Rises Across The Board At Tattersalls February Sale

The Tattersalls February Sale concluded with significant year on year increases in turnover, median and average. The median of 11,000 guineas was a record for the February Sale, the average the second highest in the sale’s history and customarily strong international demand produced a clearance rate above 85%.  

Marconi Takes Centre Stage Again at February Sale  

The top lot of the second session of the February Sale was the RMM Bloodstock consigned colt BARIDI at 100,000 guineas with bloodstock agent Alessandro Marconi, a dominant purchasing force on the sale’s first day, continuing in the same vein on the second. The three-year-old son of SERGEI PROKOFIEV was a winner on his second career start over a mile at Lingfield for trainer Stuart Williams in December.  

“I am a big fan of the sire,” said Marconi, adding, “I could not afford them in the autumn, so I preferred to get one who has shown some form. This is a lovely horse, hopefully he can train on again. He came highly recommended by Stuart, and he is a very good trainer. When we looked around today he was the pick, but I had hoped to get him for a lot less!”  

Marconi was the leading buyer at the February Sale purchasing 29 horses for a total outlay of 833,500 guineas. Expanding on the strategy behind the purchases, the majority of which were horses in training, he revealed;  

“Horses are made by the workforce and land. God is not making any more land, and the workforce is expensive. It can be better to buy horses who have been proven in Britain because, hopefully, that form will translate very well when they run in another country.”  

On targeting the February Sale, he commented: “It’s the value sale of the year and is the only sale that, at every level of the market, gives you access to the sort of horse who can give you a chance to win races.”  

Wanderlust Bound for Spain at 62,000 Guineas  

The international buying bench is always a prominent feature of the February Sale and the second highest priced lot of the second session was bought with the Madrid Derby in mind with Stamina Turf securing WANDERLUST for 62,000 guineas on behalf of Sociedad Civil Cuadra Alegria.  

Consigned by trainer Marco Botti’s Prestige Place, the three-year-old gelding had run twice in January since catalogue publication and both times finished second, in addition to a third placed effort on debut in December.  

Stamina Turf’s Rafael Rojano revealed: “My client Arturo San Jose has a string of nice three-year-olds, but perhaps is missing a Derby horse. We had a good try yesterday on the Frankel colt from Juddmonte, but it is a strong market and it was too much for us.  

“This horse is the obvious choice today and he is going into training with Sandro Tseretelli who is based at La Zarzuela, the main racecourse in Spain. As the Derby in Spain is open to geldings he can be targeted at a Classic campaign.”  

The three-year-old boasts an international pedigree as an Italian-bred son of German Champion sire SOLDIER HOLLOW. His unraced FOOTSTEPSINTHESAND dam GIADA NERA is a sister to three blacktype performers from the family of last year’s Group 1 Hong Kong Vase winner GIAVELLOTTO, also trained by Marco Botti.  

Colbert Stud Strike for Sorbus at 60,000 Guineas  

The Ed Walker Racing consigned three-year-old SORBUS had posted a smart catalogue update prior to the February Sale when breaking her maiden on just her second start and proved popular with bidders, eventually knocked down to Jody Keating for 60,000 guineas.  

Keating is the stud manager for new bloodstock enterprise Colbert Stud whose principal Emma Colbert, who previously bred dressage horses and rides competitively, revealed;  

“We have a new stud in Dullingham Ley and the plan will be to breed from her, but I think she will go back into training now. She is fit and ready to go and could progress. She has a good walk and is a lovely character, and we really like her. Her trainer was very positive about her too.”  

Of Colbert Stud, she added: “We bought the stud a couple of years ago, we plan to have about twenty mares and we have eight at the moment. We want to be a boutique stud and have the highest quality we can. We will be breeding commercially and will race a few as well.”  

Previously trained by Ed Walker for owner-breeder Rockcliffe Stud, the daughter of NIGHT OF THUNDER is out of the multiple Group and Listed placed mare BLACK CHERRY, already the dam of Listed performer LITTLE ROLLRIGHT, from a deep international blacktype family.  

Chairman’s Statement  

Following the conclusion of the February Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented;  

“The Tattersalls February Sale is firmly established as Europe’s premier midwinter sale and this year’s renewal saw significant year on year increases in turnover, average and median as well as a clearance rate above 85%. These figures represent a positive start to 2025 after last year’s record-breaking Tattersalls sales season and we have welcomed a typically diverse group of buyers, both domestic and from overseas, to Park Paddocks.  

“Racecourse success is always a key driver of demand and the Tattersalls February Sale enjoyed a remarkable year in 2024 with Classic winners Los Angeles and Metropolitan and Group 1 winner Facteur Cheval all out of fillies purchased at past renewals of the sale. Their dams all came from large owner -breeder operations and so it was no surprise that the sale-leading consignment from Godolphin was as ever in great demand, with their draft of 36 fillies and horses in and out of training realising almost 1.4m guineas.  

“The sale also featured the inaugural Retraining of Racehorses Showcase and the ever-popular Stallion Parade, and it was hugely enjoyable to have such a large crowd in the sale ring to see former stars of the turf looking so well in their second careers.  

“We now look forward to the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale which has consistently produced Group 1 winners in recent renewals including Hotazhell who looks an exciting Classic contender.”