Breathless after sale of filly foal

SELECTIVITY was the order of the day when the four-day Tattersalls December Foal Sale got underway on Wednesday. Two lots sold for 80,000gns, and the day’s returns show that turnover was up 19% to 3,128,300gns, the median was 30% ahead of last year, while the average was a more modest 8% up.

A bigger catalogue for the opening session saw more foals sold than on the corresponding day last year, but the clearance rate fell to 70%.

The top price for a filly was paid for a daughter of Bated Breath, bred and consigned by Yvonne Jacques’ Carisbrooke Stud. The gavel fell at 80,000gns in favour of Blandford Bloodstock’s Tom Goff, acting for Wardley Bloodstock. Goff revealed: “She has been bought for stud owner Rupert Gregson-Williams who has a lovely farm in Surrey. She is a beautiful filly from a very good farm and with a lovely back pedigree. She has loads of class and quality, a good body and good movement. She could race or could come back here next year. We will see how she progresses through the year.”

The filly is the second foal out of the winning Shamardal mare Naqaawa, a Shadwell-bred who was bought by Jacques and Brian Grassick Bloodstock’s Cathy Grassick at the Tattersalls December Sale four year ago. “She is by Bated Breath and I am breathless,” laughed Jacques. “The cross has worked really well, Hello Youmzain is bred on a similar cross, and it was important to give the mare a solid start with a proven horse. She went to Showcasing first time and that yearling is with Andy Oliver.”

Sharing top honours was Brook Stud’s son of first season sire Mohaather, falling to the bid of Ballyhane Stud’s Joe Foley. “He looks a weapon,” said Foley. “He looks a lot like his grandsire Showcasing and is a really good example. He is a lovely colt and the mother was good. We bought a Ribchester filly from the same family here in October. I underbid Mohaather as yearling; he was a really high-class racehorse and we were very keen to buy one by him.”

Brook Stud’s Dwayne Woods was delighted and said: “He’s a dinger! He was bought by superlative judges, and he is a horse who will go forward and make up into a proper yearling.”