Some breeders spend a lifetime dreaming of topping a session of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Nick Jonsson achieved that feat Oct. 8 despite not wanting to sell at all.
The South African was responsible for the Night of Thunder colt out of the well-related Capture The Heart, who went the way of Ace Stud at 2.2 million guineas (US$3,055,899, 1 guinea=US$1.39). The seven-figure youngster was consigned by Luca and Sara Cumani's Fittocks Stud.
"I was a very reluctant seller," Jonsson said. "I was a very unwilling vendor because I was happy to keep the horse. I'm South African and don't really race here, but I just happened to have got a nicely bred filly who didn't get to the racecourse.
"We got lucky in sending her to Night of Thunder and, really, thanks go to Luca and Sara, because they did all the work."
The dam failed to make the racecourse after being purchased by Sam Haggas's Hurworth Bloodstock at 175,000 guineas, but her pedigree features black type at every other turn.
She is a sibling to three stakes performers, most notably her group 3-winning sister River of Stars, who sold to Yulong Investments at 1.65 million guineas in December 2024.
Another sibling is the dam of 2024 Coventry Stakes (G2) scorer Rashabar, while her third dam, Amarette, won the Preis der Diana (German Oaks, G1) in 2004.
Expanding on how he came to send the youngster to Tattersalls, Jonsson said: "I was planning on sending the mare back to South Africa, but Sara said I'd be mad to do that! So we kept her here and she's been proven right; she's given me very good advice. It's a good result."
Jonsson, whose great-grandfather founded the Durban Turf Club in 1887, has about 100 horses in training in South Africa, including this year's champion older horse See It Again.
Asked how the result at Park Paddocks compared with the more familiar feeling of racecourse success, Jonsson said: "I'm not sure if this is a success, is it? It's a lot of money, but winning races is a much better feeling. Winning group 1s is a way better feeling than buying or selling a horse."
The transaction took Ace Stud's Book 1 haul to five, with the group costing a combined 4,575,000 guineas, including a Night of Thunder colt purchased for 1.6 million guineas during the second session.
"He's a first foal, and obviously a very good first foal," said Paul Curran, Ace Stud's racing and bloodstock manager. "As I said yesterday, we're in the market for Night of Thunder colts, and he was probably the best of them. For us, he was a standout. It's a family that's done well for us, and we thought the physical matched the pedigree.
"He's a lovely colt with a bright future. He's going to go down the exact same route as yesterday's horse; he'll go to George Peckham to be broken in and then into training with Andrew Balding."
The operation was also involved in selling at Book 1, most notably the Frankel filly out of Alcohol Free, whose racecourse accomplishments include winning the 2020 Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) at 2, the Coronation (G1) and Sussex (G1) stakes at 3, before dropping back in trip to claim the July Cup Stakes (G1) at 4.
The Baroda Stud-consigned Frankel filly was initially bought back at 900,000 guineas, before a private deal was struck with Bobby Flay at 800,000 guineas.
READ: Flay Excited to Land Frankel Filly at Tattersalls
"We're delighted to see she's going to Andrew (Balding) and has been bought by Bobby Flay," Curran said. "As a first foal, it was good to see her sell and important for her to go to a good home, and to a lucky owner. She's a lovely filly and matched her pedigree. We would've been happy to race her ourselves if we hadn't got a deal done."
Godolphin spree continues
Godolphin secured its ninth and final seven-figure signing of the week when bidding 2 million guineas for the Frankel colt out of the listed-winning Crystal Zvezda from Longview Stud.
The youngster is a brother to the listed-placed Crystal Caprice and a half brother to the Sea The Stars colt who topped last year's renewal of Book 1. The latter colt also went the way of Godolphin at an even more punchy 3.7 million guineas.
The dam's siblings include a champion in Crystal Ocean and an international grade 1 scorer in Hillstar.
"He's by Frankel and it's a very good cross that's worked before," Anthony Stroud said. "We have the 2-year-old, who we purchased last year and like, and it's a wonderful Rothschild family. Provided everything goes according to plan, he should, hopefully, be a very interesting horse with the capability of becoming a stallion."
Asked if the seven-figure siblings bore any notable similarities, Stroud said: "I don't think so. The colt last year was a bigger, stronger, real mile-and-a-half horse. To me, this horse looks neater, and you could see him running over 7 furlongs, hopefully in something like the Dewhurst. He looks like a horse that'll run at 2 and, hopefully, be graded stakes class."
Forenaghts in fine form
A real purple patch for Forenaghts Stud continued when Godolphin went to 1 million guineas for the Night of Thunder filly out of listed scorer Cadeau Belle.
Sheikh Mohammed's operation bought a colt by the same sire and from the same breeder 12 months ago, and that 850,000-guinea signing turned out to be this year's Mill Reef Stakes (G2) scorer Nabati.
Tony and Sharon Smurfit's operation also topped the recent Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale when Paddy Twomey and Bond Thoroughbred Ltd went to €330,000 for a homebred son of Study of Man.
The good run continued at the Goffs Orby Sale when Jacob West, agent for Robert and Lawana Low, gave €360,000 for another Night of Thunder filly, before Thursday's piece de resistance.
"I thought I was going to fall over, I'm shocked!" said Forenaghts Stud manager Caoimhe Doherty. "I can't believe it. ... I couldn't believe it just kept going. I hope Sheikh Mohammed and Godolphin do with her what they've done with Nabati.
"I'm so pleased Godolphin bought her. I owe them so much personally, having done the Flying Start, working in Kildangan and now this.
"I thought things couldn't get better after the Mill Reef, then Fairyhouse was unbelievable. We had a good time in Goffs, too, but this is just insane. I'm going to retire at the end of the year because it can't get any better than this!"
Book 1 Statistics
The market proved remarkably resilient, with aggregate receipts reaching 126,516,000 guineas (US$175,736,417), a marginal decline of just 1% on the 127,226,000 guineas recorded 12 months earlier.
That figure was reached despite 352 lots changing hands, compared with 395 in 2025, representing an 11% drop in the number sold.
The average rose 12% year-on-year to 359,420 guineas (US$499,251), while the median climbed almost 10% to 230,000 guineas (US$319,480).
The clearance rate closed at 85%, up from 83% last year.
The October Yearling Sale continues Oct. 12, with the first of three Book 2 sessions starting at 10 a.m. local time.
