Part 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale continued in spectacular
fashion on the second day with the first ever million guinea sale, yesterday`s
record aggregate smashed and a new record average on a day when a further 54
yearlings broke the six figure barrier. After two days of the sale the total
number of yearlings to have sold for more than 100,000 guineas now stands at a
massive 108. There were a total of 199 yearlings sold on the second day for a
total of 15,888,000 guineas, to take the two day total to 30,068,500 guineas,
only 128,000 guineas shy of last year`s sale total with 554 lots still to come.
The average on the second day of 79,839 guineas was up 42% on last year`s
corresponding session whilst the median of 57,000 guineas represented a rise of
50% on last year.
Anticipation for the DIESIS colt out of the DANEHILL mare KITZA, the Stakes
winning Irish Oaks and Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up was high and the pundits
were proved correct in extraordinary fashion as the record price for a yearling
at Part 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, set only yesterday, was
consigned to oblivion. The superb colt, consigned from Roger Baines` Britton
House Stud was the last lot of the day but an unusually full ring hinted at what
was to come. After an opening bid of 100,000 guineas, bids rained down on
auctioneer Alistair Pim with Havana Horse`s Andy Smith, Gill Richardson of
Bloodhorse International and Ger Morrin, manager of Swordlestown Stud all eager
to secure the colt. With Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and his racing manager Angus
Gold seated opposite and Irish veterinarian Demi O`Byrne, accompanied by
Coolmore`s Paul Shanahan all looking on intently, it seemed only a matter of
time before the big guns stepped in. Gold and O`Byrne duly took control as the
bidding soared past yesterday`s record price of 525,000 guineas but Swordlestown
Stud owner Cathal Ryan was not easily shaken off and himself made another bold
move with a further bid in excess of 800,000 guineas. Eventually however it was
the Shadwell and Coolmore teams who fought out the closing exchanges with
O`Byrne successful with the first ever seven figure bid at the October Yearling
Sale of 1,000,000 guineas.
The second top price for the day was the 360,000 guineas paid by John
Ferguson on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed for the ALHAARTH colt out of the SHARROOD
mare CASHEW. The colt`s pedigree has been very active this year with his
half-sister MACADAMIA winning the Group 2 Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket and his
two year old half-brother AZAROLE finishing fourth in the Group 2 Champagne
Stakes and Group 3 Somerville Tattersall Stakes on his last two starts. The
colt`s sire ALHAARTH has also enjoyed another successful season with Group 3
Gordon Stakes winner and St Leger third PHOENIX REACH, Group 2 Champagne Stakes
third HAAFHD and Group 3 Curragh Cup winner MAHARIB. Underbidder on the colt,
which was consigned by Highclere Stud on behalf of Lord Vestey`s Stowell Park
Stud, was London based bloodstock agent Charlie Gordon-Watson.
Gordon-Watson did not have long to wait before being richly compensated when
securing the ROYAL APPLAUSE colt out of the RAINBOW QUEST mare EMERALD CUT for
300,000 guineas. Competition for the easy moving colt out of the half-sister to
Group 1 winner KUNDALINI and 2002 Group 3 winner LIME GARDENS was intense from
the word go. Locally based bloodstock agent Cormac McCormack and
Northamptonshire based agent Tim Corby, a huge admirer of ROYAL APPLAUSE, fought
out the early exchanges before Newmarket agent Johnny McKeever and the
ubiquitous Charlie Gordon-Watson moved into action with the latter proving
successful. The colt was yet another handsome return for Gay O`Callaghan`s
Yeomanstown Stud, having been purchased at last year`s Tattersalls December Foal
Sale for 90,000 guineas.
ROYAL APPLAUSE, who stood the 2001 season for �6,500 at The Royal Studs, has
provided a bonanza for pinhookers and breeders alike with an amazing 8 of the 11
lots offered on the opening two days of the sale breaking the six figure
barrier. Another highlight for the son of WAAJIB was the colt out of PETIT POINT
which made 280,000 guineas to the bid of Shadwell`s Estates` Angus Gold.
Consigned from Fiona Marner`s Kingwood Stud on behalf of Lady Tennant, the colt
from the family of multiple Group 1 winners SHAKE THE YOKE and KUTUB was Gold`s
second ROYAL APPLAUSE purchase, having paid 240,000 guineas for yesterday`s colt
out of HOH DANCER. The continued a successful year for Lady Tennant whose colts
HIGH ACCOLADE and PRIORS LODGE, both purchased at the Tattersalls October
Yearling Sale, have won Group 2 races for trainer Marcus Tregonning this year.
Coolmore Stud`s FASLIYEV is another sire to have attracted the judges after a
spectacular start to his stud career with six individual Group and Stakes
winners from his first crop and his yearlings were understandably in high
demand. Top price for the son of NUREYEV was the colt out of the Listed placed
POLISH PRECEDENT mare SIMPLICITY, consigned from Barbara Facchino`s Barouche
Stud in Ireland. The colt, out of the half-sister to Group 2 Lockinge Stakes
winner SAFAWAN, was purchased by John Ferguson, who was seated with his employer
Sheikh Mohammed, for 280,000 guineas after a prolonged battle with Kuwaiti based
owner Saleh Al Homeizi. Standing with Newmarket trainer Jeremy Noseda, Al
Homeizi filled the gap eleven lots later when he purchased the DANEHILL colt out
of the GONE WEST mare SUN SILK for 250,000 guineas from Eddie O`Leary`s Lynn
Lodge Stud. The colt will stay in Newmarket and join Noseda who is enjoying his
most successful season yet following the victory of FASLIYEV filly CARRY ON
KATIE in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes last week.
The GRAND LODGE filly out of the Champion MR PROSPECTOR mare PROSKONA always
looked a standout on paper as a half-sister to Group 2 winner CALISTA and from
the late Gerald Leigh`s family of multiple Group 1 winner ACT ONE, as well as
BOSRA SHAM and KORVEYA. Irish trainer Charles O`Brien and locally based
bloodstock agent Alex Scrope were the early pacesetters, but it was Blandford
Bloodstock`s Joss Collins who eventually landed the regally bred filly with a
final bid of 280,000 guineas. The filly was consigned from Islanmore Stud in
Ireland who sold the filly`s own brother for 325,000 guineas at last year`s
Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
|