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Colt becomes highest-priced colt ever sold at Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale.
On paper English King (Camelot) looked the standout entry on paper and the colt did not disappoint when selling to Armando Duarte, Ballymore Stables and Paul Moroney Bloodstock for 925,000gns - the most ever paid for a colt at the sale.
It was no surprise to see the colt set to continue his career in Australia, with former shuttler Camelot's (Montjeu) abilities as a stallion advertised recently in the country by dual Group 1 winner Russian Camelot and last weekend's ultra impressive Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) winner Sir Dragonet.
English King propelled himself into the picture for the Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f), following an emphatic victory in the Derby Trial Stakes (Listed, 1m3.5f) at Lingfield on June 5, before finishing fifth in the Epsom showpiece, covering the last three furlongs the quickest of any of the field.
"English King's track record performance winning the Lingfield Derby Trial beating St Leger runner-up Berkshire Rocco was one of the most breathtakingly dominant performances anywhere this year," said Paul Moroney, via Duarte. "He is clearly a highly talented colt with loads of quality and we are thrilled to have secured him.
"Through their joint sire Camelot and with similar race records at the same stage, English King maps the same as last weekend's Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet.
"We've bought him for a syndicate headed by two New Zealand businessmen and a collection of Ballymore Stables' Australian clients.
"He's certainly an exciting addition to the team and our first time playing at this very high level so one could say the pressure is on for him to perform. He will head Down Under in December to join Mike's Flemington stable early January and play things by ear. He will likely race in our autumn but next spring will be the main focus going forward."
Purchased for €210,000 at the Arqana Deauville October Yearling Sale by Jeremy Brummit, the colt's Le Havre (Noverre) half brother was bought at the 2019 Arqana October Yearling Sale by John Foote Bloodstock and is now in Australia.
English King is out of winning mare Zafonic (Gone West) Platonic, making him a half-brother to Group 3 winner Pacifique (Montjeu) and Prudenzia (Dansili), who in turn produced 2019 Mackinnon Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Magic Wand (Galileo) and 2013 Irish Oaks (Gr 1, 1m4f) winner Chicquita (Montjeu).
Platonic is also a half-sister to Pongee (Barathea), who in turn produced last year's Cranbourne Cup (Listed, 2050m) winner Dr Drill (Dansili).
The previous best price given for a colt at the sale was 625,000gns – that was given last year by Joseph O'Brien for Summer Sands (Coach House).
The Shamardal (Giant's Causeway) Royal Ascot-winning filly Aljazzi holds the record for the highest priced lot ever sold at the Autumn Horses In Training Sale – she sold for 1,000,000gns in 2018.
Earlier in the afternoon, Armando Duarte, Ballymore Stables and Paul Moroney Bloodstock paid 350,000gns for dual winner and Listed-placed Kingman (Invincible Spirit) colt Emissary from the Juddmonte Farms draft.
Catalogued as Lot 1126, the colt is out of the unraced Sadler's Wells (Northern Dancer) mare Soviet Moon, whose five winners are headed by Workforce (King's Best), who landed the Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) in 2010.
Soviet Moon herself is a daughter of Group 3 winner Eva Luna (Alleged), making her a sister to dual Group 1 winner Brian Boru and half-sister to Group 2 winners Sea Moon (Beat Hollow) and Moon Search (Rainbow Quest).
On Tuesday, Duarte, Ballymore Stables and Paul Moroney Bloodstock paid 200,000gns for Keats (Galileo) and Duarte said Emissary had a similar profile as the son of Galileo (Sadler's Wells).
"It is the same story as yesterday [Tuesday]," said Duarte. "We have probably paid a bit more than we expected to, but he is a nice horse. Hopefully he is a nice horse for next year, he is improving all the time and he has not had many runs, he is rated 103 and he is by a good sire.
"This sort of horse does not come onto the market very often. The background family, the first dam and second dam, is very important to the buyers, and this horse passed the vet too, which is very hard, and he has to be at the right price.
"He is 16.2hh, and there is plenty more to come from him, he could be a special horse in Australia."
Over the first three days of the sale, Duarte, Ballymore Stables and Paul Moroney Bloodstock purchased three lots for an aggregate 1,475,000gns at an average of 491,667gns.