Sugar Ray Sells for European Record

The European public auction record for a colt or gelding in training was eclipsed Oct. 29 when 4-year-old Sugar Ray sold for 600,000 guineas at the Tattersalls October horses in training sale at Newmarket, England.

The Irish-bred Danehill colt had won the Duke of Edinburgh Handicap at Royal Ascot in June and went on to finish second in last month’s Cumberland Lodge Stakes (Eng-III) at the same track for owner Philip Newton and trainer Sir Michael Stoute. The previous record of 525,000 guineas was jointly held for the respective sales of Kehaar and Firebreak, according to Tattersalls.
 
Anthony Stroud -- who was the underbidder to Mags O’Toole on Sugar Ray as a yearling -- landed the prize this time but only after shaking off a string of opponents. O’Toole, jumping trainer Robbie Hennessy and Kern Lillingston’s Alastair Donald were among the bidders, but the underbidder was leading Dubai owner Malih Al Basti.

High-rolling jumping buyers showed little sign of being hit by the recession with trainer David Pipe paying 310,000 guineas for six-time flat winner Master Of Arts, a 3-year-old Irish-bred gelded son of Swain.

Sir Tristram Ricketts Memorial Richmond Stakes (Eng-II) winner Prolific will join Hong Kong trainer John Moore after selling for 230,000 guineas to Alastair Donald of Kern Lillingston. Iran-based owner Dr Farid Bordbar was underbidder. The 2-year-old colt is a son of Compton Place.

A total of 249 lots were sold for a total of 6,949,300 guineas, at an average of 27,909 guineas, a median of 12,000 guineas and a clearance rate of 85%.
 
COMPARATIVE FIGURES
YR    CAT OFF SLD  AGG           AVG      MED
2008 420 294 249   6,943,800 27,909 12,000
2007 393 300 258   9,249,300 35,850 18,000