THE marathon Tattersalls December Sale got off to a perfect start on Monday with the one-session yearling catalogue.

Turnover on the day of more than five million guineas has only been bettered once before, and the median was a new record.

Leading the way was the Sea The Stars own-brother to the Group 1 Darley Irish Oaks winner and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe second Sea Of Class, and he was purchased by John Clarke on behalf of Ling Tsui for 240,000gns.

“He is a lovely horse, we really liked him. He is a very late foal but Sea Of Class was a very late May foal, so we hope we can do the same again,” commented Clarke.

The son of the listed-winning Hernando mare Holy Moon was consigned by Oak Lodge and Springfield House Stud, and is also a half-brother to two other Group 1 winners, including the Group 1 Premio Lydia Tesio winning pair of Charity Line and Final Score.

In addition, Holy Mood is also the dam of the Group 2 Oaks d’Italia winner Cherry Collect and the Group 3 winner Wordless.

Clarke said of the new purchase: “He will eventually go to William Haggas but it is far too early to think of that now. He will probably go back to Ireland and be given some time to develop and we will take it from there.

“Ling Tsui is absolutely thrilled, she had so much success with Sea Of Class. There is a lot of the sire in him. He is an athletic horse but a baby; we will just have to wait.”

The underbidder on the Razza Del Velino-bred colt was Newmarket trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam.

Shalaa’s sister

Three yearlings by the Irish National Stud’s Invincible Spirit sold for 100,000gns or more, headed by the full-sister to the dual Group 1 winner Shalaa, winner of the Middle Park Stakes and Prix Morny as well as the Group 2 Richmond Stakes and July Stakes.

The was consigned by the Gittens’ Castlefarm Stud and purchased by Avenue Bloodstock’s Mark McStay for 150,000gns on behalf of trainer Hugo Palmer.

“She is a beautiful filly; we probably should have bought her when she was in Book 1,” commented McStay.

“Hugo Palmer trains her sibling Nova Legend, by Galileo, and he thinks a lot of him, so we were keen to follow her through.

“She comes from a great nursery, she has a beautiful pedigree, she is by Invincible Spirit who is one of the best sires in Europe, and she is a full-sister to a very, very good horse in Shalaa. She has been purchased on spec, so shares or all of her will be available and she is for sale.”

McStay added: “She stood out here today and, with that pedigree and the way she looks, the trainer was salivating when he saw her yesterday.

“I really liked her too and was kicking myself that I had not bought her earlier. She had made our list then, but for whatever reason we did not pull the trigger.”