MID-AFTERNOON on Friday the once-raced Willie John strode into the sale ring at the Tattersalls February Sale and minutes later, after scenes not witnessed before at this first sale of the year, he left with a price tag of 1,900,000gns on his head.

Bidding for the three-year-old son of Dansili and dual Group 1 winner Izzi Top opened up at 200,000gns, and quickly reached seven-figures. Bidders included Oliver St Lawrence, Ed Dunlop, Mick Flanagan, Ed Sackville, David Loder and Chris Richardson. However it was Roger Varian, standing on the back stairs, who had too much firepower and claimed the maiden winner at the record-breaking price.

“He is for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid,” said Varian. “He already has a Dubawi from the family [the colt’s two-year-old half-brother who cost 2.6 million guineas in 2017] and he identified this colt as one that he would like - we were very happy to do the steering. Willie John was an impressive winner of his maiden at Yarmouth and those autumn maidens at the track can be very strong races.

“It is not often you get the chance to buy a horse such as this. It is unusual circumstances, but we look forward to getting him home and getting to know him - he is a very promising horse with a great pedigree.”

The colt is from the Meon Valley family of Zee Zee Top, Kayf Tara, Opera House and Necklace. Willie John was purchased as a yearling by China Horse Club, Mayfair Speculators (Markus Jooste) and Peter and Ross Doyle for 325,000gns, and was in training with William Haggas.

THURSDAY

The final curtain fell on a glorious period in breeding when Thetis, a group-placed daughter of Invincible Spirit accompanied by her 20-day-old first foal by Lope De Vega, became the very last lot to be sold as part of the complete dispersal of Ballymacoll Stud.

The half-sister to the Musidora Stakes winner Liber Nauticus, who sold for 425,000gns to Moyglare Stud in December, is from the immediate family of Group 1 winners Conduit, Glass Harmonium, Blond Me, Spectrum and Petrushka, and was knocked down to bloodstock agent John McCormack at 550,000gns, his only bid, setting a short-lived record price at the February Sale. McCormack saw off fellow agent Stephen Hillen.

Afterwards McCormack said; “She is for an existing client and will remain in Europe to be bred - there are plenty of very good stallions to breed to. She is a lovely mare, very pretty, and the foal is very encouraging. She is from one of the best families at Ballymacoll.

“I think that Peter Reynolds will go down in history as one of the best stud masters ever and, with Sir Michael Stoute, the pair formed a formidable team - they produced fantastic results with small numbers. I am sure that Ballymacoll Stud will still be discussed in 15 to 20 years to come as the bloodlines will still be influencing pedigrees.”

That temporary new record was, incredibly, matched by the very next lot in the ring. This time the price was paid by Lordship Stud for another member of The Castlebridge Consignment offering, the winning Redoute’s Choice four-year-old Smoulder. She won for Markus Jooste and the Magnier/Tabor/Smith partnership and is a sibling to the classic and multiple Group 1 winner Legatissimo. She and Smoulder are granddaughters of Danehill.

Hillen was among those interested in Smoulder, along with Bertrand Le Metayer and Chris Richardson, but it was Tom Harris who had the final say. He said: “We loved her as a yearling, but could not afford her then [sold 725,000gns to MV Magnier]. She is a stand-out today and we are delighted that we have had the chance to buy her. We tried to buy through the autumn and did not, so it has come full circle. We have some ideas for covering stallions, but have no set plans.”

TOP SEVEN

The Castlebridge Consignment contained the top seven lots sold on the day, all but one of the six-figure transactions. Just missing out on equalling the top price was Key To My Heart, a stakes-winning daughter of Galileo who was acquired in the same ring as a yearling for 1,300,000gns. She too raced from Ballydoyle for the partnership that included Markus Jooste and cost BBA Ireland 525,000gns.

Eamonn Reilly outbid Cathy Grassick and Yvonne Jacques, and later said: “She is for a US client. There is plenty in the pedigree for the US and Galileo fillies are hard to get. We are delighted to get her as I was underbidder on Longing.”

The aforementioned Longing is a winning four-year-old Galileo half-sister to the Group 3 winner Ladys First and she cost agent Cormac McCormack 220,000gns. This was almost a fifth of her yearling valuation of a million guineas.

Completing the quartet of fillies raced in partnership with Jooste was Pocketfullofdreams who sold for 475,000gns to the bid of a relieved Stephen Hillen. The stakes-placed daughter of Invincible Spirit is a half-sister to the dual Group 2 Prix de Royallieu winner The Juliet Rose. “She is for a new client,” said Hillen. “She is by Invincible Spirit and is well related. She could run herself and it is a happening family.”

