Record set at Tattersalls

SUGAR RAY (Danehill) became the dearest male horse in training to pass

through a European sale ring in Newmarket when making 600,000 guineas at

Tattersalls during Tuesday's second session of the Autumn Horses in Training

Sale. The four-year-old colt won the Duke of Edinburgh Handicap at Royal Ascot

in June and went on to finish second in last month's Cumberland Lodge S.

(Eng-G3) at the same track for owner Philip Newton and trainer Sir Michael

Stoute.

Anthony Stroud -- who was underbidder to Mags O'Toole on Sugar Ray as a

yearling -- landed the prize this time, but only after shaking off a string of

opponents. O'Toole, jumping trainer Robbie Hennessy and Kern Lillingston's

Alastair Donald were among them, but the underbidder was leading Dubai owner

Malih Al Basti.

"He's been bought to race at the Dubai Carnival on behalf of a

long-established client, but I won't say who," Stroud said. "It was a great deal

of money, but with what's happening with Dubai racing, you need a good horse to

compete. He cost more than we expected but he fitted the profile for Dubai very

well."

Sugar Ray passed the previous record for a male horse in training set by J P

McManus when buying jumping prospect Garde Champetre for 530,000 guineas at

Doncaster in 2004.

High-rolling jumping buyers showed little sign of being hit by the recession

with trainer David Pipe paying 310,000 guineas for six-time flat winner MASTER

OF ARTS (Swain [Ire]) to go hurdling.

"We've had our eyes on him for a while and he's been bought for an existing

owner," Pipe said. "He looks an exciting prospect."

Trainer Howard Johnson and owner Graham Wylie spent 300,000 guineas on Aidan

O'Brien's Epsom Derby (Eng-G1) fifth WASHINGTON IRVING (Montjeu [Ire]) with BBA

Ireland's Eamonn Reilly the underbidder.

"He's got to be good to have finished 6 1/2 lengths behind New Approach,"

Johnson said. "We'll castrate him and then give him a rest. We'll school him

over a few poles in the spring but he won't race over jumps this season, we'll

run him on the flat next year. We could start out in the Yorkshire Cup (Eng-G2)

at York."

Richmond S. (Eng-G2) winner PROLIFIC (Compton Place [GB]) will join Hong Kong

trainer John Moore after selling for 230,000 guineas to Alastair Donald of Kern

Lillingston. Iran-based owner Dr Farid Bordbar was underbidder.

"He'll join John Moore, who has done well recently with Kings Falcon

(previously Copywriter [Efisio]), who is one of the best three-year-olds in Hong

Kong," Donald said. "Prolific is a very good-looking horse and he had a troubled

passage in the Middle Park S. (Eng-G1)"

American purchasers are notably down in numbers this year, but

California-based handler Jim Cassidy and owner Deron Pearson did make the trip

to Newmarket. Through Gordian Troeller, they bought SOUTER'S SISTER (Desert

Style), winner of the Oh So Sharp S. (Eng-G3) earlier this month, for 150,000

guineas.

"Her form speaks for itself and she was a good-looking sort, a real big

strong filly," Cassidy said. "Hopefully she can make her own pedigrees. There

are races for her at Hollywood later this year but she's run 10 times, so we'll

probably wait with her for the winter meet at Santa Anita and start her off in a

listed race in February before she goes into graded company."

It took over 12 hours to get through the 294 lots offered Tuesday. Selling

resumes Wednesday morning.