THE theme of a levelling off in the yearling market, which has been in evidence in recent weeks, was again reflected in the final figures for this week’s Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2 where last year’s record returns were out of reach.
Over the last few years the yearling market has made a sustained recovery from the trying times of 2008-2010 but the last three weeks would indicate that the growth is tapering off.
This year’s aggregate for the three-day Book 2 sale - where an additional 67 horses came under the hammer - came in at just under 42.5 Million guineas and this was down fractionally on 2014, although in percentage terms there was no change.
Following a sale that produced a new record priced top lot, which came in the shape of a 725,000gns son of Dubawi, the average dropped by three points to 62,282gns while the median of 47,000gns represented a drop of 6%.
Furthermore a somewhat selective market, which was most evident on the final day of selling, saw the clearance rate drop from 87% to 82%. In terms of the overall yearling market, this is a point of concern as the foal sale catalogues point to a greater number of yearlings coming on the market next year.
Once again Shadwell Estates emerged as the leading purchaser over the three days, buying 39 lots for just over 4.6 million guineas. Indeed Shadwell, John Ferguson and Rabbah Bloodstock accounted for 21% of turnover.
The number of horses to make 100,000gns or more came in at 121 which was an improvement on 2014, although only two horses made in excess of 300,000gns compared to 11 last year.
On the pinhooking front there were, as ever, some tremendous triumphs but it was tough going for plenty of others in this sector and less than half of the 281 pinhooks offered provided their connections with a profit.
At the conclusion of Book 2 the Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony commented: “Book 2 of last year’s Tattersalls October Yearling Sale shattered records across the board with the average and median soaring 36 and 35% respectively and turnover breaking 40-million guineas for the first time. Records of that magnitude are always hard to match and, while all key indicators have held up well, they have fallen marginally short of last year’s spectacular levels.
“All week buyers have commented that the best yearlings have been very hard to buy which reflects the quality of the yearlings the vendors have brought to the sale.
“We have seen a cosmopolitan cast of buyers active throughout the week and competition at the upper end of the market has been the real feature over the past three days.
“It would be wrong, however, to pretend that it has been plain sailing at all levels of the market. After last year’s outstanding sale demand for places in Book 2 was overwhelming and the extra numbers have not only posed logistical challenges but also contributed to a market which has at times been selective.
“Numerically Book 2 has long been the largest yearling sale in Europe but the 915 yearlings we have catalogued this year significantly exceeded the optimum numbers which made last year’s Book 2 such an extraordinary renewal,” he concluded.
MONDAY
A total of 11 yearlings made 200,000gns or more on the opening day and these were headed by a 370,000gns daughter of Raven’s Pass - the sire of the €2m filly who topped the Orby Sale earlier in the month.
Tony Nerses, acting for clients Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar, secured the Rathbarry Stud-consigned filly whose dam is a listed-placed own-sister to the high class sprinter Muthmir. Interestingly Nerses was underbidder on the aforementioned Raven’s Pass filly from Goffs.
John Ferguson upped his spending by over one million guineas at Book 2 this year and he was especially busy on the opening day when picking up 10 lots. These were headed by a 280,000gns son of Dutch Art from Cheveley Park Stud and another popular Rathbarry offering which came in the shape of a 200,000gns son of Acclamation.
The prolific Shadwell Estate team picked up a host of the best lots on offer and these included a 200,000gns filly from the first crop of the crack Australian runner Sepoy.
The first foal out of the stakes-winning Burke’s Rock was offered by Castledillon Stud and was showing an excellent return on the 82,000gns she cost as a foal. Shadwell matched this price for a son of Pivotal, a Dream Ahead colt from Noel O’Callaghan’s Mountarmstrong Stud and a son of Dark Angel hailing from the noted nursery that is Paul and Marie McCartan’s Ballyphilip Stud.
Anthony Oppenheimer’s Hascombe and Valiant Stud –the source of this year’s star middle-distance three-year-old Golden Horn – offered the only yearling in the sale by Elusive City and he proved to be quite a draw. The grandson of the classic-placed Animatrice eventually came to agent Charlie Gordon-Watson at 250,000gns. Sir Michael Stoute will take charge of the colt.
Zoffany has enjoyed a tremendous first year with runners and the leading freshman sire supplied a colt from Redgate Bloodstock who came to the Hong Kong Jockey Club team at 240,000gns.
