FRIDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 2020 CHAMPERS ELYSEES SOLD >FOOTSTEPS= COLT LEADS SPORTSMAN=S OPENER TO YOSHIDA The Goffs Sportsman=s Yearling Sale got underway in its temporary new guise in Doncaster on Thursday, with a colt by Footstepsinthesand (GB) (lot 647) from Rockfield Farm topping trade with a bid of ,50,000 from Kevin Ryan. He is the second foal out of the winning Danehill Dancer (Ire) mare Harpist (Ire) and his year-older full-brother Star Of Orion (Ire) won on debut at Newmarket in June for Ralph Beckett. As was the case with the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale earlier this week and as will be the case with Goffs Orby next week, the Sportsman=s sale, typically staged in Kildare, was moved to Britain to maximize buyer attendance. A significant number of Irish-based vendors opted to withdraw their yearlings and instead offer them in the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale in November. Cont. p3 Teruya Yoshida (centre) | Tattersalls IN TDN AMERICA TODAY By Kelsey Riley TAKING STOCK: KEENELAND NUMBERS ARE TROUBLING Teruya Yoshida of Shadai Farm has purchased the recent G1 Matron S. winner Champers Elysees (GB) (Elzaam {Aus}) from No one expected Keeneland September to be anything but Dublin-based syndicate Fitzwilliam Racing. down by gross and average versus last year. So what’s the damage? Click or tap here to go straight to TDN America. The 3-year-old filly was selected by trainer Johnny Murtagh and Eddie Linehan for i28,000 from the 2018 Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale and was one of 10 yearlings in Fitzwilliam Racing=s third intake. She broke her maiden on her fourth start at The Curragh last year and was second in Naas=s Birdcatcher H. She has gone unbeaten in four tries this year, winning at handicap and listed levels before taking Gowran=s G3 Fairy Bridge S. on Sept. 2 and the Matron on Irish Champions Weekend over 2020 Classic winners Peaceful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Murtagh tweeted, AWe are delighted to welcome Mr. Yoshida of Shadai Farm to Fox Covert Stables. Champers Elysees will now run in his famous colours. Her next intended engagement is the [G1] Sun Chariot S. on Oct 3.@ Yoshida is no stranger to purchasing top-class race mares in Europe; other such buys in recent years have included the G1 Prix de Diane winners Avenir Certain (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) and La Cressonniere (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), as well as six-time Grade/Group 1 winner Stacelita (Fr) (Monsun {Ger})--who has given him a Japanese champion and Classic winner in Soul Stirring (Jpn) (Frankel {GB}). Cont. p2 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 16 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • 25 SEPTEMBER 2020 Champers Elysees Sold To Yoshida cont. from p1 think it was 10 the third year. From the 17 in the first two years I Yoshida also purchased the G1 Prix de l=Arc de Triomphe and think there were 12 or 13 winners. Probably the highest rated G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. winner Danedream was a horse called Baba Boom (Ire) (Thewayyouare). The third (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}), whose fourth foal, a Dubawi (Ire) colt, will year there weren=t as many winners, but Champers Elysees was be offered by Newsells Park Stud (lot 112) at next month=s in there.@ Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. In addition to Champers Champers Elysees has proven a Elysees, the Fitzwilliam homerun for Fitzwilliam Racing, flagbearers have included the which was established by Johnny aforementioned Baba Boom, a and Orla Murtagh, Paul McKeon three-time winner on the flat and Mark Flood and is comprised who was later sold to JP largely of Dublin-based business McManus to race over jumps; men and women. and Urban Beat (Ire) (Red Jazz), a AIt is effectively a bunch of guys ,20,000 yearling from the first and girls from Dublin city who partnership who won a listed are in banking, investment or race last year at four and is still property, but liked racehorses,@ competitive at that level, having explained Flood, a private equity been second in Doncaster=s investor with a family Listed Scarborough S. on Sept. 9. background in the Thoroughbred AThere is nobody get paid out Mark Flood | Photo courtesy Renatus Capital industry, his father and brother of this; there is no management being the owners of Boardsmill Stud. AThe first year we got 14 to fee, it=s not a commercial enterprise in any way, it=s just a 16 together and had somewhere north of half a million. We partnership of like-minded people and it=s 100% Johnny and Orla bought nine yearlings the first year, eight the second year and I with Paul,@ Flood said. