Friday, 27 November 2009: As dusk descended on Tattersalls' Park Paddocks complex last night the December Foal Sale came alight as the pinhookers competed with racing buyers resulting in five 100,000gns-plus lots on day two of the auction.
Figures bounced back from a below-par equivalent day 12 months ago to result in a 4,709,800gns turnover, up 39 per cent on last year. The 27,068gns average was up 22 per cent and the 20,000gns median rose by 54 per cent.
A pair from Teofilo's first crop led the way - most notably a 165,000gns colt consigned for breeders Neville Poole and George Thornton from Trickledown Stud. Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock came out best in a duel with agent Matt Coleman to get the half-brother to Tetrarch Stakes third Count John.
"He's for an existing client and hecould be kept to race or for resale. We'll see how he develops in the spring. I'm a big fan of the sire, his stock look very good," said Brown.
Poole and Thornton bought the colt's dam Triton Dance for 150,000gns at the 2005 December Sale and Paul Thorman, owner of Trickledown Stud, was delighted for his clients.
"They paid a lot of money for the mare carrying (Count John) by Intikhab. But conformationally he was not good andonly sold for 5,000gns as a foal," said Thorman. "Then she had a Dansili who was gorgeous but a wobbler so they deserved a good payday. This fellow was a star."
Shortly beforehand Angus Gold collected a 150,000gns daughter of Teofilo as a long-term racing prospect for Hamdan Al Maktoum. Gold fought off George Kent of Knockenduff Stud for a daughter of French Listed winner Anbella (who will be offered at Tattersalls on Tuesday) bred by Simon Tindall and consigned through Bob McCreery's Stowell Hill Stud.
"I've been very impressed with the stallion's stock," said Gold. "She's the first foal we've got this week and she'll go back to Derrinstown Stud in Ireland and then go into training when the time comes."
Authorized was another first-season Darley sire in demand and his highest-profile representative was a beautiful-moving grey son bred locally by Dwayne and Wendyll Woods at Brook Stud and sold through the Castlebridge Consignment.
Hugo Merry liked the April-born colt but not as much as Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock, acting for James Egan's Corduff Stud, and he came out on top at 135,000gns.
"He'll come back here to October Book 1 next year," said Brown. "He was a straightforward athletic foal by a Derby winner and comes from a current family as his dam is a half-sister to Arctic."
The first six-figure lot was a 130,000gns Galileo colt consigned from Mill House Stud for her breeder, Mary O'Sullivan's Devon-based Howard Barton Stud. Seasons Holidays supremo Barry Hurley tried hard for him but it was Brown's Blandford Bloodstock colleague Tom Goff who had the final say.
"He's been bought for a client who will make a decision next year whether he goes into training in 2011 or is reoffered as a yearling," said Goff. "He was a racy, athletic colt and had lots of quality, he was just a lovely loose-moving Galileo."
One definitely booked in for an appearance at next year's October Yearling Sale was a handsome Nayef colt bred by Colin Mitchell and Kate Lovelace's Honeypuddle Stud and also part of Trickledown's consignment.
Charlie Vigors of Hillwood Stud fought off Matt Coleman at 100,000gns for the bay, whose full-brother Zaaqya, a three-time winner, sold for 300,000gns as a yearling two years ago.
"He'll come back here next year and he was a lovely colt," said Vigors. "It's a good page and we hope he goes the right way. They are a very good bunch of horses here but everyone seems to be in on the nice ones and you have to pay a slight premium to get them."
Gay O'Callaghan, whose nephews Roger and Henry bred dual Listed winner Ruby Rocket, paid80,000gns for the third foal of the now eight-year-old mare, who resides locally at New England Stud.
O'Callaghan's purchase, an April-foaled Exceed And Excel colt, looks set to be reoffered next year from the veteran pinhooker's Yeomanstown Stud.
One who did not find a new home was Speciosa's first foal, an Oasis Dream colt offered from Trickledown Stud. The youngster was bought in for 140,000gns and could be reoffered as a yearling.
Day two Tattersalls Foal Sale comparative figures (gns)
Year Cat Off Sold % sold Aggregate Average Median
2009 255 214 174 81 4,709,800 27,068 20,000
2008 275 215 152 71 3,381,100 22,244 13,000
