Last Year's Gross Already Passed at Tattersalls October Sale

Last year's 26,055,700 guineas total Tattersalls October Yearling Sale turnover was passed Thursday night in Newmarket, England, and the record aggregate of 32,256,200 guineas achieved in 2000 could be reached with two more days to go.

By the end of day three of this year's sale turnover had reached 26,468,500 guineas. There were 130 lots sold Thursday for 3,799,000 guineas, at an average of 29,223 guineas and a median of 24,500 guineas.

When agent Anthony Stroud spent 150,000 guineas early on he made the 64th six-figure lot of the sale. He secured a Grand Lodge colt consigned by Jamie Railton for Tim Rootes' Banbury-based Shutford Stud. The mare Hakkaniyah was bought by Rootes for 62,000 guineasat the 1997 Tattersalls December Sale..

On the second day of the sale, Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Estates Co. secured the top lot of day two when racing manager Angus Gold paid 280,000 guineas for a Singspiel colt who is a half-brother to 2-year-old Luvah Girl consigned from Lavington Stud.

Gold said: "He is very athletic and by a sire who has not had many runners but the ones that he has had have shown a bit of class. He will go to Shadwell Stud now and Sheikh Hamdan will start allocating yearlings to trainers in the next three weeks."

It has been a great year for Pivotal thanks to Nunthorpe winner Kyllachy and a pair of top fillies in the U.S., Megahertz and Golden Apples.

James Egan of Corduff Stud, who purchased Golden Apples in utero' for 13,000 guineas with trainer David Hanley, is a great fan of Pivotal, who stands at Newmarket's Cheveley Park Stud.

Egan bought a Pivotal colt out of Sahara Belle through Blandford Bloodstock for 32,000 guineas from John James's Brookside Stud in the same ring 10 months ago and he jumped in value to 170,000 guineas when bought by Cheveley Park Stud owner David Thompson.

The stud's managing director Chris Richardson said: "Pivotal's success has been beyond our wildest dreams and we have had 200 applications already for him next year, when his fee has increased to £25,000 from £10,000, but will be taking only 100 outside mares."

On day two of the sale, 241 were offered, 205 sold for 11,505,000, an average of 56,121 and a median of 38,000.

On the first day of the auction, the new Tattersalls October sale policy of having the best yearlings at the start rather than the end of the five-day auction ensured a buoyant opening day Tuesday

Agent Charlie Gordon-Watson was the day's leading buyer, acquiring 13 yearlings. He paid 375,000 guineas for an Indian Ridge colt consigned from Peter Stanley's New England Stud for breeder Philip Freedman's Cliveden Stud.

Gordon Watson said: "He is for Saeed Suhail and will be trained by Michael Stoute. We had been underbidder on a few at the Houghton sale so I am pleased to get him."

During the opening session 29 lots were sold for 100,000 guineas or more. A total of 56 such lots were seen during the whole of last year's sale.

On Tuesday, 242 were offered and 194 sold for 11,164,500, an average of 57,548 and a median of 42,000.