IT was entirely apt that a yearling by the much-lamented Adlerflug would head this year’s edition of the BBAG Yearling Sale in Baden-Baden.

Highlighted in an advertisement on the back cover of the catalogue, featuring the draft from the multiple champion owners and breeders, Gestüt Röttgen, the best of the sale was a daughter of the winning Oasis Dream mare Kizingo, a half-sister to the German champion juvenile Erasmus, and they are out of the Group 1 Preis der Diana-German Oaks heroine Enora.

Bloodstock agent Hugo Merry had the final say for the filly, just the second produce of her dam whose first offspring was due to debut today, and he spent the €300,000 purchase price on behalf of Blue Diamond Stud. Stud owner Imad Al Sagar will first send the filly to be trained by John and Thady Gosden. All six yearlings by Adlerflug catalogued were sold and they averaged in excess of €100,000.

This year’s sale just failed to match the numbers from last year, though the turnover again managed to top €8 million. The average and median figures were down 7% and 9% respectively, while a bigger catalogue saw four more lots sell than a year ago, but the clearance rate was down three points to 75%.

Sea The Stars

Four yearlings realised €220,000 or more, and two were daughters of Sea The Stars. The better of the pair was Gestüt Auenquelle’s daughter of the Group 2-winning Mastercraftsman mare Ashiana. Bred by Eckhard Sauren, the filly will race in Italy after she sold to Bruno Grizzetti for €260,000.

Another leading trainer to land a Sea The Stars was Andreas Suborics, and he will handle the future racing career of the half-sister to the champion juvenile of 2020 in Germany, four-time pattern winner Best Of Lips.

Suborics also trained that colt and his victories to date include the Group 2 Union-Rennen in Germany and the Group 3 Gran Premio di Milano in Italy. Stauffenberg Bloodstock consigned the filly who was bred by the Tsui Family’s Sunderland Holding in partnership.

Memorable

This has been a memorable year for trainer Sarah Steinberg, winning the Group 1 Deutsches (German) Derby for the first time, and this comes hard on the heels of having her first Group 1 winner last September. She welcomes to her Stall Salzburg a Gestüt Karlshof-bred Teofilo colt, and he is a full-brother to the Italian champion and Group 1 Preis von Europe winner Donjah. With six winning siblings already, it was no surprise that this colt cost €260,000.

Gestüt Karlshof ended the one-day sale having traded a dozen yearlings for €1,180,000, while Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten, head of the Liberty Racing syndicates, spent €935,000 on 10 yearlings.