Amo Racing Lands Record-Breaking Colt at Tattersalls

"They think it's all over," said Alistair Pim Oct. 10 as he channeled his inner Kenneth Wolstenholme during the 1966 World Cup Final. And with that, the auctioneer dropped the hammer with a resounding thud at a record-breaking 4.3 million guineas (US$5,891,000, 1 guinea=US$1.37). "It is now." Not for the first time at Tattersalls this week, it was Kia Joorabchian of Amo Racing who was on target. His latest remarkable seven-figure volley not only consigned Coolmore to the role of underbidder but saw the son of Wootton Bassett (GB) and Park Bloom (IRE) from Lodge Park Stud become the most expensive colt ever sold at Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale. Fittingly, the dam is a full sister to Al Naamah (IRE), who holds the outright record for the most expensive yearling in this sale's illustrious history. Lodge Park sold the daughter of Galileo to Al Shaqab Racing for 5 million guineas in 2013. It speaks to the depth of this family that the group 3-placed Al Naamah does not even figure on the catalog page, with that precious print space reserved for the dam's full siblings Was (IRE), winner of the 2012 Epsom Oaks (G1), group 3 scorer Douglas Macarthur (IRE), and 2021 Curragh Cup (G2) victor Amhran Na Bhfiann (IRE). The dam is out of Alluring Park, a daughter of dual champion Park Express and a half sister to 2008 Epsom Derby (G1) hero New Approach (IRE). Despite the Wootton Bassett colt's eye-catching price tag, he is not even Joorabchian's biggest purchase this week, with that title belonging to the Frankel (GB) filly out of Aljazzi (GB) secured for 4.4 million guineas on Day 1, just minutes before the Amo Racing man went to 2.5 million guineas for Alpinista (GB)'s highly touted Frankel sister. Joorabchian has already tasted plenty of racing success, with Amo's distinctive purple colors carried to notable victories by the likes of Bucanero Fuerte (GB), Crypto Force (GB), King of Steel, and Persian Dreamer, while Mojo Star (IRE) also ran second in Adayar (IRE)'s Derby in 2021. However, the football agent said this week's sales ring statement of intent represented a new direction designed to take Amo Racing to even greater heights. "We had a lot of stock that is good, but for us to go to the next level we're going to have to target the best," he said. "So we've targeted two sales, Keeneland and Tatts Book 1 and 2. Every member of my team, when they saw that horse, they all said we can't leave without him, so we decided we weren't going to leave without him. This colt and the Frankel fillies were our main targets and we managed to hit all three, so we're very happy." Joorabchian has been in the thick of the action from the off this week and has engaged the established superpowers in some compelling bidding tussles. By close of play, Amo Racing's 25 Book 1 purchases, which featured eight recruits with partners including Al Shaqab and Valmont, totaled a colossal 22,940,000 guineas. Amo on its own signed for 17 lots at an outlay of 19,575,000 guineas. Asked whether he was able to enjoy this stage of the process, he said: "Who enjoys spending that kind of money? But you have to do it. We're trying to buy the best stock, that's all we're trying to do. We can't compete unless we're trying to get the best stock. How do you compete otherwise? It's very hard. We've been trying for the last few years but outwitting these people is very hard." He continued: "We've run the stats, and if you look at all the group 1s in, say, the last four years, almost all the winners are either homebreds or extremely well bred. Of course, you get the odd Vandeek or Perfect Power, but if we really want to develop and get to the next level, your stallions and your mares have got to be strong. We'd spent the money (previously) but we didn't have that strength. This year we've changed our strategy and decided we needed to have that strength in pedigree." In summing up Amo Racing's involvement this week, Joorabchian said: "Our team has a strategy; we've spoken about it, sat around and gone through the catalog, and every member of the team has been involved and given their opinions. We came here with a shortlist and we're going for it... so everyone's neck is on the line!" Bloodstock agent Alex Elliott has been a key figure in Amo's buying mission and, unsurprisingly, gave the Wootton Bassett colt, who will be trained by Karl Burke, the highest praise. "If you were going to paint a racehorse, that's as close to perfection as you can get," he said. "From the