This price was closely matched by agent Anthony Stroud, acting for Nicholas Cooper whose wife, Philippa, runs Normandie Stud, when he spent 230,000gns on a Lawman filly from an excellent Gerry Oldham family.
TUESDAY
A considerable air of anticipation accompanied the only yearling in the sale by Dubawi and the colt more than lived up to expectations as he sold to John Ferguson for a record breaking Book 2 price of 725,000gns.
The colt, who was offered by Newsells Park Stud on behalf of German farm Gestüt Fahrhof, comfortably surpassed the previous high of 525,000gns which was set by a Poet’s Voice colt at this sale twelve months ago.
The sale topper, who trainer Roger Varian and Hong-based buyer Willie Leung both tried hard to secure, is a half-brother to a German stakes winner out of the Group 3-winning Goathemala. This is also a family that goes back to the likes of Fame And Glory and Legatissimo.
Later in the day Ferguson added to his haul when spending 220,000gns on a Dark Angel half-brother to the Italian Group 1 scorer Priore Philip. He was sold by Paddy Twomey’s Athassel House Stud and was showing a fine return on the €87,000 he cost as a foal.
A pair of 280,000gns lots filled the runner-up spot and the first of these to come under the hammer was a daughter of Zebedee from Ballyphilip Stud. The filly is a half-sister to fellow Ballyphilip graduate Kodi Bear who bids for a first top level success in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot.
Agent Charlie Gordon-Watson signed the ticket on behalf of Michael Bell who will take charge of the filly for a new client. Gordon-Watson also went to 200,000gns for a Holy Roman Emperor colt out the stakes-winning Flambeau.
The other 280,000gns transaction came when Tony Nerses secured a son of Dutch Art from Clairemont Stud. The 140,000gns pinhook comes from the immediate family of the undefeated Fillies, Mile winner White Moonstone.
Over the course of the three days some 44 Dark Angel yearlings were sold for an average of just over 93,000gns. Foremost among the offerings by the Morristown Lattin resident, who has enjoyed a stunning year, was a 260,000gns Yeomanstown homebred filly. The half-sister to the Group 3-winning Glamorous Spirit was bought by the BBA Ireland’s Adrian Nicoll and will join David Wachman.
Another good result for the Hascombe and Valiant Stud draft came when Amanda Skiffington, who was acting for M.V. Magnier, forked out 250,000gns for a son of Rock Of Gibraltar. He hails from a family that has produced the likes of Inchinor, Miss Keller and Venus De Milo.
WEDNESDAY
The concluding day of the sale couldn’t match Monday’s or Tuesday’s sessions and the top price came in at 280,000gns. Following a heartening first season as a trainer Simon Crisford was busy stockpiling future talent and he made quite an impact at the head of the market as evidenced by his 280,000gns acquisition of a German-bred son of Siyouni.
The half-brother to the French Group 2 victor Now We Can was offered from Stauffenberg Bloodstock and was showing a tremendous return having been conceived off a €7,000 nomination.
Crisford again outlasted Jono Mills when giving 250,000gns for a Dark Angel colt offered by Athassel House Stud.
This relation to Rebelline was another major pinhooking triumph for the Tipperary-based operation, having been picked up for €75,000 at Goffs last November. Crisford reported that both colts were purchased on behalf of a new client.
The last day was also the scene of a monster pinhooking payday as Rory Mahon’s Mountain View Stud supplied a son of Kodiac who was acquired for 48,000gns in the same ring last winter. On this occasion the colt’s price shot up to 260,000gns after he came to Mark Richards of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Adrian Nicoll was again to the fore when going to 220,000gns on a daughter of Fastnet Rock offered from Lofts Hall Stud. The second produce of the classy sprinter Rose Blossom will be going into training in Britain.
Lofts Hall also consigned a 190,000gns Lawman filly out of a grandson of Rebecca Sharp. She was bought by French agent Bertrand Le Metayer on behalf of Al Shahania Stud.
A career in Ireland beckons for a daughter of High Chaparral after she was knocked down to BBA Ireland’s Eamon Reilly at 190,000gns. The Baroda and Colbinstown Stud offering enjoyed quite a boost to her pedigree this autumn as she is a half-sister to the Round Tower Stakes winner Smash Williams who was placed at Group 2 level in France yesterday.
Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez, whose colours were carried with such distinction this year by the Epsom Oaks heroine Qualify, emerged as the buyer of a 200,000gns Shamardal colt out of the Brownstown Stakes winner Perfect Touch.