Yulong’s Zhang Yuesheng is hoping history repeats after returning to the Tattersalls December Mares Sale in England overnight to buy another potential Cox Plate contender, the session-topping Caught U Looking.
Continuing Zhang’s recent global spending spree, which started at Fasig-Tipton and the Keeneland breeding stock sales in the United States in early November, Yulong bought three mares on the opening day of the Tatts sale, headlined by the Sceptre Session’s banner filly for 1.8m guineas.
Yulong general manager Vin Cox, who was in attendance at the Tattersalls sale, could not help but make comparisons between the lightly raced Caught U Looking and Via Sistina, a winner of five Group 1s from seven starts in Australia this calendar year including an emphatic track record-breaking victory in the Cox Plate.
Zhang paid 2.7 million guineas for Via Sistina at last year’s Tatts sale.
"She has been bought to race on, we want to do a Via Sistina with her. Bids were coming from all corners of the auditorium, which is great as you want to see competition, you hate to be the only one out there,” Cox said.
"She is a well-performed filly; she has a pretty good profile to race on. We will send her to Australia, and take a path similar to Via Sistina.
"We are not suggesting that she could turn into the same sort of horse, we'd love her to, but you need to keep the feet on the ground and hope she can win some nice races.
“It is no secret that staying horses from this part of the world can perform exceptionally well in Australia, and she has already performed well.”
Coolmore’s MV Magnier bought the equal second highest-priced lot sold on day one at Tattersalls’ Newmarket auction ring after going to 625,000 for Showcasing mare Unbreak My Heart, a Group 3-placed sprinter for trainer Clive Cox.
Zhang and Magnier weren’t the only buyers with Australian interests who were active at Newmarket on day one, with Victorian trainer Mick Price teaming up with agent Dermot Farrington to purchase the Belardo miler Ring True for 170,000 guineas. The two-year-old was runner-up at Group 3 level over 1800m in Italy on November 16.
Price’s co-trainer Mick Kent Jr spent time working for Farrington in Europe before linking with the Group 1-winning horseman.
China Horse Club, which also has a significant Australia-based breeding and racing portfolio, bought the Roger Varian-trained Listed winner Sound Angela (Muhaarar) out of the Sceptre Session for 370,000 guineas.
Rosemont Stud also bought two broodmares for 35,000 guineas each. They were Group 3 winner Daban and Rapture, the latter a half-sister to three-time US Grade 1 winner Raging Bull.
Tim Rowe
Many of Zhang’s recent bloodstock purchases in the northern hemisphere have been signed under the Willingham banner, which is the name of a 40-hectare UK stud farm he recently bought to add to his growing international horse and property portfolio.
At Fasig-Tipton last month, Zhang spent US$4.3 million on Breeders’ Cup F&M Turf winner Moira and purchased another three mares at the Keeneland sale including US$1.8 million on dual US Grade 1 winner Anisette and US$700,000 on former Australian-raced Group 3-winning Frankel mare Let’sbefrankbaby.
Cox, who has been at the helm of Yulong for 12 months, was also at the recent Tattersalls Foal Sale, buying 17 weanlings for 3.3 million guineas, headed by a Lope De Vega filly for 650,000 guineas.
The haul also included six foals home by Widden’s champion sire Zoustar and four by former Darley shuttler Too Darn Hot.
At the rival Goffs Foal Sale, Zhang bought three colts by Invincible Spirit, Too Darn Hot and Yulong’s own shuttle sire Lucky Vega respectively before returning to Newmarket for this week’s mares’ sale.
Unlike Via Sistina, who won the Group 1 Pretty Polly at The Curragh in Ireland in July last year before joining Chris Waller’s stable and Yulong’s ownership, Monday’s session-topper Caught U Looking is yet to break through at the highest level.
👀 "Our ambition at this stage is probably to send her to Australia and put her on a path not dissimilar to Via Sistina"
— Tattersalls (@Tattersalls1766) December 2, 2024
Vin Cox is hoping lightning strikes twice as Willingham go to 1.8m gns to buy Caught U Looking from @HoStud at the #TattsDecember Mares Sale, twelve months on… pic.twitter.com/aVxypwewWn
A group 3 winner at two in Ireland, she is a last-start winner of the Listed Bluebell Stakes at Naas for trainer Noel Meade, breeder Sabina Kelly and part-owner Tony O’Callaghan.
Newmarket trainer James Ferguson, who looked after Via Sistina following last year’s sale before she was imported to Australia, is expected to again prepare Caught U Looking until a flight is organised.
Helen Thomas
"I bred her and I always wanted to stay in her, Noel Meade wanted to buy her and so when he bought her I stayed in for a half," a delighted Kelly said.
"Tony was then interested in her and so he bought in. I was so chuffed that he wanted part of a horse I had bred. He has been a wonderful partner the whole way."
France’s Arqana breeding stock sale will start in Deauville on Saturday.
