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Tattersalls December Foal Sale Brings Record Turnover

The expanded catalog resulted in a gross of more than 35 million guineas.

The Mohaather colt consigned as Lot 1222 at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale

The Mohaather colt consigned as Lot 1222 at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale

www.tattersalls.com

Shadwell was a welcome presence at this year's Tattersalls December Foal Sale, spending 1,312,000 guineas (US$1,666,049) on seven lots across the four sessions. The outfit added to their haul Nov. 26 when securing one of the joint session-toppers, the Mohaather colt out of Time of Change from Barton Stud, at 110,000 guineas (US$139,684).

Mohaather won five races in Shadwell's famous blue and white silks, most notably the 2020 Qatar Sussex Stakes (G1), in which he showed a sensational turn of foot to collar Circus Maximus. The son of Showcasing retired to Nunnery Stud in 2021 and covered a debut book of 146 at a fee of £20,000.

Shadwell purchased the two most expensive of Mohaather's 21 sold lots at this year's December Foal Sale, where his debut crop averaged 41,880 guineas (US$53,181).

"Obviously we're a bit biased, but Mohaather was a very special horse for us," said Shadwell's racing manager Angus Gold. "We thought he was slightly underrated, if anything, for me what he did at Goodwood that day in the Sussex Stakes was out of the ordinary. I've not seen a horse quicken like that since Kingman (GB) in the same race.

"We're big fans, and I have liked the stock I've seen. What I particularly like is that, leading into this week, lots of people have told me that they have a really nice Mohaather foal, which is great to hear. We bought one two days ago, and the vendor told me they had an even better one at home. There are some really good vibes about him."

Angus Gold<br>
Tattersalls December Sale<br>
Foals<br>
26/11/22
Photo: www.tattersalls.com
Angus Gold

On the colt out of Time of Change, who is his sire's most expensive offering to date, Gold added: "I thought this was a really smart horse, and a lot of people thought the same. I heard he had 10 vets on him, so he was always going to cost a bit. He's out of a half sister to a horse who ran second in the Gimcrack (Taajub) and was a handy horse, and this colt looks like a sprinter. If he's any good, he will be fast and hopefully will be one to get the stallion off to a good start."

Reflecting on Shadwell's activities during the four sessions, Gold said: "We've bought seven foals. Obviously we sold so many mares over the last couple of years that we ended up with around 50.

"With some barren or slipped, and the maidens, it meant that the stud's foal crop is only around 35, and by the time they go into training we will be down on numbers. I spoke with (Shadwell leader Sheikha Hissa Hamdan Al Maktoum), and she was keen to get some foals to supplement the racing team, if we could buy at relatively sensible money."

Overbury on the Mark With Masar Colt
The O'Callaghan family of Yeomanstown Stud finished the sale in second on the buyers' chart by total spending with 13 sourced for a combined 1,320,000 guineas ($1,675,240). Only Juddmonte, whose four-strong haul cost 2,425,000 guineas ($3,084,536), invested more.

Yeomanstown's biggest buy on day four was the Masar half brother to Lingfield Oaks Trial winner Rogue Millennium, who was the second lot to fetch 110,000 guineas (US$139,684) when offered by Overbury Stud.

The dam, the 2012 Grosvenor Casinos Cumberland Lodge Stakes winner Hawaafez, provided connections with a swift return as she only joined the Overbury broodmare band in February when she was sourced through Blandford Bloodstock for 14,000 guineas ($19,957) carrying the six-figure colt in-utero.

Plenty has happened since Rogue Millennium became a listed winner and the mare's 2-year-old, Naomi Lapaglia, made a successful debut earlier in the month.

"Richard Brown bought the mare for me here in February, I was not around and he did it himself," explained Overbury's Simon Sweeting. "It looked like a chancy buy to start with but the mare was an exceptional racehorse, and Rogue Millennium has come along, and everything else has landed into place—the 2-year-old is now 1-for-1, and her Kingman yearling has gone to trainer George Boughey.

"It's definitely a progressive family, but that sale did take me by surprise, but it's a lovely surprise! He was a late foal, but he has been very straightforward, and everything has worked out well."

Tattersalls December Foal Sale<br>
25/11/21
Photo: www.tattersalls.com
Simon Sweeting

Sergei Prokofiev's Debut Crop Hitting Right Notes
The Whitsbury Manor Stud team has enjoyed a memorable few days at Tattersalls, topping the sale with the 1,000,000 guineas ($1,271,974) Kingman  half sister to Chaldean, who sold to Juddmonte Nov. 25, as well as top lot Nov. 24, the 250,000 guineas ($316,425) Havana Grey half brother to Dragon Symbol bought by Philipp Stauffenberg. 

Those results helped Whitsbury Manor top the consignors' charts with 19 sold for 2,201,500 guineas ($2,793,764).

The Harper family's operation also stands Sergei Prokofiev, and the market has given the son of Scat Daddy's progeny a warm reception with 45 of his foals selling for an average of 26,767 guineas across the four sessions. Among the lots who made a positive contribution to that average was Kirtlington Stud's half brother to Ropey Guest who brought 70,000 guineas ($88,890) from Camas Park Stud Saturday.

"We bred four mares to Sergei in his first year and have had three very nice foals," said Chris Budgett of Kirtlington Stud. "We sold one earlier this week (Lot 513 to Tally-Ho Stud) for 82,000 guineas ($103,788). He's stamping them, and they look active, which is great. He looks like he's another stallion that Ed Harper has hit the jackpot with."

Sergei Prokofiev's debut book, which was covered at a fee of £6,500, yielded 121 foals, meaning 49% of his first crop were offered at Tattersalls. The highest price was generated by the colt out of Avengers Queen, who sold to Chasemore Farm for 95,000 guineas ($120,242). 

Final Numbers Soar
An expanded catalog saw 983 foals offered across the four days, an increase of 77 (8%) compared to 2021, and 744 lots sold for a clearance rate of 76%. Those transactions took turnover to 35,255,050 guineas ($44,703,313), which is not only a 13% year-on-year increase but a new sale record.

The strength of trade, particularly at the upper echelons, was reflected in an 11% increase in average price at 47,386 guineas ($60,085), while the median increased by four points to a record 26,000 guineas ($32,962), having been 25,000 guineas ($31,746) 12 months ago.