300,000 Guineas Nathaniel Filly Tops Second Day of Tattersalls December Foal Sale

A filly from the first crop of Newsells Park Stud’s NATHANIEL sold for 300,000 guineas on the second day of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale. Trade stepped up a level from yesterday with 236 lots selling for 8,226,200 guineas, a rise of 21% on the Thursday session last year. The average of 34,857 guineas was a rise of 3% whilst the median fell narrowly to 26,000 guineas. 

The star attraction on the second day was the NATHANIEL filly out of the ARAZI mare OUR QUEEN OF KINGS who realised 300,000 guineas to the bid of Charlie Gordon-Watson. A plethora of bidders lined-up to take part as Newsells Park Stud’s filly waltzed around the ring including Liam Norris, Philipp Stauffenberg and Angus Gold, but it was Gordon-Watson who secured the filly on behalf of owner Tom Wilson.

"Tom has been lucky with this family before," reported Gordon-Watson, "and she is a lovely filly, a great advertisement for her stallion whom I really believe in. She will go from here to Watership Down."

Gordon-Watson was referring to last year when he purchased this filly’s half-sister by SEA THE STARS for 320,000 guineas, also on the second day of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale. That filly returned to Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale last month where she realised 600,000 guineas.

Julian Dollar of Newsells Park Stud who stand NATHANIEL was understandably thrilled by the sale.

"Our Queen Of Kings has been a wonderful mare for us - she has made us plenty of money and is a delight to have around, hopefully we will get a filly from her soon to retain.

"We could have kept this foal to race - she has always been a delightful foal, a real stand-out - but it was important to get Nathaniel's foals onto the market and show what a lovely foals he is getting. We are so pleased with his crop.

"This really is a Friday foal, but she would have sold on her own tomorrow and I think it was important for her to be part of our whole draft.

"Spinning Queen has a son of Montjeu with Sir Michael Stoute - he is called Peterhof, is the winner of his maiden on his sole start and has Derby hopes.

"Our Queen Of Kings is in-foal to New Approach and will return to Nathaniel in the spring."

The Irish National Stud’s INVINCIBLE SPIRIT has enjoyed a year in the spotlight courtesy of his two star three-year-old colts KINGMAN and CHARM SPIRIT who between them won seven Group 1 races and it was a son of his who hit the headlines here, selling for 150,000 guineas. Consigned by Charlie Mason’s Silfield Bloodstock, the son of the DANSILI mare LIGHT SHINE hails from the family of dual Group 1 winner MY EMMA and was knocked down to Frannie Woods and Niamh Cashman’s Abbeylands Farm.

"He is an outstanding colt," said Woods, "and is by a sire whom I have huge respect for - we thought we'd take a chance and will bring him back next year. He is very strong for a first foal and as there is nothing for the dam to run, the only trouble we'll get in is if we make it ourselves!

"He is from Silfield Bloodstock which does a good job prepping their foals - we bought from them before and done well."

Ballylinch Stud’s LOPE DE VEGA has enjoyed a great start to his stud career with his first crop of two-year-olds including the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes winner BELARDO and his son offered from Brian Kennedy’s Meadowlands Stud in County Down in Northern Ireland equaled the second highest price for the day at 150,000 guineas.

Out of the DUBAI DESTINATION mare PURPLE TIGRESS, the colt was knocked down to BBA Ireland’s Eamonn Reilly after he saw off the likes of Richard Brown, Gay O’Callaghan, Flash Conroy and Peter Doyle.

"He is for an client to race," said Reilly. "I am a big fan of the sire and this is likely to go into training with Jim Bolger."

The sale respresented a fantastic pinhooking result for Kennedy who purchased PURPLE TIGRESS for 19,000 guineas at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale last year, carrying this LOPE DE VEGA colt.

"I loved the mare, and she is by Dubai Destination who is becoming a decent broodmare sire."

With a twinkle in his eye, Kennedy added: "I have also got a filly at home, whom I bought at the same sale, Absolute Diamond - she is a full-sister to Move In Time, who won the Abbaye this year. She is in-foal to Lope De Vega and she cost me just 7,000 guineas."

The stars were certainly shining on Kennedy at Park Paddocks last December.

The progeny of SHOWCASING continued to be in great demand on the second day of the December Foal Sale and the colt out of the COMPTON PLACE mare GILT LINKED set the early running when knocked down to Nancy Sexton for 120,000 guineas. Consigned by Whitsbury Manor Stud who stand SHOWCASING, the colt was purchased on behalf of Jim McCarten who commented;

"He is for myself and Paul and goes to Ballyphilip Stud, he will come back as a yearling.

"I have a couple of Showcasings at home, they are very nice horses to work with."

Whitsbury Manor Stud’s Ed Harper was naturally delighted with the sale.

"We are so thrilled." said Harper. "And the sale of this colt is great: the grand-dam Copy-Cat is our favourite mare, she has produced six winners, three of which are stakes horses.

"Copy-Cat will visit Showcasing next spring, while this colt's dam Gilt Linked will go to Foxwedge.

"We are now in the fortunate position of being able to support the stallions ourselves - we are very lucky, especially as it was a punt to buy Showcasing four years ago."

Late in the evening Federico Barberini secured the CAPE CROSS filly out of the MONSUN mare SHERIFA for 150,000 guineas. The half-sister to the Group 3 winner CHERRY DANON was purchased by Barberini on behalf of Italian breeder Franco Barberi.

"She is for a lovely and successful Italian breeder," says Barberini. "He likes stout pedigrees - our short list was very selective."

Barberi, the breeder of two winners of the Derby Italiano, indicated via translation that his Stud, which is in Piedmont, was a lovely farm but was empty and in need of restocking. 

The Tattersalls December Foal Sale continues at 9.30am on Friday, November 28 with just under 250 lots to be offered including four by the legendary FRANKEL.