"Kia Joorabchian's £3.78m colt buy signals major bloodstock ambition"

The first seven-figure purchase came within an hour on the opening day of the elite Book 1 sale at Tattersalls auction, along with an early contender for the most lighthearted remark of the week. “An early move,” said Kia Joorabchian, football agent and head of Amo Racing, after spending 3.6 million guineas (£3.78 million) on Lot 15, a bay colt by Frankel. “Hopefully, no more.”

Joorabchian left last year’s Book 1 sale having spent around £25 million, acquiring 25 new yearlings for Amo. His goal to compete at the highest level of Flat racing, challenging established names like Coolmore Stud and Godolphin, has been clear, so a single purchase this time seemed unlikely.

Yet there was less urgency in his approach—at least on the first day—and a readiness to step back when bids exceeded his limit.

After outbidding Coolmore for Lot 15, a Frankel full-brother to a filly Amo bought last year, Joorabchian declined to continue when bidding reached 3.7 million guineas (£3.9 million) for Lot 90, a Sea The Stars colt, as Godolphin pushed aggressively.

“The Frankel was our priority,” Joorabchian said. “We wanted to strengthen that family after buying the sister. The Sea The Stars colt was impressive, but not essential for us now. You must be disciplined when facing such strong competition.”

Amo’s only other notable purchase was another Frankel colt for 440,000 guineas (£462,000), as Joorabchian seeks a contender to rival top bloodlines in the industry.

“Coolmore and Godolphin have decades of breeding expertise,” he noted. “We’re working to catch up, but that takes time. The best stallions are not available—you have to develop your own.”