Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Concludes with Record Turnover

The Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, comprising Books 1 – 4, concluded with record turnover for the fifth year in a row as a fortnight of selling came to a close. The second day of Book 3 of the October Yearling Sale saw 130 lots realise 1,397,300 guineas and a ZEBEDEE filly and LETHAL FORCE colt topping proceedings at 38,000 guineas apiece. Turnover for the two day Book 3 Sale saw a total of 326 sell for 5,844,300 guineas at an average of 17,927 guineas and a median of 13,000 guineas.  Books 1-3 saw a total of 1,306 lots sell for 132,705,800 guineas, with the average and median up 19% and 30% respectively to 101,612 guineas and 52,000 guineas. 

Trainer Paul D'Arcy bought the ZEBEDEE filly out of the ELUSIVE CITY mare GEORDIE IRIS from JK Thoroughbreds for 38,000 guineas, the equal top price for the day.

"I have this filly's half-sister who I think is ok, and I like Zebedee as a sire - I train Spring Loaded," said D'Arcy. "This is a nice race filly and we'll take her home, break her in. She is for a partnership - I have half of her sold and am looking to sell the other shares!"

SPRING LOADED has won eight races and £68,166 for D'Arcy and is rated 95. He won four on the bounce in the early spring and then finished seventh in this year's Wokingham Stakes.

That price was matched shortly after when Highfield Farm’s Emma Armstrong secured the LETHAL FORCE colt out of the IFFRAAJ mare IF SO for 38,000 guineas from Usk Valley Stud. IF SO is a half-sister to the Group 1-placed sprinter THE TIN MAN and won four races herself and was rated 92.

"David [Armstrong] picked him out - I can't take any credit," said Armstrong. "We like sticking to the speed pedigrees. He will come home to us; we have not yet got plans regarding a trainer but I am sure it will be someone based in the north!"

At the conclusion of the 2016 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented;

“More than 132 million guineas has been spent on yearlings at the 2016 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale over the past two weeks, which is a record sum for the fifth consecutive year, but more importantly, a huge tribute to our vendors who have brought the cream of the European yearling crop to Tattersalls.

“To have produced record turnover having catalogued almost 300 fewer yearlings than last year is a significant achievement. We were overwhelmed by demand for places in the 2015 October Yearling Sale and we were acutely conscious that the larger numbers were challenging for purchasers and vendors alike. It was important for all concerned to make the sale more manageable and decreasing the numbers has without doubt been the key to maintaining the momentum throughout the fortnight.

“The highlights of Book 1 included the world’s highest priced yearling for the fifth consecutive year and an extraordinary 44 yearlings selling for 500,000 guineas or more, but the sustained demand at Book 3 has been equally satisfying. Significant increases in the Book 3 average and median and a new record top price of 200,000 guineas have brought the two weeks of the 2016 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale to a fine conclusion and we are enormously grateful to all those who have contributed to the success of the past two weeks."

Book 4 of the October Yearling Sale took place straight after the conclusion of Book 3 and saw 43 lots realise 141,900 guineas with a son of HELLVELYN topping proceedings at 20,000 guineas. The stallion has been in the news this year via his start sprinting two-year-old filly MRS DANVERS and it was trainer Henry Candy who secured him. 

The next sale at Tattersalls is the Autumn Horses in Training Sale that takes place October 24 – 27.