SEA The Stars was in pole position throughout the latest BBAG Yearling Sale in Baden-Baden last week. He was responsible for three of the top nine lots, all of which made €140,000 or more, and his daughter of the stakes-placed Monsun mare Anna Mia set a new record for a yearling in Germany, selling to Godolphin for €820,000.

Anthony Stroud and David Loder looked at the sale offerings in advance, but they left the bidding to Matt Coleman, Stroud’s business partner. On behalf of Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin he bought four of the top five lots.

Last year’s trade at this auction was disappointing, but this year was a different scene, and the top three lots comfortably outperformed the top lots in 2018. What did not change was that it was a daughter of Gilltown Stud stallion Sea The Stars who led the way each time.

There was keen interest in the top lot from Gestut Brummerhoff, the first produce of her dam, and it came from Ling Tsui who raced Sea The Stars with her family, notably son Christopher. However, her agent at the sale, Suzanne Roberts, eventually gave way to Matt Coleman and the previous record of €710,000 was consigned to history.

The top-priced colt at the 2019 BBAG Yearling Sale was this €700,000 son of Kingman \ BBAG

The best priced colt at the sale also fell to Godolphin, this being Gestut Rottgen’s Kingman colt, the first foal of the seven-time winning Mount Nelson mare Weltmacht. Successful at listed level and Group 2-placed, Weltmacht is a half-sister to Group 2 Park Hill Stakes winner Wild Coco who was runner-up in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille. Alex Elliott, Tom Goff and the Hong Kong Jockey Club were all thwarted in their efforts to secure the colt.

Gestut Brummerhoff had another great result when they sold a Lope De Vega three-parts sister to the Group 2 German 1000 Guineas winner Akua’Da, a daughter of Shamardal, to Godolphin for €360,000. The yearling’s dam Akua’ba was trained by Jim Bolger to win twice and she was runner-up in a listed race at Leopardstown in the colours of June Judd.

A Sea The Stars half-sister to the Group 1 German Oaks winner Serienholde will race in France following her sale from Gestut Wittenkindshof for €190,000 to Jack de Jong, while a son of the Arc winner will race in Germany for Stall Salzburg after he realised €140,000. The same colours will be carried by the Wootton Bassett colt, a grandson of dual champion and classic winner Quebrada, who cost €150,000. Both Stall Salzburg purchases were made from the Gestut Fahrhof consignment.

Sea The Stars’ son Sea The Moon got in on the act when his son of Maricel, a full-brother to a group-placed winner, was added to the Godolphin shopping list at €170,000. He was sold by Gestut Gorlsdorf, breeders of the sire.

German sires

Two lots by German-based sires made it into the top nine. Soldier Hollow’s own-sister to the Group 3 winner Dabbitse and half-sister to two other stakes winners was sold by Ronald Rauscher to Panorama Blooodstock’s Peter Brauer for €150,000. This narrowly beat the price of €140,000 achieved by Gestut Hof Ittlingen minutes later for their Adlerflug half-sister to the 2017 Group 1 German Derby runner-up Enjoy Vijay.

Three yearlings from the first crop of the champion Protectionist are making their way to Ireland, following their purchase by Joseph O’Brien, Powerstown Stud and Power Thoroughbreds. The most expensive of the trio was sold by Ronald Rauscher and is the first produce of the unraced Makfi mare Zippity Do Da. She cost Joseph O’Brien €95,000.