Robert Smerdon Strikes At Tatersalls
Thursday, 27 October 2011: Australasian buyers continued to make a significant impact on the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale.
 | Robert Smerdon
Photo by Racing and Sports | |
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During the third session Victorian trainer Robert Smerdon, making his first visit to Tattersalls, struck twice on a pair of colts from the Juddmonte Farms draft.
Bidding
through agent Stephen Hillen, Smerdon secured the Singspiel colt
Verdant for 260,000 guineas and the Arch colt Arch Fire for 180,000
guineas.
Rated 107 and 101 respectively by Timeform
,
the Sir Michael Stoute trained pair were the highlight of the Juddmonte
draft which saw a total of 40 lots sold for 1,346,500 guineas.
"I have trained an odd horse from Europe but this is our first venture over here,” Smerdon said.
“We
were hoping to buy, but it wasn't the be-and-end-all to buy here - we
just thought the exercise would be good to do to make contacts and find
out the lay of the land.
“We are, of course, like all the
Australians here, looking for Cup horses," continued Smerdon, who trains
70 horses at Caulfield.
Quality continued to be in great demand
at the with Australian interests and those looking towards the Dubai
Carnival dominating proceedings.
The top price for the day was
310,000 guineas for the Group placed Measuring Time knocked down to
agent Anthony Stroud for 310,000 guineas and is destined for the Dubai
Racing Carnival.
A total of 230 lots were sold on the third day
for a total of 5,465,500 guineas at an average of 23,763 guineas and a
median of 9,250 guineas and a clearance rate of 87%.
New Zealand bloodstock consultant Paul Moroney was the underbidder for Measuring Time.
During
the second session the Andrew Tinkler owned pair of Tell Dad and Well
Sharp were two of the three lots to sell for 200,000 guineas or more.
Fallen Idol (Pivotal) brought the third and the equal top price for the day at 250,000 guineas.
A
total of 249 lots were sold for 6,260,200 guineas, at an average of
25,141 guineas and a median of 12,000 guineas whilst the clearance rate
clocked in at an impressive 87%.
Anthony Stroud secured the
four-year-old Fallen Idol when seeing off the efforts of New Zealander
Guy Mulcaster, acting for Sydney trainer Chris Waller, at 250,000
guineas.
Fallern Idol is the winner of four races, once at Listed level, and is rated 114 by Timeform,
Equaling
the top price was the Andrew Tinkler owner Well Sharp (Selkrik), third
in King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot and offered with a Timeform
rating of 101.
Je went to top jumps trainer Jonjo O’Neill for major owner JP McManus.
"He is obviously for JP," said O'Neill. "He's a lovely stamp of a horse, a nice athletic type."
Tell Dad (Intikhab) was knocked down to Sarah Lakin for 240,000 guineas and is bound for Hong Kong.
"He is bought for a client's syndicate who previously owned the leading stayer Choy Ichiban in Hong Kong," explained Lakin.
"Unfortunately
that horse went wrong so she has been given a replacement permit by the
Hong Kong Jockey Club to get a new horse.
“That horse had to
be of comparable calibre and the Hong Kong handicapper Nigel Gray told
me that Tell Dad was the only horse here that I could buy. I came here
just to buy him,” said Larkin, who
started buying horses for Hong Kong 25 years ago.
Tell
Dad won the £200,000 Tattersalls Millions Median Auction Trophy and
was second in the £500,000 Tattersalls Millions 2YO Trophy.
