GODOLPHIN’S strength at Book 1 will have been welcomed by those consigning at Book 2, given that last year’s Book 2 top lot was bought by Sheikh Mohammed’s operation for 900,000gns.
Islanmore Stud’s Starspangledbanner filly was one of four purchased by Godolphin at last year’s renewal, when Stroud Coleman topped the buyers table at 5,540,000gns for 25 lots, followed by Amo Racing with 16 totalling 3,645,000gns.
Kia Joorabchian was active at Book 1 this week and underbid a number of the seven-figure lots. Shadwell increased their spend significantly from 625,000gns to 1,655,000gns – hopefully they’ve money left for Book 2, where they were the 11th biggest spender in 2025.
Henry Lascelles was one place lower 12 months ago, but the fact that his Book 1 spend went from 2,950,000 this week sounds warning bells. Kevin Ryan, who spent 1,680,000gns at Book 2 in 2025, is unlikely to be quite as strong this time due to the passing of Sheikh Obaid.
US buyers were particularly active at Book 1 this week, purchasing 63 yearlings, so many will be hoping that some extend their stay through Book 2.
It will take a strong buying bench to match last year’s record turnover of 208,780,004gns, which resulted in an average price of 107,496gns – the second-highest in the sale’s history and over 10,000gns clear of the third.
The 2025 median price was a historic best at 76,000gns, with a thriving market also demonstrated in the clearance rate of 87%.
That said, these yearlings also stood their consignors a pretty penny, whether they paid expensive covering fees or purchased punchy pinhooks. Of the 806 lots catalogued next week – which is pretty much on par with 12 months ago, 41 sold for €100,000 or more as foals, while three cost over €200,000
Selecting highlights from the catalogue is no easy task, given that lots include siblings to 486 stakes horses and 247 lots are out of blacktype mares.
The sire profile doesn’t necessarily narrow things down too much – with nine by the late Wootton Bassett, seven by Night Of Thunder, one by Frankel and all of 36 by the sire of the season, Sioux Nation.
Mehmas accounts for the greatest number of 45, with other leading sires represented including Havana Grey (27), New Bay (27), Too Darn Hot (27), Lope De Vega (26), Blue Point (24), Starspangledbanner (24), No Nay Never (19), Dark Angel (18), Camelot (15), Sea The Stars (13), Starman (10) and Kingman (9).
Star graduates
Too Darn Hot sired two of Book 2’s four Group/Grade 1-winning graduates in 2026, Belmont Derby victor Title Role (90,000gns to Blandford Bloodstock) and Irish Champion Stakes winner Hotazhell (70,000gns to Linehan Bloodstock).
Acclamation, sire of the sale’s superstar Romantic Warrior (300,000gns to the Hong Kong Jockey Club), isn’t represented this time, but the 15-time Group 1 winner’s breeder and consignor has a draft of five catalogued.
Ballyhimikin Stud, who sold the top-class Ombudsman to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for 340,000gns in 2022, are set to 12 yearlings following two withdrawals and two wildcard entries, who missed their Book 1 appearances.
The late additions are a Blue Point half-brother to Cheveley Park Stakes second Flotus and a full-brother to four-time Group 3 scorer Rumstar, also twice Group 1-placed.
Book 2 graduates have won a total of 9 Group 1s, six Group 2s, 10 Group 3s and 19 listed races So far in 2026, . The cheapest of these was Mark and Charlie Johnston’s 15,000gns find Timeforshowcasing, winner of the German 1000 Guineas, third in the Prix Jean et Louis Romanet, fourth in the Prix de l’Opera and beaten a nose in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis.
Stakes winners cost as little as 5,000gns at Book 3 last year – the price paid by S Woods Bloodstock for Oakgrove Stud’s Ten Sovereigns colt Mussab. Resold by EMW Equine for 52,000gns at the Guineas Breeze-Up Sale, Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah’s purchase finished third in the Norfolk Stakes before landing the Harry Rosebery Stakes and followed up in Friday’s Cornwallis Stakes.
There are 507 lots catalogued for Book 3 next week – a 10% drop from last year, when the average price was 23,676gns, the second-highest ever achieved, as was the median price of 19,000gns. Book 4 has also been slimmed down, with 61 lots catalogued to sell immediately after Book 3 ends.
