Kia Joorabchian stunned onlookers at Park Paddocks when embarking on a mass spending spree on day one of the Tattersalls Book 1 sale.
The spending frenzy featured a trio of Frankel yearlings, with Joorabchian pushed to a cumulative total of an astonishing eight million guineas.
Following a prolonged bidding battle with Japanese trainer Mitsu Nakauchida, the AMO Racing chief was forced to a staggering 4,400,000gns – the second-highest lot ever sold at the Book 1 sale – to land lot 68, a daughter of Frankel who was out the five-time winner and Duke of Cambridge Stakes heroine Aljazzi.
Speaking with Tattersalls, Joorabchian said: "We need strong-pedigreed fillies, and we have a lot of horses going to stud in the next year, such as Bucanero (Fuerte) and King Of Steel, it will be this year or next year we will have to make a decision soon, and we have Persian Force already at stud. We need to back them, otherwise, we are just going to get left behind – we have to back our stallions to have a chance of winning.
"It is very difficult to buy such mares because the likes of Juddmonte, Coolmores, Shadwells, all the big guys own all the big mares. So, we have to come out here and hope that what we are buying in terms of pedigrees will make us competitive.
"It is very hard to buy (such pedigrees) after the yearling stage – once a filly has won a Group 1 you are in very high prices, so you have got to try to get them earlier and hope that they go on well."
He continued: "Frankel has had huge success, and he just keeps on producing – the Matron Stakes was a real eye-opener, four of the field were by Frankel and one Too Darn Hot. You look at all the Frankels and what they are doing, these amazing mares and fillies, you just have to back him."
The price has been bettered only by Al Naamah, a sister to Oaks scorer Was, who brought 5,000,000gns from Al Shaqab Racing in 2013.
Those present at Park Paddocks barely had time to catch their breath as Joorabchian was quickly back in action. All eyes were soon on a fellow Frankel filly, out of Alwilda and a full-sister to Kirsten Rausing's top-class mare Alpinista, a six-time Group 1 winner who landed the 2022 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in exceptional style.
The hammer dropped at 2,500,000gns for the bay, with Joorabchian, who was accompanied by Bloodstock agent Alex Elliott, once again the successful bidder.
Speaking on the full-sister to Alpinista, Elliott said: "That pedigree, a sister to an Arc winner, there is not a lot to tell you that we don't all know!
"Kia has been in the game for a certain number of years now, and to compete at the top table you have to have the best pedigrees – it is the only way to compete consistently.
"Amo has got to a level now that it is ready to try to do that, and that filly has just about the best pedigree in the book. It doesn't get any better than that. She is a fine, big, scopey filly, she is worth a hell of a lot of money residually. We will see how she goes; we will take our time; it is very much a late-developing family, and she looks that physically.
"The fact that these horses are staying here is huge for British racing and we should all be huge cheerleaders for it."
Joorabchian's Frankel spending frenzy did not end there as he went on to purchase a colt offer by Baroda Stud out of Atone 1,100,000gns.
