Solid Start to Tattersalls October

SOLID START TO TATTERSALLS OCTOBER 
By Emma Berry and Kelsey Riley 
Tattersalls kicked off its flagship October Yearling Sale with its three-day Book 1 portion yesterday, and despite a lack of fireworks that was witnessed during this session 12 months ago when a Galileo colt was hammered down for a record 3.6 million guineas–only to be bested the following day by a 5 million guineas filly by the same sire–the sale posted solid results. 

A patchy start to the day’s trade led to a drop in clearance rate to 74%–down six points on the equivalent day last year. It is important to note, however, that last year’s first session was the strongest, aided by the Galileo colt. With a high of 775,000gns this time around–one of eight yearlings sold in excess of 500,000gns on the day, compared to 10 last year–turnover fell by 23% to 20,185,000gns, with the average also down, by 11%, to 188,645gns. Despite the drop, however, the average was the second highest ever for the session. A strong median of 140,000gns–the highest ever for opening day of Book 1–represented a rise of 19%. 

An Attractive Proposition… 
Floors Stud has experienced its finest moments courtesy of the dual Guineas winner and five-time Group 1 victress Attraction (GB) (Efisio {GB}), but yesterday’s sale of a 775,000gns Oasis Dream (GB) colt from the same family to John Ferguson was also a crowning moment for the Duke of Roxburghe’s Scottish operation, as the highest-priced yearling the stud has ever sold. The previous high came courtesy of a 450,000gns Montjeu (Ire) colt out of Attraction at this sale last year. 

“It was our highest ever by some margin,” the Duke of Roxburghe noted of lot 97. “I’m delighted for him to go to Sheikh Mohammed.” 

The January foal is the second foal out of the winning Titivation (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}), a half-sister to Attraction. Titivation’s Danehill Dancer (Ire) colt made 135,000gns here last year to the bid of John Warren Bloodstock, who was the underbidder on this colt. Ferguson also had to see off a bevy of other bidders, including Ibrahim Araci and Jon Kelly. 
“He’s a very nice, quality colt, a real athlete,” Ferguson said. “He’s a horse that’s really thrived since we saw him in the summer, and he comes from a very good family.” 

Floors Stud has two to sell during today’s second session–a Dubawi (Ire) half-brother to Grade/Group 1 winners Viva Pataca (GB) and Laughing (GB), and a Galileo colt out of Flirtation (GB) (Pursuit of Love {GB}), Attraction’s dam and this colt’s second dam. Floors was also due to sell an Oasis Dream colt out of Attraction today, but that yearling was withdrawn. 

Lot 97 was the second of three Oasis Dreams purchased by Ferguson on the day. The third came late in the session when he signed for Lot 142 for 625,000gns. Ferguson had to see off a stubborn Jamie McCalmont bidding on the opposite side of the ring for the son of Group 1 Zee Zee Top (GB) (Zafonic). The colt is a half to dual Group 1 winner Izzi Top (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), and Zee Zee Top is a sister to Group 1 winners Kayf Tara (GB) (Sadler’s Wells) and Opera House (GB) (Sadler’s Wells), both campaigned by Sheikh Mohammed. 

“He’s a very smooth, athletic horse, and a brother to an outstanding filly, and its a family that Sheikh Mohammed knows well,” Ferguson explained. “It’s a family that’s been lucky for us.” 

Ferguson, who also signed for Lot 36, an Oasis Dream colt out of the stakes-winning Seta (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), for 425,000gns, embarked on a spending spree of his own alongside Sheikh Mohammed and Princess Haya yesterday, signing for 11 lots for 4,015,000, making him the day’s leading buyer by a wide margin. Other notable purchases by Ferguson included lot 74, a 400,000gns Sea the Stars (Ire) colt and Lot 125, a 340,000gns Teofilo (Ire) colt. 

Ferguson stayed in the fray through the end of the day, adding a 600,000gns colt by New Approach (Ire) to his haul late in the session. Lot 147 is out of Ahla Wasahl (GB) (Dubai Destination), from the family of G1 Italian Oaks winner Menhoubah (Dixieland Band) and American sire Posse (Silver Deputy). 

The colt was consigned by Genesis Green Stud, and Ahla Wasahl is a permanent boarder at the Swinburns’ operation just outside Newmarket. This colt, her third foal, gave the family a sales-ring moment to remember. 

“Her yearling last year was lovely but this was just a really nice colt and lovely to deal with,” said Michael Swinburn after hugging his tearful mother Doreen. 

“He has a great head on him–all the New Approaches seem to have such good temperaments–and this is a terrific result.”