After a frenetic two weeks of selling, the curtain lowered on the final day of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, with the single-session Book 4 adding another 319,000gns to the previous three books' 199,006,100gns aggregate. A total of 53 yearlings found new homes of 73 offered, for a clearance rate of 73%. The average of 6,019gns and the media of 5,000gns were both well up on 2021's figures, leading to gains of 50.3% for the former and 66.7% for the latter.
Topping Saturday's sale was a daughter of G2 Richmond S. hero Land Force (Ire) (lot 2086) from Natton House Thoroughbreds, Ltd. From the same family as G1 Irish Derby and G1 Sheema Classic hero and sire Jack Hobbs (GB) (Halling), she went to Alfa Site for 23,000gns.
Overall, the October Yearling Sale featured the world's most expensive yearling to sell this year at 2.8 million gns, a son of Frankel (GB) (lot 221) out of the Group 3 winner and G1 Prix de l'Opera third So Mi Dar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). The dam is a full-sister to three-time Group 1 winner and sire Too Darn Hot (GB), as well as G2 Middleton S. heroine Lah Ti Dar (GB), who was second in the G1 St Leger S. and third in both the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. and G1 Yorkshire Oaks.
Book 1 closed with 73 horses, or 17.2% of those sold, changing hands for 500,000gns or more. There were also 16 seven-figure lots. Book 2 also set records for turnover (60,780,500gns, +11%), average (96,020gns, +14%) and median (70,000gns, +13%). The demand for quality bloodstock did not slacken in Book 3 either, with gains of 9% in total turnover to 11,554,600gns. The average advanced 8.6% to 24,428gns and the median also increased to 20,000gns (+11.1%)
Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said on Saturday, “This has been the most extraordinary Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Book 1 set the ball rolling and it has rolled all the way through to the very end with more yearlings sold than ever before for the astounding sum of 199 million guineas.
“It has been a phenomenal show of strength from start to finish with buyers from throughout the world drawn to Tattersalls and the unique environment of Newmarket by the promise of outstanding yearlings presented by so many of the top breeders and consignors not only from Britain and Ireland, but from throughout Europe. The consistent support of the consignors for the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale is the key to its abiding reputation as Europe's premier yearling sale and to see so many people so richly rewarded over the past two weeks has been wonderful.
“There is a huge amount of hard work and dedication involved in the journey from foaling to the October Yearling Sales at Tattersalls Park Paddocks and the results of the past two weeks are a tribute to all those involved at every level. The buyers come to Tattersalls in October confident that they will find quality yearlings to suit every budget which will go on to achieve great things on racecourses around the world and never before has this been so evident. The demand we have witnessed throughout the past two weeks has been truly global and above all it reflects the enduring appeal of the sport of horse racing which captivates so many people throughout the world and brings so many buyers to Newmarket and the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale year after year.”
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