The offspring of War Front continued to be a hot commodity in the auction ring as a daughter of the Kentucky stallion sold for the highest price of 270,000 guineas ($478,304 in United States funds) at the Tattersalls Guineas breeze-up sale May 2 in Newmarket.
Bloodstock agent David Redvers outbid Stephen Hillen and Kevin Ryan to secure the bay filly out of stakes-placed Pastel Gal, by Lemon Drop Kid , on behalf of Sheikh Fahad al Thani. She was offered by Gaybrook Lodge Stud.
"She was by far the best filly here, she easily put in the quickest breeze—and did it with her ears pricked," Redvers said the filly, who was bred in Kentucky by Highfield Farm and offered as Hip. No. 233. "She has an arse on her to be proud of and has a great attitude to go with it." (A video of the breeze can be accessed here).
The filly was bought privately in the U.S. by Gaybrook Lodge's Jim McCarten after she failed to meet her reserve price on a final bid of $85,000 at the 2013 Keeneland September yearling sale in the Lantern Hill Farm consignment.
"The fact that she was by War Front was a huge factor," McCarten said. "I just love them and have success with them before."
War Front, a 12-year-old son of Danzig, stands at the Hancock family's Claiborne Farm, where he commands an advertised fee of $150,000 for 2014.
Ireland's Gaybrook Lodge Stud sold four horses at the sale for a combined 553,000 guineas ($979,675).
The price for their sale-topping War Front filly was the highest at the Guineas sale since 2010 and second highest for a filly in its history.
"(It was) a spectacular pinhooking triumph," Tattersalls chairman Edmund Mahony said about the top-priced filly at the sale's conclusion.
"In line with the Craven breeze-up sale, turnover, average, and median have all risen significantly, and the clearance rate of 80% has matched last year's numerically smaller sale."
Total receipts on 100 horses sold at the Guineas breeze-up sale were 3,271,800 ($5,796,206), a 39% rise from last year. The average price of 32,718 guineas ($57,962) marked a 28% increase while median grew 28% to 22,000 guineas ($38,974).
"In addition, the 140,000 guineas ($248,019) for the 4-year-old colt Great Hall was a record for the horses in training section and another indication of the extra dimension that this recently introduced element has brought to the sale."
Great Hall, by Halling—L'Affaire Monique, by Machiavellian, was bought by Sean Quinn from trainer Brian Meehan's Manton House Stables consignment. The colt has won two of eight career starts.
The horses in training session saw 44 horses sold for total revenue of 682,700 guineas ($1,209,447), up 66% from last year.