The Tattersalls mare sale Dec. 4 continued to show significant gains across all three key market indicators on its third day, led by the purchase of French group III winner Purr Along for 1 million guineas ($1,719,900 in United States funds).
The 3-year-old from the first crop of English group I winner Mount Nelson sold to Newsells Park Stud's Julian Dollar, who was standing alongside Sheikh Fahad Al Thani of Qatar Racing and bloodstock agent David Redvers.
Dollar and Sheikh Fahad acquired Purr Along in partnership after campaigning the Galileo filly Secret Gesture to runner-up finishes in the Epsom Oaks (Eng-I) and the German equivalent earlier this year.
"She is for the Secret Gesture partnership," Redvers said of Purr Along, indicating the involvement of Newsells, after Dollar had been doing the bidding and bought the filly. "We are looking forward to racing another high-class filly in a partnership between (Sheikh Fahad's) Pearl Bloodstock and Newsells Park."
Purr Along has two wins, a second, and a third from 10 career starts, including her victory in the 2012 Prix du Calvados-Haras des Capucines (Fr-III) at Deauville and runner-up finish in the Barrett Steel May Hill Stakes (Eng-II) at Doncaster for Sheikh Fahad's cousin Sheikh Joaan bin Thani. She was consigned by trainer William Muir to dissolve a partnership.
Purr Along is out of the winning Mountain Cat mare Purring and is a half sister to Lady Francesca, who is stakes-placed in England and France. Purring is a half sister European group winner Ronda, who finished second in the 2000 Just a Game Breeders' Cup Stakes (gr. III) at Belmont Park and the 1999 Henkel-Rennen (Ger-II, German One Thousand Guineas). Ronda is the dam of U.S. multiple grade III winner Istan .
Total receipts for 182 horse sold on the day amounted to 8,863,500 guineas ($15,244,333), a figure up 20% from last year's third day.
Median and average price also showed gains by double-digit percentage points, with the former soaring by 47% to 48,701 guineas ($83,760), and the latter by 39.2% to 25,000 guineas ($42,997).
The Tattersalls December mare sale continues with the fourth and final session Dec. 5.
