“We had a lot of stock that is good, but for us to go to the next level we’re going to have to target the best,” he said.

“So we’ve targeted two sales, Keeneland and Tatts Book 1 and 2. Every member of my team, when they saw that horse, they all said we can’t leave without him, so we decided we weren’t going to leave without him. This colt and the Frankel fillies were our main targets and we managed to hit all three, so we’re very happy.”

Joorabchian has been in the thick of the action from the off this week and has engaged the established superpowers in some compelling bidding tussles. By close of play, Amo Racing’s 25 Book 1 purchases, which featured eight recruits with partners including Al Shaqab and Valmont, totaled a colossal 22,940,000gns. Amo on its own signed for 17 lots at an outlay of 19,575,000gns.

Asked whether he was able to enjoy this stage of the process, he said: “Who enjoys spending that kind of money? But you have to do it. We’re trying to buy the best stock, that’s all we’re trying to do. We can’t compete unless we’re trying to get the best stock. How do you compete otherwise? It’s very hard. We’ve been trying for the last few years but outwitting these people is very hard.”

He continued: “We’ve run the stats, and if you look at all the group 1s in, say, the last four years, almost all the winners are either homebreds or extremely well bred. Of course, you get the odd Vandeek or Perfect Power, but if we really want to develop and get to the next level, your stallions and your mares have got to be strong. We’d spent the money (previously) but we didn’t have that strength. This year we’ve changed our strategy and decided we needed to have that strength in pedigree.”

 In summing up Amo Racing’s involvement this week, Joorabchian said: “Our team has a strategy; we’ve spoken about it, sat around and gone through the catalog, and every member of the team has been involved and given their opinions. We came here with a shortlist and we’re going for it … so everyone’s neck is on the line!”

Bloodstock agent Alex Elliott has been a key figure in Amo’s buying mission and, unsurprisingly, gave the Wootton Bassett colt, who will be trained by Karl Burke, the highest praise. 

“If you were going to paint a racehorse, that’s as close to perfection as you can get,” he said.

“From the top to the bottom, from the farm he came from, the amount of time and money and love that the Burns family have put into that page, it’s just phenomenal. To get a physical like that is a lifetime achievement for anybody. For us to be able to buy into that, it’s phenomenal that Kia has done that because you don’t really find people that can do that.

“When I first showed Kia the horse, there was myself, Ben McElroy, and Robson Aguiar, it doesn’t take a genius to find that horse, but we all said you can’t get better than that. I said to Kia, ‘You’ve been second in two Derbys, that is a horse that can take you one place better.'”

Elliott added: “If he can run to how he looks, he’s going to have a spot in a stallion shed one day. It was always going to take that (price) because Coolmore weren’t going to let that horse out of their sight. To beat them, when they’re the best in the game, I think what Kia is doing is refreshing. It feels like it’s reinvigorated the whole thing.

“I feel very honored to be a small part of the whole process. Thankfully Kia has faith in his team and I hope these men get rewarded for what they’re doing because we’re trying to buy the best stock, and at the end of the day we’re just doing our jobs.”

Lodge Park’s Jamie Burns, who was on the end of the lead rein when the colt took his turn in the ring, said: “I wasn’t really thinking when it went over 4 million (guineas), emotion took over, it was surreal. I’m coming down from the clouds a bit now but it was all pretty special.

“He’s been busy all week and has never turned a hair once. We’ve bred four generations on this colt’s page, and we also had Park Appeal, who’s Wootton Bassett’s pedigree too.”

“It’s a strong market, she’s a beautiful filly and when you get two to tango you can get two to tango,” said Ben Sangster, the delighted breeder of the seven-figure youngster.

“The family has been really good to me. I hope she goes to a nice home and lives up to their expectations. I’m a bit gobsmacked. This is rather amazing. I think everything that’s gone on this week has exceeded expectations. I didn’t really have a figure in my mind, but it certainly wasn’t that, put it that way!”

Statistics

New high marks posted in aggregate, average and median figures told the tale of a Book 1 for the ages. Turnover for the three days hit a jaw-dropping 127,823,000gns (US$175,117,510), a 34% year-on-year gain. 

The average price rose by a whopping 52% to 370,500gns (US$507,585), while the median went up by 39 points to 250,000gns (US$342,500), having been 180,000gns 12 months ago. The clearance rate was 89% as 345 lots sold from 393 offered. And all this was achieved despite a smaller catalog resulting in 77 fewer lots being offered and 46 fewer transactions.

Trade on Day 3 reached scarcely believable levels, with turnover for the session growing by 54% to 44,760,000gns (US$61,321,200). The average was the highest for the three days at 403,245gns (US$552,446), an 84% increase, while the median went up by 48% to 230,000gns (US$315,100). The clearance rate was 84% as 111 yearlings sold from 132 offered lots. 

“The very top of the market has been outlandish with an unprecedented eight yearlings selling for 2,000,000gns or more, 16 selling for seven figure sums and almost 70 yearlings realizing 500,000gns or more,” said Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony.

“The buyers who have made all of this possible have come from far and wide. The contribution from throughout the Gulf region has been such a feature of sales at Tattersalls for a very long time and their continued support should never be underestimated. This year they have been joined by an almost overwhelming number of overseas buyers with the large contingent of American buyers making a massive contribution alongside buyers from Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan and throughout Europe, all of whom have been competing with strong domestic demand, most notably from Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing, which has become such a force on the global racing scene.”