Smart performers catalogued at Horses In Training Sale

POINT LONSDALE (Timeform rating 119) Lot 673 (sells Tuesday October 24th)

Four-year-old colt Point Lonsdale is the highest-rated lot among Ballydoyle’s consignment. He’s a compact son of Australia and a full brother to stablemate Broome who took his career earnings past the £2m mark when winning the Dubai Gold Cup early in the year.

Their dam’s latest two-year-old Diego Velazquez could prove as good as his older siblings as he has won both his starts and goes for the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster later in the month.

Point Lonsdale was a smart two-year-old himself, winning his first four starts including the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Tyros Stakes at Leopardstown and the Futurity Stakes at the Curragh before finding only Native Trail too good in the National Stakes.

After finishing down the field in the 2000 Guineas on his only appearance at three, Point Lonsdale resumed his progress when returning over longer distances this spring, winning the Alleged Stakes at the Curragh and the Huxley Stakes at Chester.

However, he found things tougher when third in the Coronation Cup before being employed as pacemaker in the King George at Ascot. He ran up to his best form to finish sixth to stablemate Auguste Rodin when the outsider of eight in the Irish Champion Stakes last time and holds an entry in Saturday’s Champion Stakes.

AUDIENCE (Timeform rating 118) Lot 1057 (sells Wednesday October 25th)

Audience is a good-topped four-year-old gelding by Iffraaj who has won three races for John and Thady Gosden in the colours of Cheveley Park Stud, all of them over seven furlongs.

He was an impressive winner of a novice at Newmarket on his only two-year-old start but it wasn’t until his final outing as a three-year-old, when fitted with a hood for the first time and returning from a gelding operation, that he was back in the winner’s enclosure in a handicap at Leicester, routing his field and putting up a smart effort.

With the headgear retained, Audience has confirmed himself a smart seven-furlong specialist in pattern company this season. He made a successful return in the Criterion Stakes at Newmarket in July when beating Jumby by two lengths and has run his best races since when beaten three quarters of a length into second behind Kinross in the City of York Stakes and Sandrine in the Park Stakes at Doncaster.

However, he failed to give his running when only third of four in the Challenge Stakes at Newmarket last time when not adopting his usual front-running tactics and racing alone on the far rail.

JACK DARCY (Timeform rating 118) Lot 1131A (sells Wednesday October 25th)

Paul and Oliver Cole’s four-year-old gelding Jack Darcy, a lengthy son of Gleneagles, has been supplemented to the sale as a wildcard entry. He made a promising start to his career, winning his first two starts in novices, at Salisbury on his only start at two and at Newbury when reappearing the following July.

While it took him a while to add to those early successes, he ran well when fourth in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood and finished runner-up in a listed race at Deauville later at three and was second back at Goodwood this summer, albeit no match for very smart rival Hamish in the Glorious Stakes.

Those two second places were gained under enterprising rides from the front and a repeat of front-running tactics meant Jack Darcy has been seen to particularly good effect on two of his last three starts which have all come in France.

A fine ride by Cristian Demuro enabled Jack Darcy to make all in the Grand Prix de Deauville and he showed that improved effort was no fluke when he found only Horizon Dore (favourite for Saturday’s Champion Stakes) too good in the Prix Dollar at Longchamp under Frankie Dettori. Jack Darcy wasn’t in the same form, however, in last Sunday’s Prix du Conseil de Paris back at Longchamp where he dropped away to beat only one home.

EMARAATY ANA (Timeform rating 117) Lot 757 (sells Tuesday October 24th)

The winner of around three quarters of a million pounds in prize money for Kevin Ryan’s stable in the colours of Sheikh Obaid Al Maktoum, sprinter Emaraaty Ana boast as impressive a CV as any lot in the catalogue.

The seven-year-old son of Shamardal, a tall, rangy gelding, gained his first big win in the Gimcrack Stakes at two and has been a regular competitor in the top sprints for much of his career.

He achieved his peak Timeform rating of 120 in 2021 when gaining the biggest win of his career in the Sprint Cup at Haydock. While he drew a blank in 2022, he was placed in the Nunthorpe Stakes for the second year running, finished second when bidding to win the Sprint Cup again and fared best of the European challengers when beaten half a length by Caravel in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland.

While Emaraaty Ana has taken a while to find his form again this term, and has had his sights lowered to listed company to do so, he showed that he retains pretty much all his ability when winning the listed Rous Stakes at Ascot earlier this month with cheekpieces refitted. That may well mean that he’s seen next back at the Breeders’ Cup, therefore, rather than in the ring at Tattersalls.

TWILIGHT CALLS (Timeform rating 117) Lot 756 (sells Tuesday October 24th)

Another smart sprinter is the preceding lot to Emaraaty Ana in the catalogue, Twilight Calls. A sturdy gelding by Twilight Son, the five-year-old has won three races for Cheveley Park Stud and Henry Candy’s stable and while the first success of his career came over six furlongs in a novice at Doncaster on his three-year-old appearance, Twilight Calls has established himself since as a specialist over the minimum trip.

His two other victories have both come in handicaps at Newmarket, at the July meeting later at three and at last year’s Craven meeting, but he has gone on to perform well at a higher level since. His career-best effort came when beaten a head by King’s Lynn in last season’s Temple Stakes at Haydock before he also finished runner-up in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, no match for the impressive Australian winner Nature Strip but taking second in the dying strides after typically travelling smoothly just off the pace.

Twilight Calls missed the rest of last season and hasn’t made the same impact this term, most recently finishing down the field in the Nunthorpe, but he showed he retains his ability when contesting the King’s Stand again, meeting trouble in running, including when getting squeezed out at the start, before keeping on for fourth behind Bradsell.

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