Amo Racing and Rabbah Bloodstock’s early purchases for 90,000gns and 92,000gns respectively set the tone at Tuesday’s Tattersalls Somerville Sale, where figures soared to continued a bright start to the 2025 yearling sales.

It didn’t take long for the 100,000gns mark to be reached, with Rabbah Bloodstock stretching to 160,000gns for Lot 39 – a price that was never bettered, only matched, and was a joint record price in the Somerville’s Sale’s five-year history.

The Havana Grey filly was an obvious highlight on paper, as a half-sister to listed winner Francisco’s Piece (Mayson) and Italian Group 3 winner Campione (Brazen Beau).

Unsurprisingly, Rabbah’s Jono Mills gave Norris Bloodstock’s offering a glowing review, saying: “She is a very nice horse, by a very exciting stallion, reared by a great farm and near the pick of the fillies today. She is a balanced, attractive horse, and we are hopeful she will be a proper two-year-old.”

Jenny Norris, who consigned the bay on behalf of breeder Lord Margadale, reported: "She has been extremely busy, we have had plenty of vets, which gives you confidence, and she vetted clean.

“It is lovely for Lord Margadale; he was not going to give her away, he has had the whole family and it is close to his heart, but I said we could be brave as she has been very popular. The pedigree is strong enough to go later, but the pedigree has done so well here that we'd keep that trend going.”

Big spenders

Phil Cunningham of Rebel Racing and Highflyer Bloodstock agent Anthony Bromley topped the buyers’ table at last week’s Goffs Premier Yearling Sale and took the same title at the Somerville Sale, spending 677,000gns on seven yearlings.

Within the space of an hour, the pair went to 160,000gns for a Dark Angel filly, followed by 135,000gns for a colt by Too Darn Hot, and remained strong late into the day, parting with 100,000gns for a Mehmas colt and the same for a Cotai Glory filly, both from Tally-Ho Stud.

The joint sales-topper was bred by consignor Grangemore Stud with Cavalier Bloodstock, and is the first foal out of dual listed winner and Group 1 third Measure Of Magic, who was retained for 350,000gns when last offered in November 2021.

Cunningham revealed hopes that the bay’s January 3rd birthday will lead to early success on the track, with trainer Richard Spencer adding: “He looks an early fast sort, he is from a fast family, we have had luck with the sire, and hopefully we can get him out early.”

On his current buying policy, Cunningham commented: “We have got some more expensive horses, and more precocious types to crack on with and it seems to be going well – as long as they keep winning, we will keep buying!”

Bromley and Cunningham’s later outlay of 135,000gns was for a colt out of a half-sister to champion two-year-old filly Seazun. Offered by Plantation Stud, the son of Too Darn Hot is a half-brother to group performer Flash Gordon (Kodiac).

Sire power

Dark Angel’s custodians, Yeomanstown Stud, later celebrated their own six-figure sale by their star resident when selling an own-sister to two stakes horses for 120,000gns. Nat Barnett Bloodstock signed for the daughter of Balanchine Stakes runner-up Seafront, who was bought carrying her first blacktype produce for 260,000gns.

Barnett, who manages syndicates in the UK and France, reported that the grey was bought for Will Sangwin and would go into training with Karl Burke. “We have all of our horses so far together in France, and we’ve had a lot of luck out there,” Barnett explained. “Will’s based up in Yorkshire [near Beverley] and was keen to have a horse over here.

“I had a two-year-old with Karl [Burke] last year called Antonin Dvorak, he was the only yearling for our syndicate and he won a couple and then sold very well here (bought for 16,000gns via Tattersalls Online and resold for 220,000gns). That prompted the decision to go back to Karl here.”

Spend big to win big

Powerstown Stud’s Tom Whitehead will be hoping his latest recruit continues Starman’s superb start at stud after giving 145,000gns for a colt from Tally-Ho Stud. On his gutsy pinhook, the breeze-up consignor commented: “The stallion is flying and this is a nice horse. I’ll probably bring him back here [for the Craven] if the wheels stay on the wagon. Hopefully, he’ll be lucky. The market seems to be strong here today.”

The February-born bay offered further proof of Tally-Ho’s shrewd eye for a broodmare, as well as for a sire prospect, as he was the first foal out of their 17,000gns buy Pooky. Well-beaten in three starts, the daughter of Twilight Son is a half-sister to two stakes horses and hails from the family of July Cup winner Frizzante.

Whitehead’s opinion on the market was backed up by the figures, with the streamlined catalogue achieving a strong clearance rate of 89% and a record average price of 34,254gns. The 160,000gns top lots matched a previous record high, while 10 six-figure sales was another best in the sale’s short history.

The dramatic drop in numbers year on year, from 426 offered 12 months ago, to 257 on Tuesday, made it difficult to compare statistics, but the median price of 25,000gns appeared strong.

A more detailed sales report will follow in this week’s edition.