World's Highest Priced Yearling in 2016 on Opening Day of Tattersalls October Book 1

A colt by Dubawi topped a strong opening day of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and became the highest priced yearling in the world this year when selling for 2.6 million guineas.  A total of 136 lots sold for a total of 31,240,000 guineas at an average of 229,706 guineas and a median of 145,000 guineas.  A total of 17 lots sold for 500,000 guineas or more.

The highlight of a stellar start to Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale was the DUBAWI colt out of Group 2 Coronation Stakes winner FALLEN FOR YOU who became the highest priced yearling sold in the world this year.

Catalogued as Lot 39, the well-related colt attracted a wide range of international interest that included Australian-based Sun International’s David O’Callaghan, Qatar Bloodstock’s David Redvers, South African owner Markus Jooste and local trainer Roger Varian but it was John Ferguson who won the day with a final bid of 2.6 million guineas.

Norris Bloodstock consigned the sale-topper on behalf of Philippa Cooper’s Normandie Stud and an understandably delighted Cooper enthused:

"I can't thank Liam and Jenny Norris enough.  I am full of gratitude to my stud groom Paul Smith and all my staff at Normandie – all I have done is plan the matings!

"The horses have been so well behaved here and have not got tired at all. I have not sold for 10 years when we sold ourselves - it has taken me that long to pluck up the courage to sell again!"

When asked how she will feel when she sees the colt racing in another set of colours, Cooper smiled and said:

"I will be pleased that someone else is taking the risk!  It does just get to the point that they are too risky to have ourselves, and look I have to run the stud on a commercial basis or else it all comes to an end."          

The second highest priced lot of the day was another DUBAWI colt that caught the eye of John Ferguson who bought him for 1.2 million guineas. Consigned by Newsells Park Stud, the bay colt is out of Group 2 New York Stakes winning mare GIANTS PLAY, a daughter of Group 1 Fillies’ Mile winner PLAYFUL ACT and from the top class family of MAGNIFCIENT STYLE.

Ferguson who bought a total of 13 yearlings on Day 1 commented:

"He is a lovely strong individual with a great pedigree and it is important for an organisation such as ours to try and buy the best bloodstock available.

"This sale has, due to the breeders in Great Britain and Ireland, become the best source of bloodstock in the world. Breeders deserve to be getting this sort of money for the very best they produce - they have created valuable broodmare bands and invested in the very best of stallions. It is so hard to breed a good horse.

"There are two stallions in the world getting the best mares, Dubawi and Galileo, and the produce from Dubawi's better mares are starting to come on stream now.

"Galileo, of course, is older and is further established, as evidenced by his fantastic achievement in France at the weekend."

It was a son of GALILEO that realised the third highest price of the day.  Catalogued as Lot 85, the son of the Group-placed DANEHILL DANCER mare GOOSEBERRY FOOL made 750,000 guineas when knocked down to Mayfair Speculators’ Markus Jooste , stood alongside agent Peter Doyle, for a partnership including MV Magnier.

Consigned by Watership Down Stud, the April-born colt is out of a half-brother to the French Guineas winner AUSSIE RULES, and from the family of Group 1 winners ALBANOVA, ALBORADA, YESTERDAY and QUARTER MOON. The sale represented a great start to the breeding career of GOOSEBERRY FOOL who was purchased by Greg Goodman’s Mount Brilliant Farm for 440,000 guineas at the 2011 Tattersalls December Mare Sale.

Later in the day, the SHAMARDAL son of the GALILEO mare HIKARI proved to be a stunning pinhook result for his vendors when selling to Shadwell Estate Company for 725,000 guineas.

In partnership with consignor Corduff Stud, US investors McMahon & Hill Bloodstock purchased the son of SHAMARDAL at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale for 220,000 guineas last December.

Mike McMahon of McMahon and Hill Bloodstock explained:

"We pinhook a lot in the US, and Jimmy George had been asking us for a few years to come to the December Sale.

"We wanted to come and do it well, and yes it was a brave shout, but we wanted a proper horse. He went to Ireland and boarded at Corduff Stud; we've known the Egans for years, and they presented the horse brilliantly today.

"We've had a few currency changes through Brexit, but it's worked out great."

Day 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 continues at 11am on Wednesday 5^th October.