TWELVE months ago the BBAG Yearling Sale established a record for the venue when Matt Coleman signed for a daughter of Sea The Stars at €820,000. The figure was matched last week when Dietrich Von Boetticher’s Gestüt Ammerland purchased another daughter of the Gilltown sire, this one a full-sister to Sea The Moon, from breeders Heike Bischoff and Niko Lafrentz.

Last year Sea The Stars was responsible for three of the top nine lots, all of which made €140,000 or more, while Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin bought four of the top five lots. It was very different this time, just nine lots making €100,000 or more and Sea The Stars and his German Derby winning son Sea The Moon responsible for three of the top four. Godolphin did not purchase any lots this year.

Gestüt Görlsdorf offered the sale-topper on behalf of her breeders. The filly, as well as being an own-sister to a champion in Sea The Moon, is out of an own-sister to three champions in German Derby winners Schiaparelli and Samum and the German Oaks winner Salve Regina. Bidding for the filly was conducted by Gestüt Ammerland’s manager and veterinary surgeon Dominique Rauch who indicated that the filly would be trained by either André Fabre or John Gosden.

The top price was some way clear of the €380,000 paid by agent Alex Elliott for the first offspring of the Group 2 winning Mastercraftsman mare Ashiana. She was consigned by Jamie Railton and her dam was unsold at the Tattersalls December Sale in 2018 at 400,000gns when carrying this yearling. Elliott would only indicate afterwards that the filly was for an owner in England.

Heading to France is the Lope De Vega half-sister to dual Group 3 winner and Group 2 German 2000 Guineas runner-up Degas. She was sold to Laurent Benoit’s Broadhurst Agency for €270,000 by her breeders Gestüt Röttgen.

In addition to consigning the top filly at the sale, Gestüt Görlsdorf had the distinction of also selling the best-priced colt, a son of Sea The Moon from the German listed winner Wunder who was successful in the Group 3 Prix Chloe at Chantilly. This is a cross that has worked already, Wunder’s winning half-sister being the dam of last year’s champion German juvenile Wonderful Moon, a son of Sea The Moon. Matt Coleman represented his partner Anthony Stroud in the ring and revealed that the €260,000 purchase would join Simon and Ed Crisford and race for Sheikh Duaji Al Khalifa.

A son and daughter of Fastnet Rock sold for €200,000 and €160,000 respectively. The colt is a half-brother to Dubawi’s Japanese stakes winner Vachement, out of the French Group 3 winner Daksha, and he was signed for by Meridian Bloodstock’s Ghislain Bozo. David Redvers, acting for Corntrap Bloodstock, bought the daughter of Group 3 winner Felicity. That mare is already dam of six winners, two stakes winners, headed by the Group 2 winning German miler Felician.

Andreas Löwe trumped the opposition to secure a son of New Bay for owner Gerd Mosca at €155,000. He is the second foal of an own-sister to stakes winner San Salvador, though they have a better-known sibling in the form of Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin winner Sirius. It is anticipated that she will be trained by Andrea Wöhler.