Blue Point Colt Rebounds Nicely at Tattersalls Book 2

Plan B worked like a charm for Ballyhimikin Stud when a well-related Blue Point (IRE) colt progressed from a 215,000 guineas foal to a 600,000 guineas (approx. US$833,534; 1 guinea=US$1.39) yearling Oct. 12 during the opening session of Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. The punchy pinhook looked to have gone awry when the half brother to group 1 performer Flotus (IRE) had to be withdrawn from last week's Book 1 of the sale. However, having made a swift recovery from a minor travel issue, the youngster was wildcarded to Book 2 before being knocked down to Blandford Bloodstock's Richard Brown on Monday morning. "We hit a bit of a speed bump when the horse had trouble traveling over," said Jack Hanly, son of Ballyhimikin's James Hanly. "We had to make a decision about what we did next, but once he was here we found that it wasn't bad enough that we had to bring him home. We kept him here and because he's such a good horse, he's definitely a Book 1 type, we went to Tatts and asked if they'd take him as a wildcard. "Generally you have to have a proper horse to do that, and he is a very good horse; physically, in terms of his movement, and his mind is very good too. I think the page stands up too; obviously Blue Point is on fire. "Tatts did a super job promoting him and helping us with all the logistics, and our team did a fantastic job too. When you bring them over here you have to keep them settled and ticking over. The outcome was fantastic. You have to be prepared for the unexpected, and you just have to put in the work, look at all the options, and then of course luck is a factor too. Thankfully, this had a happy ending." Brown was unable to reveal training plans, but said: "He's a beautiful colt and I think he would've stood out last week; he certainly stood out today. I'm a big fan of the stallion and the mare's obviously already produced a good one in Flotus. I think that's his value—I do think that whatever sale a horse is in, they tend to make their value. We're the lucky ones as I think he's a really smashing colt to get our hands on." The Blandford man added: "He showed brilliantly right from the start, but it shows how much we ask the horses to do and how small the margins can be. It was a great plan by all parties that his sale could be accommodated this week, rather than waiting for the December Yearling Sale." Mullins and Amo Team Up Emmet Mullins can look forward to preparing a well-related son of Frankel (GB) from his new base at Glebe House Stables after partnering with Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing for a colt (Lot 597) who cost 475,000 guineas. The Hillwood Stud-consigned youngster is out of Kurious, winner of the Coral Charge (G3) and a sibling to the group 1-winning sprinters Alpha Delphini and Tangerine Trees. "He had all the attributes of Frankel but looked much earlier, much faster," Joorabchian told Tattersalls. "We saw a couple in Book 1 and obviously the prices just kept going up and up and up. We've bought him together with Paul Byrne for Emmet." The Next Estrange? Cheveley Park Stud was among the top 10 buyers during Book 1, with five yearlings purchased for an outlay of 2,150,000 guineas. The recruitment drive continued on Monday when a daughter (Lot 555) of Night of Thunder (IRE) was added to the haul at 450,000 guineas. The youngster was offered by Carisbrooke Stud, who bred the filly from the winning and listed-placed Footstepsinthesand mare Impulsion. Given the dam's name, Cheveley Park's managing director Chris Richardson couldn't resist offering a tongue-in-cheek reply when asked what had prompted their purchase. "It was a bit of an Impulsion really!" he said. "She's a lovely, athletic filly with a wonderful mind, and Night of Thunder is a sire who's had a phenomenal year. For us, she ticked all the boxes and we're prepared to give her a bit of time. Obviously Yvonne Jacques of Carisbrooke is a breeder we know well and she breeds good horses, so we're happy to buy this filly from her. "Mrs. Thompson will be discussing training plans at lunchtime, but nothing has been decided as yet. Several trainers have approached us already asking if there's a chance they could have her. We bought four fillies last week and Mrs. Thompson is enjoying the sales and getting some new blood in." Cheveley Park Stud color bearer Estrange (IRE) is one of six group/grade 1 winners sired by Night of Thunder in 2026. The 5-year-old was retired following her victory in the Pretty Polly Stakes (G1), and Richardson said there were still "a couple of irons in the fire" with regard to her debut mating. Cheveley Park Stud also went to 375,000 guineas for the Havana Grey (GB) sister to Shouldvebeenaring from Whitsbury Manor Stud. The pedigree received a timely boost when the filly's 3-year-old half-sister, Zen Diva, finished second, beaten just a neck, in the listed Boadicea Stakes at Newmarket Oct. 9. Apple Tree Colt Blossoms Into 400,000 Guineas Paul Dunkley's Apple Tree Stud enjoyed a strong result when Anthony Stroud went to 400,000 guineas for the Sea The Stars (IRE) colt out of Heavenly Breath. The homebred dam won one of her nine starts for Archie Watson, and was also runner-up to Blue Rose Cen in the Prix D'Aumale (G3). She is a sibling to three black-type performers, most notably Italian group 3 scorer Dr Omran. They are out of Apple Tree's foundation mare Astonishing, a 360,000 guineas purchase back in 2015. "Over the moon," said Apple Tree Stud manager Robert 'Choc' Thornton. "I think he was entitled to make that, so it's not a complete shock, but they still have to come here and do it. Buyers took a bit of time to warm to him because I don't think he's exactly what you'd expect when you pull a Sea The Stars out of the stable. "He looks to me like he'd be a mid to late summer two-year-old. It took a while for people to accept him, but they seemed to really latch on to him over the last two days." Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale continues Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. local time.