By Brian Sheerin
If Tuesday's remarkable Sceptre Session was dominated by the high-end buyers, the commercial breeders took over on a lower- key Wednesday where Tally-Ho headlined the action when signing for Gifted Master (Ire) (Kodiac {GB})'s sister Miska (Ire) for 125,000gns.
Miska was bred by Tally-Ho and was consigned by the leading stud at Book 2 here last year when knocked down to Gainsborough Thoroughbreds for 210,000gns.
A winner of a Nottingham maiden in June for Simon and Ed Crisford, Miska failed to build on that and, just over a year after her Book 2 sale, is set to head back home to the County Westmeath-based farm.
That the O'Callaghans were keen to snap up Miska for their broodmare band won't come as a surprise. The family has been good to them, highlighted by the fact the yearling sister made 475,000gns to join Godolphin at Book 1 last month.
Indeed, Gifted Master is the horse who has put the pedigree in lights. He won 11 times for Hugo Palmer, including two Group 3 successes, and reached a career-high rating of 116. He was also Group 2 placed.
Tally-Ho bought 16 fillies and mares at Tattersalls this week for a total spend of 1,461,000gns and Wednesday's top lot hailed from the Godolphin draft which saw 63 sell for 3,053,500gns.
Godolphin also supplied the second most expensive lot on the day when the twice-raced Angel's Point (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) sold for 90,000gns to Michael Swinburn's Genesis Green Stud.
Out of the Montjeu (Ire) mare Madonna Dell'Orto (GB), Angel's Point is a half-sister to I Can Fly (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who won four times and placed in three Group 1s for Aidan O'Brien, as well as black-type performer Viscount Barfield {GB}).
Swinburn said, “Andrew [Balding, trainer] thought a lot of Angel's Point, but she had a few training issues. We do have a filly foal by Fastnet Rock out of the mare, a full-sister to I Can Fly, and we have had enquiries about her. We'd love to keep her and race her, but with prize-money the way it is, we may end up selling her.”
He added, “If so, we have no other daughters out of Madonna Dell'orto so it made sense to buy Angel's Point back. We have no plans as yet regarding stallions.”
While the average was up 10% on last year's figures to 21,236gns, the aggregate fell 3% to 4,226,000gns while the median was up 36% to 15,000gns. The clearance rate of 88% represented a 1% rise on last year.
Royal Studs Draft Proves Popular
Not for the first time this week, the draft from The Royal Studs captured the attention of buyers, with Alex Elliott paying 75,000gns for the winning Motivator (GB) mare Stimulate (GB).
The Derby winner is best known for being the sire of dual Arc winner Treve (Fr) but he also has a good record as a broodmare sire, highlighted by Japanese star Titleholder (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), Ottoman Fleet (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and A'Ali (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}).
Stimulate is out of a sister to group performer Shamanova (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and was sold in foal to Space Blues (Ire).
Elliott said, “I'm a big fan of Motivator as a broodmare sire. Obviously the dam of Ottoman Fleet made 750,000gns at the Sceptre Sessions. She is a young mare who Michael said had a lot of talent and she won on debut for him. Little bits and pieces went wrong after that but she's on an early cover and carrying a colt to Space Blues. It's a good Aga Khan family and she was one we really wanted. Fingers crossed, but I think we have got some good shopping done.”
John Bourke of Hyde Park Stud bought Fresh Fancy (GB), a sister to Champion Hurdle contender Pied Piper (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) from the same draft for 47,000gns.
Pied Piper was bred by The Queen and was snapped up by Joey Logan at last year's Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale on behalf of Andrew and Gemma Brown of Caldwell Construction Ltd, who have seen their red and white colours carried to victory twice already this season by the 4-year-old. Gordon Elliott's charge is a 33-1 chance to win the Champion Hurdle and his sister won first time out for Roger Charlton.
Shimmering Light (GB), a daughter of Dubawi (Ire) who is carrying a foal to the Derby winner Masar (Ire), was another to sell well with Selwood Bloodstock going to 60,000gns to secure the mare.
All told, six fillies and mares were sold from the Royal draft for a total of 259,000 gns on Wednesday.
Elliott went on to buy Qatar Queen (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), in foal to the 2000 Guineas winner Kameko, on behalf of Laundry Cottage for 80,000gns.
He said, “She is a very attractive mare and made 400,000 as a yearling. She is carrying a Kameko colt and we are big fans of the stallion. I was lucky enough to have a client buy a stallion share in him and was very happy with the foals that I saw by him so it made a lot of sense.
“She is a sister to Barney Roy and there is a Dubawi in the family that made a lot of money at Book 1 [half-brother sold for 750,000gns to Godolphin] so there's lots happening. Hopefully she will be a good one.”
Asked if he had looked towards next year's mating, Elliott added, “She has two Zoustars on the ground and is in foal to Kameko. I'd imagine that she will be quite an easy one to mate.”
✅ Beauty, an expensive sales history, carrying a Kameko colt, & a chance of a few updates… @A_C_Elliott had plenty of reasons to like Qatar Queen, @Tweenhills' ½-sister to Gr.1 winner Barney Roy who he bought for 80,000gns for @LCStud at today's #TattsDecember Mares Sale. pic.twitter.com/EQh2VXXmNX
— Tattersalls (@Tattersalls1766) November 30, 2022
BUY OF THE DAY
Lot 2155: Fine Balance (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr})
Consignor: Godolphin
Buyer: Hurworth Bloodstock 38,000gns
Sam Haggas and George Boughey are a deadly combination when it comes to buying horses in training and it could be the case that they have unearthed another gem at the December Mares Sale.
The pair were standing in the front of the bidders area when the hammer fell at 38,000gns for Fine Balance (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), a 220,000gns yearling purchase at Book 1 in 2020, who has had a stop-start career for Simon and Ed Crisford.
As per the Godolphin notes, Fine Balance has not encountered any major training problems for the Crisfords, who actually remarked that there should be lots to come from the filly given she raced just the once.
That sole start was a promising one, too. On her belated debut as a 3-year-old, she showed distinct promise to finish third in a Wolverhampton maiden, beaten just a length. The run can be further upgraded for the fact she was short of room in the closing stages.
Fine Balance has not run since and, while there is a fair amount of speculation involved in predicting that she will emerge as the buy of the day at Tattersalls, there is clearly a level of ability there and Boughey has proved himself at being one of the best in the business with second-hand horses.
Missed The Cut (Quality Road) and Inver Park (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) illustrated this fact to a nicety in winning at Royal Ascot this season after beginning their careers elsewhere so, in short, there are few better hotels that Fine Balance could have joined.
There will always be some residual value in Fine Balance given she is a daughter of Siyouni and hails from the family of Star Catcher (GB) and Cannock Chase. The page could look a whole lot better come this time next year if Boughey can work his magic and few would bet against that.
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