Strong Renewal of Tattersalls December Yearling Sale

The Tattersalls December Yearling Sale returned a strong set of results despite the number of lots on offer being the smallest this century. Turnover was just short of 4 million guineas with seven lots selling for 100,000 guineas or more, led by the 300,000 guineas SEA THE STARS colt who was the third highest priced colt at this fixture for 20 years. The clearance rate of 86% is the highest this millennium.  

Stroud Strikes for Son of Oaks Winner Talent  

The top lot at the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale, and the third highest priced colt in the last 20 years, was the SEA THE STARS colt out of the Oaks winner TALENT who was knocked down to Anthony Stroud for 300,000 guineas.  

Consigned by Ashbrittle Stud, the colt is a half-brother to the Group 2 Prix Corrida winner AMBITION. He was bred by James Rowsell along with Mark Dixon, the pair having bred and raced his dam TALENT together.  

Purchaser Anthony Stroud said: “He is a nice horse, he needs time. He is by a Derby winner and out of an Oaks winner, and his half-sister Ambition has done very well. He goes to John Gosden.”  

Ashbrittle Stud’s manager Ginny Whales was leading up the colt and commented: “He deserved the price he has got. He got a haematoma on his off-hind hence he missed his sale in October, but we are very pleased.”  

Sea The Stars Filly to Glen Hill Farm at 260,000 Guineas  

It didn’t take long for the fireworks to start as the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale got underway with lot 7, the SEA THE STARS filly out of the Group 3 winner ALLA SPERANZA knocked down to Norelands Stud’s Harry McCalmont for 260,000 guineas.  

The half-sister to the Group 2 City of York Stakes winner SHINE SO BRIGHT also attracted the attention of that colt’s trainer Andrew Balding and eventual underbidder John Clarke, but it was McCalmont who prevailed.  

“She is for a partnership between Norelands and Craig Bernick of Glen Hill Farm,” revealed McCalmont. “We had good yearling sales so we thought we would invest. She is a lovely filly, by a stallion whom we love and from a wonderful family – it keeps on producing. Lanwades has the family, Coolmore has a branch and Juddmonte has a branch – we have one now too!”  

As for training plans, McCalmont said: “I have already spoken to John Gosden and I will go and have another chat with him!”  

Sold by the Castlebridge Consignment on behalf of Kirsten Rausing’s Lanwades and Staffordstown Studs, the filly had missed her earlier appointment at Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale.  

“She had a minor injury three or four weeks before Book 1, it was just a soft tissue injury,” said Rausing. “We sold her through the Castlebridge Consignment today and the team has been very helpful. For decades we have sold through Staffordstown, but it was a COVID-related decision and logistics. She was prepared at home and met Castlebridge here.”  

Rausing has many members of the prolific pedigree, hence the reason for selling the filly as she explained: “I have the dam and the grand-dam both working for me, and two sisters of this filly and other females of the family – so I have many members and there is plenty to come from the family. She is a lovely filly and I wish the new buyer all the best of luck with her.”

Sister to Alcohol Free Makes 130,000 Guineas

The STARSPANGLEDBANNER half-sister to the Group 1 Cheveley Park winner ALCOHOL FREE provided her owners with an impressive pinhooking result when selling to Creighton Schwartz Bloodstock’s Daniel Creighton for 130,000 guineas.  

Consigned by Canice Farrell’s Knockatrina House Stud, the daughter of the HARD SPUN mare PLYING was purchased in February for €40,000 through Pegasus Bloodstock.  

“We were lucky enough that Alcohol Free came along,” said Farrell. “This filly was entered in an earlier sale but had an over-reach. She has benefitted anyway from the extra time she has had, she has a phenomenal temperament, and appetite!”  

Purchaser Daniel Creighton commented: “She is for a new client and will go into pre-training with my brother. I imagine she will stay in Britain to be trained.  

“Her sister has done well his year and she is by a popular sire, who has done well. Let’s hope it all adds up to her being a good filly on the track, and eventually a broodmare too. She is a lovely big filly and has a lot of quality, I think she is likely to be a mid-summer to back-end type.”

Balding Secures Lope De Vega Colt for 130,000 Guineas

Trainer Andrew Balding struck late in the sale to secure the LOPE DE VEGA colt out of the Listed winning RIP VAN WINKLE mare STONE ROSES for 130,000 guineas.  

“He is a lovely horse, we are thrilled to get him and obviously the stallion has done very well. He is an athletic sort,” said Balding, who bought six lots in total for 282,000 guineas.  

Hillwood Stud’s Charlie Vigors said: “We have been lucky with the sire and we picked him out a while back when he stood at €60,000. The mare had a filly foal by him this spring and was covered by him again. I am not sure what we will do next spring – Lope de Vega has become a more expensive sire now!”

Gordon-Watson Buys Grandson of Crystal Music for 125,000 Guineas  

Leading stallion SEA THE STARS was in the headlines again when Charlie Gordon-Watson struck to secure his colt out of the DALAKHANI mare CRYSDAL for 125,000 guineas with trainer Mark Johnston the underbidder.  

Consigned by New England Stud on behalf of breeders Watership Down Stud and Sunderland Holdings, the colt is a great grandson of CRYSTAL SPRAY who Gordon-Watson purchased on behalf of the Lloyd-Webber’s Watership Down Stud for 500,000 guineas at the 1995 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. She subsequently produced the Irish Derby third TCHAIKOVSKY as well as Group 1 Fillies’ Mile winner CRYSTAL MUSIC, dam of CRYSDAL.

“He traces back to Crystal Spray who we purchased and obviously I like the stallion,” said Gordon-Watson. “He will go into training with Ed Walker.”

The Tattersalls December Foal Sale starts on Wednesday 25th November and runs until Saturday 28th November. Selling on all four days of the sale will begin at 10am.