Zain Claudette will have her date with destiny when lining up in the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) on Sept. 25, and a big few days for the family began Wednesday when her Exceed And Excel half sister topped the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale at £200,000 (US$273,335), selling as Lot 451.
An opening play of £50,000 was followed by some determined bidding from the likes of Barry Lynch and Ted Durcan, but ultimately Zain Claudette's trainer Ismail Mohammed had too much firepower and brought the gavel down from his position at the top of the bidders' area.
"I came here only for her," said Mohammed. "I was on the phone to the owner (Saeed Al Tayer) and he was very keen to have her so I hope she will turn out the same as her half sister. There are a few similarities between the two fillies but I think this filly will grow more than Zain Claudette."
He continued: "Before the sale I was thinking around £100,000 but when I called the owner he said she would be more. The sister has already won a group 2 and group 3 and if she wins a group 1, this filly will be worth a lot more. We've actually been following her, and when we saw her in the book we spoke to her owner about buying her (privately), but he said we would have to buy her at the sales."
On Zain Claudette, who cost Rabbah Bloodstock £20,000 ($26,735) at the Goffs UK Premier Sale before landing the Princess Margaret Keeneland Stakes (G3) and Sky Bet Lowther Stakes (G2), Mohammed said: "She's in good form. She's been super in all the work we have done with her and with every race she's improving.
"I'm very excited about taking her to a group 1. She was stronger and better than ever in her last piece of work."
The youngster was consigned by Castlehyde Stud and bred by Ukranian breeder Andriy Milovanov, who was in Newmarket with his family to see the filly change hands.
Speaking through a translator, Milovanov said: "I'm very happy and hope that her trainer will make her a future champion. There was a temptation to keep this filly, we would have raced her ourselves, but it depended on how much money she made today.
"I have 16 mares, who stay at Coolmore and the Irish National Stud, and Claudette has been covered by Ten Sovereigns. Maybe next year I'll send her to Zain Claudette's sire No Nay Never again."
Despite being in Newmarket to see his Exceed And Excel filly top the September Sale, Milovanov will not be staying around to see Zain Claudette line up in the Cheveley Park Stakes, as he explained: "I'm actually the president of the Ukrainian Equestrian Federation so I have to watch our young showjumping horses in Belgium tomorrow."
Johnston Plays it Smooth
A member of Smooth Daddy's debut crop proved the early highlight as a striking colt from Kildallan Farm brought a winning bid of £120,000 ($164,001). Dwayne Woods and Charlie Johnston clashed over the youngster, with the latter winning out with the decisive bid struck from the Park Paddocks gangway.
"He's a cracking individual," said Johnston. "Obviously he cost a lot more than I thought he'd make but he's a real standout. He had a great walk on him and although he's not over big, he's very strong and very active."
The youngster (Lot 293) is the first foal out of the unraced Silesie, a daughter of Magician from the family of Air Force Blue, and was bred by Christopher Johnston Bloodstock when Smooth Daddy was in his first season at Micheal Orlandi's Starfield Stud at a fee of €5,000.
"This is the first yearling I've seen by Smooth Daddy but Micheal used to work for us many moons ago so I know him well, and it's a great start for his stallion," said Johnston, whose previous September Yearling Sale purchases include Rose of Kildare, the three-time group 3 winner who cost just €3,000 ($3,531).
He continued: "This is a sale that's quite close to my heart through Rose of Kildare, although this horse cost a hell of a lot more than she did! Let's hope he's as successful. We're always looking to increase the quality of yearlings we buy but we'll still be buying those at the lower level.
"This is just the start of a big three or four weeks of sales and hopefully we'll get plenty bought."
Dermot Kilmartin of Kildallan Farm was tasked with preparing the colt, who also appeared at last year's foal sales when knocked down to Ballyphilip Stud at €22,000 ($26,967). The consignor said: "I can't believe it to be honest; I'm having to pinch myself. He's been very straightforward since the day he came in for prep.
"He's been very busy over the last couple of days and fair play to Mr. Johnston and Mr. Woods as they both loved him from the minute they saw him. We knew early on that he was popular but we didn't think he'd make that kind of money. It's a great advertisement for Micheal Orlandi as well as he's at every sale driving on so it's terrific for him."
Orlandi, who also stands Cappella Sansevero, Far Above, Galileo Chrome, Kuroshio, and My Dream Boat at his Mullingar farm, added: "It's a huge result and great for the stallion and all the people who've used him in the last three years.
"There aren't a huge amount of them around so there aren't loads in the sales but they're all being bought by good judges; Robson Aguiar bought a filly by Smooth Daddy at Doncaster and Con Marnane bought one of his colts here yesterday.
"The reality is people struggled to get them into sales, the sales companies weren't that keen on them, which is a pity, but the nice ones got in and have done well, and I'm over the moon with today's result."
Scott and Jackson-Stops Strike Late
George Scott and Billy Jackson-Stops secured the sixth and final six-figure lot of the sale when they went to £105,000 ($143,501) for the Mehmas colt out of Drifting Spirit consigned by Tally-Ho Stud as Lot 482.
"He's been bought for an owner who's had horses in the yard before and is absolutely desperate to get to Royal Ascot," said Scott. "We thought this colt was the best physical of the day, and obviously the stallion needs no introduction.
"He came highly recommended by Tally-Ho and he should be the kind of horse who does what it says on the tin. He's a strong, forward type so he should be one to get on with in the spring and hopefully he can end up at Royal Ascot."
The session showed substantial improvement on 2020's returns with the turnover increasing by 97% to £575,897 ($787,063) from 177 lots sold. The session's average price of £8,227 ($11,244) was an increase of 60% on 2020, while the median improved by 63% to £6,100 ($8,337).
The sale concluded with 402 horses sold (90% clearance) for a record average price of £27,060 ($36,982), a record median price of £20,000 ($27,334), and a record turnover of £10,877,978 ($14,866,600), increases of 24%, 25%, and 49%, respectively, on 2020's returns.
