Big guns splash the cash

NEWS ROUND-UP:COOLMORE AND Sheikh Mohammed continued to splash the cash on day two of the Tatteralls October Yearling Sales at Newmarket with only those further down the racing tree feeling the financial pinch.

With the stock market and banking crisis continuing around the globe, on face value it appears the small world of horseracing has been immune with average sales on the day just a shade under the near 120,000 guineas recorded last year.

Demi O'Byrne, working for the Coolmore triumvirate of John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, was responsible for outbidding Tom Goff for the most expensive youngster to go under the hammer.

They paid 650,000 guineas for a son of Montjeu out of Vanishing Prairie, making him a half-brother to last year's Melbourne Cup runner-up Purple Moon. But Coolmore lost out to Sheikh Mohammed's bloodstock adviser John Ferguson after a heated battle for lot 327. The teams were eyeing each other across the ring for a bay Pivotal filly related to the likes of Gossamer and Barathea but it was Ferguson who signed the ticket for 500,000 guineas.

The Rabbah Bloodstock operation were notably busy, as was Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum's Shadwell Estate who paid 320,000 guineas for a Mr Greeley colt out of Sparkle Of Stones."It's been a very good day and there is a vibrant market which we hope continues until the end of the week."

• JOHN OXX intends to run Mourayan in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster after the juvenile ran a fine race in defeat at the Curragh last time. The Alhaarth colt was an impressive winner of a Leopardstown maiden on his penultimate start and emerged with plenty of credit when second in the Group Two Beresford Stakes last time.

"Mourayan ran a great race in the Beresford Stakes and if he continues to please us and do well in his work, the intention is to run him in the Racing Post Trophy," said Oxx.

Aidan O'Brien once again has a strong hand, with 25 horses going forward - including Rip Van Winkle, the current 2000 Guineas favourite. Champagne Stakes winner Westphalia could also line up, as well as Alexandrova's brother Masterofthehorse, a close third in the Beresford Stakes.

• AT THE Races, the horseracing channel, yesterday announced Mick Fitzgerald has signed an agreement to become the latest addition to its presenting team. The 38-year-old retired as a jockey this year after a glittering career in which he won every major honour. Fitzgerald is now set to front live presentations from At The Races both on course and in studio. He will work across all the channel's output including special feature programming.

Fitzgerald will interview his ex-boss and two-time champion trainer, Nicky Henderson, as well as his successor as Henderson's stable jockey, Barry Geraghty in his first feature for At The Races to be aired next week. Today will see his first broadcast as a full-time, contracted presenter as he fronts live coverage from Towcester.

• CHELTENHAM GOLD Cup winner Denman may not make his seasonal return until the Aon Chase at Newbury in February. No Gold Cup winner in the last 20 years has returned so late in the season to win again at Cheltenham in March.

After a long lay-off following treatment for an an irregular heartbeat his trainer Paul Nicholls said yesterday: "I'm going to take my time with him."

• CHURCHILL DOWNS, the home of the Kentucky Derby, has been selected as the site of the 2010 Breeders' Cup, horse racing's richest event.

"It will mark the seventh time the Louisville, Kentucky, track has hosted the Breeders' Cup, which consists of 14 races over two days and purses totalling €18.6 million.