Wild Coco Tops Third Day of December Mare Sale

The Group 2 Park Hill winner WILD COCO was the top lot on the third day of the December Mare Sale at 985,000 guineas as a total of 211 lots sold for 7,383,500 guineas. The average for the day was 34,993 guineas whilst the median was 17,000 guineas and the clearance rate 80%.

The highlight of the third day of the December Mare Sale was the Group 2 Park Hill Stakes winner WILD COCO. The daughter of SHIROCCO out of the STERNKOENIG mare WILD SIDE was offered from Sir Henry Cecil’s Warren Place Stables on behalf of her breeders, Gestut Roettgen. Despite plenty of competition from Niarchos’ Alan Cooper and Newsells Park’s Julian Dollar, the 113-rated filly was knocked down to Tomoyuki Nakamura’s KI Farm for 985,000 guineas.

"I was just hoping the auctioneer would drop the hammer," said the purchaser.

"She is a good-walking filly, with a good body and a good temperament."

WILD COCO is set to remain in training next year with Sir Henry Cecil.

The four-year-old mare RAINBOW SPRINGS had been one of the horses then plenty of people had been talking about and the SELKIRK mare certainly did not disappoint, selling to Blandford Bloodstock’s Richard Brown for 440,000 guineas. Brown saw off US-based agent David Ingordo for the mare who was consigned from Whatton Manor Stud in foal to OASIS DREAM.

"She was a stand-out today," said Brown of the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac third.

"She has been bought for Langton Stud's Michael and Caroline Wates. Michael was just coming out of the dentist while I was bidding!

"They are looking to upgrade the quality of their broodmare band and this mare fitted the bill - she was a class performer, is a young mare, has a great page - I love the Selkirk, Nureyev, Alleged in her pedigree, they are all great broodmare sires.

"She is also very well covered by Oasis Dream, who is a great stallion and whom Michael has had some success with.

"Langton had some great foal sales last week and is putting together a boutique broodmare band."

The draft from Juddmonte Farms is always one of the highlights of Wednesday at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale and this year’s consignment from Khalid Abdullah’s operation was no exception, with 32 lots selling for a total of 1,259,000 guineas.

The highest priced lot of the Juddmonte draft was lot 2103, the GIANT’S CAUSEWAY filly out of DANZIG mare HARPIA who was knocked down to Blandford Bloodstock’s Richard Brown for 165,000 guineas.

"What a page!" was all Brown could say after buying the daughter of the Grade 3 winner who is a sister to the legendary DANEHILL.

"She has been bought for a US breeder, and she is a good physical. She will ship to the states, and they are commercial breeders so you will see the progeny back at the sales."

The Tattersalls December Mare Sale concludes with 258 lots catalogued on Thursday, December 6.