Curtain Up At Tattersalls For Popular February Fixture

NEWMARKET, UK–Here we go again. Dry January has been consigned to the books and the sales world will be back in full flow from Thursday at Park Paddocks.

The Tattersalls February Sale jumped up from one day to two five years ago and it shows no sign of reverting to its more compact format. Once withdrawals are taken into account, around 400 horses will pass through the ring, ranging from just-turned yearlings to horses in training and broodmares. They will be preceded by the TBA's annual stallion parade, featuring a dozen first- and second-season sires, on Thursday. 

Shadwell continues with its reduction of stock and will sell a range of horses in and out of training through Barton Sales and New England Stud, as well as offering broodmares and yearlings through its own consignment during the opening session. 

With the largest draft catalogued, Barton Sales also offers Tiger Lilly (Ire), a winning daughter of Galileo (Ire) and the only mare in the catalogue in foal to Time Test (GB) for Sir Robert Ogden, who dispersed the majority of his stock during the December Sales. The 11-year-old mare, whose half-sister Kelly Nicole (Ire) has produced the Group 2 winner Aljamaheer (Ire) by Time Test's sire Dubawi (Ire), is set to sell as lot 117.

Though lower key than the December Mares' Sale, the February Sale has however been a decent source for mares who have gone on to be stellar producers, with the dams of last year's Group/Grade 1 winners Going Global (Ire), Thundering Nights (Ire) and El Bodegon (Ire) having been bought from previous February Sales for 55,000gns, 32,000gns and 10,500gns respectively. 

There is certain to be plenty of interest in Heaven's Angel (Ire) (Henrythenavigator), one of 43 lots to be offered by Godolphin. The unraced 8-year-old (lot 172) is not only a half-sister to the Oaks winner Qualify (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) but is also the sole mare in the book to be offered in foal to the French champion sire Siyouni (Fr). Further back on her page are the Classic winners Workforce (GB) (King's Best) and Brian Boru (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), while a more recent update was provided by the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner El Bodegon (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who is also a full-brother to four-time Group 1 winner Best Solution (Ire).

Those looking for form horses with which to hit the ground running this all-weather season or farther afield, a last-minute update has come for Tributo (Ire) (Dragon Pulse {Ire}), who sells late on Friday as lot 445. The 4-year-old dead-heated when winning for the second time on Jan. 31 for Stuart Williams and Opulence Thoroughbreds. 

The 3-year-old gelding Sydney Street (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is another to have been in good form through the winter, winning in December and January for Hugo Palmer and Chelsea Thoroughbreds, and he comes under the hammer as lot 417 from The Castlebridge Consignment. 

Trainers and breeze-up consignors who didn't quite fill their quotas from last year's yearlings sales have another 22 chances to recruit a 2-year-old at Tattersalls on Thursday. Among the juveniles on offer is a filly from the lone crop of the late Roaring Lion (lot 71), who is one of those being sold by Shadwell through New England Stud. The grey filly is out of the young Shamardal mare Raddeh (GB), a half-sister to the Listed winner and Group 1-placed Hadaatha (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). In the same draft is a 2-year-old colt by Sea The Stars (lot 80) out of the Group 2 winner Tarfasha (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), a full-brother to Listed winner Rakan (GB), and also a Dubawi colt (lot 81) out of the Listed winner Yaazy (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). His dam is a half-sister to group winners Matterhorn (Ire) (Raven's Pass) and Bangkok (Ire) (Australia {GB}) as well as to the dam of Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}).

This time last year Britain was still in the grip of strict lockdown restrictions, meaning that the February Sale had to be held online. Figures held up remarkably well, with the median and average only marginally down on those set for 2020 and, given the extraordinary way in which most sales fared during the pandemic, it is fair to expect some decent trade across the next two days.

For breeders with mating plans still undecided, there is the chance to peruse some young stallions in advance of the proceedings getting underway, with Newsells Park Stud new boy A'Ali (Ire) kicking off a parade which will conclude with his stud-mate Without Parole (GB), whose first foals are arriving this season. Not quite an A to Z then, but between A and W, you can find Bangkok (Ire), Lope Y Fernandez (Ire), Mr Scaramanga (GB), Roseman (Ire), Ubettabelieveit (Ire, Diplomat (Ger), Legends Of War, Sergei Prokofiev, Southern Hills (Ire) and Tip Two Win (GB). 

Meanwhile, the Shadwell stallions Tasleet (GB), Mohaather (GB) and Eqtidaar (Ire) have been brought in from Nunnery Stud for breeders to view close to Tattersalls at Beech House Stud. 

The sale commences directly after the stallion parade at 11am, and it is worth nothing that Friday's trade gets underway earlier at 10am.