International money drove a solid start to the four-day Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale Oct. 26, with buyers from all corners of the globe represented among the leading spenders.
The improving Arctic Tsar will continue his career in Hong Kong after Billy Jackson-Stops landed the winning bid at 390,000 guineas (US$546,00, 1 guinea=US$1.40). The 2-year-old son of Kodiac was cataloged as having won a Leicester nursery on his most recent outing and had enhanced his appeal by completing a hat-trick with two further victories at Kempton.
"He'll go to Hong Kong and to David Eustace," said agent Will Douglass, who handled media duties on behalf of the buying team. "Billy and I do it together. We bought a nice horse from Clive called Riding Together a couple of years ago, so he's been a good source of horses for us.
"This horse has won three on the spin and looks progressive and straightforward. Physically, he looks like the type that will do well out there too, which is key. He also vetted cleanly as well."
Arctic Tsar was offered on behalf of Anthony Ramsden's Valmont outfit. The youngster cost Alex Elliott €90,000 as a yearling and was reoffered through the agent's Imperium Sales draft.
This pedigree has already produced one Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale success story: the dam is a half sister to Zaaki. The son of Leroidesanimaux sold to Annabel Neasham and Blandford Bloodstock's Stuart Boman for 150,000 guineas in 2020 before going on to annex four group 1 prizes in Australia.
Cambridgeshire Handicap winner Pierre Royal completed a money-spinning 12 months when selling for 375,000 guineas. Sydney-based agent Louis le Metayer of Astute Bloodstock signed the six-figure ticket.
The Moyglare Stud-bred 4-year-old cost trainer Ado McGuinness and BBA Ireland's Adam Potts just 48,000 guineas at this sale 12 months ago. The son of Kingman has proved largely consistent in big-field handicaps since, winning at the Curragh in June and getting up in the final strides at Newmarket to land odds of 33-1.
Scythe heads Stateside
Scythe, the highest-rated 2-year-old in this year's catalog, was knocked down to agent Darren O'Dwyer at 250,000 guineas.
The Brian Meehan-trained son of Victor Ludorum was cataloged as having won a Newbury maiden on his debut before going down by just a short head to Primetime Emmy in the Prix Eclipse (G3).
He was last seen keeping on into third behind Al Hamaad in the Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte (G2).
"He's got some serious form," said O'Dwyer. "He's been bought for Bonnie and Tommy Hamilton of Silverton Hill Stables, so he's going to America. It's undecided which trainer he'll go to at the minute, but his profile suggests he'll do well out there.
"To try and buy a horse like that in America would cost you way more, probably over half a million, so I thought we got good value. We'll see where we go with him but he's only two, so fingers crossed. He's not an overly big horse, but he's all there in proportion and his form speaks volumes."
Scythe was bred by Sam Sangster and owned in partnership with Colin Day. He was sold through The Castlebridge Consignment.
The Hamiltons will be hoping for more big-race glory after their colors were carried to group 1 glory on this side of the Atlantic. Hotazhell, who was recently recruited for a dual-hemisphere stallion career between Haras d'Etreham and Widden Stud, landed the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis-Bayerisches Zuchtrennen before following up in the Irish Champion Stakes (G1).
