Mehmas Filly Tops Strong Second Day of Tattersalls December Foal Sale at 200,000 Guineas

The Tattersalls December Foal Sale stepped up a level on the second day with seventeen lots selling for 100,000 guineas or more and a MEHMAS filly leading the way at 200,000 guineas, alongside increases in turnover, average and median.  

Footballer Ryan Kent Buys Mehmas Filly for 200,000 Guineas  

The top lot on the second day of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale was the MEHMAS filly out of Listed winning LOPE DE VEGA mare NATALIE’S JOY who was knocked down to Daniel Creighton for 200,000 guineas. Consigned by Michael O’Leary’s Plantation Stud, she was bought on behalf of professional footballer and racehorse owner-breeder Ryan Kent and was signed for by Creighton as Creighton Schwartz Bloodstock alongside Kent's partner Kirsty Spence.  

Creighton said: "Mehmas is flying this year, she is out of a Lope de Vega mare, a similar cross to Persian Force and to Gubbass. She is a lovely black type mare, the filly is a lovely physical, nice and well-grown, and it made a lot of sense."  

He added: "It was probably what we thought we'd have to pay - you would expect to pay that for a filly who is by such a proven a stallion and out of a black type mare. If I had a foal like this I would be disappointed if it did not reach those sort of heights."  

Kent, who most recently played for Fenerbahce in the Turkish league, is at Park Paddocks today and fully involved in selection of any purchases with Creighton adding: "Ryan loves pedigrees and he is quite involved when he can be, looking at pictures and videos of stock. I always tell vendors that they should do this, it is important."  

NATALIE’S JOY won the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes when trained by Mark Johnston and is a granddaughter of the Champion European filly BLUE DUSTER. She was purchased by Plantation Stud for 300,000 guineas at the 2021 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. 

Havana Grey Colt Bought by Yeomanstown for 180,000 Guineas  

Whitsbury Manor Stud’s HAVANA GREY has made an exceptional start to his stud career and his current crop of foals, which were conceived following his initial runners that featured five Group/Listed winners and thirteen Stakes placed two-year-olds, have understandably been in great demand at the December Foal Sale.  

Leading the way was the colt out of the Listed placed GREGORIAN mare FAIRY DUST who was purchased by the Yeomanstown Stud team for 180,000 guineas, having been consigned by the Harper family’s Whitsbury Manor Stud.    

Yeomanstown’s Robert O'Callaghan, bidding from the right stairwell, commented: "The sire speaks for himself and we sold a couple of good ones by him in the autumn. This colt is one of our top picks of today, he is out of a good fast mare, by a good fast stallion and will come back next year."  

The two HAVANA GREY yearlings sold by Yeomanstown at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale were a colt out of RADIO GAGA, who was bought for 210,000 guineas at the December Foal Sale and fetched 450,000 guineas to Karl, Kelly and Lucy Burke, and a colt out of LADY SPARKLES, bought for 90,000 guineas and purchased by Amo Racing for 300,000 guineas. 

Starspangledbanner Filly to Kavanagh for 175,000 Guineas  

Roderic Kavanagh's R C Bloodstock secured the STARSPANGLEDBANNER filly out of the INVINCIBLE SPIRIT mare ZOELLA from Newsells Park Stud for 175,000 guineas. The filly is a half-sister to three winners from three runners including the LOPE DE VEGA filly BACK SEE DAA whose recent Listed placing at Lingfield provided a timely catalogue update.  

"She’s a lovely filly and by a great stallion," said Kavanagh. "The mare’s a proven producer too, and there might be a bit more to happen in the family with two good siblings to race on - one has gone to Dubai and the other has just got black type. Starspangledbanner has been lucky for us in the past and he’s obviously a thoroughly proven stallion.    

He continued: "Hopefully she’ll come back here next October, Book 1 will be the plan. We’re aiming for the top end of the October Sale trade. It was very strong this year and, hopefully, we can catch it next year too."    

ZOELLA is a half-sister to Group 3 winner ZIBELINA, the dam of Group winners ROYAL FLEET and ROYAL CRUSADE, and to the Listed winner FLORISTRY, the dam of Group 2 winner LAZULI. 

Yeomanstown Land Blue Point Colt at 175,000 Guineas  

The Yeomanstown Stud team also secured the BLUE POINT colt out of the RAVEN’S PASS mare JEEDS LEGACY for 175,000 guineas after seeing off familial rivals Tally-Ho Stud.    

Breeder and consignor Richard Auld of Northern Bloodstock, who is based in Northern Ireland around five miles from Down Royal racecourse, said: "We have had two foals make 100,000 guineas before but this is our highest price here so far, and we are delighted. The sire helped a lot - he was a very fast racehorse and this is a fast pedigree so we thought it would suit, speed with speed."  

On the family he added: "We have three daughters out of Jeed and this was the last foal, hence the name, she is the final instalment. The other two fillies raced and they are also back at home breeding and they have done well. Jeeds Legacy is not in foal, but we will pick a good stallion for her next year now!"  

It is not the first time that the purchasers have bought one from Auld, and he said:    "Yeomanstown have been lucky for me - they bought an Invincible Army out of Jeeds Legacy's sister, they got a lot of money for the colt as a yearling and he won first time out last week in Dubai and was very impressive. They know the family well."    

JEEDS LEGACY is a half-sister to the Listed Dick Poole Stakes winner NIDHAAL, the dam of Group 2 Flying Childers second BURWAAZ and granddam of Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes third MOSS GILL.  

Sister to Holguin to Elliott for 170,000 Guineas  

Another foal by HAVANA GREY to hit the headlines was the own-sister to the Listed winning colt HOLGUIN who was knocked down to Alex Elliott for 170,000 guineas. Consigned by Whitsbury Manor Stud, the February-foaled filly is out of the EXCEED AND EXCEL mare ROXIE LOT, a granddaughter of the multiple Graded Stakes winner COX ORANGE, herself the dam of 1000 Guineas third VISTA BELLA.    

"She has been bought for Amo Racing, and we are obviously looking for fillies," revealed Alex Elliott. "I think all operations need to look at horses at all levels. I think she make sense, what would she have cost as a yearling next year?"    

Of buying as foals, he added: "We bought the Kingman out of Arcamist here last year and he is already broken and riding, it does help to slot them into our system early. She will go to Ireland from here and Kia has had a lot of luck with Havana Grey, he is a very good sire."  

The next session of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale will commence at 10am on Friday, 29th November with a viewing day on Thursday 28th November.