December in November as Tattersalls Begins Two-Week Run

NEWMARKET, UK–After a brief pause between sales to fill up the lungs before the next push, Tattersalls is now braced for some frenetic action throughout the coming fortnight at Park Paddocks. And in in time-honoured fashion, the December Sales begin with a session of yearlings which numbered 162 at the last count. 

Just to guarantee strong interest in Monday's proceedings right through to the end, we have a Dubawi (Ire) colt in the ring last of all. Lot 188 is the second foal of the G2 German 1,000 Guineas winner Nyaleti (Ire) (Arch), whose first offspring Grey Nyle (GB) (Frankel {GB}) made his first start in the colours previously worn by his mother for Charlie Johnston back in November. 

A little before him will be the final opportunity to buy a yearling by the late champion Galileo (Ire) when Lot 171, a Coolmore-bred three-quarter-brother to the Listed Prix de la Seine winner Hidden Dimples (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), is offered by the Castlebridge Consignment. 

Much earlier in the day, the Anstock family's Clearwater Stud offers a three-part-brother to Public Sector (GB) (Kingman {GB}) by Haras d'Etreham's first-season sire Persian King (Ire) as Lot 4. Public Sector was himself a graduate of October Book 1, bought by Mike Ryan for Klaravich Stables, and his career in America has extended to five wins, including three graded stakes. 

There was much ado about the Niarchos draft at the Goffs November Sale on Friday, and anyone looking for a male-line descendant of one of the operation's good families should make a stop at Box 136 in Highflier Paddock G to check out the Fastnet Rock (Aus) colt in the New England Stud draft (Lot 11). The half-brother to two black-type performers is a grandson of Whakilyric (Miswaki), his dam Pleione (Fr) (Sadler's Wells) being a sister to the Group 1 winner Johann Quartz (Fr) and half-sister to another in Hernando (Fr) (Niniski).

Similar comments apply to Lot 77, the Staffordstown-consigned colt by Study Of Man (Ire) out of the Listed winner Beta (GB), a Selkirk half-sister to the Arc winner Bago (Fr) and his fellow Group 1 winner Maxios (GB).

Lot 49 presents a blend of the two most recent Triple Crown winners: by sire of the moment Justify, the filly is out of the once-raced American Pharoah mare The Girl Herself, who is a half-sister to the GI Hopeful S. winner Circular Quay (Thunder Gulch). A first foal, she is consigned by Barton Sales and her dam was sold earlier this month at Keeneland in foal to Munnings for $225,000 to Walmac Farm.

The G1 Fillies' Mile winner White Moonstone (Dynaformer) has produced six winners from her six runners and her May-foaled filly by champion first-season sire-elect Blue Point (Ire), bred by Godolphin, is among the Castlebridge Consignment as Lot 62.

Kilmoney Cottage Stud brings the pinhooked Sea The Moon (Ger) colt out of La Rosetta GB) (New Approach {Ire}) as Lot 159. His further family includes Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), whose race record has been extended to include victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile since the catalogue was published. Much closer to home, however, the colt's weanling half-brother by Blue Point (Ire), who, like the yearling, was bred by Frances Crowley's Brickfield Stud, sold for €250,000 last week at Goffs.

Plenty of the foals have already arrived at Tattersalls for the start of Tuesday's sale, and a new name on the consignors' list for this week is Tennyson Farm and Stud. The Lincolnshire-based operation is run by 27-year-old Joe Robinson, and will offer three foals on Tuesday, and another three on Saturday. Half the draft are members of the first crop of Mickley Stud stallion Ubettabelieveit (Ire).

“I sold one Study Of Man yearling that we bred in October under the name of Carrington Stud but there's a new guy started up recently as Carrington Bloodstock, so I didn't want people to get confused and I knew I had to change the name,” says Robinson. 

The young consignor has returned home to join the family business of “farming, furniture, a bit of everything really.” That bit of everything also includes hopes of expanding the consignment business in which his sister Grace is helping him at home, while family friend Lucy Parker is helping out at the sales. 

“Home is quite near where [breeder and consignor] Bumble Mitchell is based, in the Lincolnshire Wolds,” he says. 

“I was at Goffs last week but didn't manage to buy anything, though I am hoping to pinhook a few foals and to build up a broodmare band at home.”

Having completed the BHA Graduate Scheme followed by the National Stud Diploma Course, Robinson has spent some time working in New Zealand and has recently finished a two-year stint at Tweenhills. 

“A lot of people have helped me to get this far, and my sister Grace has given me a huge amount of help at home,” he says. 

“I flew Zoustar out to Australia this year which was a great trip. I loved working at Tweenhills. Everyone gets roped in to do a bit of everything and it was great working there, but I decided that it was time to go home and try to do my own thing. It's now or never.”

As has been remarked upon already this year, the influx of new, young faces on the sales grounds, generally pinhooking foals and yearlings, has been noteworthy, and it is also encouraging to see some new names on the consigning front. 

Temperatures have plummeted over the weekend in Newmarket and, with the first frost on the ground on Sunday, it is now officially December Sales weather. Park Paddocks is already abuzz with bobble hats and we can report great trade for the excellent broccoli and Stilton soup on offer at Castlebridge, while the the Green Room boasted Yorkshire puddings as big as your head.

The first of more than 2,000 horses catalogued to sell through until Thursday, December 7 will be in the ring at 11am on Monday.