TRADE at the Tattersalls December Sale got off to a solid start on Monday when the one-day yearling sale returned a healthy set of figures, including an improved clearance rate of 85%. Last year’s top price of 200,000gns was bettered when a son of Frankel sold for 250,000gns.

Consigned through Highclere Stud on behalf of breeders Mt Brilliant Farms, the February-born son of leading first-season sire Frankel was offered at the Keeneland September Sale where he failed to sell at $325,000. This time around he changed hands when Charlie Gordon-Watson signed the purchaser’s docket for the half-brother to dual Group 1 winner Hartnell and Group 1 runner-up Roz. The colt will now be trained by Ed Dunlop.

“My client wanted to buy two horses today, but I suggested that we target one,” reported Gordon-Watson. “This is a very nice horse out of a very nice mare. There is an Arc winner on the page and he out of an Anabaa mare, which I particularly like. He is all two-year-old.”

Highclere also sold a son of Galileo for 110,000gns, the first foal of a Street Cry half-sister to the Belmont Stakes winners Rags To Riches and Jazil. The Channel Consignment – Jamie Railton and Alban Chevalier du Fau – plan to breeze the colt at Arqana next spring.

The session’s second best price, and the best for a filly, was the 170,000gns obtained by Old Buckenham Stud for the Sea The Stars half-sister to three Italian classic winners.

McKeever Bloodstock snapped her up and she was the only filly on the day to bring a six-figure sum. The filly will now race for the Tsuis’ Sunderland Holding Inc.

The decision by Rathbarry Stud not to part with a Kodiac half-brother to the listed winner Hold Your Colour at Goffs in September paid off when they sold him to Tom Goff of Blandford Bloodstock. The colt will be trained at Manton by George Baker. Bought for €65,000 as a foal, he was retained at €100,000 at Goffs.

A homebred at Carmel Stud, their Dutch Art colt out of a winning daughter of Tattersalls Musidora Stakes winner Secret History was another on Blandford Bloodstock’s shopping list. The agency’s Tom Brown saw off his colleague Tom Goff to acquire the colt and he will now be trained by Simon Crisford after selling for 110,000gns.

PINHOOKING PROFIT

Similarities to Mehmas were a factor in the sale of an Acclamation colt from Gaynestown Stud to Peter and Ross Doyle Bloodstock for 110,000gns. He was purchased on behalf of Middleham Park Racing and will join Richard Hannon. The sale represented a nice pinhooking profit on his 44,000gns foal purchase price.

Seven lots sold for six-figure sums and completing the list was the Bob Scarborough-bred Galileo colt out of the Grade 1 Beverly D Stakes winner Mauralakana. Bloodstock agent Mick Flanagan was the purchaser at 100,000gns.

The sale average and median rose by 7% and 8% respectively and both were records, while the average also recorded a 7% increase. The number of lots sold was exactly the same as in 2015.