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First Frankel foal sold at public auction goes for £1.15m at Goffs sale First Frankel foal sold for £1.15m by Goffs at Kensington Palace auction
(35 minutes later)
The first foal of Frankel to be sold at public auction was knocked down to MV Magnier, the son of Coolmore Stud owner John Magnier, for £1.15m on Monday evening, at a bloodstock sale at Kensington Palace designed to catch the attention of Flat racing’s biggest players, gathering in London for this week’s Royal meeting at Ascot.The first foal of Frankel to be sold at public auction was knocked down to MV Magnier, the son of Coolmore Stud owner John Magnier, for £1.15m on Monday evening, at a bloodstock sale at Kensington Palace designed to catch the attention of Flat racing’s biggest players, gathering in London for this week’s Royal meeting at Ascot.
The bidding for the colt started at £1m and the winning bid was made after less than a minute. He was sold along with his dam, Crystal Gaze, who has been scanned in foal to Frankel after a covering in mid-April.The bidding for the colt started at £1m and the winning bid was made after less than a minute. He was sold along with his dam, Crystal Gaze, who has been scanned in foal to Frankel after a covering in mid-April.
Magnier secured the colt to race for “a new partnership of four people”, presumably the three familiar names in Coolmore-based syndicates - John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor - and a fourth member who has been invited to join them. Teo Ah King, who was a co-owner of recent Derby winner Australia, is one possibility. Magnier secured the colt to race for “a new partnership of four people”, presumably the three familiar names in Coolmore-based syndicates – John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor – and a fourth member who has been invited to join them. Teo Ah King, who was a co-owner of recent Derby winner Australia, is one possibility.
MV Magnier would not be drawn on plans for a horse who is still less than three months old, and will not be eligible to race until his juvenile season in 2016.MV Magnier would not be drawn on plans for a horse who is still less than three months old, and will not be eligible to race until his juvenile season in 2016.
“He’s a nice, good, strong colt,” he said. “He looks like he could be a fast horse and the lads [his father, Smith and Tabor] really liked him so you have to go by what they say. He made plenty of money. He’s a nice horse, so let’s hope we’ve got something.”“He’s a nice, good, strong colt,” he said. “He looks like he could be a fast horse and the lads [his father, Smith and Tabor] really liked him so you have to go by what they say. He made plenty of money. He’s a nice horse, so let’s hope we’ve got something.”
Asked if he thought he had secured a bargain, Magnier said: “I’ll tell you in two years’ time.”Asked if he thought he had secured a bargain, Magnier said: “I’ll tell you in two years’ time.”
The majority of the mares covered by Frankel since he retired to stud at the end of the 2012 season are owned by major owner-breeders who will hope to race the offspring themselves. As a result, relatively few of Frankel’s offspring are likely to go under the hammer in public, and Monday’s sale, in the unique surroundings of Kensington Palace, was a rare opportunity to acquire not just one, but ultimately two foals by the highest-rated horse the sport has seen. The majority of the mares covered by Frankel since he retired to stud at the end of the 2012 season are owned by major owner-breeders who will hope to race the offspring themselves. As a result, relatively few of Frankel’s offspring are likely to go under the hammer in public, at the Goffs sale, in the unique surroundings of Kensington Palace, was a rare opportunity to acquire not just one, but ultimately two foals by the highest-rated horse the sport has seen.
“We’re chasing some [Frankel] foals for our traditional breeding stock sale in November, but there won’t be as many as there would be by other stallions, so it was quite a coup to get it,” Henry Beeby, who conducted the auction, said afterwards. “We’re delighted with the price. You have to remember that the foal is a tiny little baby. It’s a toddler, it hasn’t even been weaned. He looked wonderful but he will change a lot before he gets to the racecourse. “We’re chasing some [Frankel] foals for our traditional breeding stock sale in November but there won’t be as many as there would be by other stallions, so it was quite a coup to get it,” Henry Beeby, who conducted the auction, said afterwards. “We’re delighted with the price. You have to remember that the foal is a tiny little baby. It’s a toddler, it hasn’t even been weaned. He looked wonderful but he will change a lot before he gets to the racecourse.
“The fact that the opening bid of [of £1m] was so high may have caught some people out, but that’s a tactic that the big buyers use sometimes and it clearly worked for them.” “The fact that the opening bid was so high may have caught some people out, but that’s a tactic that the big buyers use sometimes and it clearly worked for them.”
The Frankel foal and his mother were the only horses being sold in the flesh at Kensington Palace, but about 60 more, including two-year-olds and horses in training, were sold simultaneously at Kempton Park, with pictures from the course beamed back to central London. The Frankel foal and his mother were the only horses being sold in the flesh at Kensington Palace but about 60 more, including two-year-olds and horses in training, were sold simultaneously at Kempton Park, with pictures from the course beamed back to central London.
Several of the horses in training which went through the ring hold entries at Royal Ascot this week, including Cappella Sansevero, Prophesize and Case Statement, three of the 16 declared runners in the Coventry Stakes on Tuesday’s opening day card. Cappella Sansevero, who is unbeaten in three starts in Ireland this season, exceeded even the supposed star attraction at the sale when he was knocked down to Sheikh Fahad al-Thani from Qatar for £1.3m. Prophesize and Case Statement, meanwhile, both changed hands for £180,000. Several of the horses in training that went through the ring hold entries at Royal Ascot this week, including Cappella Sansevero, Prophesize and Case Statement, three of the 16 declared runners in the Coventry Stakes on Tuesday’s opening day card. Cappella Sansevero, who is unbeaten in three starts in Ireland this season, exceeded even the supposed star attraction at the sale when he was knocked down to Sheikh Fahad al-Thani from Qatar for £1.3m. Prophesize and Case Statement, meanwhile, both changed hands for £180,000.
Not every horse with a Royal Ascot entry was sold, however. Ocean Tempest, the winner of the Lincoln Handicap earlier in the season and the top-weight for the Royal Hunt Cup on Wednesday, was led out unsold after failing to meet his reserve, despite attracting a final bid of £190,000.Not every horse with a Royal Ascot entry was sold, however. Ocean Tempest, the winner of the Lincoln Handicap earlier in the season and the top-weight for the Royal Hunt Cup on Wednesday, was led out unsold after failing to meet his reserve, despite attracting a final bid of £190,000.
The final lot at Monday’s sale was a lifetime nomination to the stallion Invincible Spirit, who stands at Ireland’s National Stud and is the sire of Kingman, the recent winner of the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the hot favourite for the St James’s Palace Stakes, the feature race on Ascot’s opening card. The final lot at Monday’s sale was a lifetime nomination to the stallion Invincible Spirit, who stands at Ireland’s National Stud and is the sire of Kingman, the recent winner of the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the hot favourite for the St James’s Palace Stakes, the feature race on Ascot’s opening card.
The nomination, which allows a breeder to use Invincible Spirit for one of his mares every year, was sold for £160,000, again to Sheikh Fahad.The nomination, which allows a breeder to use Invincible Spirit for one of his mares every year, was sold for £160,000, again to Sheikh Fahad.
In all, 53 lots were led through the ring on Monday, with 41 being sold for a total of £7.915m. The average sale price of those sold was £193,000, while the median price was £120,000.In all, 53 lots were led through the ring on Monday, with 41 being sold for a total of £7.915m. The average sale price of those sold was £193,000, while the median price was £120,000.