Records Across the Board at Tattersalls October Book 3

Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale came to a close with a vibrant final session resulting in record turnover, average and median. Colts by exciting young sires TIME TEST and ARDAD led the way selling for 95,000 guineas and 85,000 guineas on a day where seven lots sold for 50,000 guineas or more compared to only one last year.  

Motto Secures 95,000 Guineas Time Test Colt

The DUBAWI stallion TIME TEST has made a flying start to his stud career with four individual Group/Listed winners in his first crop including the Group 3 Dick Poole winner ROMANTIC TIME and the Listed St Hugh’s Stakes winner TARDIS. It has been no surprise therefore to see his yearlings in such high demand at the sales, and so it proved with the colt out of the SHAMARDAL mare PUREST who was knocked down to Montgomery Motto for 95,000 guineas.  

Motto, who saw off underbidder Amanda Skiffington, was previously based in the US and owned and trained his own team of horses at Calder, before moving to Europe a couple of years ago.  

"This is one of the best athletes I have seen here and he has a lovely temperament to match," said Motto. "It's hard to go wrong with a Shamardal mare and she has produced a useful runner abroad. I went a bit higher than planned, but the money nearly always finds the horse. He will go to Richard Brabazon for breaking and we will make plans from there."  

The colt was consigned by Ed Player’s Whatton Manor Stud on behalf of breeder Nicky Welby who bought PUREST at the 2013 Tattersalls July Sale for 12,000 guineas.    

"We only really got her as a companion," revealed Welby. "We had bought Western Pearl as a yearling, raced her with William Knight and were incredibly lucky as she got black-type. We thought we might as well have her at home and breed, so bought Purest to run with her."  

Whatton Manor Stud’s Ed Player commented: "All the credit has to go to Nicky and her team at home. Her head man has been off with injury so they have been doing all the work. This colt got here looking fantastic, he has been incredibly well-behaved and as soon as he got here started eating his hay! Nicky and her team deserve 100 percent of the credit." 

O'Ryan Buys Ardad Colt for 85,000 Guineas

Another stallion whose progeny have been lighting up the racecourse has been ARDAD, the son of KODIAC who stands at Overbury Stud. Leading the way is the Group 1 Middle Park and Group 1 Prix Morny winner PERFECT POWER for trainer Richard Fahey, and so it was no surprise to see Fahey’s assistant Robin O’Ryan go to 85,000 guineas to secure the ARDAD colt out of BOLD EDGE mare NIGHT AFFAIR on behalf of owner Steve Bradley.  

"This colt is going racing," said Steve Bradley, who was standing with O'Ryan and is an existing owner with Fahey. "He looks a nice early type, these boys recommended him, there is Twilight Son on the page, hopefully he turns out lucky for us."  

"He is a nice horse as well. The Ardads all look racy, and he has done so well. We've had three this year and they have all won," informed O'Ryan of the Throckmorton Court Stud consigned colt, whose dam is a half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner and sire TWILIGHT SON.  

Talking about the stable star PERFECT POWER, O'Ryan continued: "We've been lucky with him. He is absolutely fine and is on holiday now, we will probably run him in one of the Classic trials next spring and that will tell us whether he will stay the Guineas trip. He is a relaxed horse so he has every chance."  

The Tattersalls October Yearling Sale comes to a conclusion on Saturday, 16th October with Book 4 which features 98 yearlings set to come under the hammer from 10am.