I have to say that I was very tired of looking at yearlings constantly by the end of the long Tattersalls October Yearling Sales. I bought quite a few for various trainers (Gerard Butler, Bryan Smart, Marcus Tregoning, Mark Usher). It was hard work and I appreciated the help I received from Henry Candy’s daughter Emma Erskine Crum who was ‘spotting’ for me. No sooner than the yearling sales are over than I find myself staying up late working through the catalogue for the Tattersalls Horses-In-Training sale. I believe that this research beforehand together with talking to trainers, jockeys & stable staff is the only way to sort the good prospects from the spent forces. I bought 14 horses at the sale, which was down on some previous years, that will be going to Dubai, Bahrain, Hungary, Austria & the UK.
The month had started with plenty of anxiety as I had bought the Sir Michael Stoute trained Group 2 winner Strawberrydaiquiri for Aislabie Stud owner, Fawzi Nass. Three days after we completed on the purchase she ran in the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket. Buying a horse so close to a race does ratchet up the pressure and I was a mightily relieved agent when she ran her usual game race to finish a very honourable second and to justify why we bought her. She will stay in training for another year and will start by going to Dubai to run on World Cup night, before retiring to the stud.
Pachattack, a Listed winning yearling purchase trained by Gerard Butler, ran a decent 5th in the Grade 1 EP Taylor Stakes at Woodbine in Canada under what I thought was a lack lustre ride – should have been 3rd! She will remain in Canada for one more race in December before returning to Newmarket.
Looking forward
With the end of the year come the annual Breeding Stock Sales. I intend to go to Goffs, Tattersalls and Arqana where I hope to buy a few broodmares and breeding prospects. I will also be putting together the Stallion Nomination Card that I have produced for a number of years and which seems to have become a vital reference of buyers at the sales and during the year.