Boman and Neasham bag Zaaki’s half-brother at Tattersalls
Annabel Neasham and her longtime European-based bloodstock agent Stuart Boman unsurprisingly snapped up Zaaki’s (Leroidesanimaux) half-brother at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale on Wednesday, paying the Staffordstown consignment 100,000gns (approx. AU$201,800) for the son of Study Of Man (Deep Impact).
Neasham and Boman teamed up to buy Zaaki, subsequent winner of four Group 1 races in Australia, for 150,000gns in the same sales ring at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale in 2020.
Boman told ANZ Bloodstock News on Wednesday that not only was the yearling a nice type, but there was understandably a significant amount of sentimental value attached to the youngster, given the exploits of his older brother.
“He was a horse we were attracted to when we saw the catalogue,” said Boman, who signed for the colt under the Blandford Bloodstock banner. “It’s not every day you get the chance to buy a horse who is a half-brother to a horse that has been so successful for the team. I saw the horse back in May at Staffordstown and I have followed him through since then.
“I am very happy to have been able to purchase him for Annabel. He will likely be broken in in Europe and head down to Australia towards the end of the year.”
With career earnings just shy of $11 million, Zaaki will be given the chance to add to his haul when he lines up in the $5 million King Charles III Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) at Randwick this weekend.
Blue-blooded Sea The Stars colt caps Book 2 at 425,000gns
There was a late change of market leader during the final session of Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale when Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock went to 425,000gns (approx. AU$857,580) for a Sea The Stars (Cape Cross) colt closely related to Group 1 winner Mekhtaal (Sea The Stars) from Norelands Stud.
Brown said it was a likeness with Sea The Stars’ brilliant six-time Group 1-winning son Baaeed that really had him hooked, although he conceded it was another member of his team who first brought the attractive colt to his attention.
“A lot of credit has to go to our spotters,” said Brown. “It’s very hard to get around this number of horses and very early on Sam Goyette, who’s currently working for Juddmonte, told me he’d found a special horse. I raised my eyebrows and thought, ‘Yeah, of course’, but when I went down and saw this colt I was like, ‘Wow! This is a very serious horse.’
“I knew he’d be hard to buy because he’s by one of the greatest stallions around and is from a great back page. Luckily I had an existing client who was willing to have a go. He’ll stay in Europe but I’m not sure where he’ll be trained yet.”
Bred by the Tsui family’s Sunderland Holding Inc, the session-topper is out of Miss Aiglonne, a Dawn Approach (New Approach) sibling to six stakes performers. The sextet includes Mekhtaal, and the Group 2 winner Democrate (Dalakhani).
“It’s interesting as I saw Baaeed quite a lot at William Haggas’s, and he had this huge, flat hindquarter and great width of hip, but he wasn’t a huge horse,” continued Brown. “This horse has the same hind end as Baaeed. He’s a different colour but he’s the same sort of model. He had great movement and he just looked classy out there.
“Sea The Stars is right up there with the very best. We’re all dreaming but we’re also realists, unfortunately, and the fact is that most horses aren’t very good. But buying a horse who looks like that and is by Sea The Stars gives you a chance of having a top Group 1 horse.”
As is so often the case, buyers and sellers had slightly divided opinions on the strength of trade during the three days of Book 2. While acknowledging that double-digit year-on-year decreases are always going to be hard to ignore, the shifts seen across the spectrum of key market indices are arguably a greater reflection of the giddy highs of last year, rather than a sign of something more concerning this time around.
Granted, certain areas of the market proved more challenging than others, but by and large the three sessions produced solid trade, albeit with fewer flashpoints than 12 months ago. Turnover was down 11 per cent at 53,978,500gns (approx. AU$108,919,840), while the average dipped by ten points to 86,230gns (approx. AU$174,000). The median went from 70,000gns to 62,000gns (approx. AU$125,100), a drop of 11 per cent. The clearance rate was almost on a par with 2022 as 626 yearlings sold from 734 offered.
Brown gave his assessment of trade across the three sessions of Book 2, and was keen to emphasise the positives after a more challenging renewal of Book 1.
“I think the market has been strong,” he said. “It’s been well documented that Book 1 was tricky but this week has been hard buying. I haven’t bought as many as I did last week and I’ve tried on plenty.
“There are definitely cracks and it would be foolish for anybody involved to be saying everything is smooth sailing, but that’s often the way with markets. Overall, I think you have to have a positive takeaway from this Book.”