiest stable amongst the unraced G1 ranks was Divine Diva Stables with no less than ten purchases. The stable also picked up the accolade of the auctions biggest spender and with a stable full of top quality horses could be a force to be reckoned with in the near future, especially if the spending power continues. I fancy there is a bit of a connection with Japan as there is a tendency to name the stable runners with names accustomed to the far east. Konnichiwa looks a steady miler and could ruffle a few feathers over 1600m and will have a long wait for his chance at championship glory if held back for a crack at the monthly final. I'm not sure but something I see in the horse may suggest that it is capable over a different distance and only time will tell if my suspicions are founded. My eye casts to Watashi Wa as a sound investment. £500 may well turn out to be a very tidy price for this classic colt. His potential certainly lies over 2200m and with options a plenty for this juvenile, the return to investment for the price paid could well put this horse into the category of bargain of the auction.
In the three year division, two horses caught my eye and both are already established runners and as it happens, both are fillies. Allison is a very nice looking filly. The knowledge of the guys at the yard of Victor Consortio has for a long time now been second to none. So it came as no surprise to see the name attached to this purchase. Allison has been competing in races from 2200m to 2850m and even finished 7th behind Queen Of Satan in the Classic Juvenile Final last term. I could be wrong but the way I see it, maybe the plan is to avoid the classic distances altogether at her new home and concentrate on what I believe she is best at, running all day. She clearly has a liking to the longer distance and with only one win in the bank to her name thus far is open to a lot of profit. Victor Consortio would have already drawn up a race plan and no doubt will turnover a tidy sum of money for the yard in the future.
The eyes popped out of my head when I saw Classic Cobra in the auction with the minimum reserve tag. Clearly a horse that was always going to attract the bids she levelled out in the end at a final auction valuation of £472.44, a snip! This filly was runner-up in last seasons Classic Juvenile Final and ran a blinder in a consolation sprint the night before. Surely the age change couldn't have been as bad to decimate her potential, could it? Well, as the bid went up and up I'm sure my question was answered time and again. The winning bid went to She Devil who is now the owner of a challenge filly who, on low wins, has a lot of profit in her still. If she is handled with care and with good race placement she will figure in finals come the end of the season.
Scally Munter and Bombay Bluey were both picked up by Sky Castle Stables. Both horses come to the yard with proven records. The former is a stayer who can compete with the best of them. She did not get the run of the race in either of the two finals she contested last season but brush that form aside and you see a very nice filly indeed. The beauty of this purchase was the amount of return the filly still has to offer. At four years old, she came to the sales with only three wins to her name and with an already nice return to runs record will go into the notebook as a shrewd investment. The horse loves 3200m and that just happens to be the distance of the Cesarewitch Challenge Final. I like this purchase a lot.
What can you say about Bombay Bluey? Well for starters he was the winner of the race in which Price Racing grabbed a one-two in a Derby Qualifier last season, beating the mighty Urban Legend. When the cards were on the table he managed a fourth in The Derby behind Larry Fitzgerald and clearly loves to race over 2400m. With this in mind he may miss the rest of this season to concentrate his efforts at next seasons King George. Already on the five win marker before his sale he doesn't hold the kind of aces that Scally Munter may have in her pocket in terms of additional races but nevertheless must be regarded as one for the future. His presence in the King George will not go unnoticed.
| One To Follow | Eternal Life - Within the virtual racing world there are always superstars that stand out and Eternal Life is one we should follow. Her career so far has seen her compete and beat the very best that the fillies have to offer. With 41 wins to her name and a 32% win/run ratio she gives good value for money. Likened to Hall Of Famer, Princess Gudrun, it was quite a surprise to see her back in the auction after recently being paired with Holmang Horses. Heinz will now fly the flag with the filly after paying £481.70 for her service, some £120 cheaper than the tag she commanded two months earlier. She is one of, if not the best sprint filly on parade within the virtual racing world and her career should be well mapped and no doubt she will become a future Hall Of Fame horse herself. |
| Grab A Bargain | The Bra Upheld - This G2 filly was a prolific scorer as a juvenile and if she has trained on this term she will again be a force to be reckoned with. There is no doubt she oozed class within the division last season and when you see that Bigboysteve is in the mix for an established runner, it more or less rubber stamps her potential. A winner from 1200m up to 2200m it's no surprise she sold and with earning potential for a further five seasons she gets the tag of "bargain of the auction". When you look a little closer at her form she has a remarkable record over 1800m. In six outings over the distance she has only failed to take the tape on the single occasion, finishing second on her first outing over the trip. She loves to race on firm or fast ground evident in the fact that all her wins have come via this outlet. £80 for a horse of this quality has to be worth every penny! |
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