Kentucky Derby winner Justify obviously captured the imagination of high-rollers at the European sales this week, with five breeze-up yearlings by his sire Scat Daddy dominating the two days of selling at Arqana in France.
The stallion has emerged as one of the most sought-after sires in the northern hemisphere, though Scat Daddy died at Ashford Stud in Kentucky on December 14, 2015.
Doing dad proud: Trainer Bob Baffert, right, watches as Kentucky Derby winner Justify arrives at Pimlico Race Course.
Photo: AP
At the time the Ashford manager Dermot Ryan said: Scat Daddy was in the best of health but totally unexpectedly dropped dead when walking out of his paddock.
Scat Daddy commenced his stud career after suffering a tendon injury in the 2008 Kentucky Derby and his achievements worldwide have been phenomenal.
Justifys win in the Kentucky Derby was one to remember and trainer Bob Baffert has the three-year-old aiming at the second leg of the US Triple Crown – the Preakness Stakes – at Pimlico on Sunday (Australian time).
Scat Daddy had five unraced youngsters go through the sale ring at Arqana, the last of his crop available to owners, and they sold for a combined €2,355,000 at an average of €471,000. The top-priced lot was bought by the Coolmore syndicate for €825,000 while Phoenix Syndications bought two lots for a combined €1,020,000. Bloodstock agent Dermot Farrington was working in conjunction with the Phoenix group.
Godolphin also bought a Scat Daddy filly for €360,000, one of three breeze-up buys by Sheikh Mohammed for a total of €1,020,000. His other buys were sired by Poets Voice, another stallion no longer with us, and Siyouni, the leading France-based sire.
The lone colt by Frankel in the sale fetched €770,000.
Coolmore has been an unabashed fan of Scat Daddy and has two of his best sons at stud at its Hunter Valley base in 2018. They are No Nay Never and Caravaggio, the latter declared by Aidan OBrien as the fastest horse he has trained.
No Nay Never has shuttled to Australia for the past two seasons and those breeders who have used his services would be extremely pleased with the horse siring two two-year-old winners already. His first was at Belmont Park in America with the success of Mae Never No, which was followed up by OBriens Land Force at The Curragh last Saturday. Hes standing at $19,250 at Coolmore this season. Caravaggio has a formidable record, winning his four two-year-old starts and then putting together three straight wins as a three-year-old before finishing third and fourth in group 1 sprints in England. He is a stunning grey horse and Coolmore has set a $33,000 covering fee for his debut season.
Scone cream
The Scone annual sales took place at Inglis White Park base on Sunday and Monday, and officials were satisfied, with three yearlings selling for six-figure sums for the first time in the history of the sale. The top-priced lot was a Wandjina filly which sold for $110,000, followed by a Nicconi colt for $105,000, with the final six-figure lot a Deep Field colt for $100,000.
Inglis sold 163 yearlings at Scone for a $16,445 average.
At the conclusion of the Scone sale, Inglis revealed it had sold a total of 2079 yearlings in 2018 at a clearance rate of 86 per cent, an average of $116,560 and a gross turnover of a staggering $242,239,000.
Stand-out colt
Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum has a tremendous two-year-old prospect in the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Melik, a colt by Redoutes Choice who won a Randwick barrier trial on Tuesday in a brilliant speed display.
Melik is a full-brother to Blue Diamond runner-up Pariah, who was also prepared by the Snowdens and showed great talent in his trial win. His popularity at the 2017 Inglis Easter Sales was obvious as he sold for $2.5 million, the highest price paid for a yearling that year.
Another stylish type at the Randwick trials was Sir Owen, a Fastnet Rock colt from Micas Pride who is in the Chris Waller stable. In his third trial he finished a head second after coming from a distant last on the turn. Sir Owen races for the Go Bloodstock group, which is managed by Sir Owen Glenn, a New Zealand-based businessman who has raced a strong number of gallopers in Australia, including Criterion and Comin Through, who are both half-relations to Sir Owen.
Holding Court
Englishs resounding win in last Saturdays Doomben 10,000 in Brisbane was another fine result for her mother, Court, a four-time black-type winner by Anabaa who was bred and raced by Newhaven Parks Kelly family. Court has had three foals to race and all are winners, with Englishs prizemoney return of $3.4 million making her one of Australias most valuable broodmares.
Court, however, has been somewhat of a frustration with the mare missing at her past two coverings by Snitzel. Her last yearling to go to the sale ring was at the 2017 Inglis Easter Sales where Sheikh bin Khalifa paid $1.8 million for the Redoutes Choice half-sister to English who races as Al Naifa.
The Kellys have retained a yearling filly by Snitzel from Court and are yet to select a trainer.
Not too hard
Vinery Studs All Too Hard completed a three-state hat-trick on Wednesday which will assist him in the race for the three-year-old stallions title for the 2017-18 season over his arch-rival from his racetrack days Pierro.
Pierro is home and hosed as far as the biggest prizemoney earner of the season goes with a bankroll of $7,758,906, with All Too Hards earnings $3,398,109. All Too Hards treble on Wednesday took his total number of individual winners to 58 from 128 runners which have won a total of 84 races. His winners included Evolo at the Gold Coast followed by the Chris Waller-trained Cormac at Warwick Farm. All Too Hard then supplied a winning quinella at Sandown when the Team Hawkes-owned and -trained Riviera beat De Little Sister in a close finish.
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