Wathnan Racing's burgeoning string received a notable addition Oct. 28 when the high-class Gladius was secured for 950,000gns (US$1,324,037, 1 guinea=US$1.38) during day two of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale.
That price was only achieved after the operation's talent scout Richard Brown saw off a determined play from agent Johnny McKeever and Claudia Miller, bloodstock manager at Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott's Australian stable.
Miller looked to have checked out only to rejoin the fray with a bid of 900,000gns. However, Brown quickly returned fire, and when auctioneer Edmond Mahony asked Miller if she would like one more she turned and disappeared from view down the back stairs. "I think that means no," Mahony said dryly before dropping the hammer.
The Jamie Railton-consigned Gladius has run six times for Andrew Balding and a partnership consisting of Qatar Bloodstock, the China Horse Club and David Howden. He has progressed from his successful debut in a Kempton maiden to win handicaps at Sandown and Goodwood.
He took his form to new heights in his last two starts, first when beaten under two lengths into fourth in the Strensall Stakes (G3) then finishing runner-up to the Wathnan-owned Damysus in the Darley Stakes (G3) last time out. The latter effort was given a Racing Post Rating of 112.
"He's been bought for Wathnan Racing," confirmed Brown. "We've followed him with interest during the year and obviously we have Damysus, who won the Darley Stakes up here, so it's a form line we know plenty about.
"We hold Damysus in high regard and we thought Gladius ran well in behind him. The plan is he'll go back to Andrew Balding and we'll target the Qatar Derby with him."
Brown added: "He's what we're looking for. He's a progressive, pretty unexposed colt who can hopefully go to Qatar and be an international horse for us. That's what Ollie Tait set out with Wathnan, and that's the brief we've been given by the powers that be. He's just the sort of horse that fits that brief. He's already highly-rated after just six starts and he can climb higher still. Hopefully he can give Wathnan a big day at some stage."
Gladius is out of Persona Grata, a dual-listed winner by Sir Percy, which makes him a sibling to Kilboy Estate Stakes (G2) third Lovely Esteem. His family is responsible for one of the Autumn Horses in Training Sale's recent pinup graduates, as Persona Grata's siblings include the dam of Zaaki, a 150,000gns purchase by Stuart Boman in 2020 who went on to win four group 1s in Australia for Annabel Neasham.
Gladius becomes the third-most expensive lot in Autumn Horses in Training Sale history. The record is held by Sir Delius, who has gone some way to justifying a 1,300,000gns investment by winning the Underwood (G1) and Turnbull Stakes (G1) for the Waterhouse-Bott axis.
The other seven-figure lot to change hands at this event is the 1,000,000gns Aljazzi. Newsells Park Stud's purchase has seen her Frankel yearlings—one colt and one filly, generate Book 1 receipts worth a combined 8,000,000gns from Amo Racing.
