A son of Exceed and Excel topped the third session of Book 2 of the Tattersalls October yearling sale, bringing 200,000 guineas ($337,922 in U.S. funds). Mark Richards of the Hong Kong Jockey Club purchased the chestnut colt Oct. 17 in England, holding off Sheikh Mohammed’s bloodstock manager, John Ferguson, in the bidding.
“We’ve been patient all day,” Richards said. “Exceed and Excel works well in Hong Kong, as he does around the world. I liked this horse’s deep girth and his good front. He’ll need time, but he’ll get it.”
The yearling is a half brother to Prime Defender (by Bertolini), who captured the 2010 Duke of York Blue Square Stakes (Eng-II) and three other added-money events. Their dam is the winning Superlative mare Arian Da.
“I was a little concerned that the dam has only really produced group II winner Prime Defender,” Richards said, “but it’s all about the individual. If he catches up behind (in his development) then we’ll be smiling.”
Yeomanstown Stud consigned the session-topper.
The results for the session included a gross of 7,625,500 guineas ($12,884,130) for the 190 horses that were sold. The average price was 40,134 guineas ($67,811) and the median price was 33,500 guineas ($59,981). Compared to the same session a year ago, the gross declined 3.3%, but the average rose 4.9%. The median increased 24.1%.
The clearance rate was 83.3% compared to 81.1% in 2011, when 206 yearlings were sold.
