Taqaareed Tops Opening Day of Tattersalls February Sale at 200,000 Guineas

The Tattersalls February Sale got off to a solid start on the opening day with two lots selling for 100,000 guineas or more and Shadwell Estate Company’s sister to Champion filly TAGHROODA realising 200,000 guineas. 

Childwickbury Stud Secures Sister to Taghrooda for 200,000 Guineas

The top lot on the opening day of the Tattersalls February Sale was Shadwell Estate Company’s TAQAAREED, a winning SEA THE STARS full-sister to the Champion European three-year-old filly TAGHROODA. TAQAAREED was offered in foal to exciting young sire PINATUBO and realised 200,000 guineas to the bid of bloodstock agent Jill Lamb, standing with Childwickbury Stud’s Sally Flatt.

"She stood out really - she is a full-sister to a champion, she is a lovely model and she is in foal to a champion whose yearlings were very well received. We tried very hard to buy a foal by him last year and we could not get one," explained Lamb.

"This foal is closely related to Tafreej who was 90 rated, it is all quite encouraging. It was a bit more than we were planning to spend and that was definitely our last bid!”

When asked of ongoing plans, she added: "The plan is to have a meeting right now! But I guess we would like to try and find a Dubawi stallion for her."

The historic Childwickbury Stud is owned by Paul and Sally Flatt and TAQAAREED is the sixth addition to the growing broodmare band on the farm, with Lamb adding: "Sally and Paul want to build the stud back up to where it was when it was owned by Mr Jim Joel."

Stud manager Christian Williams was also in the ring and commented: "We are looking to buy commercial mares, and we will keep some nice fillies to add to the broodmare band and sell the colts. We are delighted to buy this mare and it was a great opportunity."

TAQAAREED is the dam of two winners including the aforementioned TAFREEJ, and her full-sister TAGHROODA has produced the Group 2 winner ISRAR. They are out of the Listed winning SADLER’S WELLS mare EZIMA from the deep Aga Khan family of Champion filly EBADIYLA and Ascot Gold Cup winner ESTIMATE.

Retort to Head Down Under for SackvilleDonald and Highclere Australia

The Juddmonte consigned three-year-old RETORT boasted both an impeccable pedigree and an impressive win subsequent to catalogue publication so it was no surprise that the three-year-old son of FRANKEL proved one of the most eagerly sought after lots of the day. Trainer Tom Clover and bloodstock agents Will Douglass and Jamie Piggott were among those to attempt to secure the colt who was eventually knocked down to SackvilleDonald’s Alastair Donald for 125,000 guineas on behalf of Highclere Australia.

Connections will be hoping that RETORT follows in the footsteps of NAVAL COLLEGE who has claimed two Listed wins already in Australia this year having been purchased by SackvilleDonald for 185,000 guineas at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale.

Donald commented: "We have had a bit of luck for Highclere - we bought the subsequent Group 1 winner Durstan for the team and they have a nice horse at the moment in Australia called Naval College who has won his last three. This is a neat bonny horse who goes on all ground. He is by Frankel, he is a proper horse, he is rated 90 and on the up."

"He was not really on the radar until that last win, which I think jumped him up a bit," added Donald. "He has won from the back, he has won on all grounds and you need a versatile horse for Australia. He is an extremely sound and he vetted well. It’s hard to buy them in that kind of price range for Australia. 

"I think he will stay a little bit further, most of the family are milers but looking at his racing style he might get ten furlongs and there is good money at every distance in Australia. He will be going to Annabel Neasham and I think Harry Herbert will have no problem selling the shares quite quickly, particularly after the success they have had of late."

RETORT is a full-brother to the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham winner and Group 1 placed OBLIGATE and won last week’s Prix Princeline by two lengths at Chantilly on his most recent start for trainer Henri-Francois Devin. The dual winner is from one of Juddmonte’s most illustrious families. Out of the unraced OASIS DREAM mare RESPONSIBLE, a daughter of the great HASILI and a half-sister to Group/Grade 1 winners BANKS HILL, CACIQUE, CHAMPS ELYSEES, INTERCONTINENTAL, HEAT HAZE and to the Group 1 runner up DANSILI.

Springwell Stud Strike for Lady Bullet at 62,000 Guineas

The O'Mahony family recently purchased the prestigious Knocktoran Stud, a farm previously owned by Brendan and Anne-Marie Hayes who bred numerous top class horses on the County Limerick property including Classic winners PRECIEUSE and TIE BLACK, and they added to their growing broodmare band at the Tattersalls February Sale with the purchase of LADY BULLET. James O’Mahony was in charge of bidding and went to 62,000 guineas to secure the Listed placed daughter of JAMES GARFIELD, who was consigned by her trainer Alice Haynes.

LADY BULLET was Listed placed at both two and three in Deauville’s Prix Montenica and the Blenheim Stakes at Fairyhouse and is out of the Group 3 runner up LIL’S JOY, also the dam of the Listed winner and Group 3 placed EVER GIVEN.

"We will get her home and make plans then, but she has her blacktype now and she will be retired to stud, "said O'Mahony. "We are usually trying to make fillies with blacktype but sometimes you have to buy them! We will send her to a proven stallion - it’s undecided who yet. She is a nice physical.

"She has been bought for Knocktoran. We have not done much with the farm yet, we are going to foal the mares at home and then move them over - the plan is to run Springwell as the farm, my brother Conor milks the cows, and the new farm as the stud. The two farms are only ten minutes apart and it made a lot of sense - it is the best of land, a lot of good racehorses have been produced around there and it is 250 acres, places like that just don't come up very often, you could be a lifetime waiting for that sort of opportunity. 

"For the time being and in the current circumstances we would like to keep to around 15 of our own mares, but who knows what the future will bring."

The Tattersalls February Sale continues at 10am on Friday, 2nd February.