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DEMAND for progeny of Sea The Stars continued on Thursday at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale when a filly by Galileo's half-brother topped the session by selling for 225,000gns.
She was one of 13 lots to sell for 100,000gns or more on the day.
Blandford Bloodstock's Richard Brown signed for the day's top lot on behalf of Andrew Stone's St Albans Bloodstock. Consigned by Whatton Manor Stud, the filly is out of the Brazen Beau mare Careful Thought, a half-sister to the Group 2 Lowther Stakes winner Best Terms, the dam of Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac third Star Terms and the listed race winner Fresh Terms.
The family is well known to Brown – he bought the dam Careful Thought for Peter and Ed Player of Whatton Manor Stud.
Ed Player explained the story: "We are absolutely over the moon, flabbergasted. She'd been very popular, vetted a lot of times, we hoped she'd make up to the 200 mark but to actually get it, we couldn't be happier.
"It is quite a good story – we had had a good yearling sale a couple of years ago. We always say to Richard Brown that if he sees a future broodmare prospect we are always in the market, and he found this lovely filly in Book 3 from Newsells.
"We bought her for 20,000gns as a yearling, sent her to Mark Johnston and he thought she was quite useful, but she got injured after one run. We retired her and it has now all come full circle."
Brown continued: "She's been bought for Andrew Stone of St Albans Bloodstock. Andrew had a phenomenal Book 1 sale, he sold a Frankel for 925,000gns and a Lope De Vega for 725,000gns, and he's had a great year on the racecourse too.
"We're always looking for opportunities and she's been bought to race before hopefully being a broodmare for the future. He's trying to build a boutique, high-quality broodmare band and she'd be a great addition to that.
"I manage quite a few horses at Whatton Manor, we do quite a bit together, so I've seen this filly all the way along. In the summer she was a bit first foal-like, she probably lacked a little bit of muscle, but she's just improved and improved and turned into a very nice filly.
"She's on a very steep upward trajectory, although I had a bit of an advantage having seen where she's come from. She's got a load of class and is by a top-class stallion. This is the first foal we've bought as a racing prospect."
Thunder rolls
Michael Fitzpatrick’s JC Bloodstock secured the Night Of Thunder half-sister to the Grade 3 placed Ayacara for 130,000gns.
The daughter of the Pulpit mare Pacifica Highway is also a half-sister to the promising two-year-old filly Spanish Baroque, a winner in France this year for Jean-Claude Rouget, as well as a yearling colt by Showcasing who realised 200,000gns at Book 2 of the October Yearling Sale.
"She has been bought off a good farm, and hopefully there will be some updates next year," said Fitzpatrick. "We have had foals by Night of Thunder before, no stand outs but he is a good sire."
Of buying a filly to pinhook, he said: "It is very difficult to get a filly by a proven stallion and with a pedigree – this filly has a champion mare on the page and she is out of a young mare, who has two winners from four foals. I would only really pinhook a filly who is likely to get into Book 1."
The filly was bred and sold by Overbury Stud.
Yeomanstown purchase
The top price on the second day amongst the first season sires was the 130,000gns given by Yeomanstown Stud for the Ten Sovereigns colt out of the Sea The Stars mare Fashion Darling, a half-sister to the dual Group 3 winner Majestic Queen and the listed placed Lincoln Bright.
He was consigned by The National Stud and manager Tim Lane commented: "We met him here, he has been very popular with a lot of vets. He was bred by Andrew Rosen and has been reared at Kilshannig Stud."
Acclamation filly
The fourth highest price on the second day was 115,000gns for the filly by Acclamation out of the Raven's Pass mare Winter Snow. Bred and consigned by the Molan family’s Riversfield Stud, she was knocked down to agent Ross Doyle who commented: "She is a very nice filly, I thought she was an outstanding physical, I haven't seen an Acclamation filly like that for a long time. She has been bought for long-term connections to race, it has not been confirmed yet where she will go, but she will probably end up outside of England or Ireland."
The Doyles have enjoyed success with Riversfield Stud consigned progeny of Acclamation before, with Peter Doyle having purchased the Group 2 Richmond Stakes winner Harbour Watch from the farm at the 2010 Tattersalls December Yearling Sale for 58,000gns.
The sale continues on Friday.
DAY TWO STATISTICS
Current Year Previous Year Change %
Catalogued 328 286 +15%
Withdrawn 45 39 +15%
Offered 283 247 +15%
Unsold 48 40 +20%
Sold 235 207 +14%
Total 9,225,000 7,014,800 +32%
Median 30,000 25,000 +20%
Average 39,255 33,888 +16%
% sold 83% 84% -1%
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