an average of 24,446 guineas, and a median of 16,000 guineas. Top price on the last day was 210,000 guineas, paid by Anthony Stroud Bloodstock for the Selkirk colt out Nottash, a half-sister to Champion Sprinter Lake Coniston. Interest came initially from Hong Kong based trainer Tony Millard and bloodstock agent John Warren before Stroud secured the colt for an American owner who will have the horse trained in France by Richard Gibson."With seven consecutive record October yearling sales behind us we knew that despite another top class catalogue we would have a hard task trying to match the extraordinary figures of last year's sale," said Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony. "The average price at this sale last year was up 62%, more than any other major yearling sale in the Northern Hemisphere, and this week we have seen it at a level still well in advance of the then record year of 1999.
"In the course of the week we have had a new record high price for the October yearling sale of 475,000 guineas--a memorable triumph for Roy and Belinda Strudwick whose Ballygallon Stud sold the Houghton Sale topper only three years ago--and an average price that has broken the 30,000 guineas barrier for only the second time."There have been more than 50 six figure yearlings this week, and demand for quality has been as strong as ever, but this crop of yearlings comes from the single biggest British and Irish foal crop ever and there have been times when this has undoubtedly showed."The other feature of the sheer numbers is the strain that they have placed upon the current format of the sale, and in particular on the stabling. We inspected more yearlings this spring than ever before and despite stringent selection procedures it has been hard to keep numbers to the level we would have wanted. As ever, we will be reviewing all issues associated with our sales formats at the conclusion of this year's sales season."
