Ambitious Goals for Resolute’s Tattersalls Buys

Rapidly expanding Resolute Racing's chief John Stewart has made a bold statement by spending 6,265,000gns (around AUD $13 million) on five elite females at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale, reports TDN. Leading the acquisitions was Gr1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Vertical Blue (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), purchased for 3.2 million gns. Vertical Blue (see below) is trained by Francis Graffard, who also handles Stewart’s star European gelding, German-bred Goliath (Adlerflug). Goliath’s sixth-place finish in the Japan Cup left Stewart unsatisfied but strengthened his partnership with Graffard who he views as being progressive and open to big ideas. Commenting on the auction, Stewart said, “I’m pretty satisfied with the purchases. The auction played out pretty much as I thought it would. I was very targeted in looking for specific horses. Of course, we one hundred per cent wanted to be focused on the top end of the market and Vertical Blue was the number one horse on my list at the sale.” The additional purchases include Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up A Lilac Rolla (Harry Angel) for 1 million gns, Group performer Village Voice (Zarak) at 1.3 million, and speedier types Tales Of The Heart (Mehmas) and It Ain’t Two (Calyx) for 650,000 gns and 115,000 gns, respectively. Stewart outlined big plans for purchases to race at Keeneland. He observed, “We targeted buying the horses who like the soft ground. Resolute is going to have multiple horses taking part in these Graded Stakes races at Keeneland on turf. That’s my home track and it’s the one track we haven’t won races at even though we have won races all over the world. That’s not good enough and I’m not one who’s going to make excuses. We’re putting our money where our mouth is.”