Tattersalls Book One review: Amo Racing land top target

By David Ord

Horse Racing

Fri October 11, 2024 · 2M ago

Amo Racing produced more fireworks when paying 4.3m guineas for a Wootton Bassett colt on Thursday.

Kia Joorabchian's team have been incredibly busy all week, having landed a host of well-bred youngsters including three Frankel yearlings who cost close to a combined eight million guineas on Tuesday.

Wednesday proved more frustrating as they lost out in several duels with Godolphin but there was no backing down over this son of Wootton Basset from the family of Was, Park Express and New Approach.

The sum they paid was a new record for a colt at Book One.

Bloodstock agent Alex Elliott told Tattersalls: "The horse is faultless, from the top to the bottom of the page, from the farm he was reared on, they've had the family for so many generations and he was one of the most spectacular horses I've ever seen.

"I said to Kia when we showed him the horse 'you've been second in two Derbys, there's every chance this horse can take you a place higher'.

"From that moment Kia locked on with Mr Marinakis again and the whole team. We all lined up and I suppose you could say it's the bullseye when everyone has the same opinion. It doesn't take much judgement to find horses like this."

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Joorabchian said: "We have a lot of stock, for us to get to the next level we have to target the best stock. We have targeted this sale and the US. Every member of my team when we saw this colt said we can't leave without him, and it was him and the two Frankel fillies – they were our three main targets and we have managed to get all three, so we are happy.

"To play at the top is very hard, we have run the stats and if you look at all the Group 1s over the last four years, they are either homebreds or extremely well-bred. Of course, you get the odd one come through, but really to get to the next level, the stallions and mares have got to be strong.

"We have not had the strength so this year our strategy has been to have the strength in pedigree. I like to follow our own strategy, we speak about, we sat around every night, we have gone through the book and every member of the team has been involved, we have all given opinions, we have had a short list and going on."

The record-breaking numbers for lot 332 (Credit: Tattersalls)

Amo later took their spending for the week beyond the £22,000,000 barrier when giving 2,900,000 for a Camelot filly out of a half-sister to Luxembourg.

Godolphin continued to spend big on Thursday too, securing the Siyouni half-sister to Ylang Ylang for 3.7million guineas. They also paid 1,600,000 for a Sea The Stars full-sister to Sea Silk Road and secured a Mehmas half-brother to Perfect Power for 1,000,000.

Earlier on Thursday, William Haggas beat Amo to the first seven-figure lot of the day. The went head-to-head over Lot 311, a Wootton Bassett filly out of My Titania, a family the Newmarket trainer knows very well.

And, bidding for Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy who own Commonwealth Cup runner-up Lake Forest, he came out on top with the final bid of 1.7m guineas.

Haggas told Tattersalls: We have had lots of the family before and she is fairly typical of them."

The Coolmore team paid 1.5m guineas for a Frankel filly out of Prize Exhibit, a full-sister to Mohaather.

Successful bidder MV Magnier said: "She is a very nice filly, we have been very lucky with buying horses of David and Diane [Nagle] they are great breeders, they have bred very good horses in the past. We bought History here a couple of years ago, she is in-foal to Justify carrying a colt, Aidan liked her.

"The sale has been incredible, Tattersalls has done a great job getting everyone here. You could feel a couple of days before the sale a great buzz around the place, and Tattersalls got the horses and the people here.

"It is incredible that Amo, the effort and money the team is spending, I wish them the best of luck."

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