Leigh Family Takes The Spoils At Tatts

Seta (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) was one of the stars of the headline day of the Tattersalls December Mares' Sale and her relation Farandine (GB) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) (lot 2247) had her own moment in the spotlight Wednesday, when sharing top billing at 190,000gns with Toujours L'Amour (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) (lot 2134).

Farandine, another member of the Sarah Leigh dispersal, was offered on behalf of the executors of the late owner-breeder by Fittocks Stud, which is where she will return after being bought by Luca and Sara Cumani.

There's not too much sentimentality in the hard-nosed world of commercial bloodstock, but the trainer admitted that the winning juvenile, who has never been out of the first three in three starts to date, was “something of a memento” of a family with which he has enjoyed a close association for several generations. Leading lights to have emanated from Cumani's Bedford House Stables include Gerald Leigh's GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner Barathea (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Gossamer (GB) (Sadler's Wells). As well as Seta selling for 1.1 million gns Tuesday, Farandine's dam Rivara (GB) (Red Ransom) went through the ring for 75,000gns.

Listed winner Toujours L'Amour, offered early in the day by Chris Wright's Stratford Place Stud, will join the paddocks which produced G1 Derby winner Motivator (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) after being bought by Deerfield Farm through agent Dick O'Gorman. Bred at Stratford Place from the Group 2-placed High Heel Sneakers (GB) (Dansili {GB}), Toujours L'Amour raced in partnership for Wright and Trevor and Libby Harris of Lordship Stud.

Just two lots earlier, another of the Stratford Place Stud draft reached 185,000gns when Mehmet Kurt's Kingwood Stud stepped in to buy lot 2132 Comeback Queen (GB) (Nayef), a listed-placed half-sister to GII La Jolla H. winner Worldly (GB) (Selkirk) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Donativum (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}).

With a lift in clearance rate to 81%, 16 more horses were sold than in the corresponding session of 2014, but this wasn't enough to halt a 2% shortfall in turnover down to 6,632,000gns. The median improved by 1.25% to 20,250gns, but the average price was down by 10% at 33,495gns.

A small draft of horses in training from Richard Fahey's Musley Bank Stables featured the listed winner Dusky Queen (Ire) (Shamardal) (lot 2324), who was bought by breeder Trevor Stewart for 180,000gns through Anthony Stroud.

Though still marked as 'in training', the 5-year-old will retire to the paddocks for a commercial breeding partnership after an honorable career which saw the hardy mare race 32 times for five wins and 11 places.

“She won't race on,” confirmed Stewart. “She is an attractive filly and as a listed winner by Shamardal she should be easy to cross.”

Rabbah Filling 'Thunder's Book…

Saeed Manana of the Rabbah team has been active in the mare market this week, attempting to find well-credentialed mates to send to his G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas winner Night Of Thunder (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who will embark on his stud career at Darley's Kildangan Stud for €30,000 in 2016. Among those selected Thursday for the sum of 170,000gns was lot 2288, Saltanat (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}), whose half-sister, the G1 Investec Oaks winner Qualify (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), was bought in the same ring 24 hours earlier for 1.6 million gns.

The 5-year-old Saltanat, who won three races in the Czech Republic for owner Ardak Amikulov, was sold carrying her first foal by Sidney's Candy and was the sole consignee for the Seitz family's Brookdale Farm. Brookdale later featured as buyer of one of the Juddmonte draft, Sandy Cay (Mizzen Mast) (lot 2308), at 62,000gns.

Manana's shopping list also stretched to several Juddmonte-breds, including the statuesque filly Coral Garden (GB) (Halling) (lot 2295), who was added to the haul at 160,000gns. The once-raced 3-year-old is a sister to French-based sire and Group 2 winner Coastal Path (GB) and a half-sister to popular French dual-purpose stallion Martaline (GB) (Linamix {Fr}) from the Bahamian (GB) family which also contains the Juddmonte stallions Oasis Dream (GB) and Kingman (GB).

In total, 20 fillies and mares have been signed for by Rabbah this week for a sum of 2,487,000gns.

Juddmonte Draft Proves Popular…

Cormac McCormack could not divulge the identity of his client but he was another to go to six figures for one of the Juddmonte offerings when bidding 165,000gns for lot 2298, the 3-year-old Front In Line (War Front), a half-sister to G3 Prix Fille de l'Air winner Dance Dress (Nureyev), whose daughter Costume (GB) (Danehill) was a dual Grade II winner at Santa Anita.

“She'll be staying in Europe and will visit Gleneagles,” said the agent.

James Egan will also be adding some Juddmonte bloodlines to his Corduff Stud broodmare band after purchasing Reinette (GB) (Dansili {GB}) (lot 2307) for 155,000gns through Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock.

“She has a fantastic pedigree and her sister has a War Front and a Kitten's Joy so there's plenty to come,” said Brown of the 3-year-old daughter of G1 Prix de la Foret winner Etoile Montante (Miswaki), whose half-sister Starformer (Dynaformer) won Belmont's GII New York S.

He added, “She's also a very nice individual–we always try to buy the best physical we possibly can–and when you buy into a Juddmonte family there's always plenty of chances for good updates.”

In 2013, owner-breeder Colin Murfitt bought the Galileo (Ire) mare Galicuix (GB) from the December Sale for just 8,000gns. The Paco Boy (Ire) colt she had on the ground at that time became this season's G2 Qatar Vintage S. winner Galileo Gold (GB), while the Paco Boy filly she was carrying followed that up a month later by topping the DBS Premier Sale at a record-equaling £280,000. Murfitt returned to Tattersalls Thursday to select lot 2310, Juddmonte's Oasis Dream (GB) filly Sugar Mill (GB) for his Soham-based Pantile Stud at 120,000gns. Though undistinguished on the racecourse herself, the 3-year-old's dam is listed winner Honest Quality (Elusive Quality) and her second dam is the even better credentialed Grade 1 winner and producer Honest Lady (Seattle Slew).

International Buyers to the Fore…

Tattersalls regularly draws an international crowd for its end-of-term extravaganza at Park Paddocks and overseas operatives Wednesday included American trainer Jim Cassidy, who bought lot 2246, the Stuart Stuckey homebred Frenzified (GB) (Yeats {Ire}) from Fittocks Stud for 110,000gns with agent Gordian Troeller. The winner of four of her 11 starts for Luca Cumani, the 3-year-old will race on after shipping to California.

Japan's Shadai Farm will be taking home a daughter of Dubawi (Ire) after buying the Voute Sales-consigned Rue Pomereu (Ire) (lot 2283) for 100,000gns. The treble winner is in foal for the first time to French sire Penny's Picnic (Ire) (Kheleyf).

Another of the 12 six-figure lots of the day, the 11-year-old Selkirk mare Selinka (GB) (lot 2276), is now a candidate for the first book of new Highclere Stud stallion Cable Bay (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) after being bought by John Warren for 100,000gns. A dual listed winner in her racing days, Selinka is currently in foal to Showcasing (GB) and is the dam of two winners.

Man O'War Farm Secures Odeliz Privately…

Barbara Keller's dual Group 1 winner Odeliz (Ire) (Falco) ( lot 2017) failed to find a buyer when offered in the midst of Tuesday's frenetic evening session but she has subsequently been sold privately for 1 million gns to Reiko and Michael Baum of Man O'War Farm in a deal arranged by Lincoln Collins of Kern Thoroughbreds.

The Tattersalls December Sale concludes Thursday with a final session of fillies and mares in the ring from 9:30 a.m local time.