Esentepe Tops Opening Day of Tattersalls December Mare Sale
ESENTEPE was the star attraction on the opening day of the Tattersalls December Mare Sale that saw 189 lots sold for 11,272,500 guineas at an average of 59,643 guineas and a median of 40,000 guineas.
The Group 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes winner ESENTEPE was the top price on the opening day of the Tattersalls December Mare Sale. Consigned by John Troy, and offered in foal to the champion racehorse FRANKEL, the daughter of ORATORIO out of the OCTAGONAL mare MYTHIE was knocked down to US agent Justin Casse for 525,000 guineas.
"She is the prettiest mare here today," he said. "She is a beautiful. She will probably foal down in the UK, and then we will work out what we are doing. She has been bought on behalf of a client.
"She had ability and is in-foal to Frankel, which was very appealing."
Casse has visited Tattersalls December Sale for the last three years: "The first time was just to work things out, then last year I keep getting out run!
"I am based in Ocala - but I have been to over 20 sales this year so have not been at home much!"
The underbidder was Northern Farm farm manager Dr Fumihiko Nakajima, while agents James Delahooke and Charlie Gordon-Watson were also involved.
One mare whose pedigree has changed markedly over the last 18 months is the four-year-old SCARBOROUGH FAIR, the daughter of the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera winner KINNAIRD. Her half-brother BERKSHIRE won the Group 2 Royal Lodge last year before injury curtailed his Classic campaign in 2014 whilst her half-sister KEENES ROYALE is the dam of this year’s Group 2 Richmond Stakes winner IVAWOOD. Consigned by Grangecon Stud, SCARBOROUGH FAIR was knocked down to John Warren for 360,000 guineas on behalf of the Duke of Roxburgh’s Floors Stud.
"This is a very happening pedigree, the future is all ahead of it," said Warren. "I have been buying for the Duke for many years and some time ago gave him poor advice to use one of our stallions. That was Efisio, and the result was a crooked filly he could not sell."
Of course, that filly turned out to be ATTRACTION, the champion two-year-old filly in Europe in 2003 and a long term mainstay of Floors Stud.
The multiple Group placed mare LA CONQUERANTE attracted the attention of a number of agents including Adrian Nicoll, Crispin de Moubray and Amanda Skiffington, and it was the latter who landed the mare with a bid of 320,000 guineas. Offered by European Sales Management with a covering by DECLARATION OF WAR, the five-year-old was secured by Skiffington on behalf of Vimal and Gillian Khosla.
"She is a lovely mare, the real package - she was a stakes performer and by Hurricane Run, who I am very keen on, he is getting some great stats. I have bought horses for Vimal and Gillian Khosla for a long time, they are clients of Ballylinch, and have some good recent results," said Skiffington.
La Conquerante won three races in France and was placed in the Group 2 Prix de Royallieu, Group 3 Prix Minerve and Group 3 Prix Cleopatre.
The Tattersalls December Sale has always attracted plenty of Australasian buyers and the Victorian operation Eliza Park International struck to secure the Listed-winning mare PURE EXCELLENCE for 260,000 guineas. Consigned by Mill House Stud, the four-year-old daughter of EXCEED AND EXCEL was offered with an OASIS DREAM cover and was knocked down to the Eliza Park’s Phil Marshall, standing alongside bloodstock advisor David O’Callaghan.
"We really liked her, she is a daughter of Exceed And Excel and she has a great covering," said O'Callaghan.
"She will stay here with our northern hemisphere operation. We have eight mares in England, Ireland, and the US. We breed them to stallions such as Dubawi, Oasis Dream, we'll go to Kingman too this spring.
"We are looking for young stakes performing mares. We'll foal her down and then decide what to do - we might sell as a foal or yearling or retain to race."
The Tattersalls December Mare Sale continues at 9.30am on Tuesday, December 2.