The Tattersalls autumn horses in training sale finished its four-day run in England Oct. 29 with a median price that was up 12.5% from 2008. The gross revenue declined 11.3% while the average price fell 8.2%. The clearance rate rose from 78.8% last year to 84.9% this year.

“Our 2009 yearling sales outperformed expectations, and this week's sale has continued in a similar vein,” said Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony. “The autumn horses in training sale is a unique fixture and yet again it has attracted a uniquely diverse crowd of buyers, all of whom have contributed to a sale which has produced a significant increase in the median as well as a higher clearance rate than last year. The sale was perhaps a touch short of obvious stars and, considering the strength of the market, the handful of high profile withdrawals was a little disappointing. But overall, this has been another week which has provided encouragement for the industry.”

The 903 horses that sold grossed 17,457,800 guineas and averaged 19,333 guineas. The median was 9,000 guineas. In 2008, 935 horses were sold for a gross of 19,690,300 guineas and an average of 21,059 guineas. The median was 8,000 guineas.
 
“Quality horses have sold particularly well with buyers from all corners of the world, providing stern competition for the domestic buyers from both the flat and National Hunt fraternities,” Mahony said. “As ever, our Middle Eastern buyers have had a massive impact on the sale, and it has been equally gratifying to have seen the success of past graduates from the sale attracting an unprecedented number of Australian buyers. The key to the enduring success of the autumn horses in training sale is its ability to attract buyers in numbers at all levels of the market, and our promotional visits to emerging markets throughout Europe and further afield, many of them in conjunction with British Bloodstock Marketing, continue to bring new faces to the sale.”

Rezwaan, a 2-year-old Alhaarth gelding, brought the fourth day’s top price of 55,000 guineas from Geoffrey Howson Bloodstock. Consigned by Ed Dunlop Racing on behalf of Sheikh Hamdan, Rezwaan has captured one of his six career races. He is out of the 9-year-old Elusive Quality   mare Nasij, who scored in the 2003 McKeever St. Lawrence Masaka Stakes in England.

The fourth day results included a gross of 1,100,600 guineas for the 200 horses that sold. The average was 5,503 guineas, and the median was 3,500 guineas. The clearance rate was 83.3%.