The magic seven-figure mark was breached at the Tattersalls October yearling sale Thursday in Newmarket, England.
Sheikh Maktoum al Maktoum's Gainsborough Stud Management went to 1.25 million guineas for a
Kingmambo half-brother to recent Somerville Tattersall Stakes (Eng-III) scorer Aussie Rules during the auction's third session.
The grey colt boasts a superb pedigree, being from the family of a host of group I winners including Albanova, Alborada, Yesterday, and Quarter Moon. The colt's dam, Last Second, won the Sun Chariot Stakes (Eng-II) and was runner-up in the Coronation Stakes (Eng-I. She has already produced three winners from four foals. Her Darshaan daughter, Approach, won a Newbury listed contest and was grade II-placed in the United States.
Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock, bidding for American owner Ahmed Zayat, went up to 800,000 guineas for the colt, which was bred by Prince Faisal Salman and consigned by Kirtlington Stud. Japanese agent Nobutaka Tada was the underbidder to Mohammed Jaber, bidding for Sheikh Maktoum.
Jaber said, "He had everything, the looks, a great head, and he's from a fantastic family. The boss had seen him twice since the beginning of the sale and loved him. We thought he would probably make about 800,000 guineas, but he made a bit more, which is why we were discussing whether to go on."
Salman breeds as Belgrave Bloodstock, and his racing manager Paul Webber said, "Last Second is in foal to Kingmambo again, has a Dalakhani filly foal, and will go to Storm Cat next year."
The demand for Montjeu's progeny continued as the Coolmore Stud stallion registered his third half-millionaire of the sale when the hammer fell at 570,000 guineas for a bay colt, from the family of Mujadil and Fruits of Love. He is out of Majinskaya, a group III-placed, winning half-sister to top-class sprinter Kistena.
Coolmore's John Magnier made the successful bid for the Ballylinch Stud-consigned youngster, a half-brother to a pair of smart juveniles in Danaskaya, champion juvenile filly in Ireland in 2002, and this season's Aidan O'Brien-trained listed winner, Modeeroch. The latter was fourth in last week's Cheveley Park Stakes (Eng-I) at Newmarket.
One of the underbidders was Frank Stronach who, through agent Anthony Stroud, paid 300,000 guineas for a Montjeu half-brother to Pongee and Pukka that will be trained by the colt's breeder Luca Cumani.
COMPARATIVE FIGURES
YEAR CAT OFF SOLD GROSS AVG MED
2005 172 150 129 16,111,000 124,891 75,000
2004 no comparable figures
