Ace start for Zhang at Tatts with purchase of Japan Cup winner’s half-sister

Yulong has bolstered the broodmare band of its fledgling UK operation Ace Stud by acquiring a half-sister to this year’s four-time Group 1 winner Calandagan for 850,000 guineas.

Caliyza was the highest-priced lot sold during the opening Sceptre Session of the Tattersalls December Mares’ Sale in Newmarket and one of seven bought by Ace Stud or Yulong affiliates with the promise of more to come. 

But it was the appearance of Caliyza – who is in foal on a maiden cover to Gleneagles, the sire of the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained Calandagan who achieved Japan Cup heroics in Tokyo on Sunday – who attracted most attention, given her sibling’s dominance in the last half of the northern hemisphere season.

“What can you say of her? She has got a three-parts (to Calandagan) in the belly, it makes a lot of sense after the weekend, in a way that win did not change anything, but it did put a different angle on him,” Ace Stud’s Paul Curran said at Tatts.

“She has a phenomenal pedigree, and there is commercially a very good horse to come from her. We are delighted to get her. We have no immediate plans for her, we will reassess, digest and sit down with everyone, and talk through plans, especially with the boss (Zhang Yuesheng).”

Ace Stud also paid 650,000 guineas for Amanzonian, a lightly raced sister to the Yulong-owned River Of Stars, a Group 3 winner and Group 1 placegetter in Europe who just missed the placings in this year’s Melbourne Cup for trainer Chris Waller.

But unlike River Of Stars, a 1.65 million guineas purchase at the Tatts sale last year, the Ralph Beckett-trained Amazonian, a winner of her only start at Kempton in January, is likely to remain in the UK rather than joining her sister in Australia.

“Amazonian is a half to our own River Of Stars, and is a family we know well, and she ran really well in the Melbourne Cup this year when fourth,” Curran said. 

“We like to buy into the family again and buy immediate relations, again no immediate plans and we will probably keep her here. 

“We think a lot of River Of Stars in Australia and she could be exciting for next year.” 

But 260,000 guineas purchase Seo Linn, who was signed under the Western Harbour International banner, could be a mare to race in Australia in the Yulong silks.

By Order Of St George, the dual-purpose mare won four of her 11 starts for trainer Paddy Twomey.

Japan’s dominant breeder Katsumi Yoshida was also in action during the Sceptre Session, paying 750,000 guineas for Group 3-winning Saxon Warrior mare Rage Of Bamby. The Coolmore-owned Saxon Warrior is by Japan’s late breed-shaping stallion Deep Impact.

“She (Caliyza) has a phenomenal pedigree, and there is commercially a very good horse to come from her. We are delighted to get her” – Ace Stud’s Paul Curran

Yoshida’s Northern Farm representative Shingo Hashimoto said: “She is very nice, she is well-bred, she is by Saxon Warrior, who was bred in Japan, and … the sire of Forever Young is from the same family. 

“We will take her back to Japan now. We have not decided on stallion plans yet, it will depend on results from this week. It is always tough to buy a good mare here, even on Monday it is tough to buy.”

Meanwhile, Sam Sangster revealed that Miss Justice will stay in training and be prepared by Brian Meehan after he paid 750,000 guineas for the Listed-winning daughter of Justify.

She was bought by a syndicate that will have her served by new UK National Stud stallion Diego Valazquez, the winner of the Group 1 Prix Jacques Les Marois in France in August.

A son of Frankel, Diego Valazquez will also shuttle to Sangster’s brother Adam’s Victorian operation Swettenham Stud next year.

“We’ll carry on with her and probably cover her in training. She’s still lightly raced and she’s a gorgeous filly by Justify with a lovely pedigree, so there’s a lot to look forward to. We really wanted to show the kind of quality we wanted to support Diego with,” Sam Sangster said.

“We’ll regroup with Brian but there’s a couple of Listed races coming up in December, we might target her at those, or we might think further afield. 

“She’s a fast ground filly so we can see if there’s something for her in Dubai and then bring her back. When Diego gets going, hopefully he’ll fancy her.”

Day one’s trade turned over 21.451 million guineas at an average of 96,193 guineas.