Son Of Zoffany Tops Day Two Of Tattersalls HIT

The progressive Piranesi (3g Zoffany - Starship, by Galileo) will add further international flavour to his enviable pedigree, after selling to Jane Chapple-Hyam for 300,000gns the second day of the Tattersalls Horses In Training Sale.

Ted Voute, Ronald Rauscher and Ed Dunlop were among the bidders who pushed Chapple-Hyam to the highest price of the sale so far, but for whom she was acting remains a mystery for now. “A client and I worked together to get this horse,” she explained. “He’s a very-good looking horse, we felt there was some improvement in him and we liked the distance he’s been racing over. He’s lightly-raced, from a good yard and will be heading overseas.”

Trained by William Haggas, Piranesi boasts a rating of 97 following his second career success over a mile at Ascot earlier this month. Never out of the first three, the son of Zoffany is a half-brother to Group 1 Racing Post trophy victor Rivet (Fastnet Rock), Hong Kong Group 3 winner Out And About (Fastnet Rock) and Irish Group 3 scorer Alexander Pope, who was later exported to New Zealand. Another two of Piranesi’s siblings have won in Hong Kong, another in Australia, while he has a Fastnet Rock two-year-old sister named Ilphare and yearling names Amanzoe.

Australia is the confirmed destination of beautifully-bred Stakes performer Keats (3c Galileo - Airwave, by Air Express), who fetched 200,000gns from Armando Duarte, acting on behalf of Paul Moroney and his brother Mike’s Ballymore Stables. After signing the docket, Duarte said, “This was our pick of the sale. Normally we'd be looking for a stayer but he looks a miler, or will maybe get a mile and quarter. And he came very highly recommended by Mick Flanagan, who works closely with Coolmore Australia. It was perhaps more than we wanted to pay, but we think we have a nice horse with a future.”

The Ballydoyle draft also included Nobel Prize (3c Galileo - Hveger, by Danehill), a Group winning full-brother to Highland Reel and Idaho, who sold for 170,000gns to J Walsh Bloodstock. Party Season (3c American Pharoah - Party Silks, by Touch Gold) saw his price rise to 160,000gns with the important update of his maiden win, and was knocked down to Narvick International.

The sale comes just days after former Ballydoyle inmate Sir Dragonet (Camelot) landed the prestigious Cox Plate on his first start for Ciaron Maher.

Crystal Pegasus (3c Australia - Crystal Etoile, by Dansili) is another heading Down Under, after Chris Waller secure the Sir Michael Stoute-trained colt for 190,000gns. The dual winner is bred to be progressive, given that his dam is a half-sister to champion older horse Crystal Ocean, who joined the Beeches Stud roster this season.

Glen Force (3c Gleneagles - Lethal Quality, by Elusive Quality), meanwhile, is bound for Bahrain, following Oliver St Lawrence’s winning bid of 160,000gns on behalf of Fawzi Nass. The Sir Mark Prescott-offered bay recently received an official rating of 89 off the back of his second career success.

Plans have not been finalised for the Sheila Lavery-offered Prince Of Naples (3c Holy Roman Emperor - Armoise, by Sadler’s Wells), who sold to John Egan’s Alliance Bloodstock and MKAR Racing for 120,000gns. After signing for the Stakes performer, Egan commented, “We could keep him here, we might look at Dubai. I just loved the horse. He's a bonny horse, one we can crack on with, and I'm sure there's a lot more to come.”