TATTERSALLS has dubbed the December Mare Sale as ‘the sale that shapes the thoroughbred’ and, while that may be difficult to prove or refute, you need only look back to Champions Stakes Day at Flemington earlier this month for the latest evidence.
The winners of all five group races on the day, including three Group 1s, were either themselves bought at the sale, or bred out of mares that were. Via Sistina notched her 12th top-flight success in the feature race, bringing her earnings past $17 million. Not many horses can repay an outlay of 2,700,000gns on the racetrack, or even later at stud, but Via Sistina is no ordinary horse.
Of course, Australian prize money levels help, as Ceowulf’s earnings of over $9 million also demonstrate. Now a four-time Group 1 winner after landing the Champions Mile, the son of Tavistock was bred by Cambridge Stud out of the Shamardal mare Las Brisas, who they bought from Castlefarm Stud for 50,000gns at the 2018 renewal.
Fourteen years prior, Hugo Merry paid 57,000gns for the Royal Applause three-year-old Rekindled Applause from the Voute Sales draft. She has gone on to produce three group horses for Jonathan Munz’s GSA Bloodstock, including evergreen sprinter Giga Kick, winner of the 2022 TAB Everest and three Group 1s, including the Champions Sprint three weeks ago.
A long way from home
Sunset Park earned a place at stud herself when winning the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes on the same card. The daughter of Sea The Stars now looks like an inspired purchase by Peter and Ross Doyle, who sourced her as an unraced two-year-old from the Godolphin draft for 60,000gns.
I’d imagine that few group winners at Flemington once raced at Sligo or Roscommon, but Whisky On The Hill won at both for Ado McGuinness, before reselling for 135,000gns at the July Sale. The now Group 3 winner is out of Ninja Lady, she a three-time graduate of the December Mares Sale.
The progeny of Tattersalls December Mares Sale graduates won 15 Group 1s in Australia in 2025, but their reach extends far further. This year alone, graduates produced 29 individual Group 1 winners in Canada, France, Germany, South Africa, the UK and the US, as well as Australia.
Via Sistina wasn’t the only graduate to go on to Group 1 success themselves; MV Magnier’s 3,000,000gns purchase Believing gained a well-deserved top-flight win in the Al Quoz Sprint earlier this year. Previous flagbearers on the track include Dubawi Heights, Fev Rover, Fiesolana and Urban Fox.
Queens of the track
Four fillies that have already conquered the highest level feature in this week’s catalogue, or more precisely in the Sceptre Sessions, which take place on the first two evenings, Monday, December 1st and Tuesday, December 2nd.
Space in the sales ring will be at a premium for these prized lots, particularly for multiple Group 1 winner Porta Fortuna, Sun Chariot Stakes heroine Tamfana, last month’s Prix de l’Opera winner Barnavara and Jenny Wiley Stakes winner Choisya - four of 25 group and listed winners to be offered across the two Sceptre Sessions.
The headline quartet will all be offered in training, and will be joined by a selection of talented mares in foal to leading sires, as well as proven stakes producers. Suelita, the dam of Chaldean, is an expected highlight, as are the dams of Arizona Blaze, Excellent Truth and Powerful Glory.
The catalogue features seven mares covered by Wootton Bassett before his untimely passing this year. The high-class covering sires also include Frankel (seven), Havana Grey (six), Kingman (six), Mehmas (five), Night Of Thunder (three), No Nay Never (three), Lope De Vega (one) and Sea The Stars (one), to name just a few.
Lot 1273: Dual Group 3 winner Jack Naylor placed in the Irish Oaks and Prix Marcel Boussac. In foal to Ghaiyyath
Lot 1324: Lord Kanaloa mare Angelica Tree is a half-sister to Leger victor Continuous. Carrying first cover to Auguste Rodin, she hails from the family of Dancing Rain, Maybe, Saxon Warrior
Lot 1444: Moment Of Truth has produced two stakes horses, most notably Grade 1 winner Excellent Truth, who recently sold for $2.5 million. A half-sister to Zafisio and to the dam of Spycatcher, she is in foal to Big Evs
Lot 1447: Irish Oaks third Purple Lily hails from the family of dual Group 1 winner Kondor
Lot 1715: Listed winner and Lowther Stakes second Cherry Blossom (No Nay Never) is out of a full-sister to Rail Link. In foal to Frankel
Lot 1717: Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes winner Choisya (Night Of Thunder) is a half-sister to three stakes horses
Lot 1723: Group 2 winner Survie has placed in three Group 1s, including when beaten a head in the Prix de Diane
Lot 1724: Kingman four-year-old Chere Darmoiselle is a half-sister to three Group 1 performers, led by champion Too Darn Hot. The daughter of multiple Group 1 winner Dar Re Mi is in foal to Zarak
Lot 1726: Whistbury Manor Stud’s bluehen Suelita carries a full sibling to dual Group 1 winner Chaldean. Her progeny also include Group 1 runner-up Get Ahead and Mill Reef Stakes winner Alkumait
Lot 1734: Porta Fortuna boasts four Group 1 victories, along with a Group 2 success and two Group 3 wins
Lot 1742: Listed winner Katie’s Bowl is in foal to Frankel, carrying a full-sibling to Monday’s 425,000gns top lot and a half-sibling to dual Group 2 scorer Dramatised
Lot 1743: Sun Chariot Stakes heroine Tamfana shares her page with Sea Calisi and Timos
Lot 1747: Dual group winner Tiffany gained her fourth Group 1 placing since the catalogue was printed. From the family of Marsha, Ribbons and Soviet Song
Lot 1751: In foal to Wootton Bassett, Magic Ring is a full-sister to Group 1-winning juvenile Henry Longfellow, out of the top-class Minding
Lot 1753: Three-year-old Calyx filly Barnavara was last seen winning the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera, marking her third win at group level
Lot 1754: Progressive four-year-old Lady Of Spain won her first five starts, including listed and Group 3 wins, before finishing fourth in the Sun Chariot Stakes
Lot 1755: Liberisque is the dam of Group 1 Flying Five Stakes victor Arizona Blaze
Lot 1756: Scat Daddy’s 1000 Guineas third Qabala is in foal to Too Darn Hot. Her Wootton Bassett colt realised 2,200,000gns at Tattersalls Book 1
Lot 1760B: Wildcard entry Wouldntitbelovely is the dam of British Champions Sprint winner Powerful Glory. From the family of Maarek, she is in foal to Big Evs