Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2 Begins Oct. 12

Reminders of Book 2 have been appearing in equine form across Newmarket lately as the bloodstock world readied itself for the next stage of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Oct. 12-14. Ombudsman (IRE), who has sat near the top of the Longines World's Best Racehorse standings throughout the year, will remain this section's headliner for many years as a 340,000 guineas purchase for Godolphin four years ago. The five-time group 1 winner could add even more luster to his impressive record in next weekend's Champion Stakes (G1) and was limbering up on the Limekilns early on the morning of Oct. 10 ahead of the group 1. Then, as soon as the action began on the Rowley Mile, Humidity (GB) indicated he could be a contender at the highest end as a most promising winner of the Darley Stakes (G3) on his first outing since finishing second to Bow Echo (IRE) in the Royal Lodge Stakes (G2) more than a year ago. The Ulysses (IRE) brother to Holloway Boy (GB) is one who got away at Book 2, having been bought back by his breeder Cheveley Park Stud for 120,000 guineas in 2024. Ombudsman is a son of Night Of Thunder (IRE) from James Hanly's Ballyhimikin Stud, which had a strong Book 1 headed by the 1,100,000 guineas sale of a Trevor Stewart-bred Blue Point (IRE) filly to Godolphin. The theme continued into Saturday's Autumn Stakes (G3), with Godolphin's winning Blue Point colt Rock Montreal (IRE), another 1,000,000 guineas signing from the same County Tipperary Farm at Book 1 a year ago. There are no direct relatives with late updates for Ballyhimikin at Book 2 this time, but the draft still looks capable of delivering big prices. It has one of the seven progeny of champion sire Night of Thunder remaining in the catalog in a colt out of Vario (Lot 1032), who is a sister of Dermot Weld's Canadian International Stakes (G1T) third Purview (GB). Ballyhimikin further presents a couple of the 23 Blue Points left in Book 2. A wildcard colt (487A) is a half brother to 2021 Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) runner-up Flotus (IRE) and is joined by the first foal (998), a filly, out of the well-related United States grade 3 scorer Tezzaray (GB). The draft includes another supplementary member in a Havana Grey (GB) colt (963A), brother of Jonny Portman's top-notch sprinter Rumstar (GB), and yet another magnificent descendant of Stewart's blue hen Cassandra Go in one of her Lope de Vega (IRE) grandsons (1004). The April-born chestnut is out of Tickled Pink, making him a half brother of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) winner Victoria Road (IRE). Stewart and Ballyhimikin are still responsible for the record price set at Book 2 in 2019 from the same dynasty, when Dark Angel (IRE) filly Tarhib (IRE) was knocked down to Shadwell for 1,050,000 guineas. There is red-hot competition to get a yearling into Book 1, but the flip-side is that those who are selected for Book 2 can really stand out. That might well be the case for the likes of the only Frankel (GB) (597), Hillwood Stud's son of group 3 sprinter Kurious (GB) from the immediate family of Tangerine Trees and Alpha Delphini, or Hazelwood Bloodstock's sole Justify (757), who is out of a Frankel mare and a sister of recent Australian group 2 winner and Melbourne Cup (G1) hope The Euphrates (GB). As a 3,800,000 guineas colt and 2,600,000 guineas filly showed last week, some of the last of the Wootton Bassetts continue to move the dial and there are nine more of them in the catalog. Fittocks Stud's Nathaniel (IRE), brother of group 1 star and Book 2 graduate Lady Bowthorpe (GB) (653) and the Sea The Stars (IRE) brothers of The Lion In Winter (1048) and Miss Yoda (708) are just snippets among a host of other entries who could easily have appeared last week. One more horse continuing his preparations for Champions Day is Blue Point's son Kind of Blue (GB), who won the group 1 sprint in 2024 and warmed up for another tilt with a recent win in a conditions race at Kempton Park. Kind of Blue was actually withdrawn from Book 3, which follows on from Oct. 15, but the National Stud will be presenting his three-parts sister by Pinatubo (IRE) (1152) during Wednesday's session.