COMPARATIVE FIGURESYR/CAT/OFF/SOLD/AGG/AVG/MED2003/256/230/199/15,888,000/79,839/57,0002002/265/241/205/11,505,000/56,121/38,000
Tattersalls October Yearling Sale (Part One) saw a new record price Wednesday night when the very last lot into the ring, a Diesis colt out of dual classic-placed Kitza, sold for a million guineas for Irish veterinarian Demi O'Byrne, buying for John Magnier and Michael Tabor.Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum's racing manager Angus Gold was underbidder on the colt, who was consigned from Roger Baines' Britton House Stud in Somerset."John Magnier's mother raced the dam and it's a big help when you know the mare," said O'Byrne. "I didn't think we'd have to pay that much but I'm glad we did – he'd have cost as much last week.The price shattered the 24-hour old October Sale record of 525,000gns for a Kingmambo colt bought by Sheikh Hamdan on Tuesday night.The top lot contributed towards an incredible turnover of 15,888,000gns, up 38% on last year, an average of 79,839gns, up 42%, and a 57,000gns median that advanced 50% on 2002.Sheikh Mohammed was at the sale in person and his purchases included a 360,000gns Alhaarth (Ire) colt out of Cashew (GB) whose half-sister Macadamia (Ire) won the Falmouth Stakes (Eng-II) at Newmarket in July.Consigned by Highclere Stud for breeder Lord Vestey, the grey was bought by Sheikh Mohammed's agent John Ferguson for 360,000gns. Ferguson was the day's leading buyer by aggregate, purchasing 14 lots for 1.912 milliongns with a further ten yearlings sold to the Sheikh's Darley Stud Management for 785,000gns.The sale continues Thursday.