Records Broken at Book 2 of the October Yearling Sale
The final day of trade at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale finished strongly with the three-day sale recording a record average of 65,545 guineas and record-equaling median of 50,000 guineas. Topping proceedings on the final day at 300,000 guineas was a son of DUBAWI, one of 22 lots to sell for 200,000 guineas or more during the sale, whilst a remarkable 117 sold at or above 100,000 guineas over the three days. Turnover on the final day was 12,952,000 guineas at an average of 66,421 guineas, a median of 50,000 guineas with a clearance rate of 85%.
The sole offering in Book 2 by last week’s sale-topping sire DUBAWI understandably attracted plenty of attention and became the highest priced yearling on the third and final day when selling to John Ferguson for 300,000 guineas.
Consigned by Denis Brosnan’s Croom House Stud, the son of the SADLER’S WELLS mare BRAZILIAN SAMBA is a half-brother to the Group 2 Jockey Club Cup winner ENDOWING and from the Group 1 winning family of DOLPHIN STREET, INSIGHT and SAFFRON WALDEN.
Brosnan commented:
"He is a May foal, so we took the decision to put him into Book 2 with the chance that he might stand out. We bought the dam Brazilian Samba here in 2006 - it is a Lady O'Reilly family."
Godolphin’s Jono Mills said:
"The colt is the last Dubawi in the sale, he is from a very good farm and Dubawi's record speaks for itself."
There were four lots that held the joint second highest price on day three making 240,000 guineas each. The first of those was the son of Kentucky-based first season sire SHANGHAI BOBBY, an undefeated Champion two-year-old in America. The stunning colt was knocked down to breeze-up consignor Willie Browne of Mocklershill Stables but is heading to Florida as he explained after the sale:
"He has been bought on behalf of Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables to breeze in the US, I wish I had got the job! I saw a lot of sire's stock in the US - they are very nice and he is very typical.
"They might be pulling together an ownership syndicate and I hope I can be involved too!"
The colt out of the GIANTS CAUSEWAY mare THOUSANDFOLD, a half-sister to Listed winner and Group 2 Cherry Hinton Stakes-placed SALUT D’AMOUR, was bought in utero for $130,000 by consignors Rathbarry Stud.
Niamh Woods of Rathbarry commented:
"She is my mother's mare. A good man found her for us in-foal with this colt in the US and recommended her. Paul [Cashman] went through the pedigree, and it is just the type of European page we are looking for.
"He is a smashing colt and to get one like him as a first foal from the mare is great. She had a filly foal by Acclamation this year and is back in-foal to him."
The IFFRAAJ colt out of ACCLAMATION mare TOQUETTE also made 240,000 guineas when knocked down to Mark Richards of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Catalogued as Lot 1130, the February-born colt is a homebred from Corduff Stud and his dam the half-sister to Group 1 Prix Morny winner ARCANO.
"He is a lovely athletic horse," said Richards. "He was the last one we had left on the list and we are delighted to have bought him - wish we had been able to pay a little less!
"With Arcano under the second dam, the pedigree says speed and he looks speedy himself; he should fit in with the others we bought this and last week.
"We have not had many by Iffraaj in Hong Kong, but the couple we have had have gone on okay, and his stock have pace and go on fast ground."
On another busy day for John Ferguson, who bought a total of 16 lots for a total of 2,910,000 guineas in Book 2, he secured the son of SHAMARDAL out of Group 2 Prix Robert Papin winning mare BOCCASSINI – a champion two-year-old in Germany – for 240,000 guineas.
Jamie Railton consigned the half-brother to Italian Listed winner BASTILLE on behalf of Gestuet Westerberg and said:
"We were representing our German client Peter Rodde of Gestuet Westerberg. The farm has done a fantastic job preparing this horse. He is a nice colt and a typical Shamardal."
Shortly afterwards it was a son of HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR that completed the quartet of yearlings that sold for 240,000 guineas. The first foal out of PIVOTAL mare BRILLIANT SUNSHINE, a half-sister of Listed winners BRUSCO and FERDOOS, was bought by Howson and Houldsworth Bloodstock and will go into training with Jonathon Portman.
Catalogued as Lot 1274, the February-born colt was purchased by consignor Grove Stud for 105,000 guineas at the December Foal Sale.
Geoffrey Howson commented:
"He is for Tony Wechsler and Ann Plummer; Ann rang up today and said she wanted the nicest horse here today. He is a lovely stamp of a Holy Roman Emperor colt. He is from a farm that does a very good job."
At the conclusion of Book 2 of the 2016 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented;
“At the end of Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale last week we reflected on the extraordinary progress the sale had made since 2010 and the same applies to Book 2. Turnover at Book 2 was a little over 20 million guineas in 2010 and the average price was 32,000 guineas. This year the average price has exceeded 60,000 guineas for the third consecutive year and the turnover is not far below 40 million guineas, making Book 2 the second highest grossing European yearling sale behind October Book 1.
“Similar to last week, the feature of the sale has been the strong demand at the top of the market with the trainers and bloodstock agents consistently remarking on the competition for the best yearlings and well over 100 lots selling for 100,000 guineas or more. We made a determined effort to control the numbers in Book 2 this year and cataloguing 140 fewer yearlings than in 2015 has made the sale significantly more manageable for both vendors and buyers alike and without doubt assisted the sale.
"Every year graduates of Book 2 advertise the merits of the sale by performing at the very highest level and racecourse achievements are a major factor in attracting buyers at all levels of the market. This sale is the key one for so many British and Irish owners and trainers and they have been competing all week with buyers from throughout Europe and as far afield as Australia, Hong Kong and Japan. Most notably, however, buyers from throughout the Gulf region have made a huge impact, and it would be remiss not to register our sincere gratitude for the massive contribution made in particular by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, both of whom have demonstrated their sustained enthusiasm for the sport of horse racing by supporting the market with such commitment.
“With Books 1 and 2 of the October Yearling Sale behind us, we now turn our attention to Books 3 and 4 where buyers will continue to find plenty of quality, commercial yearlings all of which are eligible for the £150,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes."
Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale starts at 10am on Thursday, October 13.