Well, the season is almost a month old and today saw the second auction of the season kick off. I best keep the kicking-off subject to a minimum as many of you have been involved in quite a debate about private sales. The age old argument saw it's ugly head raised again, should they, shouldn't they? It is after all an auction! An auction that needs an auction review, so keep reading.
It was all go in the final hour of the auction for the buyers and sellers, although I had noticed that this auction was subject to a lot of bidding from the get-go as there seemed to be many trainers interested in snagging an early bargain. Whatever the case, it was a healthy auction once again and a few pennies went from owner to the other along the way. Needless to say there were bargains at the minimum and the very best went into the hundreds, surprising though that this auction was void of any "real quality" that would break the one thousand pound marker! At this very auction last season there were three horses that did just that. El Lgendario, Eyes Of Emerald and Invisible Phantom all crashed through the "1K" barrier
In comparison, the second auction of this season saw far more entries than its comparative auction last season. A rise of eighty-one lots took the total auction entries to 390 (309 lots under the hammer last season) and in comparison the selling figures remained pretty much the same. 44% of all lots sold in this weekends auction (the same figure as the first auction of the season) as opposed to 45% last season, so the buyers are still definitely out there. Whether they are prepared to pay the same prices as last season is another story!
| 390 | Total amount of lots that went under the hammer |
| 44% | Total amount of lots sold |
| 29 | Number of horses sent to auction by Black Death |
| 8 | Number of horses unsold from Black Death's entries |
| 29 | Number of horses bought by Bleak Lodge Stables |
| £11.41 | Average price paid per horse by Bleak Lodge Stables |
| £2017.79 | Total spend by Divine Diva Stables |
| £224.20 | Average cost of a horse bought by Divine Diva Stables |
| £800 | Top priced single sale for a G1 horse unraced (Gallipoli Prince) |
| £80 | Top priced single sale for a G2 horse unraced (G2 Legend) |
| £16.33 | Top priced single sale for a G3 horse unraced (Whole Shebang) |
| 833 | Amount of career races by Kournikova (G3 - Sold for £18.67) |
The G1 SalesThere was a distinct hint of deja vu to this auction, Black Death was selling and Divine Diva Stables was buying. Surprisingly, they managed to cross paths with just the one transaction. Sailor Moon travelled east (I think!) for the final hammer price of £256.75, over £100 more than the asked reserve. A nice filly who was subject to a lot of attention from numerous interested parties finally succumbed to the bidding force that is the Divine Diva Stables and they will enjoy the future of this attractive sort. She was one of two fillies that were bought by the stable and I'm sure they will both be well housed at the yard but more space was allocated for the new arrivals of the colts. There were seven acquisitions of colts into the ever growing force of G1 horses the stable has amassed. One of them especially caught my attention.
Shaman King (JAP) was entered into the auction with a reserve tag of £318.61 and one bid secured the deal. A progressive type who will handle 2850m well. Initially it seemed that the horse would go unsold but soon enough the bid was down and a fair price at that. Although not fully tested on soft going and predominantly trialled on the fast track, there may be a little something in the tank when the toe is dipped. Born in July, it was a little bit of a surprise that this horse was not targeted at a monthly qualifier, even if only to break his maiden tag and although He wouldn't have stayed the 3200m final it would have put him ready for an assault at the stayers juvenile final where, if all falls into place may stand a good chance of a bite at the cherry if the ground was to come up fast over the American 2850m track. When all is said and done there is certain profit to be made with this horse over his career and could be considered a nice purchase.
Staying fillies are seldom available at the auction and Yolanda Be Cool was one that Stable76 jumped on. She looks to be an out and out 2850m horse that will enjoy the ground when it comes up good going and looks pretty tidy on fast going also. Another who does not seem to get 3200m, her main focus for the season is likely to be the 2850m qualifiers for the juvenile stayers. She may not show the same ability as some of the very best fillies over the distance but is definitely on the short list to pick up a qualifying win this season. Beyond that is a sure fire career in level weights paying £257.70 which was over double her asking price, her new owner certainly feels there is money to be made with her.
