Ever since the catalog for the Tattersalls December Mares Sale was released, those in the orbit of the bloodstock world have been asking the same two questions: How much will Alcohol Free make, and who will buy her?
Shortly before 6 p.m. Nov. 29 during the second Sceptre Session, the answer was revealed when Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland, sitting beside Yuesheng Zhang of Yulong Investments, bid 5,400,000gns ($6,781,077) in front of an awestruck Park Paddocks auditorium.
Coolmore's M.V. Magnier, standing among the crowd in the packed gangway, filled the role of underbidder as the daughter of No Nay Never became the second-most expensive Thoroughbred ever sold at auction in Europe.
"She's been bought for a partnership and she's going to race on in Australia," Donohoe said. "She vetted extremely well for a filly who has plenty of miles on the clock; her reports were exemplary. The partners already have horses in training and breeding interests in Australia, and obviously she'll make a fantastic broodmare at the end of her racing career.
"I think there's 87 races in Australia worth a million-plus, so the prize money on offer there is big, and she's that type of filly. She's won the July Cup over six furlongs, then she stays a mile, too, so there'll be a lot of options for her. Fair play to (trainer) Andrew Balding and the guys, they did a great job with her."
The purchaser also indicated that Alcohol Free would likely be covered by Frankel following a Southern Hemisphere campaign.
On her seven-figure value, Donohoe added: "It's impossible to value those blue-chip fillies off the track, they're collector's items because they don't come on the market very often. They're like Picassos, they're a rare commodity. I had a figure in my head and I was bidding pretty strong, so that might've indicated I had some petrol left in the tank!"
Alcohol Free ran 15 times for Balding and owner Jeff Smith, winning six races and four group 1's. Her top-level spree began at 2 when she landed the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes (G1). She returned at 3 to annex the Coronation Stakes (G1), in which she defeated Snow Lantern, and then the Qatar Sussex Stakes (G1) when she had Poetic Flare a length and three-quarters in arrears.
She was dropped back to sprint trips during her 4-year-old campaign and rewarded connections' boldness by winning the Darley July Cup Stakes (G1) by a length and a half from Naval Crown. That career-best effort earned her a peak official rating of 119, an identical mark to Marsha, who retains the title of the most expensive thoroughbred sold in Europe having cost Coolmore's Magnier 6,000,000gns at the December Sales of 2017.
"It's time for someone else to have a go with her and she'll make a nice foundation broodmare," said David Bowe, stud manager to the filly's former owner.
"It's a time thing; if it were five years earlier, she would've never come to the ring and we'd have bred from her ourselves, but it's the end of a wonderful journey. I can't thank everybody enough, from the Gaffneys who bred her, everyone at Park House Stables, the lads at home on the farm and everyone who's ever ridden her, it's been just magnificent."
Alcohol Free made her second appearance at public auction far more fruitful than her first, as she was bought as a 10-month-old foal by Bowe for €40,000 ($45,820) at Goffs in 2018.
On the experience of seeing Alcohol Free sell, Bowe said: "It was absolutely extraordinary. It was emotional from the point of view that I can't quite believe it. It just goes to show that everybody on the sales ground, whatever sales ground, is trying to do the same thing. And sometimes it happens, and when it happens to the likes of us it's absolutely extraordinary. It goes to show if you keep plugging away, it can happen.
"Jeff is not here, he would like to be, but it's all down to him, he's who let us go ahead and buy her (as a foal) and then let Andrew Balding train her. Jeff was watching online but he said himself, him being here wasn't going to make a difference to her price. It's been a beautiful end of our chapter and I hope she goes on to be a wonderful foundation broodmare."
Bred by Churchtown House Stud, Alcohol Free is the fourth foal out of the Hard Spun mare Plying, who topped last year's Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale when bought by BBA Ireland and Yulong Investments for €825,000 ($938,319). Plying has bred four winners, with Alcohol Free her second black-type performer after the listed Prix le Fabuleux scorer Alexander James.
Plying, who won three races in the colors of Sheikh Mohammed, is a half sister to Flying Childers Stakes winner Kissing Lights. She left the Darley fold for just €12,000 ($16,446) at Arqana in 2013 when signed for by BBA Ireland.
Day 2 Results
BBA Ireland was the top buyer for Day 2 with a gross of $13,808,281 and an average of $863,018 from 16 purchases. In second was Godolphin, which bought three horses for a gross of $5,682,291 and an average of $1,894,097. The leading consignor was The Castlebridge Consignment with 17 of 18 horses on offer sold, which produced a gross of $11,100,873 and an average of $652,993.