Barbara Keller has enjoyed much success on the racecourse and in the sale ring and she had another day to remember when The Castlebridge Consignment sold her winning Exceed And Excel filly Tallulah Rose, out of an own-sister to the Hong Kong champion Comic Strip, to Cheveley Park Stud for 170,000gns.

The Thompson’s Newmarket farm, through Chris Richardson, paid 52,000gns for Old Buckenham Stud’s Italian stakes winner Finidaprest, a daughter of Dylan Thomas carrying to Charming Thought. Old Buckenham also sold Finidaprest’s dam Sunsemperichi, covered by Kingman, for 55,000gns to Blandford Bloodstock.

WINNERS

Paul Webber acted as agent for Barronstown Stud in the purchase of Juddmonte Farms’ 10-year-old Dansili mare Canada Water. Dam of two winners with her first two foals, including the group-placed Lawmaking, this full-sister to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Rail Link is due in April to Showcasing. She cost 110,000gns and completed the line-up of six-figure sales on the day. She was preceded in the ring by the Sadler’s Wells 15-year-old dam of Group 3 winner Disclaimer, Novellara, and she was sold in foal to Bated Breath. She cost Will Douglass of Charlie Gordon-Watson Bloodstock 55,000gns.

The Godolphin draft of 25 lots averaged a modest 13,320gns. Headlining the consignment were consecutive lots, Quality Moment and Valley Of Light. Both four-year-olds were placed, the former being a Casamento half-sister to Group 2 winner Hot Streak who cost Paul Moroney 90,000gns. The Dubawi daughter Valley Of Light is out of a stakes-winning half-sister to Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and she brought 50,000gns from Howson and Houldsworth Bloodstock, acting with Randwick Bloodstock.

A winner after the catalogue went to press, the four-year-old Holy Roman Emperor colt Maximinus Thrax leaved David Simcock’s yard after his purchase by Badgers Bloodstock for 50,000gns.

FRIDAY

The sale of Willie John was the outstanding transaction of the week and propelled the sale returns into previously unknown territory. It was a day of few other highs, though quality stock continued to command a premium.

Juddmonte Farms had another strong and appealing draft and best of these was the unraced three-year-old Relent. She was bought by Brian Grassick Bloodstock, agent Cathy Grassick with owner Yvonne Jacques purchasing her for 220,000gns with Julian Dollar the underbidder.

The filly is closely related to the four-time Group and Grade 1 winner Flintshire, and is a half-sister to the Grade 2 winner Projected. It is also the family of last year’s champion Enable. “She is for Yvonne’s new farm venture Carisbrooke Stud, formerly Raffin,” said Grassick. “Yvonne is looking to have a band of 15-20 top-class broodmares, and the farm is being managed by Joe Grimwade.”

Another filly from the Juddmonte draft to sell for six-figures was the unraced Cacique three-year-old Fellbeck. She goes to Cheveley Park after her sale for 100,000gns. She is a half-sister to Group 1 July Cup runner-up and Group 3 winner Main Aim and the Group 2 winner Weightless. She was bought as a future mate for the farm’s new stallion, Ulysses. Another Cheveley Park purchase from the same draft and due a date with Ulysses is the three-year-old Oasis Dream filly Guelta. She cost 75,000gns, less than the 110,000gns her dam cost David and Diane Nagle 24 hours earlier.

The 96-rated Zenon, a son of Galileo and the Indian champion Jacqueline, sold to Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins for 120,000gns. He is the winner of two races, a mile and a half maiden at Chepstow and a 14-furlong handicap at Haydock.

“He is a strong stayer,” said Kirk. “He will be gelded, have a short break and will then go hurdling. He will return to the flat in the summer for staying campaign. We have been lucky buying from John Gosden before - both Nichols Canyon and Thomas Hobson came from Clarehaven.”

Towerlands Park, a son of Danehill Dancer and a full-brother to Grade 3 winner Justaroundmidnight, sold to Paul Harley Bloodstock for 65,000gns. He is the winner of two races over a mile at two and 11 furlongs at three for trainer Michael Bell.

Giant’s Treasure, the impressive winner of his sole start to date for Richard Hannon, sold to Federico Barberini for 60,000gns. “He is for Clipper Logistics, though no further plans have been made yet,” the agent said. “He was a very good winner [March 2017], looks a quality sort and looked in good order today. He could be a serious horse.” From the Marcus Jooste dispersal, owned in partnership with China Horse Club, Giant’s Treasure is a son of Shamardal and out of the Group 3 Derrinstown Guineas Trial winner Ballybacka Lady. He cost 525,000gns as a yearling having been purchased as a foal for 105,000gns.