Lot 497: Havana Grey half-brother to four-time group winner and twice Group 1-placed Tropbeau
Lot 539: Sea The Stars colt out of a half-sister to Emily Upjohn (Sea The Stars)
Lot 588: Study Of Man half-brother to multiple Group 1 winner Zaaki
Lot 592: Full-brother to Group 1 winner Loving Dream (Gleneagles) and a half-brother to two Grade 1 performers. Dam placed in Moyglare Stud Stakes
Lot 597: Frankel colt out of a Group 3-winning sister to two Group 1-winning sprinters
Lot 610: Blue Point filly out of Epsom Oaks third Lady Of Dubai
Lot 623: Sioux Nation half-brother to Group 1-winning sprinter Arizona Blaze
Lot 653: Nathaniel full-brother to Nassau Stakes winner Lady Bowthorpe and half-brother to multiple group scorer Speak In Colours
Lot 658: St Mark’s Basilica half-brother to 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace winner Poetic Flare
Lot 695: St Mark’s Basilica brother to Irish St Leger victor Sonnyboyliston
Lot 703: Sioux Nation half-sister to three stakes horses, out of a half-sister to the dam of Miss France
Lot 708: Sea The Stars own brother to the German Oaks heroine Miss Yoda, out of a dual group winner
Lot 710: Starspangledbanner colt out of a half-sister to Dancing Rain
Lot 758: Sea The Stars colt out of a listed-winning daughter of Jacqueline Quest
Lot 819: Ace Impact filly out of Group 3 winner and 1000 Guineas third Qabala
Lot 846: Blue Point colt out of a Dubawi daughter of Cherry Hinton Stakes heroine Memory
Lot 849: Chaldean colt out of Prix Jean Romanet winner Ribbons, already the dam of Melbourne Cup runner-up Soulcombe (Frankel)
Lot 864: Full-sister to three-time Group 3 winner and Group 1 second Rosscarbery (Sea The Stars)
Lot 881: Full-sister to Princess Margaret Stakes winner and Cheveley Park Stakes third Sacred Angel
Lot 890: Lope De Vega colt out of Group 1 winner Sea La Rosa
Lot 909: Blue Point half-brother to two stakes winners, including Group 1 performer Sheraz
Lot 918: New Bay filly out of a blacktype full-sister to Dewhurst Stakes victor Parish Hall
Lot 930: Wootton Bassett filly out of a two-time stakes winner
Lot 947: Zarak half-brother to dual Group 2 winner and Group 1 performer Jadoomi
Lot 952: Lope De Vega colt out of the twice Group 1-placed Spectre
Lot 961: Baaeed colt out of Prix de Diane heroine Star Of Seville
Lot 968: New Bay colt out of a half-sister to British Champion Stakes victor Bay Bridge (New Bay)
Lot 980: Sioux Nation colt out of a Group 3-winning Frankel mare
Lot 997: Sioux Nation colt out of a full-sister to dual Group 1 winner Shalaa
Lot 1004: Lope De Vega half-brother to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Victoria Road, out of Group 3 winner Tickled Pink
Lot 1032: Night Of Thunder colt out of a full-sister to Group 3 winner and recent Grade 1 third Vario
Lot 1039: Full-brother to Eternal Hope, winner of two graded races, out of a Dubawi half-sister to Rio De La Plata
Lot 1048: Sea The Stars full-brother to the multiple Group 1-placed The Lion In Winter
Lot 1051: Mehmas colt out of a full-sister to Group 1 performer Lope Y Fernandez
Lot 1058: Sea The Moon half-brother to Goffs Million winner Trean
Lot 1078: Full-sister to this year’s multiple group-placed juvenile Adaay In Scarlet
Lot 1105: Mehmas half-sister to two stakes horses, out of Queen Mary Stakes winner and Group 1 sprinter Anthem Alexander
Lot 1106: No Nay Never filly out of dual Group 3 winner Antonia De Vega
Lot 1152: Pinatubo sister to the Group 1-winning sprinter Kind Of Blue
Lot 1158: Blue Point colt out of a full-sister to Group 1 performer Fleet Review
Lot 1202: No Nay Never is a grandson of The Fugue
Lot 1213: Full-brother to Jersey Stakes winner Noble Champion