Auctions

Mar 12 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. March Sale of 2YOs in Training 2024 HIPS
Mar 14 Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival March Sale 2024 HIPS
Mar 27 Tattersalls March Sale 2024 HIPS
Apr 3 Texas Thoroughbred Association 2YOs in Training Sale 2024 HIPS
Apr 16 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. Spring Sale of 2YOs in Training 2024 HIPS
View All Auctions

Opportunity Awaits Overseas Buyers at Tattersalls

TBA's Flat Stallion Parade runs Feb. 2 alongside opening day of the sale.

The two-day sale offers horses in training, broodmares, and yearlings

The two-day sale offers horses in training, broodmares, and yearlings

www.tattersalls.com

The two-day Tattersalls February Sale kickstarts the sales season at Park Paddocks and provides buyers—particularly those from overseas—with an early opportunity to tap into some lightly raced and unexposed horses in training.

Among those on offer is the Robert Cowell-trained 3-year-old Bluff (Lot 401A), a wildcard entry who looks just the sort to attract plenty of interest.

The twice-raced son of The Gurkha was a fine third over six furlongs at Chelmsford last year on his debut, while he followed that up with a gritty win at the same track in mid-January, this time over five furlongs.

Explaining the reasons behind selling the colt, Cowell said: "I own part of him with another chap and the idea was to get him to a level where we could sell him on.

"He's done nothing wrong at all and I think he'll be better over a bit further as he finished his race off very well first time up over six. He got the job done in workmanlike fashion on his second start, but I think six or seven furlongs will be his gig in time."

With Bluff's profile and the relatively poor levels of prize money in Britain, it is easy to see why taking him to the sale in Newmarket was an attractive option, though the local trainer will be sad to see him leave his yard if that is the upshot.

He added: "He's a good, strong specimen so hopefully someone will do well with him, though it would be nice to keep hold of him. I'm disappointed he'll probably go abroad as the form is red-hot from his first race; there has been winner after winner from it."

Cowell's Bottisham Heath Stud may not have the numbers of years gone by, although there are still a handful of resident broodmares and Cowell said: "We have only a few mares, my father used to have many more back in the day. This horse was bred by the part-owner and so his sale is to dissolve a syndicate."

The sale also plays host to broodmares as well as fillies out of training, with another wildcard in 2018 T. von Zastrow Stutenpreis (G2) winner Sky Full of Stars (Lot 190D) a potential highlight for Wood Hall Sales.

Scene, 2021 Tattersalls December Mares Sale
Photo: www.tattersalls.com
Tattersalls February Sale kicks off on Thursday

Another wildcard entry consigned by Wood Hall Sales is the listed-winning and grade 1-placed Frenzified (Lot 190C), who is out of a half sister to Australian Oaks (G1) winner in 2020, Colette.

Both Sky Full of Stars and Frenzified are offered in foal to triple group 1 winner and first-season sire Advertise.

The draft from Godolphin will likely prove popular once again, with their 16-strong team including Dubian To (Lot 147), a daughter of Sea The Stars and top-level winner Mrs. Lindsay who has produced the listed-placed Dubious Affair.

It also includes Impala (Lot 148), an Oasis Dream half sister to group 1 winner Zambezi Sun, and smartly bred fillies such as Mystery Play (Lot 156) by Golden Horn, and a half sister to dual group 2 winner and group 1-placed Usherette.

Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony said upon release of the entries: "There's no shortage of top-class breeding stock and horses in training in this year's catalog, including a quality consignment from Godolphin and from many of Britain and Ireland's leading trainers and stud farms.

"Along with the 2-year-olds and yearlings on offer, this year's February Sale looks certain to appeal to the usual diverse mix of domestic and international buyers who have made the Tattersalls February Sale Europe's undisputed leading midwinter sale."

Alongside the auction on the opening day of the sale, Feb. 2 is the TBA's Flat Stallion Parade, featuring A'Ali, Bangkok, Caturra, Century Dream, Lope Y Fernandez, Stradivarius, and Ubettabelieveit.

The first day of selling begins Feb. 2 at 11 a.m., while Friday's, Feb. 3, session starts at 10 a.m. The catalog can be viewed here.