Bated Breath Colt Tops Tatts Foal Opener

Young Juddmonte stallion Bated Breath (GB) has found favour with plenty of people on the hunt for foals at Tattersalls and his son out of the Pivotal (GB) mare Frabjous (GB) (lot 357) created one of his early sales-ring highlights when being knocked down to Brendan Morrin of Pier House Stud for 65,000gns (US$107,823). Last year's opening session of the four-day December Foal Sale was led by a 160,000gns Champs Elysees (GB) colt and while the first session of 2014 may have lacked a show-stopper, the strength and depth in trade was underlined by a 32% rise in the median price to 9,250gns. The average of 12,275gns was an increase of 11%, and the aggregate was boosted to 2,504,100gns–another rise, this time by 17%. The clearance rate was also strong–up four points at 79%. 
Bred and consigned by Kelly Thomas of Maywood Stud, the striking session-topping black colt is a half-brother to winning Medicean (GB) filly Movementneverlies (GB) and from the family of G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest winner May Ball (GB). He will be reoffered as a yearling. 
“I hoped he would fly as the feedback was really positive all the way through,” said Thomas, who keeps five mares at her Welsh farm. “It's a real family effort–my husband, children and parents all help out so this is wonderful.” 
Maywood Stud sold all three foals offered, including a first-crop son of Sayif (lot 356) out of Cherrego (Borrego) for 15,000gns. 
Thomas added: “He's the first foal out of the mare which is terrific–I'm delighted with that.” 

Putting on a Show 
James and Amelia Gray have been operating as Elusive Bloodstock for three years from their family farm in Lincolnshire and offered a draft of three weanlings on the first day of the December Foal Sale. Top among them was a 55,000gns daughter of Showcasing (GB) (lot 320) bred from a mare James bought from a field when they first started their new enterprise. 
“I put a lot of research into buying the mare, so this is a really satisfying result for us,” he said with a broad grin. “I never believed she's sell that well–I'd have been happy enough with 20,000gns. It's the best sales result we've had by far.” 
The first foal of the unraced Azita (GB) (Tiger Hill {Ire}), a half-sister to the talented group performer Danadana (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), was bought by pinhooker Michael Carty of Kilmoney Cottage Stud. 
“We've been so lucky with the mare–her pedigree continues to improve almost week by week–Dandana has been a star and [his half-brother] Semeen is pretty decent, too,” Gray added, and his luck extended to buying Azita back for 9,000gns at last year's December Mares' Sale when offered carrying this filly. 
While Gray was hands-on with the foal consignment, Amelia was kept fully busy in her second job as a runner at Tattersalls. As well as welcoming their first child just a few months ago, the Grays have also just taken on their first stallion and will be standing George Washington's half-brother Sun Central (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in 2015. 
“We've had a decent level of interest in him–breeders who have come to see him really like him,” said Gray, whose experience on other stallion farms includes stints at Whitsbury Manor and Cheveley Park Studs in Britain, Haunui Stud in New Zealand and Klawervlei Stud in South Africa. 
The couple have also enjoyed success with Showcasing–in whom they own a breeding right–on the racecourse and celebrated their first homebred winner by the stallion when Studio Star (GB) won at Newcastle in August. 
On a good day for Showcasing–who has enjoyed a terrific year on the track with 25 first-crop winners, including the group winners Toocoolforschool (Ire) and Cappella Sansevero (GB)–a Keith Harte-consigned colt also fetched 55,000gns. The son of the Selkirk mare Largo (Ire) will be joining the Baroda & Colbinstown Stud draft of pinhooks for next year after being knocked down to Philip Myerscough. 
The former Tattersalls auctioneer's son David said: “He was just a lovely horse and a really easy mover. It's hard to get a mare into Showcasing, so we've had to buy a foal by him instead. He's a very exciting stallion.” 

Catching a Dragon 
Late in the session, another first-crop foal, this time a son of the Irish National Stud's Dragon Pulse (Ire) (Kyllachy {GB}) (lot 533), fetched a bid of 50,000gns from pinhooker Jamie Railton. 
“He was just a stand-out individual,” said Railton of the April-born colt offered by Peter Nolan. “It's plenty of money, but good horses cost plenty of money and he was a fabulous mover.” 
The chesnut's dam Belle Watling (Ire) (Street Cry {Ire}) has already produced a 2-year-old winner in Paddy Again (Ire) (Moss Vale {Ire}) from her first foal and first runner. Her dam Sassy Bird (Storm Bird {Can}) is a sister to French champion miler Mukaddamah. 
The Dragon Pulse foals were well received last week at the Goffs November Sale and there are two left to sell, lot 731 and lot 945, at Tattersalls. 
One lot earlier, yet another freshman was represented by a good return when Prospect Stables' Requinto (Ire) colt out of the winning Mujahid mare Island Music (Ire) (lot 532) was knocked down to Mags O'Toole for 43,000gns. 

Whitsbury Manor Stud's good day continues 
Julian and Anne Wilson's Grove Farm Stud achieved a decent result for a colt by Showcasing's Whitsbury Manor Stud mate Foxwedge (Aus) (lot 294) who was bought for 40,000gns by a team with strong connections to the Southern Hemisphere–Hubie de Burgh and James Harron. 
De Burgh commented: “He's been bought to race. We were looking for a nice type, and this colt was going through early, so we thought we'd get involved now before it gets too mad. This is a very nice type and I've liked the foals by the sire that I've seen–they are strong horses who look as though they will be fast. 
“My client watched Foxwedge race in Australia and saw how fast and talented he was as a racehorse. This horse has a strong back pedigree–it is all U.S. speed.” 
Out of the Empire Maker mare Celestial Empire, the colt's third dam Mine Only boasts a terrific breeding record in the States, with her stakes horses including GII Manhattan H. winner Academy Award, and Grade III winners Statuette and Good Mood. 
De Burgh later went to 33,000gns for another Foxwedge colt (lot 461) out of Regal Curtsy (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) from Whitsbury Manor Stud, which ended the day as leading vendor with seven foals sold for 134,200gns 
As ever with foal sales, there's plenty of debate and interest surrounding stallions with their first-crop weanlings in the ring. Sire of the day's top lot, Bated Breath, has taken an early lead with eight sold for an average of 25,125gns. Overbury Stud's Delegator (GB) (Dansili {GB})–another freshman to make his way into the day's top 10–with a 38,000gns colt out of Markova's Dance (GB) (lot 457)–had 21 foals sell during the first session at an average price of 11,000gns, while Tweenhills resident Harbour Watch (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) set an average of 19,389gns for nine sold, led by a 36,000gns colt (lot 298) bought by Tally-Ho Stud.