The four-day Tattersalls December Mare Sale ended on Thursday with a final turnover of 68.3 million guineas for the 675 lots sold, a rise of 53% on last year’s corresponding sale.

The average and median were returned at 101,208gns and 25,000gns respectively.

The two-week long December Sale incorporating yearlings, foals and breeding stock, returned turnover of 105 million guineas whilst the annual turnover for Tattersalls was a remarkable 331 million guineas, up 25% on last year’s record-breaking turnover.

Reflecting on the year, Tattersalls' chairman Edmond Mahony said: "The demand for quality bloodstock at Tattersalls has been unprecedented throughout 2017. Every single Tattersalls sale this year has achieved record figures and last year’s best ever annual turnover of 265 million guineas has soared to a truly remarkable 331 million guineas.

“Individual highlights have come thick and fast throughout our autumn sales season. The four million guineas October Book 1 sale-topper was the highest price for a yearling in the world this year and was followed by record top prices at Book 2 of the October Yearling Sale and the Autumn Horses in Training Sale.

"Nothing, however, compares with the pure theatre of the Tuesday evening session of this week's December Mares Sale. All of us lucky enough to have witnessed and participated in such a spectacular sale will have memories to treasure.

"Each of the 11 fillies and mares who sold for one million guineas or more was exceptional, but the new European record of six million guineas for the dual Group 1 winning filly Marsha was genuinely unforgettable and a wonderful reward for the Elite Racing Club, her trainer Sir Mark Prescott and all associated with such a special race filly.

“Equally memorable was the final episode in the history of the Weinstock family's legendary Ballymacoll Stud, appropriately played out in front of a packed sale ring. We have been immensely proud to have conducted the dispersal on behalf of the trustees of Ballymacoll Stud.

"In its rich 58-year history Ballymacoll Stud has achieved greatness and the success of the dispersal was a magnificent tribute to an impeccably run and uniquely successful breeding operation."

Thursday's session was much quieter by comparison and saw a total of 124 lots sell for 656,400gns with a clearance rate of 73%.

Top lot was the four-year-old Dark Angel mare Angelical, the last lot to go through the ring at Tattersalls this year. She was knocked down to Bill Dwan for 35,000gns.

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