COOLMORE went head to head with Godolphin at Tattersalls on Tuesday evening, and the result of the battle was a six million guineas victory for M.V. Magnier over John Gosden in the battle for Marsha. The price is a new European record for a horse sold at public auction.

A four-year-old daughter of Acclamation, this dual Group 1 winner of the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes and Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp was bred and raced by Elite Racing Club and exceeded her trainer Sir Mark Prescott’s expectation, though he revealed he did dream of her selling for four million!

Marsha comes from a family that has been very successful for Elite Racing, her third dam Kalinka breeding Soviet Star and being the grandam of Group 1 winner Ribbons who was retained in the same ring two years ago for a mere 500,000gns.

The previous best price for a filly in or out of training in the Tattersalls ring was 4,500,000gns for classic winner Just The Judge, while the best price in Europe in the same category was the €6 million paid for Chiquita at the Paulyn dispersal in Goffs.

The best price paid for a broodmare at Tattersalls was 4,700,000gns for Immortal Verse in 2013, while Lodge Park Stud sold a yearling daughter of Galileo for 5,000,000gns four years ago.

"She really is something special. Sir Mark has done a great job with her, she was very fast and the lads were very keen to have her. She is the best sprinter of the year and she will go to Galileo," said M.V. Magnier.

The Coolmore man also bought Group 1 winning sprinter Quiet Reflection for 2.1 million guineas.

Tom Goff of Blandford Bloodstock, who signed the ticket on behalf of Magnier, said of the Showcasing filly: "She was a brilliant racehorse and wonderful three-year-old, she was very speedy and is very special," said Goff. "She was very well selected and trained by Karl Burke. It is my assumption that she will not continue racing and is ready to become a Mum."

Godolphin later struck when acquiring Grade 1 winner Zhukova for 3.7 million guineas. The daughter of Fastnet Rock and Nightime was trained by Dermot Weld for owners John Morrin and Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez.

The underbidder was John O'Connor of Ballylinch Stud, who also filled the same role when bidding for the same owner's Intricately here on Monday.

Godolphin representative Anthony Stroud said of Zhukova: "She is a Grade 1 winner and out of a Group 1 winner. She is a very nice filly and is a logical fit for Dubawi."

Breeze-up specialist Con Marnane had a day to remember when Different League, this year's Royal Ascot winner owned by his wife Theresa, sold for 1.8 million guineas. Their daughter Amy bought the filly for just €8,000 as a foal.

Different League's new owners are Peter Brandt's White Birch Farm and Coolmore.

"It is an unbelievable story," said Marnane. "She has been wonderful for us and a once in a lifetime horse. I just have to thank everyone who has been involved with her. I hope she gives her new owners as much enjoyment as she has given us."

Of her initial purchase, Marnane recalled: "She was by a stallion [Dabirsim] who had yet to get going, but she always had that wonderful walk and that is why she caught my eye. As a yearling, I suppose she was quite tall then so looked a little backward and there was no one there for her."

There were seven other seven-figure purchases at Tattersalls on Tuesday. They included Ballymacoll Stud mares Justlookdonttouch (1.2 million guineas), Auld Alliance (1.05 million) and Abingdon (1.05 million).

Another highlight was the sale of Wekeela, a dual Group 3 winning daughter of Hurricane Run, who realised 1.8 million guineas when selling to David Redvers on behalf of Sheikh Fahad’s Qatar Racing.

Only Mine, a multiple stakes winner for trainer Joseph Murphy and Zhukova's owners, was bought by the Niarchos family for 925,000gns.

The turnover during the remarkable session reached 45.6 million guineas for the 175 sold, which broke the turnover record for any day at a European thoroughbred auction, set on the Tuesday of this sale back in 2007.

The average for the day was 260,943gns whilst the median was 85,000gns. At the halfway stage of the four-day December Mare Sale turnover has passed 60 million guineas.

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