Exorcist Exodus was one of six auction purchases by Shotgun Mike. The sprint colt had shown good early promise on both firm and good goings and judging by that has the potential to give a little more. If the horse lives up to expectation be sure to see this horse contesting some high class sprints in the future. Even so, if expectation is not quite what was expected I'm sure the champion trainer will find the perfect avenue for this horse to pursue. The one horse acquired that interested me the most was Summer Sensation. This lightly raced colt showed up well in juvenile classic qualifiers last term and although not suited by the final distance of 2400m will be well matched with this seasons Derby trip of 2200m. A form line through Darley Arabian shows he has the credentials to mix it with the best and at £200 looks a snip. With a feast of 2200m to target this season, he should go well but something tells me that beyond his three year old career he may well be rested for a shot at the King George when he reaches five year old.
Gallipoli Prince was certainly the class horse of the auction and went for a price well below what I had expected. He came into the auction with a fair reserve set by his former master. £800 paid by Gissys Nags will be well rewarded. The colt is up there with the best over 2850m and must have a great chance in this season's juvenile stayers final. If he acts as well on fast as he does on firm then that will be a bonus. He clearly doesn't stay 3200m, at least I think that to be the case as I would have expected to see him touted at the last auction ready for an assault at the monthly final over 3200m. Nevertheless, he comes into the Gissys Nags yard all guns blazing and judging by his immediate entry into a monthly qualifier over 2400m it's fair to say he may have a chance of securing some success at that trip also. Past horses of similar ability have commanded a larger hammer price and could this be indicative of the new four run rule, only time will tell on that one. Here and now, the buyer has secured himself a quality horse and I would not raise any eyebrows to see him challenging when the season finale comes around.
Wonderful Outcome is a horse of the highest calibre but will the fee paid turn out to be a "Wonderful Outcome" for new owner, Sky Castle Stables. At first glance it didn't look as though the filly was going to get the reserve of £700 but a last minute plunge on the horse nabbed her. The future of this filly looks unclear. Having recently won her fifth race a dilemma is upon her new owner. Will she be raced all out at three and move into levels and WFA or will she be run for a shot at this seasons Oaks. If the latter route is the trainers’ choice then I could see her resting for a season and then come back to the fore in the Queen Elizabeth. Wherever her future lies she is in good hands. Will she be a profitable horse for her new trainer? Of course she will!
Golden Tornado was a single purchase by She Devil. The ex Colonel Stirling horse was still wiping herself down after birth when taking her place in this weekend’s auction. I suppose there was not enough time for the previous trainer to get too attached to her before her imminent departure. The sprint filly has all the makings of a good acquisition. Still something of an unknown quantity and not truly tested, initial reports suggest that the horse will excel at 1400m and will certainly hold her own at 1200m. Maybe something of a gamble by her new owner, the price still looks cheap! With six seasons of racing in her she is certainly a profit maker.
Kopites' purchase, I am Hell, a proven stayer in level weight and WFA company will surely prove to be a good money spinner for the would-be self proclaimed "Future Champion Trainer". Ok, so I exaggerated a bit there, what I meant to say was the self proclaimed "Sales ring and auction junkie". All jokes aside, Rob has spent a lot of time and money learning the game and is one of the new breed that is prepared to have a punt. His knowledge of the game gets better everyday and his ability to spot a bargain is complimented with what appears to be a bottomless pit of cash. Even so his capture of I am Hell, Flames Of Doom and Melbourne Secret show that there is money to be made with older horses. The latter two sprint types were bought for a combined sum of £111 and surely a few wins will easily recoup the investment made.
| One To Follow | Gallipoli Prince - I like the look of this horse and with his whole career ahead of him I am sure he will repay the faith shown by his new owner. |
| Another One To Follow | Kopites - He is starting to exercise his growing knowledge of the game and must be considered a trainer on the up. The stable is slowly being transformed into one of quality. If he can start to show more patience with his horses then there is no reason why he cannot break into the top ten trainers list. |
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