Wednesday 8 October 2014 19:53, UK
John Ferguson was the big-spender on the second day of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sales with a 1.7million guineas Shamardal colt the first of a handful of seven-figure purchases for Sheikh Mohammed's bloodstock advisor.
On behalf of Darley, Ferguson saw off Coolmore's John Magnier to secure the offspring of Cassandra Go, who landed the King's Stand Stakes herself and is also the dam of Irish 1000 Guineas winner Halfway To Heaven.
The highest price paid for a yearling in the world so far this year, breeder Trevor Stewart said: "It's easy to sell the good ones, but it is a wonderful price, I hope he goes on to be a star.
"Cassandra Go is at Ballyhimikin and in-foal to Iffraaj, I have her two-year-old by Pivotal in training with Roger Charlton. Cassandra Go's daughter Tickled Pink is carrying to Dark Angel.
Ferguson said: "This colt is from a top breeder and out of a top racemare, who has gone on to produce a Classic winner - there is always the chance that she might do it again. He is also by stallion, who has enjoyed an outstanding year.
"Yes, it is a lot of money, but it is so difficult to breed something so special as this colt, he deserves to make a good price."
Continuing the theme, Ferguson then went to 1.6million guineas for a Dubawi colt out of Crystal Music.
"We are trying to find the gold mine, the horse who will become a dual-hemisphere stallion. And this is just one spike of a broad investment made throughout the year," he said.
"The very best yearlings are found at Newmarket this week, we currently have fabulous stallions in Europe and wonderful horses are being bred. And I don't know whether it has been due to the weather, but this year's crop of yearlings seem to be exceptional
Ferguson had also signed for the Duke Of Roxburghe's Dubawi colt out of Comic for 1.4million.
A Galileo colt out of Date With Destiny - the only daughter of the late George Washington, went to American owner-breeder John Kelly for 650,000 guineas.
"I been losing out on a few over the two days, I was thinking that I needed to have a country in order to compete here - and that wasn't going to happen!" said Kelly.
"This is a lovely filly on her residual value alone. She fits my programme very well, and she will race here - I have about 11 in training with Luca Cumani."
