THE timing of the Premier Yearling Sale means it’s where many consignors send their yearlings likely to make early two-year-olds. While some might turn up their noses at what they see as horses unlikely to progress, there’s plenty to be said for owners enduring a shorter wait to see what’s under the bonnet, which also means lower bills until that pivotal moment.
The sale also has a reputation for affordable yearlings, too, though their current poster girl cost £120,000. However, that now looks money well spent by Avenue Bloodstock on behalf of MV Magnier, given what the Owenstown Stud-bred Sun Goddess has gone on to do.
When the daughter of Sioux Nation landed the Phoenix Stakes earlier this month, she became the fifth Group 1 winner in the space of 13 months for the sale, and she was the most expensive of the quintet.
Lush Lips, sold by Stringston Farm to Avenue Bloodstock on behalf of Medallion Racing and Donnacha O’Brien, cost £82,000 and connections were repaid handsomely when the Grade 1 winner fetched $3,700,000 at Keeneland last November.
Rodrigo Goncalves and Robson de Aguiar paid the same amount for Group 1-winning sprinter Arizona Blaze and Drumloose Stables’ £44,000 buy (from Manister House Stud) Power Blue continued de Aguiar’s love affair with Doncaster when capturing last year’s Phoenix Stakes.
The cheapest of the most recent Group 1 winners was Richard Hughes’ July Cup winner No Half Measures, sold by Marwell Park on behalf of Sally Nicholls for £34,000. Best as a four-year-old, she is one of many graduates that prove Premier Yearling Sale graduates are not simply flash-in-the-pan juveniles.
Previous proof can be found in dual Group 1 winner Limato, who won stakes races from the ages of two to eight; Barney Roy, who won three Group 1s in his six-year-old season, and Sole Power, who won five Group 1s from the ages of three to eight.
Like a fine wine
The latter is best known for his achievements as an older horse, but he was also a fast two-year-old and was beaten just half a length in what was then the DBS £300000 St Leger Yearling Stakes.
Since renamed Harry’s Half Million By Goffs in honour of the late Harry Beeby, the York contest boasts first prize of £293,184 (€342,460).
Sun Goddess outclassed Thursday’s field, with £50,000 buy picking up second prize of £117,321. Prix Robert Pain victor Tokaido (£58,000) was among the beaten horses, while Molecomb Stakes runner-up Adonius, bought for £32,000, aims to pick up more prize money in the listed contest this afternoon.
This year, buyers have the added incentive of Harry’s Quarter Million Bonus Series, which comprises of 10 bonuses worth £25,000 awarded to the winner of 10 two-year-old maidens in the UK. There are plans to include Irish maidens in subsequent years, but even so, the bonuses worth almost €30,000 are a great incentive for Irish trainers to travel.
It’s particularly appealing given last year’s median price of £35,000 and average price of £43,025. A Minzaal filly topped trade 12 months ago, bringing £190,000 from Shadwell – one of 26 yearlings to sell for £100,000 or more.
While a freshman sire provided the 2025 top lot, leading sires are also well-represented each year, with the latest catalogue featuring the progeny of Blue Point, Dark Angel, Gleneagles, Havana Grey, Invincible Spirit, Kodiac, Mehmas, New Bay, Night Of Thunder, No Nay Never, Oasis Dream, Pinatubo, Showcasing, Sioux Nation, Siyouni, St Mark’s Basilica, Starman and Wootton Bassett, among others.
Catalogue highlights
Lot 5: Native Trail half-sister to recent listed winner Belisa Bay
Lot 27: Dark Angel colt out of a half-sister to three Group 1 performers
Lot 38: Cotai Glory half-sister to Grade 1 winner River Boyne
Lot 47: No Nay Never colt is a grandson of dual Grade 1 winner Tout Charmant
Lot 50: Native Trail half-sister to two stakes winners, including Group 1 performer Kendam
Lot 54: Lope De Vega colt out of a listed-winning and Group 3-placed mare
Lot 68: Chaldean half-sister to dual stakes winner Raasel
Lot 72: Mehmas colt out of a full-sister to multiple group winner Dutch Connection
Lot 74: Wootton Bassett half-sister to a stakes filly, out of a half-sister to Group 1 winners Golden Horde and Camille Pissarro (Wootton Bassett)
Lot 81: Blackbeard half-brother to multiple stakes winner Washington Heights
Lot 85: St Mark’s Basilica filly out of a full-sister to Strath Burn
Lot 109: Sioux Nation filly out of a listed-winning mare
Lot 114: Pinatubo filly out of a three-parts sister to Alexandrova
Lot 115: Chaldean half-brother to four stakes horses, including Grade 1 scorer Max Player and Dewhurst Stakes third Seahenge
Lot 157: Sioux Nation filly out of a full-sister to July Stakes winner Alhebayeb
Lot 199: Dark Angel filly out of a blacktype mare
Lot 136: Blue Point colt out of dual Group 3 winner and Group 1 second Happy Romance
Lot 159: No Nay Never half-sister to a Group 3 winner, out of a listed winner
Lot 178: Blackbeard filly out of a half-sister to Belardo
Lot 180: Good Guess filly out of a half-sister to Ask For The Moon
Lot 197: Bungle Inthejungle half-brother to two Group 2 performers, out of a Group 3 winner
Lot 206: Mehmas half-brother to unbeaten Saudi Derby victor Al Haram
Lot 210: Sioux Nation filly out of a half-sister to French 2000 Guineas runner-up Komorebi
Lot 224: St Mark’s Basilica filly out of a half-sister to two Grade 1 winners
Lot 247: Sioux Nation colt is a grandson of dual Group 1 winner Nannina
Lot 273: Without Parole half-brother to two stakes horses, out of a Grade 2-winning mare
Lot 284: St Mark’s Basilica filly out of a half-sister to three group winners, including the dam of Blue Bolt
Lot 289: Dark Angel colt out of a Group 2-placed mare
Lot 297: Mehmas colt out of a Grade 3-winning half-sister to the dam of Prix de l’Abbaye heroine Makarova
Lot 308: Shaquille colt out of a listed-winning half-sister to Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint hero Starlust
Lot 309: Native Trail filly out of a full-sister to Pedro The Great
Lot 324: Kingman colt out of multiple stakes winner Roman Mist
Lot 343: Blue Point colt out of a group-placed mare
Lot 347: Shaquille colt out of Norfolk Stakes heroine Shang Shang Shang
Lot 359: New Bay filly out of a half-sister to Isaac Shelby
Lot 388: Good Guess colt is closely related to a stakes performer, out of a half-sister to Unfortunately
Lot 393: Starman half-brother to listed winner and Group 3 second Shumookhi
Lot 398: Siyouni colt out of Flying Childers Stakes and Molecomb Stakes winner Trillium
Lot 408: Showcasing filly out of a blacktype half-sister to Anapurna
Lot 409: Ardad filly out of a Group 1-placed Group 3 winner
Lot 418: Good Guess half-brother to Group 1 sprinter Acklam Express