Group 1-placed listed winner PUTNEY BRIDGE (Mizzen Mast) proved the star on
the third day of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale, selling for
300,000 guineas. The consignment from Prince Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms
is always a highlight of the sale and this year’s group looked packed full of
potential. The forty-one lots offered sold for a total of 1,569,000 guineas and
included the session topper as well as MARCHING TIME (Sadler’s Wells), who
realized 270,000 guineas.
The four-year-old gelding Putney Bridge, offered as Lot No. 1074, has placed
multiple times in his career, including a third in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud
(Fr-G1) when under the care of Chantilly-based trainer Criquette Head-Maarek.
His third dam, Group 3 queen Slightly Dangerous (Roberto), placed in the1982
Epsom Oaks (Eng-G1) before going on to become Broodmare of the Year by producing
the likes of five-time champion and sire Warning (GB) (Known Fact); dual
highweight and sire Commander in Chief (GB) (Dancing Brave), who won the 1993
English (Eng-G1) and Irish Derbies (Ire-G1); Grade 1 heroine Yashmak (Danzig);
and multiple Group 2 victor and sire Dushyantor (Sadler’s Wells), who was third
in the 1998 Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1).
The efforts to secure Putney Bridge developed into a three-way battle between
agents John McCormack and Anthony Stroud, and trainer Howard Johnson. When
McCormack upped the ante, raising the price from 270,000 guineas to 300,000
guineas with one bid, it was enough to see off his challengers and secure the
gelding. McCormack bought the horse on behalf of Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal
bin Khalid.
“He’s for Prince Faisal bin Khalid and vetted well,” McCormack said. “His
form is there for all to see. I’d think he’ll ship out fairly soon, as he’s
already gelded and the Saudi season is now underway.”
A few lots earlier, Shadwell Stud’s Johnny Peter-Hoblyn secured Marching Time
for 270,000 guineas after seeing off Blandford Bloodstock’s Stuart Boman,
Anthony Stroud Bloodstock’s Matt Coleman and Kern Lillingston’s Alastair Donald.
The three-time winning three-year-old colt, sporting Lot 1056, was purchased by
Peter-Hoblyn on behalf of Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and is destined for the Dubai
International Racing Carnival.
“He’ll probably go to Dubai,” Peter-Hoblyn said. “He’s a decent horse with
progressive form and fits in with what we were looking for.”
Marching Time is out of Marching West (Gone West), who is a full sister to
top sires Zamindar and Zafonic, the latter of whom captured the 1993 English Two
Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1). Others of note in the family include Group 1-winning
sire Elmaamul (Diesis [GB]) and this season’s Nassau S. (Eng-G1) heroine Midday
(Oasis Dream [GB]), who is pre-entered for the November 6 Breeders’ Cup Filly &
Mare Turf (G1).
Early in the evening, the Welsh-based National Hunt trainer Evan Williams had
the listed winning four-year-old FIULIN (Galileo [Ire]) knocked down to him for
280,000 guineas after he saw off agent David Redvers. The chestnut won three
times when under the care of Newmarket handler Marco Botti and bought by
Williams on behalf of a London-based businessman. Fiulin, entered as Lot 1094,
is out of Fafinta (Indian Ridge), who is a half-sister to champion sire and
eight-time Group/Grade 1 winner Falbrav (Ire) (Fairy King).
“We’ve been looking for a couple of high-class hurdlers for a long time, and
have put in a lot of footwork trying to find them,” Williams said. “We’ve seen
everything we want to with this horse, and we were very taken by him as an
individual. He’s a big scopey horse who looks like he will enjoy jumping
hurdles.”
The day’s trade saw 240 lots sell for 6,338,400 guineas at an average of
26,410 guineas. Those numbers represent declines of 9.8 percent and 4.5 percent,
respectively, on last year when 254 horses brought a total 7,024,500 guineas
with an average of 27,656 guineas. The median of 14,500 guineas saw a rise of 45
percent over the 2008 median of 10,000 guineas.
For the complete results, go to www.tattersalls.com. The Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale continues Thursday with the
fourth and final session.