Thursday's top lot was the 3-year-old filly Virginia Rose, a dual winner for James Given who was knocked down to agent Brian Grassick for 95,000 guineas ($196,650).
A record-breaking year at Tattersalls finished Nov. 30, with the Newmarket, England-based company showing a 233 million guineas turnover in 2006.The December sale turned over a record 100,630,900 guineas (about $208 million), an increase of 36% over 2005. The 55,937 guineas (about $115,700) average was up 42%, and the 25,000 guineas median (about $51,750) rose 25%."What a great way to round off a marvelous year," said Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony. "We knew that we had a special catalog for the mares' sale and the foal sale last week was spectacular, but we could never have predicted the extraordinary level of trade this week. "The Tattersalls December sales record books have been completely rewritten over the last four days, and the huge number of buyers from literally all corners of the globe reflects the massive international reputation of the sale."Last year the December sales turnover went up 40% to 74 million guineas, which was uncharted territory for a European bloodstock sale, but this year's sale has exploded," Mahony continued. "The turnover has exceeded 100 million guineas, which is a jump of a further 35% and almost double the turnover of two years ago. In addition, we have had a world record price for a broodmare, a European record price for a filly in training, seven seven-figure transactions, and wide-margin record averages for both foals and breeding stock."While the sale was highlighted by a new world record price for a broodmare or broodmare prospect when Cheveley Park Stakes (Eng-I) winner Magical Romance was purchased by agent James Wigan for 4.6 million guineas (about $9.35 million), Mahony said the sale was bolstered by spending from new owners."New enterprise investment schemes, countless new faces from throughout the world, and the great tradition of Irish breeders at the December sales have all played a major part, but above all we are currently experiencing an unprecedented global demand for quality bloodstock and this has never been more apparent than at the 2006 Tattersalls December sales," Mahony said.
