Foal sales lack spark as vendors hold back top lots

Breeding Stock

FOR the second year in succession the Tattersalls December Foal and Mare Sales lacked the sort of stellar quality of previous years.

Just as was the case in 2019, only one lot reached seven figures which came when M.V. Magnier spent 2.2 million guineas on Beach Frolic, the dam of the top miler Palace Pier.

A look at the final figures reveals that there was quite a significant drop from the levels of 2019, but there are a few things to take into account.

A lack of headline lots, the wider economic situation and the fact that this sale took place on the back of a period of significant growth are all things to keep in mind. In addition, the clearance rate was quite impressive at 85%, so the results are probably better than they appear at first glance.

The previous week foals took centre stage and, again, the final figures finished behind those from 2019, but trade was still quite robust.

The aggregate dropped by just over 10% but the median and the average both returned single-figure declines which represents quite a respectable performance.

Interestingly, the number of foals catalogued was the smallest for this sale in 19 years.

At the top of the market, activity wasn’t quite at the level it had been previously with the number of foals to fetch at least 300,000 guineas dropping from 14 to five.

The distinction of being the top-priced foal in Europe for 2020 fell to a 700,000-guinea Dubawi half-brother to Skitter Scatter. He was bought by Godolphin.

Withdrawals

A month later than scheduled the Goffs November Foal Sale wrapped up just before Christmas with results that couldn’t keep pace with 2019. Crucially, a number of high-profile withdrawals certainly didn’t help the strong final session which saw the number of six-figure transactions for the sale falling from 47 to 27.

Trade was selective through the first two days of the sale which perhaps came about as a consequence of this auction finding itself at the end of the foal-sale cycle rather than at the start. As a result of that, buyers were perhaps more selective in their approach.

However, there was still strong demand for quality foals as evidenced by a trio of Frankel’s offspring heading proceedings at €440,000, and the level of activity throughout the final day struck a positive chord as we look towards 2021.

Meanwhile, the Breeding Stock Sale was reduced from two days to one and it played host to steady and consistent trade which produced a very encouraging 87% clearance rate. This made for good reading especially when one considers that this sale took place without the diverse international buying base which would usually bolster trade.

The top lot here was Zain Art, the dam of this season’s Group 2-winning and Group 1-placed juvenile Aloha Star, who cost Camas Park Stud €390,000.