TATTERSALLS have assembled a high-class catalogue for the December Foal Sale in an effort to match or better last year’s record-breaking figures. Nine siblings of Group 1 winners feature, though the half-brother to Arizona Blaze has since been withdrawn.
The list of possible highlights is long, as the catalogue contains the siblings of 133 stakes winners and 80 foals out of stakes-winning mares. Four foals by Frankel also boast major appeal, along with foals by Blue Point (8), Havana Grey (21), Kingman (8), Mehmas (21), Night Of Thunder (3), No Nay Never (4), Sea The Stars (5), Starspangledbanner (14) and Wootton Bassett (3).
First crop sires are always popular with pinhookers, with no runners eliminating any risk of their appeal fading. Shaquille has every chance to make a good first impression, with 51 foals by the top-class sprinter catalogued.
Having begun his stallion career at a fee of £15,000, the son of Charm Spirit covered 158 mares in his first season, 20 of them stakes winners. He transferred into the ownership of Zhang Yuesheng at Ace Stud this season, having previously stood under Steve Parkin’s Dullingham Park Stud banner.
Dragon Symbol has no less than 48 foals catalogued, having covered a first book of 140 mares at £8,000. The son of Cable Bay finished first past the post in the Commonwealth Cup, but was demoted to second following a stewards’ enquiry.
Frankel fever
Queen Anne Stakes victor Triple Time will be represented by a 32-strong offering, bred off a fee of £10,000 at Dalham Hall Stud. Group 1 winner Fonteyn was one of 118 mares covered by the son of Frankel in his first season at stud.
Frankel’s dual Group 1 winner Chaldean has 29 foals catalogued, their pedigrees indicative of the high quality of his first book of mares. Debuted at a fee of £25,000 at Banstead Manor Stud, the chesnut covered more group winners, stakes winners and blacktype horses than any other first season sire in Ireland or the UK.
Mostahdaf, also a dual Group 1 winner by Frankel, is set to be represented by 26 foals bred off a fee of £15,000. The Beech House Stud resident is a half-brother to Nazeef, herself twice a Group 1 winner over a mile.
Prix Jean Prat victor Good Guess lit up the Tattersalls sales ring as a yearling, bringing 420,000gns at Book 1. He has 20 chances to hit the headlines this week, as breeders aim to recoup the €17,500 the son of Kodiac commanded at Tally-Ho Stud in 2024.
Champion two-year-old Native Trail started his stallion career at the same fee and covered 155 mares at Kildangan Stud. Nineteen foals by the well-related son of Oasis Dream are catalogued this week.
Modern Games hopes to continue the success of Dubawi’s sons at stud, and has every chance with a quality first book - 89% of his 92 in-foal mares were blacktype winners or producers, or daughters/sisters of stakes performers. Eleven of the multiple Group 1 winner’s first foals feature in the Tattersalls catalogue.
Ace Impact’s offerings hold an increasingly rarified appeal, with seven lots dropping to four after withdrawals. The unbeaten champion three-year-old debuted at a fee of €40,000 at Haras de Beaumont.
Successful sire lines
Little Big Bear boasts obvious appeal in the current market focussed on precocity. The champion two-year-old hails from the successful Scat Daddy sire line and is a full-brother to Prix Morny victor Whistlejacket. Just four of his first foals bred off €27,500 remain in this week’s catalogue.
A select three represent Mishriff, who hails from the Dubawi sire line and shares his page with leading sires Kodiac and Invincible Spirit. The three-time Group 1 winner commanded €17,500 in his first season.
St Mark’s Basilica’s smart start at stud bodes well for his studmate and fellow son of Siyouni, Paddington. The multiple Group 1 winner’s first foals were bred off a fee of €55,000 and three are catalogued for this week’s sale.
Churchill’s dual Group 1 winner Vadeni covered 128 mares at a debut fee of €18,000 at Haras de Bonneval. The two foals catalogued at Tattersalls both hail from Aga Khan families, like their young sire.