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 16 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • 25 SEPTEMBER 2020 Champers Elysees Sold To Yoshida cont. AWe=ve had around 30 horses in Fitzwilliam and then some of the people that got in with us have had other horses with Johnny, but they all love Johnny and Orla because they=re just so honest and hardworking; it=s like a breath of fresh air with everyone you=re dealing with. But it wouldn=t be alive now without Paul McKeon leading it as chairman.@ Senior Vice President Gary King Flood added, AIt=s similar to Highclere in the sense that it=s Twitter: @garykingTDN people in the city; there are some that aren=t but that=s the core [email protected] profile, city workers who love their racing and they=re all + 1.732.320.0975 passionate about it and they=re likely to go again for what=s going to be the fourth Fitzwilliam syndicate.@ International Editor Kelsey Riley Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN THEY ALL LOVE JOHNNY AND ORLA [email protected] BECAUSE THEY’RE JUST SO HONEST European Editor Emma Berry AND HARDWORKING. IT’S LIKE A Twitter: @collingsberry BREATH OF FRESH AIR WITH [email protected] EVERYONE YOU’RE DEALING WITH. Associate International Editor Mark Flood Heather Anderson Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN Marketing Manager Alayna Cullen Twitter: @AlaynaCullen Johnny Murtagh and Eddie Linehan purchased seven yearlings [email protected] in partnership at this week=s Tattersalls Ireland September Contributing Editors Yearling Sale and were also active during the first session of the Alan Carasso Goffs Sportsman=s Sale in Doncaster on Thursday. Flood Christina Bossinakis confirmed that some of those yearlings would enter the Fitzwilliam syndicate, but that those designations would be Cafe Racing made at the end of the sales season. Sean Cronin The Fitzwilliam group has in past years enjoyed days out at Tom Frary Royal Ascot and winners at the Galway Festival. While the [email protected] celebration of Champers Elysees=s Matron win looked different Irish Correspondent than normal, Flood said the owners didn=t let the opportunity Daithi Harvey pass them by, enjoying a socially distanced barbecue. AIt was just an amazing day and the whole syndicate has been Regular Columnists amazing,@ Flood said. It=s been a great journey and they=ve all Chris McGrath | John Berry | Kevin Blake had a ball. People aren=t in it to make money, they=re in it for Amy Lynam | Melissa Steele the fun and they=re getting an honest ride with Johnny, and Johnny and Orla have invested their own money in it as well.@ Selling Champers Elysees is the next chapter in the success IN TDN AUS/NZ TODAY story. AThe model was always to get them rated as high as they can, sell and recycle the money in the fund,@ Flood said. AIt=s HELSINGE’S LEGACY CONTINUES TO LIVE ON really David and Goliath stuff. There are probably 1,000 yearling In this new series, we take a look at the careers of some of fillies every year, and she comes out on top at i28,000. You Australia's most successful broodmares. Click or tap here to go couldn=t make it up.@ straight to TDN Aus/NZ. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 4 OF 16 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • 25 SEPTEMBER 2020 >Footsteps= Colt Tops Sportsman=s Opener cont. from p1 There were a handful of notable buybacks during the session, As such just 70% of the yearlings catalogued on Thursday (144) headed by a Lope De Vega (Ire) filly (lot 596) who was led out visited the ring, with 99 sold at the close of trade for a clearance unsold at ,64,000. A Dark Angel (Ire) filly (lot 543) was bought rate of 69%. The aggregate was ,1,369,000, the average back at ,48,000, and the Divine Prophet (Aus) half-sister to ,13,828 and the median ,10,000. Grade I winner River Boyne (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) (lot 560) was taken home at ,50,000. Leading first-crop sire Mehmas (Ire) was predictably popular, and he had a colt and a filly sell for ,47,000 and ,44,000, respectively. The colt (lot 570) was from Kilmoney Cottage Stud and is a half-sister to the French listed winner Just Sherry (Ire) (Intense Focus), their dam being a half-sister to the G1 2000 Guineas and G1 St James=s Palace S. winner Cockney Rebel (Ire) (Val Royal {Fr}). He was bought by BBA Ireland. The Mehmas filly (lot 609) was from Grange Hill Stud and was scooped up by trainer Eddie Lynam. She is the third foal out of her dam Faddwa (Ire) (Arcano {Ire}), who is a half-sister to the listed-winning Heart Of Fire (Ire) (Mujadil). Her year-older full- brother Fools Rush In (Ire) is one of 32 winners for Mehmas thus far.