Racing
Aussies strike at Goffs Sale
Top Brisbane trainer and Aussie syndicators strengthen Royal Ascot connection
Tony Gollan's interest in this week's Royal Ascot carnival increased overnight when the number of horses competing across the five days he will eventually train doubled.
Queensland's premier horseman teamed up with First Light Racing to buy three-year-old Belardo gelding Brindavan at the traditional Goffs London Sale, which is held on the eve of Royal Ascot.
They paid £250,000 (AU $521,000) for Brindavan, who has won two of his 10 starts, including a last-start win Ascot, and is due to run in Saturday's 2012m Golden Gates Stakes.
First Light's colours were already slated to be carried by the George Boughey-trained Hey Tru Blue in Thursday's Group 2 Norfolk Stakes (1006m), with that Blue Point colt also destined for Gollan's Eagle Farm yard.
First Light was delighted to strengthen the partnership with Gollan at Monday's sale.
"Team FIRST are thrilled to add their second Royal Ascot runner in the exciting last start winner Brindavan," First Light said in a statement.
"The impressive Ascot last-start winner is primed to go back-to-back on Saturday in the Golden Gate Stakes before flying to Aus(tralia) to join Tony Gollan."
Gollan, who flew from Brisbane to London after Saturday's Stradbroke Handicap meeting and was due at the races on Tuesday and Thursday, is now likely to extend his Royal Ascot stay to include Saturday's final meeting.
Gollan and First Light Racing were not the only Aussies to get involved at Goffs with owner Tim Porter, whose colours were made famous by Bella Nipotina, paying £200,000 (AU $416,000) for 2023 Chesham Stakes winner Snellen, who runs in Wednesday night's Kensington Palace Stakes (1609m).
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott also bought up at the sale that they acquired New Endeavour, who was a narrow runner-up in last Saturday's Q22, two years ago.
New Endeavour, a £260,000 purchase, ran second in the Brittania Stakes three days after his purchase and that is the race Waterhouse and Bott's £200,000 buy, Invincible Army three-year-old Solar Army is declared for on Thursday night.
The Tulloch Lodge trainers, who operated in partnership with agent Johnny McKeever at Goffs, also paid £250,000 for lightly-raced three-year-old Shaman gelding Fantazy Man, who holds entries for two races later in the week.
They also paid £160,000 (AU $333,000) for Mo Chroi, a three-year-old son of Vauban's sire Galiway who has had two starts for a last-start win and a third placing.
Top lot of the sale was top middle-distance performer Ghostwriter, who was bought by Amo Racing for £2,000,000 (AU $4.16m) just five days out from the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes, for which he is a $9 chance.
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