Our pedigree expert Chris Hill reflects on the recent racing and bloodstock sales

Our pedigree expert Chris Hill reflects on the recent action from both on the track and in the sales' rings.

Unfortunately for those assembled at Sandown Park last Saturday to bid a fond farewell to the retiring A P McCoy there was to be no fairy-tale ending with the twenty-time Champion National Hunt jockey finishing third on both his mounts on the final day of the 2014/15 season.

Riding Mr Mole (Great Pretender) - the horse he won the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury in February on after which he made the shock announcement that this season would be his last - in the specially renamed Grade One A P McCoy Celebration Chase, the retiring champ finished third behind Sprinter Sacre (Network) who chased home Noel Fehily on board Henry de Bromhead’s impressive six length winner Special Tiara (Kayf Tara).

The winner of the 2013 Grade One Maghull Novices’ Chase, Special Tiara is the first foal and only runner to date produced by the unraced mare Special Choice (Bob Back), a half-sister to the Grade Three Lombardstown Chase winner Royal Choice (King’s Theatre) and being by leading British National Hunt stallion Kayf Tara, a two-time Ascot Gold Cup winner who stands at Overbury Stud in Gloucestershire, Mrs Sally Rowley-Williams’ eight-year-old gelding is bred along the same lines as Nicky Henderson’s Listed hurdle winner and recent Grade Two hurdle runner-up hurdler Sign Of A Victory (Kayf Tara).

Having clinched the conditional jockey’s title after riding the winner of the first race on Sandown’s jumps card, seventeen-year-old jockey Sean Bowen enhanced his already burgeoning reputation with a magnificent ride on Just A Par (Island House) to record a length-and-a-quarter victory in the day’s highlight, the Grade Three bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase.

Purchased by champion trainer Paul Nicholls for £260,000 at the 2012 Brightwells Cheltenham November National Hunt Breeze-Up and Horses-In-Training Sale, the Paul Barber and Graham Roach-owned eight-year-old gelding is the only winner produced by the unraced mare Thebrownhen (Henbit) and hails from the further family of Breedsbreeze, the winner of the Grade One Feltham Novices’ Chase and Grade One Tolworth Hurdle in 2008, as well as the dual Grade Two winning jumper Homer Wells and Toon River, the winner of the Listed Shamrock Handicap Chase at Gowran Park in March.

Sandown’s Flat card last Friday saw David O’Meara’s Custom Cut (Notnowcato) record his second success at Group Two level when victorious in the bet365 Mile in the hands of Danny Tudhope.

Having gone though the sales ring on three occasions, the latest being when purchased by Helmsley Bloodstock for 95,000 guineas at the 2013 Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale, Custom Cut is a half-brother to a couple of Dermot Weld-trained Group winners for Moyglare Stud, namely the 2012 Group Two Qipco British Champion Fillies and Mares Stakes winner Sapphire (Medicean) and the exciting 2014 Group Three Enterprise Stakes winner and Group One Champions Stakes third Free Eagle (High Chaparral).

Out of the juvenile winner Polished Gem (Danehill), a full sister to the 2002 Grade One Matriarch Stakes winner Dress To Thrill (Danehill), who themselves are out of the 1988 1000 Guineas winner Trusted Partner (Affirmed), the Gary Douglas and Pat Breslin-owned six-year-old gelding descends from the family of last season’s Group One Criterium International winner Vert De Grece (Verglas) and Grand Prix de Paris winner Gallante.

The Group Three Classic Trial was won by Andrew Balding’s Master Apprentice , with the three-year-old colt becoming the tenth Group winner sired by Coolmore’s four-time Group One winner and Champion European Two-Year-Old in 2008, Mastercraftsman.

Western Hymn (High Chaparral), who claimed the Sandown Classic Trial twelve months earlier, made his seasonal return after being gelded a triumphant one when a three-quarter-length winner of the Group Three Gordon Richards Stakes in the hands of Frankie Dettori for trainer John Gosden.

A 50,000 guineas purchase by Blandford Bloodstock at the 2012 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Western Hymn is a half-brother to the two-year-old winner Blue Nova (Nayef), out of Blue Rhapsody (Cape Cross), a winning juvenile half-sister to the triple Grade/Group Three winner Fantasia (Sadler’s Wells) and the 2011 Group Three Give Thanks Stakes winner Pink Symphony (Montjeu).

The 2015 renewal of the Group Three Classic Trial was won by Andrew Balding’s Master Apprentice (Mastercraftsman) ridden by David Probert, with the Jadara Stables SL-owned three-year-old colt becoming the tenth Group winner sired by Coolmore’s four-time Group One winner and Champion European Two-Year-Old in 2008.

Out of the once-raced Lady Hawkfield (Hawk Wing), a half-sister to the 2010 Group One Coronation Stakes and Matron Stakes winner Lillie Langtry (Danehill Dancer) and the 2013 Listed Celebration Stakes winner Count of Limonade (Duke of Marmalade), Master Apprentice is twice a graduate of Goffs, on the second occasion when purchased by MAB Agency for €44,000 at the 2013 Orby Yearling Sale.

In sales news, DBS held their 2015 Breeze Up Sale with one hundred-and-twenty-nine lots changing hands for a total of £4,995,500, an increase of 7.5% on the last year’s renewal and the average price of £38,725 and median of £30,000 improvements of 5.8% and 36% respectively on 2014.

Topping the sale when purchased by Stephen Hillen for £185,000 was a Footstepsinthesand juvenile colt out of the Brazilian Grade Two Grande Premio Carlos Telles e Carlos Gilberto da Rocha Faria winner Notting Hill (Jules) whose previous foals include the Brazilian Grade Two winner Notting Tomorrow (Aragorn). A juvenile colt by Scat Daddy out of the winning mare Champion Ride (Candy Ride) from the family of the U.S. Grade One winner Twirling Candy (Candy Ride) ended the sale as the second highest-priced lot when purchased by Anthony Stroud Bloodstock for £170,000.

Brightwells also held their Cheltenham April Sale last week with nine lots making six figure sums, the most expensive being the impressive Ballymena point-to-point winner Born Survivor (King’s Theatre) who is set to enter training with Dan Skelton having been bought by Mr and Mrs Richard Kelvin-Hughes with a bid of £220,000. Tom Malone Bloodstock purchased the sale’s second priciest lot when paying £200,000 for Minella Aris (King’s Theatre), the winner of a Dromahane point-to-point, who was bought on behalf of a client of champion trainer Paul Nicholls.

At the conclusion of the sale, fifty lots had changed hands for a total of £3,145,000, a reduction of 6.5% on the 2014 renewal with the average price of £62,900 and median of £50,000 decreases of 27% and 23% on last year.

Finally, with the conclusion of the 2014/15 National Hunt season, the late King’s Theatre was crowned leading National Hunt stallion for a third time following a season where his progeny, aided by the Grade One victories of Carlingford Laugh, Glen’s Melody, L’Ami Serge and Shaneshill as well as victories by Menorah - who landed back-to-back runnings of the Listed Oaksey Chase at Sandown on the final day of the season - accumulated a record prize money total of £2,923,372.

Chris Hill

Chris is a Pedigree Researcher for Weatherbys Ltd, the company that provides the majority of pedigrees for thoroughbreds sold at public auction in Britain and Ireland and who offer a range of products and services to suit your Bloodstock needs.

For further information please visit http://www.weatherbys.co.uk/bloodstock