Record Turnover At Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale

Demand on the final day of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale continued unabated with 92% of the lots offered selling for 1,668,100 guineas. Turnover for the sale hit new heights, setting a record of 25,137,100 guineas, up 24% on last year’s sale whilst the average and median both rose 35% to 26,488 guineas and 13,500 guineas respectively, the latter also a new record. 

The top lot on the final day was the Andrew Balding-trained, Qatar Racing owned two-year-old HIGH COMMANDER who was purchased by Qatari-trainer Gassim Ghazali for 57,000 guineas. The son of TEOFILO has been third on his two racecourse appearances and was consigned to the sale by agent Jamie Railton.

"He has some good form and a nice profile," said Will Douglass for Ghazali, "and comes from a fantastic breeder. Footstepsinthesand is very popular in Qatar - he gets lots of winners – and this horse's dam is a half-sister to him. We also like buying from Andrew Balding."

Leading trainer Ghazali has purchased nine lots in total this week for a total of 1,055,000 guineas with yesterday’s 450,000 guineas purchase PLEASELETMEWIN the highlight.

The other horse to top 50,000 guineas for the day was two-year-old filly DARIGA who was knocked down to Qatari owner Abdulaziz Al Boenain for 52,000 guineas. DARIGA is out of DANEHILL mare DANELISSIMA, winner of the Group 3 Noblesse Stakes and a half-sister to the Group placed FERGUS MCIVER. It is the further family of the Group 1 winners INTENSE FOCUS, SHOLOKHOV and SOLDIER OF FORTUNE.

"She is a very nice looking filly, with a good pedigree - she should do well in Qatar. She will be trained by Ibrahim Al Malki and I would like to breed from her once she has finished racing," said Al Boenain.

At the conclusion of the 2016 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented;

“In a year when the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale has produced a Classic winner purchased for 12,000 guineas, it is perhaps not surprising to see such frenetic demand at this unique sale. JET SETTING winning this year's Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas only seven months after being bought here is yet another in a long list of outstanding success stories to come from the Autumn Horses in Training Sale, and I have no doubt that there will be plenty more to come from this year’s sale.

“The turnover and median at this week’s sale have both risen to record levels and the average has leapt by around 35%. Even more impressive has been the clearance rate of more than 90%, yet again demonstrating the enduring international appeal of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale. Every year we reflect on the extraordinary diversity of buyers, both domestic and overseas, who attend the Autumn Horses in Training, but the sheer number of people here this week has been almost overwhelming. The beauty of this sale is that it caters for every possible requirement, both Flat and National Hunt, and the sales paddocks have been a hive of international activity throughout the four days.

“Competition at the top of the market has been particularly fierce with the number of lots making 200,000 guineas or more rising from five last year to twelve this week, but it has been the sustained demand at every level of the market which has been the real feature. Buyers from more than 30 different countries have all contributed to the success of the sale, with those from the Gulf region making a massive contribution, American, Australian and Hong Kong interests all playing their part, and prolific activity from throughout Europe with Greek and Spanish buyers very much to the fore. A huge proportion of the horses sold this week will go abroad, but the renewed vigour from the British and Irish National Hunt fraternity has also been particularly welcome and another major factor in making the 2016 renewal of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale so vibrant."

The next sale at Tattersalls is the December Sale comprising the December Yearling Sale on November 21, the December Foal Sale from November 23 – 26 and the December Mare Sale from November 28 to December 1. Catalogues for all three sales are online now at www.tattersalls.com.