Big week awaits Godolphin with sale, Stradbroke beckoning
The racing powerhouse will send an 18-horse team through the virtual sales ring on June 10, while Trekking aims to go back-to-back
Godolphin will make a first foray as vendor into the online auction domain when it offers 18 tried horses for sale through the Inglis Digital June (Early) Online Sale next week.
It comes as Godolphin’s Australian arm prepares to tackle the final Group 1 of the season, the Stradbroke Handicap (Gr 1, 1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday, with a likely four-runner team, while internationally, the racing operation will be represented by Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Gr 1, 1600m) favourite Victor Ludorum (Shamardal) tonight as well as 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) hotpot Pinatubo (Shamardal) this weekend.
“Globally, it has been a tough time for the Godolphin operation, while Australia has been fortunate with racing continuing,” Godolphin Australia managing director Vin Cox told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday. “Most jurisdictions are gradually opening with all staff looking forward to our horses getting back to the races. Interestingly, the breeding operations have not missed a beat, the stallions have been as busy as ever while operating amidst very strict human biosecurity protocols and procedures.
“We are all looking forward to cheering on the royal blue colours in some very exciting racing coming up.”
A key feature of the Godolphin operation has been their willingness to trade stock through tried horse sales. Among their horses that have proven successful for new connections are Sonntag (Teofilo), purchased for $58,000 before going on to win the Queensland Derby (Gr 1, 2400m); Pecans (Skilled), sold for $50,000 before winning two Group 3 races; and Big Blue (Galileo), who won the ATC St Leger (2600m) before heading to the UK for a Cheltenham Festival campaign.
However, while they have participated in plenty of physical tried horse sales in the past, next week’s Inglis auction will be the first time they have sold horses online.
“It is the first time we have gone down the online path,” Cox said. “We do generally sell a tranche of racehorses at this time of year, but given these unique times we are selling online. Over a period of time we have built up a faith with the buyers, we don’t offer horses that have any issues that will compromise their ability to go to the races. Transparency is also the key, we disclose everything we know about each horse.”
Godolphin’s racing and bloodstock manager Jason Walsh added: “Inglis have invested significant time and resources into ensuring its online platform provides both vendor and buyer with a simple and transparent solution to purchasing and selling bloodstock and Godolphin is looking forward to participating for the first time.”
Inglis welcomed Godolphin’s involvement in their online arena, with general manager of bloodstock sales and marketing Sebastian Hutch saying it is “one of the ultimate endorsements for the Inglis Digital platform”.
“Godolphin Australia is recognised not just as the premier breeding operation in Australasia but arguably one of the most effective breeding operations in the world,” Hutch said yesterday. “Its record speaks for itself. The regularity with which it produces top-class racehorses is nothing short of extraordinary.
“To have the opportunity to offer a number of horses of racing age and with racing upside that are graduates of this extraordinary breeding program is a great opportunity for us and a fantastic opportunity for our enormous client base.”
Among the horses on offer is Esperance (Bernardini), a comfortable winner at Rosehill on Saturday, as well as yesterday’s Ballarat maiden winner Flensburg (Reset). Cox said that, despite their wins, they were both still set to head for the virtual sale.
“Subject to those horses being fit and well, they will be offered,” he said. “Once we have made the decision to sell, irrespective of current race form, we generally sell. We love following the careers of our graduates. Manseneta won today at Gunnedah, Hemsted won last week at Bathurst and Ligulate won the Tamworth Cup recently, plus there have been plenty of winners in north Queensland too.”
Also being sold is The Driller (Sea The Stars), a regally-bred three-year-old out of Group 1 winner Shamal Wind (Dubawi), as well as other recent winners like Golwen (Lonhro) and Secretively (Dawn Approach).
Cox said: “To use an old cliche, there is a horse for every buyer, from maiden performers to open class horses, and last-start winners too.”
Inglis Digital is now one of a number of online platforms for trading thoroughbreds across Australia and New Zealand, with Covid-19 protocols accelerating the move into and the growth of the digital marketplace.
