By Emma Berry
NEWMARKET, UK—Tattersalls couldn't match the record-breaking December Foal Sale of 2018 but this year's event still came in as a healthy second with a total of 663 weanlings bringing turnover of 29,338,300gns at an average of 44,251gns. Though these markers were reduced by 16% and 14% respectively, again serving a reminder of the highly selective nature of a polarised bloodstock market, the clearance rate did rise marginally to 72%.
“A sale average of almost 45,000gns, second only to last year's wide margin record, combined with an improved clearance rate and turnover well in excess of any other European foal sale, are all positive indicators, yet again reinforcing the status of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale as the premier fixture of its kind in Europe,” said Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony.
“Demand for quality British, Irish, French and German foals has been unrelenting, and while we should continue to recognise the selective nature of the current market, we have had more than 70 foals selling for 100,000gns or more this week, as well as an impressive 14 foals breaking the 300,000-guinea mark and international buyers making a significant impact at all levels of the market.”
As the curtain fell on the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, the final session brought plenty of cheer for small British breeders.
Bryce Foals In Demand
It had already been a good week for Colin and Melba Bryce of Laundry Cottage Stud, whose Bated Breath (GB) colt was the top lot of Thursday's sale, and on Saturday another two of the Hertfordshire farm's graduates filled spaces in the upper echelon of the leaderboard. At the head of the list was the most expensive Farhh (GB) weanling of the auction and the sole six-figure horse of the day (lot 1139), with Peter and Ross Doyle outbidding the team from Tally-Ho Stud at 110,000gns. The February-born colt is the first foal of his winning dam Duchess Of Fife (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}).
“We bred Duchess Of Fife and this was always a fabulous foal, he's a great walker,” said Colin Bryce. “It was Melba who decided on Farhh—she loved him when she saw him at Darley.”
Duchess Of Fife is set to be sold at Tattersalls on Wednesday as lot 1983, also through Jamie Railton, and she is in foal to Unfortunately (Ire).
The Farhh foal was the second of two colts to go through the ring for the Bryces following lot 1138, another first foal and this one by freshman sire Caravaggio out of the unraced Swept Away (Ire) (GB), a half-sister to listed winner and G2 Mill Reef S. third Shadn (Ire) (No Nay Never). The mare was bought privately for 25,000gns last year after being led out unsold at the Tattersalls July Sale, and her first foal brought a handsome profit when sold for 80,000gns to Camas Park Stud.
“The pedigree of Swept Away has been improved due to Shadn, and she is now in foal to Starspangledbanner (Aus),” Bryce added. “We had a bit of bad luck through the year so this helps enormously with this stupid business that we are so attached to.”
Coolmore's Caravaggio had 19 foals sold at Tattersalls during the week for an average of 101,421gns.
Yabba Dabba Do For Flintstone Colt
The word spread quickly around the walking ring that lot 1183 would sell well and the smart Nathaniel (Ire) colt did not disappoint, bringing the hammer down at 95,000gns after Joe Foley outbid Tony O'Callaghan. It proved a terrific result for Wiltshire-based Flintstone Stud, owned by David Weston and El Tanner, who brought just this one foal to Tattersalls.
“He's a lovely colt and he has always been straightforward,” said Weston, who has recently taken out his training licence and trains seven horses on the farm near Marlborough, which is also home to the family's four broodmares.
“I'm pleased that Joe bought him as we bought our first mare from Joe and he was also the underbidder on the colt's dam.”
The mare is the former treble winner Robema (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}), who has already produced four winners, including the listed Silver Tankard S. winner Connect (GB), by former Ballyhane Stud resident Roderic O'Connor (Ire).
He added, “We set up Flintstone Stud from scratch 14 years ago on the site of a derelict dairy farm. We have four mares at home and hope to upgrade the stock a little so we can be selling Book 1 and 2 yearlings. We bought one mare in July and hope to buy another next week.”
Joe Foley added of the colt, “He is a special foal, and the mare has shown that she can do it. Nathaniel has proved that when he gets a good one, it can be a very good one indeed.”
Foley later went to 70,000gns for lot 1198, the Trickledown Stud-bred daughter of Showcasing (GB) from the family of group winners Birchwood (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Rumble Inthejungle (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}).
Bloomsday For Ulysses
With 12 foals sold through the fours days, Cheveley Park Stud's first-season sire Ulysses (Ire) recorded his best price to date on Saturday via his son out of the Exceed And Excel (Aus) mare Azhar (GB) (lot 1113). Bred on a similar cross to the one which produced this year's Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the West Moor Stud-consigned colt was bought by pinhooker Paul McCartan of Ballyphilip Stud for 90,000gns.
“He is a gorgeous individual, from a good cross, and is out of a mare rated 89, who won at two,” he said. “He looks as though he will have a bit of pace and it is also the family of the autumn's Group 1 winner Albigna (Ire).”
The G1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac winner Albigna appears under the colt's third dam Napoli (GB) (Baillamont), whose son Domedriver (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) won the GI Breeders' Cup Mile.
The 12 foals by Ulysses to change hands this week did so at an average price of 46,083gns, with buyers including Camas Park Stud, Redpender Stud and Grove Stud.
Mahony Acknowledges Global Contribution
The last-day clearance rate came in lowest of the week 58%, with 115 foals sold for 2,008,300gns (-34%) at an average of 17,463gns (-17%) and median of 12,500gns (-17%). This sealed a busy first week of action at Tattersalls, with more to come on Monday as the four-day December Mares Sale begins.
Edmond Mahony was quick to acknowledge the contribution made by international buyers in Newmarket, notably John Sykes's Woodford Thoroughbreds of Florida, which spent 1.39 million gns on five foals. He said, “Following on from their prolific buying at Books 1 and 2 of our October Yearling Sales, it was particularly encouraging to see American buyers continuing to make their presence felt alongside buyers from throughout Europe, the Gulf region and Japan, all of whom have also made a major contribution to this week's sale.
“While the Tattersalls December Foal Sale has enjoyed a spectacular year of racecourse achievement in the shape of Classic and Group 1 winners Blue Point, Magna Grecia, Phoenix Of Spain and Star Catcher, it is, of course primarily the domain of the pinhookers who as ever have worked tirelessly throughout the sale. Their commitment to the Tattersalls December Foal Sale is driven by consistent success and we very much look forward to seeing their expertise and judgement being handsomely rewarded at next year's Tattersalls October Yearling Sale where so many of their purchases will reappear.
“In the meantime we look forward to welcoming buyers from all over the world to the Tattersalls December Mares Sale which begins on Monday and is the annual showcase for the very best breeding stock to be found in Europe.”
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