(Edited Tattersalls press release)
Brisk trade was the order of the day at the Tattersalls Guineas breeze up and horses in training sale May 4 in England.
Competition for the breeze up section of the catalog was especially strong with a clearance rate of 80%. Seventy-eight 2-year-olds were sold, grossing 2,153,250 guineas ($3,658,998 in U.S. funds). The average price was 27,606 guineas ($46,911) and the median price was 21,000 guineas ($35,685).
The earlier horses in training section of the auction had generated 261,400 guineas ($444,194) for the 26 lots that were sold headed by the group winner Fanunalter. The sale’s two sections together saw a total of 104 horses sold for 2,414,650 guineas ($4,103,190).
The top-priced lot for the re-introduced guineas sale was the Shamardal colt out of the Pivotal mare Pivotal Princess. He was knocked down to David Redvers for 115,000 guineas ($195,190). Redvers secured the Mocklershill-consigned colt after he saw off Gill Richardson and Wolfgang Figge.
"He is a proper horse," said Redvers, who made just the one bid. "The dam's first foal is rated 96, and this chap is all speed. He did a very fast time despite the going and he was not hard ridden at all. He is a lovely type for a big horse.
"He is for Qatar Racing, and a trainer has not yet been decided. We have a few more to buy and we will decide upon trainers once they have all been bought. This horse will probably come back to Tweenhills in the interim."
Earlier in the day, Marco Botti’s group III Diomed Stakes winner Fanunalter proved the star attraction when sold to Jalil al Mallah for 67,000 guineas ($113,853) after he saw off Dandy Nicholls.
"I came all the way from Bahrain for this horse," said Jalil al Mallah. "The horse will go from here into training with Michael Wigham until July. I am coming back for the Tattersalls July sale and Fanunalter will be shipped to Qatar then to go to Azziz Al Katiri's stables.
"This horse should do well in Qatar. He acts on the good to firm, and stays well, which is important as most of the valuable races in Qatar are staying races. He seems a classy type."
Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony expressed satisfaction with the day’s results.
“Reintroducing the Guineas breeze up sale with the addition of a horses in training section was not a decision we took lightly,” he said. “But today’s trade has fully vindicated the decision. There has been real strength and depth to the market at all levels and without doubt the new horses in training part of the catalog has helped to attract a wide cross section of international buyers to complement the domestic demand. The sale has produced very respectable returns across the board and achieved an enviable clearance rate which has bettered all previous Guineas breeze up sales.
“The success of today’s sale again reflects the professionalism of the consignors and we must thank them for their support of the fixture after a break of one year. Just as at the recent Craven breeze up, the 2-year-olds have again had to contend with less than ideal breezing conditions. But again they have coped admirably and considering the huge amount of recent rain, the ground also held up remarkably well.”