“One of the most valuable features of the Inglis Digital online platform is the fact that it’s a tried, proven and established platform with a strong precedent of success,” Hutch said. “It’s a platform that is very familiar and the success of graduates continues to progress at a rapid rate, particularly over the last six months and as recently as a few weeks ago with Bella Vella being the first Group 1 graduate.
“It seems like a very effective marriage between Godolphin and Inglis in this type of sale; they have the stock and we have a massive client base to take advantage of it. We’re looking forward to being able to host an effective sale for them and hopefully our buyers will be able to recognise the value that the Godolphin horses can represent and we are talking about the success stories from this sale in six, 12, 18 months’ time.”
What makes this digital sale different from others that have been held during the Covid-19 era is that the Godolphin draft can be inspected at Riverside Stables at Warwick Farm from next Monday, June 8, before the hammer drops on Wednesday, June 10.
“We’ve put provisions in place for the Godolphin stock to be inspected at Riverside Stables, subject to restrictions and social distancing requirements,” Hutch said. “Inspections are by appointment only and it is very easy to organise through Brett Gilding, one of our Inglis bloodstock staff members.
“It’s just an added advantage to have the facility which allows us to facilitate these kinds of inspections and hopefully people take advantage of the opportunity. They can meet some of the Godolphin staff, see some of the horses in the flesh and get some further insight into the subtleties and the particulars of the stock. Again, hopefully it helps buyers make informed decisions and identify the stock they really want and try to get some value.”
Before the sale, Godolphin will send out as many as four runners in the Stradbroke Handicap, which will be the last Group 1 of the 2019-20 season after the Brisbane winter carnival program was reduced.
Trekking (Street Cry) will attempt to join Black Piranha (Clang) and Rough Habit (Roughcast) as a back-to-back Stradbroke winner in the modern era and enters off a second Group 1 win in The Goodwood (Gr 1, 1200m) in Adelaide.
He will be joined by Kementari (Lonhro), seeking his first win since returning as a gelding, and last-start Listed winner Ranier (Lonhro), while last year’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) winner Exhilarates (Snitzel) is likely to back-up after her fast-finishing second in the Fred Best Classic (Gr 3, 1350m) last Saturday.
“We look forward to the Stradbroke Handicap this week,” Cox said. “Trekking is returning to defend his title. He has quietly worked his way into that group of horses described as the elite sprinters – he has come third in The Everest and won The Goodwood since winning the Stradbroke last year.
“Kementari will line up, albeit not in the same vocation we had in mind for him this time last year. Ranier is in a rare vein of form and deserves his spot in the race, and Exhilarates will likely have the seven day back-up, the same as she did in winning the Magic Millions last year, subject to her coming out of yesterday’s race OK.”
The field for the Stradbroke Handicap and the other Group 1 on Saturday’s Eagle Farm card, the J J Atkins (Gr 1, 1400m), will be confirmed tomorrow morning.
Godolphin horses for sale
AUXIN (3 g Exceed And Excel – Caline)
CAMP RIFLE (2 g Shooting To Win – Mead)
DULCERO (3 f Dawn Approach – Switmoa)
DYNAMITED (4 g Exceed And Excel – Shatters)
ESPERANCE (5 g Bernardini – Sycophant)
FLENSBURG (3 g Reset – Mayfield)
FRAZIL (Medaglia d’Oro – Sastruga)
GOLWEN (3 g Lonhro – Sindarin)
IMSOUANE (3 f Lonhro – Seaside)
JAZIRAT (3 f Shooting To Win – Alzira)
MONTSERRAT (3 g Not A Single Doubt – My Sydney Rose)
PREBENDAL (2 g Teofilo – Benenden)
REALITY (3 g Shooting To Win – Hallucinates)
SECRETIVELY (3 g Dawn Approach – Very Discreet)
SHAIBANAT (3 g Lonhro – Margham)
SHIELDED (3 g Helmet – Shelters)
THE DRILLER (3 g Sea The Stars – Shamal Wind)
TONGARIRO (3 g Animal Kingdom – Pele)