Sceptre Sessions

"The full package." That's how consignor Tom Blain of Barton Sales describes Teona (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and it is hard to disagree that the five-year-old has everything a breeder would look for when attempting to buy a first-class breeding prospect. A winner of one of the key middle-distance tests for top-class fillies in the G1 Prix Vermeille, she is also out of a Group 1 winner, the Pretty Polly S. victrix Ambivalent (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}), with mother and daughter both being by outstanding Derby winners. The cherry on...

As the darkness draws in on the Monday and Tuesday afternoons of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, it is a signal for the those around Park Paddocks to head ring-wards for the bloodstock world's version of captivating theatre. Who present, shoulder to shoulder in the packed auditorium over recent years, can forget moments such as the sale of Marsha (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) for 6 million gns? Even her trainer Sir Mark Prescott, always ready with a witticism, was for once lost for words in the drama of it all.  A...

Kensea (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}), the dam of G1 Criterium International-winning Galiway (GB) full-brothers Sealiway (Fr) and Sunway (Fr), has been added to the Tattersalls December Mares Sale as a wildcard, the sales company announced on Wednesday. Offered by James Hanly's Ballyhimikin Stud during the second day of the Sceptre Sessions on Tuesday, Dec. 5 as lot 1825, the 13-year-old mare is owned and bred by Guy Pariente. She is in foal to rising French sire Zarak (Fr). A listed winner herself, Kensea's four foals to make the racecourse have all...

A fantastic year for Karl Burke's stable was crowned by victory on QIPCO British Champions Day for Poptronic (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the G1 Champion Fillies and Mares S. at Ascot. What made the win extra special is that the four-year-old was bred by her owners David and Yvonne Blunt, who keep three broodmares and were enjoying their first win at the highest level.  Poptronic, a daughter of the Dream Ahead mare Alpine Dream (Ire), is one of three classy fillies to be heading to the Tattersalls December Mares' Sale...

With the benefit of glorious hindsight it seems scarcely believable that Via Sistina (GB) could have been sold at the December Yearling Sale four years ago for just 5,000gns by her breeder Laundry Cottage Stud. One thing is certain: when the Group 1 winner returns to Tattersalls in a few weeks among the elite Sceptre Sessions of the December Mares' Sale, her price will have many more zeroes on the end. A big, scopey mare who took some time to fill her statuesque frame, the five-year-old daughter of Fastnet Rock...

Connections of Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) have described it as "a no-brainer" to offer the 1,000 Guineas heroine for sale at the Sceptre Sessions as part of the December Mares Sale at Tattersalls given how strong trade was at the corresponding sale 12 months ago. Not only did Cachet provide Highclere Racing and trainer George Boughey with a breakthrough domestic Classic success when storming to 1,000 Guineas glory at Newmarket last year, but she also followed up on that effort by running out a gutsy second to Mangoustine (Fr) (Dark...

A quintet of Group 1-winning race fillies anchor the 1,062-strong Tattersalls December Mares Sale from Dec. 4-7, headlined by the Sceptre Sessions on Monday, Dec. 4 and Tuesday, Dec. 5. Inaugurated last year, the Sceptre Sessions feature 1000 Guineas heroine Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) (1433); Pretty Polly S. victress Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) (lot 1788); top-level winners Lezoo (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}) (lot 1776) and Prosperous Voyage (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) (lot 1811), both trained by Ralph Beckett; and South African Grade 1 winner Vernichey (SAf) (Vercingetorix {SAf}) (lot 1802)....

By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin NEWMARKET, UK--Widely tipped for the top, Jeff Smith's Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) duly shone brightest in a galaxy of stars on display at Park Paddocks, bringing the second-highest price ever recorded at a European auction when the hammer fell at 5.4 million gns. Yuesheng Zhang of Yulong Investments, acting through BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe, has flexed some serious fiscal muscle at the breeding stock sales this season and that reached a new high at Tattersalls on Tuesday when Donohoe outlasted Coolmore's MV...

Representatives of Lordship Stud were extended to 2 million guineas for the 4-year-old filly Ville de Grace (GB) (Le Havre {Ire}) as Tuesday's Sceptre Session continued to toss up major results. Bred and raced by Hunscote Stud and Chris Humber, Ville de Grace was being offered by Norris Bloodstock to dissolve that partnership. Hunscote went to 800,000gns for the filly's dam Archangel Gabriel (Arch) to top Monday's Sceptre Session. Trained for the partnership by Sir Michael Stoute, Ville de Grace--who was retained after failing to meet her reserve on a...

Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) fetched a modest 55,000gns when sent through this ring four years ago at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, but having won six of her 13 starts, including Group 1 events in England and France, the 4-year-old lit up the tote at Park Paddocks, selling to HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled Bin Abdulaziz's Najd Stud for 3.6 million guineas early Tuesday evening during the second Sceptre Session. Consigned by Jane Chapple-Hyam Racing, Saffron Beach was a winner in Group 3 company at career start number...

Offered as lot 1622 at the midway stage of the first of two Sceptre Sessions during the Tattersalls December Mare Sale in Newmarket, the Archangel Gabriel (Arch--Princess Kris {GB}, by Kris {GB}) fetched a final bid of 800,000gns from Hunscote Stud to dissolve the partnership between that operation and Chris Humber. The 9-year-old, a full-sister to US Grade I winner Prince Arch and a half-sister to G1 National S. winner Kingsfort (War Chant) and to the dam of Group 3 winners Pincheck (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Valeria Messalina (Ire)...

Tattersalls could not have chosen a better name than 'Sceptre' for the elite sessions of the mares' section of the December Sale, the first of which takes place today. The word 'Sceptre' is redolent of majesty but Sceptre the horse was even more special. Furthermore, hers was a story in which Tattersalls plays a prominent part. Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster, was one of the most successful owners of the Victorian era. He raced some magnificent homebreds including the mighty Ormonde, whom John Porter trained to win the Triple...