The three-day Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2 ended on Wednesday evening with turnover surging past 50 million guineas for the first time in the sale's history.

The average and median also recorded new highs, and the clearance rate for the sale was 88%.

Topping Wednesday's session was a Time Test colt out of the Rainbow Quest mare Aurelia who became the latest successful pinhook for John Foley’s Ballyvolane Stud in Co Limerick when knocked down for 400,000gns to Alastair Donald of SackvilleDonald, following a prolonged bidding duel with trainer Richard Hughes.

Ballyvolane Stud, located just outside Bruff, has enjoyed significant pinhook success at Book 2 in recent years, selling colts by Lope De Vega and No Nay Never for 325,000gns in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

The top-priced foal by his sire in 2020 when purchased for 56,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, the Time Test colt is a half-brother to Harlequeen, who finished third in both the Epsom and Irish Oaks, and comes from the family of Grade 1 winner Forte Dei Marmi.

A delighted John Foley said: "He has been very popular this week, he had 20 vets. He is an amazing horse, he has never missed a beat all week.

"Since we have had him he has been amazing. He is a special horse, the best we have ever had. His attitude, his presence, he is a 'wow' horse.

"He was a lovely, quality, straightforward foal and very well produced by the National Stud – there is a reason he was the dearest Time Test foal. There are some that are nice foals who come back as nice yearlings, but he has done better than we thought. He has developed and he has improved the whole way through."

Foley had signed for the colt as ‘Otilia’ last December and revealed: "Otilia is myself and three friends, it is the first one we have pinhooked together. We wanted to take a punt on the stallion, we knew that this lad would cost a few quid and, if he did not work out, we thought with three of us involved the pain wouldn't be too much. It was a fair throw for him as a foal, we were taking a punt on him as a stallion, but sons of Dubawi have done well.

"Time Test has had a great year, he looks very good. His stats are good and I will definitely be using him next year! He will be very popular with breeders."

Foley continued: "It is amazing to get a result like this as we all work hard – this is a very tough business and there are more hard days than good days.

"We have great help at home, Donnacha Higgins helps me at home and gives me a hand with the yearlings, and John, my Dad, who is 77, mucks out six or seven boxes every day.

"We have great staff here too, and everyone is doing their best – it makes a huge difference when you have staff who want it to do well, and when it works out it is great."

HONG KONG PURCHASE

The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Mick Kinane again featured amongst the names at the top of the buyers' sheet after going to 350,000gns for a colt by Ribchester consigned by Barton Stud.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club purchased five yearlings at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for 1.5 million guineas and have added another three in Book 2 for a total spend of 2.025 million guineas.

The April-born colt is a half-brother to this year’s Group 3 Anglesey Stakes runner up Andreas Vesalius.

"He is a gorgeous horse, but that is a gorgeous price too!" smiled Mick Kinane. "He was a standout for us, I saw him walking in the other day.

"This is the first by Ribchester that we have bought so we hope he is lucky, but he is a beautiful horse. The half-brother Andreas Vesalius is now in Hong Kong, I don't think he has run yet."

The April-born colt was consigned by Barton Stud and bred by the Bostwicks of Biddestone Stud out of the Raven's Pass mare Vitello, herself a winner and fourth in the Listed Blenheim Stakes at two.

GOSDENS STRIKE

A regally bred daughter of Zoffany was the subject of a lengthy head-to-head bidding duel early in the evening, with the winning bid of 350,000gns struck by Thady Gosden who was standing in the stairwell with his father, John.

The successful duo saw off the attentions of underbidder Simon Crisford to secure the Kilcarn Park-consigned filly, who boasts one of best pages in the stud book.

Her dam Curtsy is a Galileo half-sister to Contradict, the dam of joint European champion three-year-old Mishriff, who claimed the Group 1 Juddmonte International on his most recent start.

Curtsy's granddam Rafha, the Prix de Diane winner, has produced leading sires Invincible Spirit and Kodiac.

Thady Gosden commented: "She is a brilliant-moving filly, she has some class about her. She is an exceptional type and it is a happening pedigree that we know well. It would be nice if she is the same as Mishriff on the track!

"Mishriff runs on Saturday in the Champion Stakes, and the ground seems to be holding up at the moment.

"She is for a new client, and hopefully she will do well for them. This filly has a very nice pedigree, so will have some residual value too."

The daughter of Zoffany was the only yearling brought to Book 2 this week by consignor Kilcarn Park, who purchased her dam Curtsy for 95,000gns at the 2018 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. Kilcarn Park’s principal Patrick Cosgrove commented: "Delighted, over the moon! We bought the mare here in 2018 in-foal to Almanzor, and we sold that foal as a yearling here last year for 95,000 guineas. We decided to come here to sell again this year, and I am happy. The mare is in-foal to Make Believe and she has a colt foal by Bated Breath. It has been great watching Mishriff this summer."

'QUINTESSENTIAL'

Ben McElroy has already demonstrated his admiration for the progeny of Kodiac this week and struck again at 285,000gns for a son of Tally-Ho Stud’s star stallion.

The Croom House Stud-consigned colt is out of the Born To Sea mare Taste The Salt, whose first foal Cashew is a winner at two this year. Taste The Sale is a half-sister to the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes winner Baitha Alga.

"For me he is the best colt in the sale, if not maybe the best horse I have seen since I have been at European sales," enthused the US-based bloodstock agent.

"That's my quintessential horse there. He is a great mover, he has plenty of scope, and the way he behaved out the back, I am delighted to get him.

"A bit like the filly yesterday, I was worried what he'd cost. I could see him making 400,000 to 500,000 just as easily, but I really think he is a special horse. He goes to the States. There is a bit of stamina there too, as the second dam is by Fantastic Light, and goes back to a nice family."

Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale starts at 10am on Thursday.

FINAL FIGURES FOR BOOK 2

Current Year Previous Year Change %

Catalogued 808 816 -1%

Withdrawn 72 69 +4%

Offered 736 747 -1%

Unsold 86 110 -22%

Sold 650 637 +2%

Aggregate 54,512,000gns 48,362,500gns +13%

Median 62,000gns 50,000gns +24%

Average 83,865gns 75,922gns +10%

% sold 88% 85% +4%