(Edited Tattersalls press release)
The 74 horses sold (from the 138 offered) at theTattersalls Guineas breeze-up sale May 1 in England grossed 2,819,200 guineas and averaged 38,097 guineas. The median price was 25,000 guineas.
A 2-year-old Danehill Dancer – Moon Festival filly brought the top price of 170,000 guineas from Ireland-based agent Hugo Merry. Willie Browne’s Mocklershill Stables of Ireland consigned the filly after purchasing her for 58,000 euros in 2008.
Last year, 80 of the 132 juveniles offered were sold for a gross of 3,833,000 guineas. The average was 47,913 guineas, and the median was 30,000 guineas.
The Tattersalls Guineas breeze-up sale was followed by a partial dispersal of Martin Myers’ Mountgrange Stud. Twenty-one of the 22 horses offered were sold for 669,900 guineas. The 3-year-old colt Splendorinthegrass brought the top price of 160,000 guineas from Charlie Gordon-Watson.
“After the 80% rise in turnover at this sale last year, it was hard to predict quite how the current economic conditions would impact on today’s sale, but overall we can be satisfied with the returns which have included more six- figure transactions than last year,” said Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony of the Tattersalls Guineas breeze-up auction. “The market has been selective, and we would have liked a better clearance rate, but the trainers and agents have remarked throughout the day that it has been hard to buy a nice horse, which is how it should be. Two-year-olds that breezed well yesterday have attracted plenty of competition in the ring and the figures have comfortably bettered the levels of 2007, which must be regarded as perfectly respectable under the prevailing conditions. The domestic trade has held up well, and we have welcomed new buyers from some emerging new markets including Morocco and Iran.
“The Mountgrange Stud dispersal was conducted under unfortunate circumstances, but it also demonstrated the enduring demand for quality horses and provided further encouragement for the industry in these testing times.
“Looking ahead, however, it is hard to find positives following the Chancellor’s recent announcement of a significant increase in the highest rate of income tax. To date, the bloodstock industry has demonstrated healthy resilience in the face of adversity and we will continue to explore as many ways as possible to attract buyers to Tattersalls, but realistically the present government does not inspire confidence for the immediate future.”