Galileo Colt Tops Record Breaking Day of December Foals

A colt by GALILEO and two regally bred fillies were the highlights on the third day of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale on a day that saw the highest one-day turnover at a foal sale in European auction history. A total of 182 lots sold for 13,181,800 guineas, a rise of 9% on the corresponding turnover on this day last year whilst the average and median rose 6% and 4% to 72,427 guineas and 49,500 guineas respectively.

Few would contest that GALILEO is the best stallion standing anywhere in the world at present and so it was no surprise that one of his sons would top the fourth day of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale at 500,000 guineas. A full brother to the Group 1 Derby runner-up AT FIRST SIGHT, the colt was consigned from The Castlebridge Consignment and knocked down to Sheikh Fahad.

"He is a lovely looking colt," said Sheikh Fahad after bidding for the colt himself and outplaying David Ryan of Aran Bloodstock. "He is real quality, he really caught my eye - I went to see him a few times and I liked him more every time I saw him.

"He has made half a million, but if he were to have come here as yearling, he could have made a million so it makes sense. This horse has been bought to race."

Sheikh Fahad also bought the Galileo yearling Hydrogen for 2.5 million from The Castlebridge Consignment at this year's October 1 sale.

One of the highlights on paper of the December Foal catalogue was lot 945, the OASIS DREAM filly out of the triple-Group 1 winner ALBANOVA. Consigned by Kirsten Rausing’s St Simon Stud, and from one of her great families than includes no less than five Classic placed horses in the first three dams including the French 2,000 Guineas winner AUSSIE RULES.

Kentucky-based agent David Ingordo, bidding on behalf of Paul Fudge’s Waratah Thoroughbreds secured the filly with his bid of 450,000 guineas after seeing off spirited opposition from Juddmonte Farms’ Philip Mitchell, John McCormack and Gary Norton, Stud Manager for Sir Robert Ogden.

"She's a princess, let's hope she becomes a queen," smiled Ingordo after buying the filly.

"Fillies like her don't come onto the market very often, she is a gorgeous filly exactly what you want for a long-term broodmare prospect. She came from a great farm."

As had been the case at Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale, fillies with top class pedigrees were in great demand and one filly who fit that bill was lot 998, the DANEHILL DANCER daughter of the SADLER’S WELLS mare WEDDING MORN. Consigned from Tom Gaffney’s Churchtown House Stud, the filly is a great grand-daughter of DOFF THE DERBY, dam of Derby winner GENEROUS and Oaks winner IMAGINE. She is also an own-sister to this year’s Group 2 Railway Stakes winner PROBABLY whilst her dam WEDDING MORN is a half-sister to VENTURA, dam of this year’s star triple Group 1 winning filly MOONLIGHT CLOUD.

Whilst Hugo Lascelles made a valiant attempt to secure the filly, it was Blandford Bloodstock’s Tom Goff who made the successful bid of 350,000 guineas.

"She is the best filly here by a country mile," said Goff who purchased the filly’s brother PROBABLY at this sale in 2010 for 160,000 guineas.

"She is an absolute belter, and she with the sale-topping Oasis Dream filly have by far the two best female pedigrees here. There is everything here - Moonlight Cloud, Generous, Imagine, and Wedding Morn is turning out to be a proper broodmare.

"This filly is athletic, correct and has been bought to race."

WEDDING MORN is catalogued next week as lot 1790 as part of The Castlebridge Consignment's draft carrying a DANEHILL DANCER full-sibling to this filly.

One stallion whose progeny will be eagerly awaited on racecourses next year is FASTNET ROCK, the Coolmore owned son of DANEHILL who has taken the Australian racing scene by storm. Camas Park Stud’s Timmy Hyde is certainly a convert, having stumped up 300,000 guineas to secure the filly out of the MONTJEU mare PIPING.

The filly, who was consigned from Bob and Jeanette McCreery’s Stowell Hill Stud, is another with fabulous pedigree, with PIPING being a half-sister to the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner SAGAMIX and the Group 1 winner SAGACITY.

"The sire is a sensation in Australia, every day you pick up the paper he has had a Group 1 winner and I don't see why it should not be the same in Europe," said Timmy Hyde after purchasing the filly out of Piping for 300,000gns.

"She is a beautiful filly, good looking with a lot of quality. Please god she'll be back here next autumn," he added.

PIPING is catalogued as lot 1660 in next week’s December Mare Sale.

The Tattersalls December Foal Sale continues on Saturday, December 1 with the final session commencing at 10am.