top to the bottom, from the farm he came from, the amount of time and money and love that the Burns family have put into that page, it's just phenomenal. To get a physical like that is a lifetime achievement for anybody. For us to be able to buy into that, it's phenomenal that Kia has done that because you don't really find people that can do that. "When I first showed Kia the horse, there was myself, Ben McElroy, and Robson Aguiar, it doesn't take a genius to find that horse, but we all said you can't get better than that. I said to Kia, 'You've been second in two Derbys, that is a horse that can take you one place better.'" Elliott added: "If he can run to how he looks, he's going to have a spot in a stallion shed one day. It was always going to take that (price) because Coolmore weren't going to let that horse out of their sight. To beat them, when they're the best in the game, I think what Kia is doing is refreshing. It feels like it's reinvigorated the whole thing. "I feel very honored to be a small part of the whole process. Thankfully Kia has faith in his team and I hope these men get rewarded for what they're doing because we're trying to buy the best stock, and at the end of the day we're just doing our jobs." Lodge Park's Jamie Burns, who was on the end of the lead rein when the colt took his turn in the ring, said: "I wasn't really thinking when it went over 4 million (guineas), emotion took over, it was surreal. I'm coming down from the clouds a bit now but it was all pretty special. "He's been busy all week and has never turned a hair once. We've bred four generations on this colt's page, and we also had Park Appeal, who's Wootton Bassett's pedigree too." The Wootton Bassett colt was far from the end of the Amo action on Day 3 as the team also went to 2.9 million guineas for a Camelot (GB) filly out of Sense of Style (IRE) from Camas Park Stud. The youngster not only shares her sire with Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) heroine Bluestocking (GB) but her group 3-placed dam is also a half sister to the four-time group 1-winning Luxembourg (IRE), who is also by Camelot. "It's a strong market, she's a beautiful filly and when you get two to tango you can get two to tango," said Ben Sangster, the delighted breeder of the seven-figure youngster. "The family has been really good to me. I hope she goes to a nice home and lives up to their expectations. I'm a bit gobsmacked. This is rather amazing. I think everything that's gone on this week has exceeded expectations. I didn't really have a figure in my mind, but it certainly wasn't that, put it that way!" Statistics New high marks posted in aggregate, average and median figures told the tale of a Book 1 for the ages. Turnover for the three days hit a jaw-dropping 127,823,000 guineas (US$175,117,510), a 34% year-on-year gain. The average price rose by a whopping 52% to 370,500 guineas (US$507,585), while the median went up by 39 points to 250,000 guineas (US$342,500), having been 180,000 guineas 12 months ago. The clearance rate was 89% as 345 lots sold from 393 offered. And all this was achieved despite a smaller catalog resulting in 77 fewer lots being offered and 46 fewer transactions. Trade on Day 3 reached scarcely believable levels, with turnover for the session growing by 54% to 44,760,000 guineas (US$61,321,200). The average was the highest for the three days at 403,245 guineas (US$552,446), an 84% increase, while the median went up by 48% to 230,000 guineas (US$315,100). The clearance rate was 84% as 111 yearlings sold from 132 offered lots. "The very top of the market has been outlandish with an unprecedented eight yearlings selling for 2 million guineas or more, 16 selling for seven-figure sums, and almost 70 yearlings realizing 500,000 guineas or more," said Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony. "The buyers who have made all of this possible have come from far and wide. The contribution from throughout the Gulf region has been such a feature of sales at Tattersalls for a very long time and their continued support should never be underestimated. This year they have been joined by an almost overwhelming number of overseas buyers with the large contingent of American buyers making a massive contribution alongside buyers from Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan and throughout Europe, all of whom have been competing with strong domestic demand, most notably from Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing, which has become such a force on the global racing scene."