Kool Kompany© Photo Healy Racing
Smart juvenile Kool Kompany will go under the hammer at Doncaster's Horses In Training sale next week.
The Richard Hannon-trained colt has won five times from eight starts for owners Middleham Park Racing, striking twice at Group Two level in the Railway Stakes at the Curragh and the Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte.
He was only narrowly denied a Group One victory when held by Dick Whittington in the Phoenix Stakes on his return to Ireland earlier this month and was last seen finishing sixth in a valuable sales race at York last week.
While proud of the youngster's exploits, Middleham Park racing manager Tim Palin believes now is the right time to move the two-year-old on if the price is right.
Middleham Park owned last season's champion juvenile Toormore, but he has so far failed to reach those heights as a three-year-old.
Palin said: "I think at the end of the day we're a commercial outfit and maybe we have learnt a bit from what happened with Toormore.
"There is a good time to keep a horse and a good time to sell and I think this might be the right time to sell Kool Kompany as we believe his value is at its premium.
"The timing of the sale is perfect as it comes at a time of year when owners are deliberating over how many yearlings they might want to be involved with for next season. Kool Kompany's owners will hopefully be able to reinvest.
"The other good thing about the sale being next week rather than October is that he does have the entries in the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury (September 20) and the Middle Park at Newmarket (October 17), so that might make him more attractive to potential purchasers if the horse is to stay in Europe.
"One thing I do want to point out is that he's definitely not just a two-year-old. He's a decent size and a strong horse and I'm sure he will train on next season.
"DBS (Doncaster Bloodstock Sales) actually approached us to see if we might want to enter him in the sale as they have a lot of clients coming from around the world and the feeling is the market is going to be very strong.
"He'll obviously have a decent reserve on him and if he doesn't make the reserve, we'll keep hold of him and go for the Mill Reef and the Middle Park as planned."
