By Emma Berry
The first time that the February Sale had rolled over into a second day produced a quieter follow-up session to Thursday's lively opener but one boasting an encouragingly high clearance rate, with 94% of Friday's horses sold to nations far and wide. Turnover on the final day was 2,461,900gns at an average price of 13,602gns and median of 8,500gns.
Despite the sale being held over two days instead of one, only 71 more horses were offered than in 2016, with 338 of the 377 (90%) lots sold for an aggregate more than double that of last year. The final tally of 5,735,200gns represented a rise in turnover of 111% from 87 more horses sold this time around. The consistent level of trade also meant that the sale's average rose sharply, up 57% to 16,968gns, while the median was up by 60% at 8,000gns.
Dream Waltz (GB) (lot 387), George Strawbridge's beautifully bred daughter of Oasis Dream (GB) and G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Valentine Waltz (Ire) (Be My Guest), was the day's star package, selling for 105,000gns to Australian owner-breeder Peter Maher, who raced had previously raced her dam.
Tattersalls' marketing director Jimmy George conducted the bidding via telephone to Laurent Benoit of the French-based Broadhurst Agency, acting on Maher's behalf.
“Peter has a strong affinity for the family and was keen to buy Valentine Waltz's daughter,” George commented. “She will be shipped to Australia and I expect she will go to the breeding shed.”
A half-sister to Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial winner Dyna Waltz (GB) (Dynaformer), Dream Waltz raced twice from the stable of John Gosden, which was also responsible for the most expensive colt of the day, Von Blucher (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}).
The 99-rated dual winner (lot 382) could become a horse for all seasons under the ownership of John Dance of Salcey Forest Stud, who bid 95,000gns through Daniel Creighton for the chesnut son of multiple Group winner Tropical Lady (Ire) (Sri Pekan).
“The plan is to send him up north to Rebecca Menzies,” Creighton explained. “We'll try him as a dual-purpose horse and we could have a bit of fun with him on the Flat and over hurdles. Rebecca is a young trainer who deserves a good horse.”
The dozen horses sold from Gosden's Clarehaven Stables added 446,500gns to the day's tally and included the Coolmore-owned Vantage Point (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 386), a son of dual Grade 1 winner Adoration (Honor Grades) and a recent winner over a mile at Southwell who sold for 60,000gns to Richard Frisby.
Exceed And Excel (Aus) filly Marwa (GB) has switched from the ownership of one Rabbah Associate to another after passing through the ring for 80,000gns. The 3-year-old has had four unplaced runs for Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah and is now owned by Saeed Manana, who may put her back into training.
“We'll make a decision next week,” said Rabbah representative Jono Mills of lot 444, a half-sister to the Grade II winners Sir Cherokee (Cherokee Run) and Miss Isella (Silver Charm).
The former French-trained filly Dandyman Port (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) left Eoghan O'Neill's stable to join that of his countryman Des Donovan in Tipperary after Andy Cosias, a relatively new owner in the sport, paid 75,000gns for the 3-year-old.
Sold as lot 359, Dandyman Port was a winner on debut last year at Dieppe over five furlongs, that heavy-ground victory prompting her new trainer to think she will be well suited to racing in Ireland.
“She liked soft ground so we're hoping that she can win again,” said Donovan, who has returned to his native country after a stint training in Newmarket.
Cosias has “a couple of horses in training” and added that he has no plans to breed from his new purchase, who has a French rating equivalent to a British mark of 92, buying her instead purely for the enjoyment of racing.
Tattersalls is famed for drawing an international cast of buyers, never more so than the bustling crowd at last October's Horses-in-Training Sale. While the February Sale wasn't quite of the same blockbuster proportions, the increased level of participation from a diverse range of countries not normally drawn to chilly Newmarket so early in the year was noticeable.
Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony acknowledged the rising success of the midwinter auction, commenting at its conclusion, “The Tattersalls February Sale has achieved phenomenal growth in recent years and the 2017 renewal has taken it to a new level. As recently as 2010, the turnover at the February Sale was less than a million gns and the average price below 7,000gns. This year we extended the sale to two days for the first time and the turnover has soared to nearly 6 million gns––more than double last year's record level––the average has reached a new record of 16,944 gns and even last year's impressive clearance rate of 82% has jumped to 89%.”
He continued, “The obvious highlight of the sale was the 500,000gns paid for the outstanding race filly Easton Angel, another new record for this fixture, but the real feature of the sale has been the extraordinary depth to the trade in all sectors of the market and, as ever, the contribution made by overseas buyers from throughout Europe, the Gulf region, America and as far afield as Australia. More six-figure lots than ever before demonstrates the enduring global appeal of quality bloodstock, but it is equally important that sales of this nature attract buyers at all levels of the market and the sustained demand from start to finish has been just as gratifying as the individual highlights and the record returns.
“There is no doubt that the regular significant consignments from Godolphin, Juddmonte Farms and Shadwell play a major part in attracting such a diverse crowd of buyers and it is wonderful to see their confidence in Tattersalls so consistently rewarded. Equally pleasing has been the success of the Irish and French vendors who have supported the sale and we are delighted that our 251st year has made such a positive start.”
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