Grange Stud recruit Hurricane Lane and Haras d’Etreham resident Onesto each have a single foal to go through the Tattersalls ring. The former, a triple Group 1 winner by Frankel, covered predominantly National Hunt mares off an opening fee of €6,000, while Onesto commanded €12,500. The Group 1-winning son of Frankel hails from the top-class family of Hasili.
The Tattersalls December Foal Sale gets underway at 11am on Tuesday, November 25th and starts an hour earlier the following day. Thursday is dedicated to showing, with the gavel lifting at 10am on Friday and Saturday.
Lot 300: Native Trail half-brother to group performer Model Guest, herself the dam of Fillies Mile third Evolutionist
Lot 729: Pinatubo half-brother to Dewhurst Stakes runner-up Dubawi Legend and Park Hill Stakes runner-up Golden Pass. Out of a listed winner
Lot 747: Native Trail colt received dream update when half-brother Gewan won the Dewhurst Stakes
Lot 754: Chaldean colt out of a Dubawi half-sister to three Group 1 horses, including the dam of Earthlight and Shadow Of Light
Lot 761: Chaldean half-brother to Grade 1 winner Max Player and Dewhurst Stakes third Seahenge
Lot 775: Nathaniel colt is a full-brother to Nassau Stakes heroine Lady Bowthorpe and a half-brother to multiple group winner Speak In Colours
Lot 779: Palace Pier filly out of Ribbesdale Stakes winner and Group 1 runner-up Flying Cloud
Lot 794: Sea The Moon half-brother to three stakes horses, including German Oaks heroine Nicoreni
Lot 796: Chaldean half-brother to Group 3 winner American Sonja, who finished second in the Prix Jean Romanet
Lot 809: Kingman colt is closely related to Group 2-winning two-year-old Persian Dreamer (Calyx)
Lot 817: Phoenix Of Spain colt out of Irish 1000 Guineas winner Bethrah
Lot 821: Lope De Vega half-brother to Group 1 performer Sardinian Warrior, out of dual Group 1 winner La Collina
Lot 837: Chaldean half-sister to Group 2 scorer Melo Melo and dual Group 3 winner Treasuring
Lot 849: New Bay half-sister to Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner Mkfancy
Lot 850: Lope De Vega filly out of a full-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Golden Lilac
Lot 863: Kingman filly is a granddaughter of Group 1 winner Galikova, herself a half-sister to the great Goldikova
Lot 867: Blue Point half-brother to Group 1-winning sprinter Minzaal
Lot 878: Starspangledbanner filly out of a Galileo mare. Granddaughter of May Hill Stakes winner and multiple Group 1-placed Fleeting
Lot 885: Blue Point half-brother to Group 1 filly Flotus
Lot 890: Colt from first crop of Ace Impact, out of Group 1 performer Lady Darshaan. Half-brother to two stakes winners
Lot 892: Night Of Thunder filly out of a blacktype full-sister to multiple group winner Gustavus Weston
Lot 901: Mehmas filly out of a Group 2-placed mare whose Mehmas yearling colt sold for €100,000 earlier this year
Lot 906: Frankel filly out of multiple group winner Tropbeau, who placed in two Group 1s
Lot 907: Sea The Stars full-brother to Metropolitan Handicap victor Just Fine, and a half-brother to Group 1 winner Tornado Alert
Lot 908: Wootton Bassett colt out of a full-sister to Group 1 winners Hermosa, Hydrangea and The United States
Lot 914: Sea The Moon half-brother to four stakes horses, including multiple Group 1 winner Almanzor
Lot 924: Frankel filly out of Coronation Stakes winner Fallen For You, making her a half-sister to three group performers
Lot 938: Chaldean half-sister to three stakes horses, out of Fillies Mile heroine Lyric Of Light
Lot 940: Ghaiyyath half-brother to Grade 1 Sword Dancer Stakes winner El Cordobes, who has placed in two Grade 1s since
Lot 943: Too Darn Hot colt out of Matron Stakes winner Fiesolana. Half-brother to a listed winner