2010 December Foal Sale Day 4 Press Release

The Tattersalls December Foal Sale concluded with a strong fourth and final session that saw a healthy 82% clearance and a top price of 200,000 guineas for a TAMAYUZ colt. The final session saw 113 lots sell for 3,736,600 guineas at an average of 33,067 guineas and a median of 22,000 guineas. Returns for the four days of the sale saw 560 lots sell for 17,491,400 guineas, at an average of 31,235 guineas and a median of 20,000 guineas which represented a 25% rise on the 2009 figure.

The top lot on the final day was the colt by first crop stallion TAMAYUZ out of the GREEN DESERT mare DIARY who was knocked down to Blandford Bloodstock’s Tom Goff for 200,000 guineas. The half-brother to the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp winner TOTAL GALLERY and the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile runner-up LADY DARSHAAN was consigned to the sale by Coleman Stud. The son of the dual Group 1 winning son of NAYEF was knocked down to Goff after he withstood the efforts of Tweenhills’ David Redvers and following the purchase he commented;

"He has been bought for a long-established client," said Goff. "He has almost certainly been bought to race.

"He is absolutely lovely horse, with a proper pedigree - how often do you get the chance to buy a foal that is a half to a Group 1 winner?

"He is a good walker, with good bone. I have really liked TAMAYUZ's stock - they all seem to have plenty of quality."

The colt’s dam DIARY is catalogued as lot 1650 in the next week’s Tattersalls December Mare Sale whilst his half-sister LADY DARSHAAN is catalogued as lot 1753.

Kevin and Susan Mercer’s Usk Valley Stud were responsible for the second highest price for the day – a colt by Group 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner RAVEN’S PASS. The half-brother to the Grade 2 winning SPICE ROUTE is out of Mercer’s Group 1 Oaks d’Italia winner ZANZIBAR and was knocked down to Darley’s John Ferguson for 170,000 guineas after he saw off Irish agent Peter Doyle. The stock of the first season sire RAVEN’S PASS were in great demand during the week, with all seven of his lots offered selling at an average of 93,714 guineas, with three recording six figure values.

The top filly on the final day of the sale was the MULTIPLEX half-sister to this year’s Group 2 Prix Eugene Adam winner SHIMRAAN who was knocked down to Hugo Merry for 130,000 guineas. The daughter of the KING OF KINGS mare SHEMRIYNA was consigned from Richard Kent’s Mickley Stud on behalf of Allseasons Bloodstock – a partnership between Kent and owner Allan Stennett. Merry secured the filly after seeing off the efforts of agents James Wigan, Bobby O’Ryan and underbidder John Walsh and following the purchase commented;

"She has been bought for racing by Prince Faisal," said Merry, "and will go from here to Ted Voute's Eydon Hall Stud.

"The Prince saw the sales-topping Singspiel filly on Sirecam and fell in love with the horse. We had a go on him and missed and have tried for a few others, but are happy to get this filly.

"This filly is out of young mare who has already got a Group-race winner."

At the conclusion of the 2010 Tattersalls December Foal Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented;

“The continuing economic uncertainties, especially in Europe, have not made for encouraging reading in recent weeks, but foal buyers, particularly from Ireland, have yet again been out in force at Tattersalls and we have had good, solid trade throughout the past four days.

“We have offered less foals compared to last year which has not surprisingly resulted in lower turnover, but the key indicators of average, median and percentage of lots sold have held up well. The median has shown a significant increase, the average a small decrease and while the clearance rate has not quite matched the 2009 figure it has comfortably exceeded the levels of 2008 and even 2007 when the market was at its height.

“As last year the December Foal Sale has produced the highest priced foal sold in Europe or North America and it was fitting that the 320,000 guineas sale topping SINGSPIEL colt should be from the Bloomsbury Stud dispersal. Both the Bloomsbury Stud and Pendley Farm dispersals continue at the December Breeding Stock Sale starting on Monday and they look set to be amongst the highlights of a week of typically international trade.”