Foal Sale Holds Its Own In Difficult Market

Lot 1115, by Showcasing | Tattersalls

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There's no doubt that, in the midst of international political unrest and a bout of equine overproduction, there's been a remarkably strong market for foals this week at Tattersalls. It would, however, be unwise to equate this apparently buoyant market to the general health of the breeding and racing industries in Britain and Ireland. Of course it's natural at a foal sale for a high number of the individuals sold not to be bought by the person who will ultimately send them to the racecourse, but while the hardy breed that is the pinhooker is apparently still willing to invest in youngsters who will form their yearling drafts of next year, what we have witnessed across a number of the lesser yearling sales this year in both countries is that the number of owners looking to put horses into training simply does not match the number offered for sale.

That said, Tattersalls, once again, can take pride in the fact that it has played host to an extraordinarily strong sale and, with just four days of the mare sale left to come next week, the company can prepare to reflect on what has been another successful year at its Newmarket headquarters in its 250th anniversary year. For the foal sale as a whole, aggregate was down, but only slightly, and from 60 fewer horses sold. The final tally for the 743 sold was 30,568,350gns (-9%), with the overall clearance rate improving five points to 78%. That was achieved with a median of 21,000gns, which was up by 5%, and a slightly reduced average figure of 41,142gns (-2%). Taken in isolation, the final day didn't fare quite so well, with the number of horses sold increasing by 28 to 160, with the clearance rate remaining static at 72% and turnover falling by 11% to 3,257,000gns. The average of 20,356gns was down by 26% and the median fell by 33% to 13,000gns.

Tattersalls' pruning of the number of yearlings accepted for October ensured healthier figures for that sale and the loss of the extra half-day session on the Tuesday of the Foal Sale of 2015 also helped, as outlined by Chairman Edmond Mahony in his closing statement.

He said, “The strength and depth to the market at Books 1 to 4 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale has been reflected in the sustained demand we have witnessed from start to finish of the 2016 December Foal Sale. Another major contributory factor has been the decision to return the sale to its traditional four-day format after the five-day December Foal Sale last year. This was not a decision taken lightly, but it has without doubt played a major part in the success of this week's sale.”

Mahony continued, “On each of the four days we have achieved improved clearance rates over the equivalent days last year, we have had an impressive 76 foals selling for 100,000 guineas or more, only one short of the record, an improved median and turnover in excess of 30 million guineas for the fourth consecutive year. Another noteworthy achievement involves the 600,000 guineas sale-topping Dansili (GB) filly out of High Heeled, who was consigned from the Wigan family's West Blagdon Stud. Not only has West Blagdon been one of the most loyal and prominent consignors at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale for very many years, but they have also been responsible for the sale-topping foal in three of the last four years, and each time it has been a filly out of the outstanding producer High Heeled. In 2014 West Blagdon had the second highest priced foal at the sale, but the highest-priced filly, and again she was out of High Heeled–truly an achievement of real merit.

“In addition to the extraordinary West Blagdon success story, we have seen so many British and Irish foal consignors richly rewarded this week. They have brought the cream of the British and Irish foal crop to the December Sale and the buyers, both pinhookers and many of the world's leading owners, have responded. International buyers from as far afield as Australia, Japan and the USA have all made an impact, but as ever we must pay tribute to the huge number of pinhookers who form the backbone of this unique market and who will be bringing so many of this week's purchases back to our October Yearling Sale in 2017.”

Concluded Mahony, “In the meantime, we now turn our attention to next week's December Breeding Stock Sale which starts on Monday. As ever, we have a catalogue of real quality and we look forward to ending our 250th anniversary year on a positive note.”

As the curtain came down on a lively week of foal trade, it was the draft from Dukes Stud, a regular feature of the Saturday foal session, which played a starring role. Charlie Wyatt's farm had a profitable few minutes when selling a Showcasing (GB) colt and an Iffraaj (GB) filly for 110,000gns and 95,000gns, respectively. The former, lot 1115 , the first foal of Lady Bamford's winning Shamardal mare Sunrise Star (GB), was the pick of agent Richard Knight, who pinhooked him for an unnamed client and said, “Showcasing goes from strength to strength, is independent and is going up in price. This colt is out of an 85-rated mare who won over six furlongs and he has plenty of size for a first foal. There's lots to like.”

Charlie Wyatt added, “The Showcasing is a cracking colt and was bred by Lady Bamford. He has been a straightforward, easy colt all the way through and has been brilliantly done by Clive Larkin and Jim Robertson at home.”

Sunrise Star is now in foal to Pivotal (GB), a stallion with whom Lady Bamford has enjoyed plenty of success, most notably through her homebred G1 Oaks winner Sariska (GB).

Two lots later it was the turn of the Iffraaj filly (lot 1117) in the ring and her pedigree has enjoyed a decent update this season via her half-brother Flanders Flame (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), the leading 3-year-old colt in Spain who won the country's 2000 Guineas at La Zarzuela in April followed by the Listed Copa de Oro at San Sebastian. Having started his career in England with Richard Fahey after being bought for 90,000gns at the October Yearling Sale, Flanders Flame was let go for just 2,000gns at the following year's Horses-in-Training Sale and proved to be a shrewd purchase for Portuguese trainer Helder Pereira.

Their dam, the Redback (GB) mare Pink Flames (Ire), is a sister to GI EP Taylor S. winner Lahaleeb (Ire) and is in foal to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Outstrip (GB).

Wyatt added, “The Iffraaj filly was bred in partnership by myself and Simon Sweeting. We will probably be sending the mare back to Dutch Art (GB) as he is sire of her listed winner Flanders Flame.”

These days, whenever a youngster by Kodiac (Ire) walks into the ring, a gaggle of pinhookers is likely to follow the horse up the chute to the rope and there was plenty of interest on Saturday morning in the final foal (lot 1093) by the Tally-Ho Stud sire to be offered at Tattersalls this week. Paul McCartan–one of Kodiac's most devout followers from the start and the breeder of his brilliant juvenile filly Tiggy Wiggy (Ire)–came out best in the battle for this particular filly, who is from the family of two other outstanding distaffers, Pass the Peace (GB) (Alzao) and her daughter Embassy (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}). Her dam Carved Emerald (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) was a winner in France and is a half-sister to the listed winner Vital Statistics (GB) (Indian Ridge {GB}).

The most famous graduate of Colin and Melba Bryce's Laundry Cottage Stud is the Group 1 winner and Haras d'Etreham stallion Wootton Bassett (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}), whose first-crop multiple Group1-winning son Almanzor (Fr) has been one of the most exciting 3-year-olds of the European season. The Hertfordshire farm featured among the leading lots as the Tattersalls Foal Sale drew to a close with lot 1155, a Showcasing filly out of the young mare Pinch of Posh (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), selling to Rathasker Stud in association with Howson and Houldsworth Bloodstock for 87,000gns.

The Bryces retained the mare's first foal, 2-year-old Upgrade (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}), who has been placed three times this season, and she was covered this year by Outstrip (GB). A dual winner for Melba Bryce after being bought from the Craven Breeze-up Sale for 160,000gns, Pinch of Posh is a half-sister to the top-class sprinter Pipalong (Ire) (Pips Pride {GB}), their dam Limpopo having bred 13 winners from her 15 runners with four of them gaining black-type.

The Tattersalls ring will be given a rest Sunday, as viewing starts for four days of mare trade, which gets underway on Monday at 9:30 a.m. local time.

 

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