Red Baron's Barn & Rancho Temescal go to 850,000gns for three-year-old son of No Nay Never
I'm A Gambler light up Park Paddocks on Tuesday evening when the three-year-old gelding went through the ring and sold to Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal for 850,000gns.
Trained by Charlie and Mark Johnston, I'm A Gambler came to the sale a last start Listed winner, earning him a Timeform rating of 117.
"It is hard to find a solid three-year-old and he is one of the highest rated in the catalogue, physically he is beautiful," said Tim Cohen of Rancho Temescal.
"Certainly I did not want to go that far, but I didn't come this far not to do something worthwhile!"
Co-trainer Charlie Johnson said: "It was quite some theatre because bidders that seemed to drop out of the running suddenly came back for more! It just showed what high demand he was in. He's a phenomenal physical, a beautiful horse, and he's had no issues all the way through his career. He's been an easy horse to train as he's very sound and very tough and he's really taken off in the last four or five months. It's a phenomenal result. Watching trade I thought he was going to make 400,000 guineas, maybe 500,000 on a good day, so the end result is quite fantastic.
"Normally you wouldn't sell good horses like that but the reality is, I spoke to John Brown a few weeks ago and his dream campaign for next year would involve winning the Lennox Stakes. The horse has just earned five, six or maybe even seven times the prize money of that race for selling here. It leaves a huge hole in our yard to sell a 110 rated horse but economically it was a logical decision for the owner."
Wathnan Racing bought the next two most expensive lots on Tuesday. They bought Inverness (Highland Reel) for 380,000gns from the stable of Charlie Hills and Persian Royal (Al Kazeem) for 450,000gns later on in the day.
Australian buyers also continued to spend, with Australian Bloodstock and Ronald Rauscher paying 300,000gns for four-year-old gelding Earl Of Tyrone (Australia) and Ciaron Maher Bloodstock paid that same price for fellow four-year-old gelding Ruling (Camelot). Both were sold by Jamie Railton as agent. Stakes-laced Kyeema (Siyouni) is another bound for Australia after being secured for 360,000gns by Homeland Racing's Roy Cheng.
Qatari-based Wathnan Racing had bought nine lots for 1,750,000gns over the first two days of the sale. Olly Tait did the bidding sat alongside Qatari trainer Alban de Mieulle.
Persian Royal was trained by Harry and Roger Charlton for Oakgrove Stud's John Deer.
"He is a beautiful horse, his form is excellent, he looks progressive and he is super consistent. He will be a nice horse for this season but also for seasons to come," said Tait.
"We have come to buy enough horses for the stable to be successful, and of the quality to make the stable successful. You never know how things will go when you get here, you put a value on them and see how you go. Every horse sale you get to you always have to pay more for some horses than you expect, and some you pay a little less."
Earlier in the day the combination secured Inverness, a son of Highland Reel (Galileo) who came to the sale with a Timeform rating of 98.
"He has very consistent, progressive form and he will go on firm ground," said Tait. "He is a horse that could hopefully be competitive in the Qatar Derby, he is that level of horse. He wasn't inexpensive but that is what you have to pay for a horse of that quality. He is very willing and his form stands up very well.
"There is a big programme of racing in Qatar and Wathnan Racing is very ambitious, looking for horses who can win races at different levels. In time a broader Middle East campaign for the horses could be on the radar."
