The European sales circus moves on to Newmarket, England, for the two-week October sale organized by Tattersalls, with the select four-day part one due to start Oct. 9 at 11:30 a.m.
The Park Paddocks sales complex was busy Oct. 8 with interested parties from around the world, including the United States, Australia, and the Far East, viewing the yearlings on offer. In hopes of adding interest to this sale, Tattersalls also announced it has three sales races with a total of £2.2 million in prize money to be offered next year. These races, collectively known as the Tattersalls Millions, will be restricted to the graduates of this year’s October sale.
"A feature of this year’s catalogue is that there is something for everyone at all levels of the market," said marketing director Jimmy George. "The numbers catalogued (733) reflect that it is not intended to be a super-super select sale. We had a median of 82,000 guineas (US$146,155) last year so the same number of horses made less than that price as above it."
Lot 612, a Sadler’s Wells filly out of Brigid, is one of the sale’s real buzz horses as a full sister to Listen, who won the Fillies’ Mile (Eng-I) at Ascot last month since the catalog’s publication. She is consigned by Oaks Farm in Yorkshire.
Another well-connected filly is lot 311, a Sadler’s Wells filly out of the 1999 Epsom Oaks (Eng-I) winner Ramruma sold by Voute Sales. Ramruma was bought for 2.1 million guineas (US$3,326,000) at the 2003 Tattersalls December Sale.
Lot 217 is a Gone West colt who is a half-brother to European champion filly Divine Proportions and multiple group I winner Whipper from Lady Carolyn Warren’s Highclere Stud.
There are several expensive pinhooks on show, including lot 281, a Medaglia d'Oro colt who made US$425,000 at Keeneland in November when bought by Overseas Equine. He is offered from Paddy Twomey’s Hawthorn Villa Stud.
Lot 25 is another costly weanling. The Kyllachy half-sister to dual group I winner Dutch Art cost 280,000 guineas when offered at the Tattersalls December foal sale last year and knocked down to agent Amanda Skiffington. She sells from Paul and Sara Thorman’s Hampshire-based Trickledown Stud.
Lot 648 is a Medicean colt out of Complimentary Pass who was bought for 230,000 guineas as a foal by County Cork-based agent Hugo Merry and is offered from Denis and Joan Brosnan’s stud in County Limerick, Ireland.
Europe’s top yearling sale will be looking to emulate a strong renewal last year which saw a turnover of 55,035,000 guineas (US$98,093,500) for 432 sold. The average price was 127,396 guineas (US$227,069) and the median came to 82,000 guineas (US$146,155), while two yearlings jointly topped the sale when making 1.2 million guineas each (US$2,138,860).
NEW RACES, NEW INCENTIVE
The new incentive races, collectively known as the Tattersalls Millions, will be run in 2008 and 2009. The marquee event is £1 million race for 2-year-old colts, geldings, and fillies over seven furlongs, closely followed by an £800,000 race for 2-year-old fillies only, also over seven furlongs. Both will be run for the first time at the 2008 Cambridgeshire meeting in October, each with a maximum field of 30 horses. The £1-million race will be named the "Tattersalls Million" and the fillies’ race the "Tattersalls Fillies’ 800." The third race will be the first sales race ever run in Britain for 3-year-olds. Worth £400,000 and run over 10 furlongs, the "Tattersalls £400,000 3YO Classic" will be staged for the first time at the Craven Meeting in April 2009 and will be the richest 3-year-old race in Britain outside the classics. Any horse left in the 2-year-old races after the first forfeit will be automatically eligible to run in the 3-year-old race the following year at no additional cost.
“Prize money is the life blood of racing and in association with Newmarket Racecourses, our October yearling sale vendors and of course the owners, we are delighted to be staging the two most valuable 2-year-old races ever run in Britain, as well as breaking new ground with the unique "Tattersalls £400,000 3YO Classic",” said Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony.
