Kia Joorabchian was extremely busy on day one of the Tattersalls Book One sale as he signed for a trio of Frankel yearlings costing a staggering eight million guineas (£8.4m/€10m).
The businessman, who runs his racing interests under the Amo Racing banner, was the successful bidder after a prolonged battle to acquire Lot 68, a Frankel filly out Aljazzi bred by Newsells Park Stud.
With the dam a five-time winner with a Group Two victory to her name and the sire needing no introduction, the hammer dropped at extraordinary 4,400,000 guineas – the second-highest lot ever sold at the Book One sale. And Joorabchian showed he was not quite finished when Lot 72 hit the ring soon after.
Another filly by Frankel, this time the yearling in question was by Alwilda and therefore a full-sister to Kirsten Rausing exceptional mare Alpinista, winner of the 2022 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Joorabchian went to 2,500,000 guineas for the bay, before returning to the ring to purchase a Frankel colt out of Atone for 1,100,000 guineas and a Sea The Stars colt out of Zahratty for 750,000 guineas.
He told Tattersalls: "We need strong-pedigreed fillies, and we have a lot of horses going to stud in the next year, such as Bucanero (Fuerte) and King Of Steel, it will be this year or next year we will have to make a decision soon, and we have Persian Force already at stud. We need to back them, otherwise we are just going to get left behind – we have to back our stallions to have a chance of winning.
"It is very difficult to buy such mares because the likes of Juddmonte, Coolmores, Shadwells, all the big guys own all the big mares. So we have to come out here and hope that what we are buying in terms of pedigrees will make us competitive.
"It is very hard to buy (such pedigrees) after the yearling stage – once a filly has won a Group One you are in very high prices, so you have got to try to get them earlier and hope that they go on well."
He added: "Frankel has had huge success, and he just keeps on producing – the Matron Stakes was a real eye-opener, four of the field were by Frankels and one Too Darn Hot. You look at all the Frankels and what they are doing, these amazing mares and fillies, you just have to back him."
Bloodstock agent Alex Elliott accompanied Joorabchian and said: "Kia is ready for the operation to prove itself at the next echelon and that is where we are trying to get to and that is why we need to get into these families. The fact that these horses are staying here is huge for British racing and we should all be huge cheerleaders for it."
Of the sale-topper, Elliott added: "All the teams select the best horse and it is who blinks first, and fair play to Kia he certainly did not blink, I think I did!
"This filly has got through most of the hoops – she is by the right stallion, she is out of a good Shamardal mare, she is from a great farm, she has come to a sale, she has shown she is in the top echelon of horses, now she has got to keep going!"
And of Lot 72, he said: "That pedigree, a sister to an Arc winner, there is not a lot to tell you that we don’t all know!
"Kia has been in the game for a certain amount of years now, and to compete at the top table you have to have the best pedigrees – it is the only way to compete consistently.
"Amo has got to a level now that it is ready to try to do that, and that filly has just about the best pedigree in the book. It doesn’t get any better than that. She is a fine, big, scopey filly, she is worth a hell of a lot of money residually. We will see how she goes, we will take our time, it is very much a late-developing family and she looks that physically."
Meanwhile, Calandagan's trainer Francis Graffard is relishing the prospect of a Qipco Champion Stakes clash with Economics.
The Aga Khan-owned gelding heads to Ascot on 19 October having won three of his five starts in 2024, including a six-length romp in the King Edward VII Stakes at the Royal meeting back in June.
Subsequently beaten just a length by City Of Troy in the Juddmonte International at York, Calandagan – who as a gelding was unable to contest the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe – arrives in Berkshire fresh from a break, with his trainer unconcerned by the possibility of testing conditions and eager to take on Irish Champion Stakes victor Economics.
Graffard said: "Everything is well with Calandagan and he looks in very good shape. He has had a bit of time since York and, provided all goes well between now and Champions Day, he will be spot on for the Champion Stakes.
"I thought it was a fantastic run at York. He accelerated strongly and his final three furlongs were impressive. The main difference between York and Champions Day will likely be the ground, but he has form on soft ground earlier in the year.
"We have already met City Of Troy and now we take on another very strong opponent in Economics. It will be interesting to see how it pans out, and ground conditions could be a factor, but we know that Calandagan is a very good horse and look forward to the race."
Fellow French-trained runner Iresine is also due to tackle the Champion Stakes, having won the Prix Foy at ParisLongchamp last month.
Trainer Jean-Pierre Gauvin, who has yet to saddle a runner in Britain, said: "We could have stayed in France for the Prix du Conseil de Paris or the Prix Royal-Oak, but the Royal-Oak has moved to Saint-Cloud, a track where Iresine performs worse than at Longchamp.
"The horse deserves to run in Group One races and we all collectively really want to experience this English adventure with the different co-owners, including my children.
"The distance may be short for him, but he has already won a Group race, the La Coupe, over 2,000 metres (10 furlongs). The distance is not the most important factor for him. With Iresine, the key is the ground. We hope it will be as soft as possible."
Crack miler Charyn will retire to stud at the end of this season, owner Nurlan Bizakov has announced.
The Roger Varian-trained son of Dark Angel has been in outstanding form this year, winning the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and following up in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville.
He was last seen just missing out in the Prix du Moulin and his next stop will be the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes back at Ascot on Qipco British Champions Day, after which he could go to Del Mar or even further afield to Japan.
In a post on the Sumbe X account, Bizakov said: "Charyn's immense talent will be on display again on October 19 at Ascot in the Group One Queen Elizabeth 2 Stakes, followed by possible tilts at either the Breeders’ Cup Mile on November 2nd or Japan’s Mile Championship on November 17th, before his final, one-way trip to France to take up stud duties at Haras de Montfort and Preaux.
"Although he has become a familiar name on the European stage and beyond these past seasons, I cannot wait to unveil Charyn in his new role, and I am already thankful for the incredible hype and growing momentum arising about him."
Among the opposition to Charyn in the mile showpiece at Ascot will be a strong French representation, with Jerome Reynier sticking to a familiar route with Facteur Cheval.
The five-year-old finished a six-length second to Big Rock last year and has been limited to just three runs this term, winning the Dubai Turf in March before finishing sixth in the Queen Anne Stakes at the Royal meeting and third in the Sussex at Goodwood.
Reynier and Team Valor had been considering a bid for the Breeders’ Cup Classic and Facteur Cheval is also entered in the Champion Stakes, but they have now decided to remain at a mile.
Big Rock is entered for a QEII defence but he has been out of form this season, leaving French 2000 Guineas winner Metropolitan as the other major cross-Channel raider.
After winning the ParisLongchamp Classic for trainer Mario Baratti in May, the Zarak colt subsequently finished third in the St James’s Palace Stakes and second to Charyn in the Marois.
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