NEWMARKET, UK–With a hundred extra foals catalogued for this year's December Foal Sale, a lengthy opening session conducted in bursts of driving rain then bright sunshine kicked off the four days of trade in a largely positive manner. Both the average and median were up, as was turnover, albeit from a larger number offered and sold this year. Only the clearance rate, at 70%, was down, from 84% last year. The median of 13,000gns represented a 30% rise, while the average was up by 8% at 16,552gns. With 18 more yearlings marked as sold this year, the aggregate was 3,128,300gns.
There's always plenty of interest in the offspring of the first-season sires and leading the charge for the newcomers on Wednesday was Shadwell's smart G1 Sussex S. winner Mohaather (GB), one of a rising number of young sons of Showcasing (GB) at stud who was responsible for the co-top lot (486) who sold for 80,000gns.
Joe Foley has long been a fan of Showcasing, having bought Soldier's Call (GB) as a yearling for Clipper Logistics and now standing him at Ballyhane Stud, while Clipper's Steve Parkin bred his daughter, this year's G2 Queen Mary S. winner Dramatised (GB). Foley had to see off some stiff opposition for the Brook Stud-consigned son of multiple winner Lady Freyja (GB) (Mayson {GB}) who was bred by Jon A. Thompson.
Rifling through the rolodex of bloodstock sales cliches, Foley said with a wide grin, “He looked a real weapon. He comes from a good hotel, was a really good physical and he ticked all the right boxes for us. All the right people were on him; Luke Barry was the underbidder and he's some judge.”
The Ballyhane maestro added, “He was a real Showcasing; he reminded us of Showcasing and of Soldier's Call. The mother was a good race filly, she was rated 90 and was useful, and we bought a Ribchester (Ire) from the same family in Book 3. I actually underbid Mohaather as a yearling so we were really keen to buy one as he was a high-class racehorse. His acceleration in the Sussex was a joy to behold. He looks like a racehorse and we will try to make him a racehorse.”
Consignor Dwayne Woods said, “He was bought by superlative judges, and he is a horse who will go forward and make up into a proper yearling.”
The dependable Juddmonte sire Bated Breath (GB) has been a friend to plenty of breeders and that includes Yvonne Jacques of Carisbrooke Stud, who sold her smart filly (lot 346) out of the treble winner Naqaawa (Ire) (Shamardal) to share the top of the table at 80,000gns. Tom Goff, acting on behalf of Surrey-based Rupert Gregson-Williams of Wardley Bloodstock, signed the ticket.
“She is a beautiful filly from a very good farm and with a lovely back pedigree,” said Goff of the relation to dual Group 3 winner Alflaila (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}). “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.
In addition to Mohaather, the plethora of first-season sires with their debut crop on display at Tattersalls includes the Whitsbury Manor Stud resident Sergei Prokofiev, who has a huge representation of 67 weanlings in the catalogue and made his presence felt during the first of four foal sessions at Park Paddocks. Charles Shanahan and Glenvale Stud's Flash Conroy signed for two by the son of Scat Daddy, lot 470 at 72,000gns and lot 291 at 40,000gns.
The former, consigned and co-bred by Selwood Bloodstock, is out of the Dutch Art (GB) mare Music Lesson (GB) from a family which includes dual Group 2 winner and French-based sire Triple Threat (Fr) and multiple Group 1 winner Canford Cliffs (Ire).
Shanahan said, “The sire seems to be getting gorgeous-looking horses from what we have seen. He was obviously in training at Ballydoyle and it was thought that he had an awful lot of potential. We are thrilled to get one that looks like he does–he is a great mover with loads of scope, loads of strength, everything you look for in a foal that you want to sell on as a yearling. He was definitely the one we wanted to buy today.”
He added, “I was so impressed with his stock. Flash collected one earlier today so we are very keen on the sire and let's hope for everyone he can kick on over the next two years. This colt goes back to Ireland and Glenvale.”
Lot 291, offered by his breeders WHR John and Partners, is out of the multiple-winning Strategic Prince (Ire) mare Livella Fella (Ire), who has been mated exclusively with Whitsbury Manor Stud stallions and is the dam of Mai Alward (GB), one of the many first-crop winners for Havana Grey (GB) this season.
Sergei Prokofiev's 20 weanlings sold during the opening session sold for an average of 19,400gns from his initial fee of £6,000.
Kildangan Stud-based Earthlight (Ire), whose stock sold well at Goffs last week, is another freshman to have a weanling feature prominently on Wednesday in lot 446. Bred by Alex and Olivia Frost's Ladyswood Stud and consigned on their behalf by Barton Stud, the April-born colt is a son of the Group 3-placed Some Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) from a family that stretches back to the influential matriarch Park Appeal (Ire) and includes the stallions Cape Cross (Ire), Iffraaj (GB) and Diktat (GB). He was bought by Yeomanstown Stud for 65,000gns.
Barton Stud manager Tom Blain said, “He's a cracking colt, bred at Ladyswood, which is a lovely farm and they are great people, we love selling for them.
“The colt came here and performed well and we got a good price, I hope Yeomanstown does well with him. He is just really nice type, and I like the stock that I have seen by Earthlight.”
Continuing the freshman theme, Newsells Park Stud resident Without Parole (GB) was represented by a colt from the draft of Natton House Thoroughbreds (lot 274), who took an early lead during the morning when sold at 46,000gns. The March-born weanling is also a first for his young dam, the dual winner Image Of The Moon (GB) (Mukhadram {GB}) and was bought by Julie Wood under her Woodstock banner.
Wood's famous colours have been represented by plenty of successful runners from the Hannon stable over the years, including Zebedee (GB) and Olympic Glory (Ire), and this season she tasted victory with Rich (GB), who is by another son of Frankel (GB) in Cracksman (GB).
“I thought I'd get in on the Frankel line again and his first-season sire son Without Parole,” she said. “This is a nice foal, he looks quite compact at the moment, has a touch of class and is a good walker.”
Without Parole was the sire of five youngsters to go through the ring on Wednesday for an average price of 26,000gns.
Kameko and Arizona (Ire) were also among the top lots of the day with a colt each sold at 45,000gns. The Kameko colt (lot 398) was offered by his home stud of Tweenhills and was pinhooked by Eddie O'Leary of Lynn Lodge Stud.
Meanwhile the Arizona colt from the family of Bushranger (Ire) was bought from Derek and Gay Veitch's Ringfort Stud by brothers Paul and Jim McCartan.
Roger Marley, better known as a breeze-up pinhooker, signed up an Iffraaj (GB) colt (lot 336) with a good recent update for 55,000gns from the draft of Baroda Stud. The weanling's juvenile half-brother Tyndrum Gold (GB) (Muharrar {GB}) won on debut on Nov. 2 for Roger Varian and Opulence Thoroughbreds.
Bred by the Reed family's Copgrove Hall Stud, the colt is out of a winning full-sister to the prolific sprinter La Cucaracha (GB) (Piccolo {GB}), winner of the G1 Nunthorpe S. among her seven victories.
Park Paddocks returns to action tomorrow with another 10 a.m. start.
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