By Emma Berry
Europe's yearling season finally drew to a close on Monday with a single session at Tattersalls headed by the second-highest price ever for a December yearling when Hazelwood Bloodstock's Kodiac (GB) half-sister to G1 St James's Palace S. winner Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) sold for 400,000gns.
David Redvers was the successful bidder for lot 162, bred by Australia's Sun Stud, which was formerly known as Eliza Park International.
The transaction capped a terrific first year in the consigning business for Hazelwood Bloodstock, which is based at Red House Stud just outside Newmarket and is run by Adrian and Philippa O'Brien.
“This is a very proud day for us,” said Adrian O'Brien, who offered the first Hazelwood yearlings during Book 2 of the October Sale, selling three for an average of 101,667gns. “I'd especially like to thank the team at the Irish National Stud, where this filly was born and raised. We've had her for the last few months and I'd like to thank our team too, and of course our wonderful clients.”
The filly's dam Alina (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was sold from Bugley Stud to Eliza Park International for 65,000gns at the December Sale of 2013 when carrying her first foal Barney Roy.
David Redvers, who was buying on behalf of Sheikh Fahad Al Thani, said, “”Her page speaks for herself but she looks a very uncomplicated, straightforward filly. She is out of a young exciting mare and her sire does her no harm either.”
With her half-brother, who joins the Darley stallion ranks next season, already a Group 1 winner, the omens are good for the Kodiac filly. The only horse to sell for more than her at the December Yearling Sale is the G1 Irish Oaks winner Moonstone (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), now the dam of five black-type runners including Derby runner-up US Army Ranger (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who sold for 700,000gns to Demi O'Byrne from the Britton House Stud Dispersal in 2006.
The clearance rate for the day dropped to 78% from a strong 85% in 2016, but from 18 fewer horses sold (124 of 160 offered) the aggregate held up well at 4,271,500gns, which was down by just 2%. The median improved by 16% to 25,000gns and the average was up by 12% to 34,448gns.
McStay Seeing Stars
“She speaks for herself really,” said Mark McStay after signing for Grove Stud's Sea The Stars (Ire) half-sister to G1 Cheveley Park S. winner Rosdhu Queen (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). “She's a lovely filly, a half-sister to a Group 1 winner and by a champion.”
Lot 154, a daughter of the G3 Prix d'Aumale winner Green Minstrel (Fr) (Green Tune), was bought for an undisclosed Irish client for the sum of 160,000gns by McStay and his partner John Ferguson.
The following lot through the ring (155) was the sole Dubawi yearling in the catalogue, also from Grove Stud, who was a vendor buy-back at 160,000gns.
Globetrotting Colt To Japan
A half-brother to a Classic winner will always draw the crowds and one of the bestsellers of the day was the Dawn Approach (Ire) sibling to G1 Irish Derby winner Trading Leather (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who was knocked down for 150,000gns to Roger Varian sitting with Yohann Gainche, representing Keishi Kameyama's DMM.com.
Lot 164 has been well travelled in his short life, having been born in Ireland, sold as a foal last year at Tattersalls for 70,000gns, exported to Spain where he was unsold by Torre Duero Stud at the ACPSIE Yearling Sale in Madrid in September for €110,000, and returned to Tattersalls in the Norris Bloodstock draft. The Barronstown Stud-bred colt, out of the Sinndar (Ire) mare Night Visit (GB), will now head to Japan.
DMM.com, who spent 1.4 million gns on a Frankel (GB) filly out of Steel Princess (Ire) at Book 1 of the October Sale, later signed for lot 184, Oakgrove Stud's colt by Australia (GB) out of Azeema (Ire), a winning Averti (Ire) half-sister to Al Kazeem (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) who has bred four winners from her first five runners. The May colt fetched 130,000gns.
Zoffany Team Strikes Again
When Croom House Stud previously offered lot 124 at the Goffs Orby Sale, the Australia (GB) colt was bought back at €120,000 but his second turn in the ring proved to be more successful, with MV Magnier going to 150,000gns for the son of the Listed National S. winner Sweepstake (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}).
The bay colt is a half-brother to three winners and hails from the further family of Coolmore stallion Zoffany (Ire), who John Magnier bought for 220,000gns from the same vendor back in 2009.
MV Magnier said, “He is a very nice horse and comes from a very good breeder and nursery in Denis Brosnan's Croom House Stud. Let's hope he is as good as some of those we've bought from the farm in the past–we're just glad to get such a lovely horse.”
Godolphin Active
Much of the early part of the session was dominated by Godolphin purchases. A combination of John Gosden and Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock signed for four yearlings, including lot 111, a colt by the former Lanwades Stud resident Leroidesanimaux (BRZ) sold by sister stud Staffordstown for 125,000gns.
Tracing back to the illustrious Lanwades matriarch Alruccaba (Ire), the colt is out of French Listed winner Alma Mater (GB) (Sadler's Wells), a half-sister to the champion racemares Alborada (GB) (Alzao) and Albanova (GB) (Alzao). Alma Mater has already produced the dual winner and Group 3-placed Alumna (Mr Greeley) and treble winner Aleator (Blame).
The Godolphin team also signed up two fillies by Iffraaj (GB). The first to break the six-figure mark in the sale was lot 30, the first foal of the Listed-placed Lawman (Fr) mare Dancealot (GB) offered by Genesis Green Stud, and Overbury Stud's daughter of Pacifica Highway (Pulpit) bettered that later in the day when selling for 120,000gns.
Bought at Keeneland for $110,000 by Richard Brown on behalf of Simon Sweeting, the 6-year-old mare has already produced a juvenile winner in Ayacara (GB) (Violence), who was also fourth in the GI Frontrunner S. at Santa Anita.
Charity Auction of Nominations
On Sunday evening, Tattersalls is hosting an auction of stallion nominations, with all proceeds going to the Retraining of Racehorses charity.
Two new sires, the National Stud's Time Test (GB) and Darley's Barney Roy (GB), feature among the 14 stallions on offer, which are completed by Kingman (GB), Gleneagles (Ire), Adaay (Ire), Bobby's Kitten, Dutch Art (GB), Garswood (GB), Hot Streak (Ire), Ivawood (Ire), Lethal Force (Ire), Mayson (GB), Mukhadram (GB) and Twilight Son (GB).
The auction takes place in the sales ring at Park Paddocks from 5.30pm.
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