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Record Cheltenham November Sale

Sales returned to Cheltenham Racecourse on Friday for the first time since the pandemic, and the Cheltenham November Sale produced record results. Fifty horses were sold for £4,288,500-a record for any select point-to-point sale–at an average of £85,770 and a clearance rate of 93%.

Topping trade was the 4-year-old Arctic Bresil (GB) (Blue Bresil {Fr}) (lot 28), who finished second in a highly regarded maiden point-to-point at Tattersalls Farm. He was bought by Gerry Hogan for £305,000. In total, 14 lots realised £100,000 or more from 12 individual buyers.

“This evening's sale was the first to be held alongside racing at Cheltenham since the onset of COVID-19 and the vibrancy and depth of trade has been remarkable, reaffirming the unique appeal of selling point-to-pointers at the home of British jumps racing,” said Tattersalls Head Of Sales Matthew Prior. “There has been a real sense of anticipation that has built towards the November meeting, and it was a pleasure to once again see many of the National Hunt fraternity out in force at the sale in recent days, which has been borne out in this evening's frenzied activity.

“No doubt the outstanding success of the Tattersalls Cheltenham graduates continues to drive this demand as witnessed by the nine Cheltenham Festival winners in 2021 alone. The Irish and British point-to-point handlers are at the heart of this success story and as ever we are indebted to them for once again supporting the sale with a catalogue of real quality.”

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Ballylinch Stud’s Lope De Vega Remains At €125,000

Lope De Vega (Ire) will stand at €125,000 in 2022, that figure being unchanged from his 2021 fee at Ballylinch Stud, where he has stood throughout his 11 covering seasons in the Northern Hemisphere. His popularity transcends Europe, however, and the 14-year-old son of Shamardal is now the sire of 13 Group/Grade 1 winners in America, Australia, Britain, Ireland, France, and Dubai.

“This year Lope de Vega confirmed that he is one of the world's elite sires, with an exceptional 48 black-type horses in 2021 alone,” said Ballylinch Stud managing director John O'Connor. “He has achieved success at the highest level on four different continents and is one of those rare sires who can truly be called a global success. Ever popular at the sales, Lope De Vega was the leading sire at Tattersalls Book 1 by aggregate and his yearlings averaged over €220,000.”

Lope De Vega's stud-mate Make Believe (GB) has also had wide international representation via his leading son Mishriff (Ire), whose victories this year have come in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and Britain, having become a Classic winner in France in 2020. Make Believe's fee has been put up for 2022, from €15,000 to €17,500.

“Make Believe has made an outstanding start to his stallion career by siring the exceptionally talented and versatile Mishriff in his first crop,” O'Connor added. “Mishriff was ably backed up by Group winners Noticeable Grace, Believe In Love, Ocean Fantasy and Rose of Kildare. His much stronger crops to come will see him establish himself as one of Europe's leading sires for the future. Breeders were again rewarded in the sales ring as his yearlings averaged over three times his stud fee.”

It has also been a breakthrough year for New Bay (GB), who was represented by his first Group 1 winner in the Jane Chapple-Hyam-trained Saffron Beach (Ire), as well as Classic prospect and G2 Champagne S. winner Bayside Boy (Ire). New Bay's fee has risen to €37,500 for 2022 from €20,000.

Completing the line-up at Ballylinch Stud is the 2019 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Waldgeist (GB). The son of Galileo (Ire), who has his first foals for sale this year, has had his fee reduced to €15,000 for his third season at stud.

“The best son of the much-lamented Galileo since the outstanding Frankel, he has been given a great chance to succeed in his stallion career,” said O'Connor. “Waldgeist was a high-class 2-year-old who went on to win a vintage Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and his first foals in the hands of top breeders are giving every indication that he could be just as successful at stud as on the racecourse. He has captured the imagination of breeders across Europe, and we expect to see him strongly supported again in 2022.”

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Showcasing Heads Whitsbury Manor Stud Roster

Showcasing (GB), the sire of three Group 1 winners with five sons at stud, will remain at £45,000 at Whitsbury Manor Stud for the 2022 season.

Announcing the fees for his five stallions, stud director Ed Harper said, “Following last year's downward adjustment of our fees due to Covid we have decided to keep our fees similar to last year. We are delighted that so many of our clients have had great success at the sales and feel it's important to maintain value commercial stallion options for breeders.”

He added, “Once again, Showcasing had a great year on the track as Britain's leading sire of 2-year-olds. His results have also translated through to the sales ring as he achieved more six-figure yearlings sales this year at Books 1 and 2 than ever before.”

As Whitsbury Manor's son of Scat Daddy, Sergei Prokofiev, embarks on his second season at stud, his fee has been reduced slightly to £6,000.

“He was the most popular first-season sire in Britain this year covering 154 mares,” said Harper. “I can honestly say no Whitsbury stallion has ever had a stronger start in terms of numbers and quality.”

The Group 1-winning sprinter Havana Grey (GB) will be represented by his first runners in 2022 and his fee has been held at £6,000, while Due Diligence has been cut to £5,000, the fee at which his fellow resident Adaay (Ire) remains for the fourth season in a row.

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Armor Retired To Bouquetot

This season's G3 Molecomb S. scorer Armor (GB) (No Nay Never-Hestia {Fr}, by High Chaparral {Ire}) has been retired from racing and will enter stud in 2022 at Haras de Bouquetot in Normandy. He will stand for €5,000.

A €55,000 Arqana October yearling purchase by Al Shaqab Racing, Armor was a debut winner in April for trainer Richard Hannon. He took the Molecomb on his third start in July and was fourth in the G1 Prix Morny before placing in the G2 Flying Childers S. and G1 Middle Park S. On his last run, Armor finished eighth, beaten two lengths, in last weekend's GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

“We're delighted to welcome a group-winning son of No Nay Never to join the roster at Haras de Bouquetot for 2022,” said Haras de Bouquetot Stud Manager Benoit Jeffroy. “A fast and precocious horse of 1m59 (15.3 hh), Armor has shown an

amazing turn of foot and great consistency in his performances. We are confident that his profile, not dissimilar to other Al Shaqab Stallion Mehmas, will prove an attractive sort to

the European market.”

Armor will be available for inspection at Haras de Bouquetot during the Arqana December Sale.

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