Lady’s First Is First Tattersalls Millionaire

Like bees drawn to honey, the Tattersalls ring suddenly filled for the appearance of G3 Atalanta S. winner Ladys First (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), who was offered in foal to Galileo (Ire) as lot 1831 and was the highlight of the early evening trade at 1.8 million guineas.

Having been sold for 650,000gns at the end of her racing career at this sale last year, the fact that she was the only mare catalogued in foal to the champion sire was always going to increase her price dramatically and, when only the big guns were left firing, it came down to a duel between James Delahooke, standing in the cage with Barry Weisbord, and Hugo Lascelles, who was concealed from his rival behind the bidders’ wall.

Lascelles answered Delahooke’s every offer to have the hammer fall in his favor. “I can’t say who she’s for, but it’s an English breeder and I don’t know yet where she’ll be going,” Lascelles said. “But I will say that she’s a really tough mare and very good looking. There’s Danehill blood in there and I’m very excited about her–I think we’ve got a really good chance with her.”

Asked about having to stretch to 1.8 million guineas, he added, “I guess Galileo is the ticket, the market decided that is what she’s worth.”

During her racing days, Ladys First once got the better of subsequent dual Grade 1 winner Dank (GB) to win the listed Dick Hern EBF Fillies’S. at Haydock before retiring with a rating of 109 and three wins to her name. Her family has proved popular in the sales ring of late with her Galileo yearling half-brother fetching 400,000gns at the recent Tattersalls October Sale.