THE Tattersalls February Sale, a two-day affair for the first time and with not far shy of 500 lots catalogued, made a sparkling start on Thursday and by the close of business that night had already left last year’s total aggregate behind.

Furthermore, the sale saw a new record for the sale set when Easton Angel was knocked down at 500,000gns, the highest in the 18 years of the sale, while a clearance rate of 85% was a very healthy figure.

After the sale ended last night, Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony said: “The Tattersalls February Sale has achieved phenomenal growth in recent years and the 2017 renewal has taken it to a new level. As recently as 2010, the turnover at the February Sale was less than a million guineas and the average price below 7,000 guineas.

“This year we extended the sale to two days for the first time and the turnover has soared to nearly six million guineas, more than double last year’s record level, the average has reached a new record of 16,944gns and even last year’s impressive clearance rate of 82% has jumped to 89%.”

The top lot, the Michael Dods-trained Easton Angel, is a four-year-old daughter of Dark Angel, and she was sold from Bill Dwan’s The Castlebridge Consignment on behalf of a partnership that include Al Shaqab Racing.

Bloodstock agent Mick Flanagan had the final say when the gavel fell but he was unable to reveal the name of his client. Easton Angel won a pair of listed races and was runner-up in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Commenting on his purchase Flanagan said: “She stays in Europe - hopefully she is a good one to start with for the client. She has been bought to breed from, but I have been told that she has plenty of racing left in her, so we do have options. We’ll let the dust settle from here and take a view. She is a quick filly, a gorgeous physical and moves like a panther.”

Sold by Anna Drion’s Coulonces Consignment, the Group 2 runner-up Dressed In Fur, a daughter of Excellent Art and out of a half-sister to the Irish 2000 Guineas winner Araafa, was knocked down to Cormac McCormack for 155,000gns. From the immediate family of Pivotal, she was trained at Chantilly by Pia Brandt.

GODOLPHIN DRAFT

Godolphin had a huge draft, realising 1,689,300gns, and three of them made six-figure sums. Best of the trio was the Dansili mare Masaya, a stakes-placed dam of two winners with her first two foals, and she was purchased by Gay O’Callaghan for his Yeomanstown Stud for 115,000gns. She is due to foal to Dark Angel and will visit the same sire this year.

Tim Gredley spent 110,000gns to secure the Azamour six-year-old Labise, carrying her second foal by Golden Horn. The winning half-sister to three stakes horses is out of a half-sister to Group 1 winning juvenile Night Style and from the family of Tattersalls Gold Cup and Irish Derby winner Grey Swallow.

Minutes earlier BBA Ireland made the more expensive of two high-profile purchases when paying 100,000gns for Dancealot, a stakes-placed daughter of Lawman and she is due her second foal in April by Dark Angel. She is from the family of Dr Massini. She will join the broodmare band at Newtown Anner Stud and visit Fascinating Rock. The same covering will be used on Blockade, also bought by Eamonn Reilly for Newtown Anner at 85,000gns, and this Group 2 runner-up in the Rockfel Stakes is also due to Dark Angel.

Seven of the remaining nine lots to sell for 50,000gns or more on Thursday emanated from the Godolphin consignment. Breaking the sequence was the unraced Elusive Quality three-year-old Murhibaany and this half-sister to a pair of stakes winners is a granddaughter of the champion Shadayid. She cost Dermot Farrington, acting for Peter Makin, 80,000gns and Makin is standing the Group 1 winning two-year-old Marcel this year just up the road from Tattersalls at the National Stud.

Winstar Farm took home the Distorted Humor four-year-old Ribbing for 50,000gns and her third dam Inside Information, a champion and multiple Grade 1 winner including the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, bred the CCA Oaks winner Smuggler. She sold from David Simcock’s Trillium Place Stables.

UNRACED FRANKEL

The other Godolphin lots among the day’s top 15 were headed by Matt Houldsworth’s purchase for 75,000gns of the unraced Dream In Colour, from the first crop of Frankel. Her dam Colour, an Aus$1.6 million yearling and subsequent stakes winner, is from the family of champion Snippets. The filly will head to Australia.

Glenville Bloodstock landed the group-placed Makfi filly Moderah, a granddaughter of Grade 1 winner Infamy, for 60,000gns, a bid more than the 58,000gns paid by Three Chimneys Bloodstock and McKeever Bloodstock for a pair of fillies. The former bought the Elusive Quality filly Beautiful Escape, a daughter of Brazilian Group 1 winner Aviacion and a half-sister to recent Meydan Group 2 winner Promising Run, while McKeever Bloodstock signed for the Lonhro three-year-old Apamurra, a half-sister to the dam of Australian Group 1 winner Astern.

The stakes-winning Green Desert mare Semayyel, in foal to Night Of Thunder cost David Redvers 55,000gns, while Stroud Coleman Bloodstock and Michael Wigham both paid 52,000gns for winning fillies. The agency gave it for the three-time winning Makfi filly Up In Lights, while Wigham’s purchase is Clear Water, a Hard Spun granddaughter of the dual classic winner and multiple Group 1 heroine Crimplene.

FRIDAY SESSION

Yesterday’s top lot was Dream Waltz, a daughter of Oasis Dream out of Valentine Waltz, She sold for 105,000gns, Jimmy George taking phone instructions from Broadhurst Agency acting for Australian owner-breeder Peter Maher.

Von Blucher, a 99-rated son of Zoffany, was bought by Daniel Creighton for John Dance/Salcey Forest Stud for 95,000gns. “He is going into training with Rebecca Menzies as a dual purpose prospect. She has done well and deserves a good horse,” said Creighton.

The well-bred filly Marwa, offered by Ed Dunlop Racing, was bought by Rabbah Bloodstock for 80,000gns. “She is a lovely filly by Exceed And Excel,” said Jono Mills. “She may go back into training, we will make a decision over the next week.” Marwa is a half-sister to 11 winners, including four US black-type performers

Dandyman Port, a winner in France for Eoghan O’Neill Racing, solds for 75,000gns and she goes into training with Des Donovan, now in Tipperary but formerly based in Newmarket. “We wanted to buy a filly,” said her new owner Andy Cosias. “She should suit the soft ground in Ireland, we’re very pleased to have bought her.”

After winning her maiden at Dieppe, Dandyman Port, a three-year-old daughter of Dandy Man, went onto finish close up thirds at Chantilly and Maisons-Laffitte last autumn.