A son of the late Wootton Bassett became the highest-priced yearling in the world this year when bringing 3,800,000gns from Godolphin, who have bought the first four seven-figure yearlings on the opening day of Tattersalls Book 1.

Sheikh Mohammed’s operation saw off the attentions of the Coolmore team, also bidding from outside the ring, for Croom House Stud’s colt, who was bred out of Denis Brosnan’s homebred listed winner and Group 3 performer Loch Lein.

Two years on from securing the colt’s Frankel half-brother for 2,000,000gns, Anthony Stroud commented: “He was an outstanding horse with a brilliant pedigree. Wootton Bassetts are a prized possession and all our team loved him. Croom do an excellent job and have bred many, many good horses.”

On what is also the second highest-priced yearling colt ever sold at Tattersalls, Stroud continued: “Of course, it’s a lot of money but these types of horses, that’s what they cost and are what all breeders are striving to produce. Let’s hope he’s a very good racehorse.”

Slow start

Trade took a while to warm up on Tuesday, with the very first lot in the ring setting the early tone as it sold for 210,000gns, having opened at 200,000gns. For the first hour or so, it seemed very much a case of all or nothing, perfectly demonstrated by six consecutive lots featuring four buybacks, a 1,800,000gns standout and a 500,000gns sale – both bought by Godolphin.

That made Godolphin’s first seven-figure purchase particularly important for consignors’ confidence, as did the fact that Amo Racing underbid the 1,800,000gns colt. Juddmonte and Charlie Bond were others who made a play for Hillwood Stud’s Frankel colt, who is the first foal out of 2,500,000gns buy Get Ahead, herself a listed-winning and Group 1-placed half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Chaldean (Frankel).

“He’s always been a very, very special colt,” Hillwood’s Charlie Vigors reported. “We bought the mare for a lot of money and to get a first foal like that is the stuff of dreams.”

On the decision to send the daughter of Showcasing to Frankel, Vigors commented: “It was the obvious thing to do, with Chaldean where he was on the page and we’ve seen in the ring what the Frankels have been making, and that's probably in the ballpark of what you'd expect really.

“Massive thanks to Sheikh Mohammed, David [Loder], Anthony Stroud and the whole Godolphin team, and obviously the underbidders as well, of which there were plenty. This colt been very busy all week and he's shown fantastically all week and never put a foot wrong. I am just so delighted for all the team. It is a great way to get the week going.”

Hillwood Stud have six more yearlings left to sell at Book 1, including another two by Frankel. On whether Tuesday’s result takes the pressure off somewhat, Vigors replied: “Well, there's plenty more still to sell, and it is a bit like training horses - the good horses almost take care of themselves. There are plenty more to sell and lots of hard work still to be done.”

Godolphin’s commitment

On Godolphin’s first major investment of the day, Anthony Stroud said: “I thought he was a beautiful colt, our principal really liked him. Showcasing is a good broodmare sire and Frankel; he is what he is - a fantastic stallion. He was just a great mover and a very, very nice horse.”

While some big spenders come and go, whether quietly or with a bang, Godolphin has remained a steadfast presence at the sales, as have Coolmore, which Stroud acknowledged after commending Sheikh Mohammed’s presence at Park Paddocks.

“It shows the commitment of two great men, in John Magnier and Sheikh Mohammed, who since the 80’s have been involved in this whole industry and supported it in every different area; not only breeding and having farms but being active at the sales and on the racecourse. I think it’s just extraordinary, really. We’ve got a lot to thank them for.”

Trevor Stewart had reason to thank Sheikh Mohammed shortly after, when Godolphin gave 1,100,000gns for his Blue Point filly offered by Ballyhimikin Stud. The highest-priced filly of the day so far hails from a family that has provided Stewart with many memorable days, as she is a granddaughter of his King’s Stand Stakes winner Cassandra Go, who has gone on to be even better at stud than she was on the track.

She has produced three group winners, each of them Group 1 producers themselves, including three-time Group 1 winner Halfway To Heaven, also known as the dam of the top-class Magical and Rhododendron, herself the dam of Auguste Rodin.

Reflecting on her latest descendant’s sale, Trevor Stewart commented: “Cassandra Go had a few who made a million, every daughter has had a million yearling, and I hate to say this, but she has an even nicer City Of Troy filly foal and we’ll certainly not be selling it, so it’s very exciting.”

Despite the rewards Stewart has reaped in the ring, he finds it difficult to let his homebreds go and revealed that of Cassandra Go’s four young relations on the ground at home, three will be kept to race, if not all four.

“I keep saying after I sell something like this, that there’ll be no more [fillies] released, but financially, sometimes you have to. They’re so precious, it’s been such a lucky family,” he added.