Ta-ta to T.A.T.A - Tyneandthynegain sold!

Yesterday (Monday) saw a Brancepeth presence at day one of the Tattersalls Doncaster October sales, and it was notable for a couple of reasons. Firstly, apart from buying back two horses (see below), Richard Guest managed to keep his hands in his pockets throughout. Secondly, and more significantly, landlord Norman Mason brought eight of his animals to Doncaster and found buyers for all of them. Six of them were unraced homebred 5yos, but the other two were no lesser names than TYNEANDTHYNEAGAIN and RED STRIKER, between them winners of a Great Yorkshire Chase, an Eider Chase and a Peter Marsh Chase and his prime Grand National contenders for a few seasons now.

One can only speculate what has prompted their sale - economic necessity? Increasing loss of appetite for racing following the death of XAIPETE in August? - but the departure of these horses leaves only the wonderful 15yo NOSAM still knowingly in training for Mason, although presumably with mares Mighty Fly, Southend Scallywag, Marsden Rock, Radical Lady and Able Native still believed owned by Mason the breeding-for-sale operation will still continue to operate for a while yet.

We've not seen the last of Red Striker at Brancepeth, however, as Richard Guest forked out 3,500gns to bring him back to Brancepeth once again. He's always believed in this horse, bad legs and lord knows what else notwithstanding, and made it clear at the July Open Day that he had far from given up on him. Conversely, he must have given up patching up Tyneandthyneagain, and he was prepared to let him go to Bobby O'Ryan in the end for 10,000gns. The other Mason horse Guest has opted to bring back to Brancepeth is a 5yo bay Alflora gelding out of Southend Scallywag.

The message from Brancepeth nowadays seems to be clear; unlike in the past, if a homebred hasn't set the gallops alight (and certainly some or all of these were in the "in training" paddocks at Brancepeth during the Open Day, so will at least have been through some rigours of training), they won't get a run for the trainer. Christ knows Guest doesn't want to risk having a stable full of RED MARSALAs or CLAUDIA'S RAINBOWs.

Away from Mr Mason's offloads, the first Paul Beck horse to be released from the yard was sold on Monday as well. It will surprise very few of you to learn that the identity of that horse is YORK RITE, whose capitulation at Hexham a week last Saturday - despite the fitting of a first-time visor - was clearly the last straw. He leaves with just 2 wins from 33 runs for the yard, both gained within his first four runs and both over timber despite nearly twice as many runs over fences as hurdles. He earned £15,245.75 in win and place money in those runs, which doesn't amount to a hill of beans considering the effort invested in him.

Another Beck animal, ASTRONAUT, was withdrawn from sale and could actually reappear on the racecourse at Kelso this Saturday instead. PRIVATE JESSICA was also withdrawn from sale and will presumably be back on the racecourse for Guest and the Blaydon Racers before too long. However, PRINCE ADJAL's short tenure at Brancepeth is over, with Jim Andrews opting to sell him and Guest not putting in a winning bid (if any) to bring him back.

The full list of transactions concerning Brancepeth animals is as follows;


ch, g, 5-y-o, Alflora — Mighty Fly (Comedy Star)
Property of Mr N. B. Mason
SOLD to Alister Whillans 1,400

b, g, 5-y-o, Gunner B — On Golden Pond (Bluebird)
Property of Mr N. B. Mason
SOLD to Tom Best 5,400

b, g, 5-y-o, Alflora — Southend Scallywag (Tina'S Pet)
Property of Mr N. B. Mason
SOLD to Richard Guest 4,500

b, g, 5-y-o, Alflora — Marsden Rock (Tina'S Pet)
Property of Mr N. B. Mason
SOLD to Group Captain John Prideaux 9,200

b, m, 5-y-o, Gunner B — By The Lake (Tyrant)
Property of Mr N. B. Mason
SOLD to Guy Stephenson 3,000

ch, m, 5-y-o, Gunner B — D C Flyer (Record Token)
Property of Mr N. B. Mason
SOLD to Guy Stephenson 3,600

ch, g, 11-y-o, RED STRIKER Gunner B — Cover Your Money (Precipice Wood)
Property of Mr N. B. Mason
SOLD to Richard Guest 3,500

b, g, 10-y-o, TYNEANDTHYNEAGAIN Good Thyne — Radical Lady (Radical)
Property of Mr N. B. Mason
SOLD to Bobby O'Ryan 10,000

ch, f, 4-y-o, PRIVATE JESSICA Cadeaux Genereux — Rose Bay (Shareef Dancer)
Property of Mr R. C. Guest & the Blaydon Racers Partnership
WITHDRAWN FROM SALE

b, g, 5-y-o, PRINCE ADJAL Desert Prince — Adjalisa (Darshaan)
Property of Mr Jim Andrews
SOLD to Joules Bloodstock 1,200

ch, g, 9-y-o, YORK RITE Grand Lodge — Amazaan (Zamazaan)
Property of Mr Paul Beck
SOLD to Mr Smith 3,800

b, g, 8-y-o, ASTRONAUT Sri Pekan — Wild Abandon (Graustark)
Property of Mr Paul Beck
WITHDRAWN FROM SALE