Tattersalls December Mares Sale

During a hot run for sire Fastnet Rock at Tattersalls this week, Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}--Nigh {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) reeled in 2.7 million guineas from Evergreen Equine during Tuesday's second session of the Sceptre Sessions at Tattersalls. Consigned by Grove Stud, the 5-year-old mare, offered as Lot 1788, recorded her most important career victory in the G1 Pretty Polly S. at the Curragh. The winner of this season's G2 Dahlia S., the bay also finished runner-up in the G1 Prix Jean Romanet and third in the G1...

By Brian Sheerin and Emma Berry NEWMARKET, UK -- As expected, an international cast of buyers swept into action at Park Paddocks for the opening day of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, with some of the leading lights heading to Japan, Australia and America after more than 15 million gns was spent on breeding prospects. It was the aptly-named Callisto Star who lit up the first of two Sceptre Sessions when selling from Ballybin Stud in Ireland to Badgers Bloodstock for 675,000gns. The dam of American Oaks winner Rhea Moon...

A significant addition to the Tattersalls December Mares Catalogue is the wild-card entry of Kensea (Fr), the 13-year-old daughter of Kendargent (Fr) who has the rare distinction of being the dam of two Group 1 winners. That notable duo consists of the full-brothers Sealiway (Fr) and Sunway (Fr). One of the sons of Galiway (GB) was the busiest stallion in France this year during his first season at Haras de Beaumont, while the latter is a serious Classic prospect for 2024 on either side of the Channel. Guy Pariente, who...

"The full package." That's how consignor Tom Blain of Barton Sales describes Teona (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and it is hard to disagree that the five-year-old has everything a breeder would look for when attempting to buy a first-class breeding prospect. A winner of one of the key middle-distance tests for top-class fillies in the G1 Prix Vermeille, she is also out of a Group 1 winner, the Pretty Polly S. victrix Ambivalent (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}), with mother and daughter both being by outstanding Derby winners. The cherry on...

Another five wildcards have been added to the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, which starts its four-day run on December 4. G3 Prix Chloe winner Araminta (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) will be offered in training by Barton Sales on the Monday of the sale after the first Sceptre Session. She is joined by the Group 3-placed Nigiri (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), consigned by Imperium Sales, and the 97-rated Star Girls Almaaal (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}). The half-sister to Group 3 winner Create Belief (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}) will be offered by Norelands Stud. ...

As the darkness draws in on the Monday and Tuesday afternoons of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, it is a signal for the those around Park Paddocks to head ring-wards for the bloodstock world's version of captivating theatre. Who present, shoulder to shoulder in the packed auditorium over recent years, can forget moments such as the sale of Marsha (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) for 6 million gns? Even her trainer Sir Mark Prescott, always ready with a witticism, was for once lost for words in the drama of it all.  A...

Kensea (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}), the dam of G1 Criterium International-winning Galiway (GB) full-brothers Sealiway (Fr) and Sunway (Fr), has been added to the Tattersalls December Mares Sale as a wildcard, the sales company announced on Wednesday. Offered by James Hanly's Ballyhimikin Stud during the second day of the Sceptre Sessions on Tuesday, Dec. 5 as lot 1825, the 13-year-old mare is owned and bred by Guy Pariente. She is in foal to rising French sire Zarak (Fr). A listed winner herself, Kensea's four foals to make the racecourse have all...

A fantastic year for Karl Burke's stable was crowned by victory on QIPCO British Champions Day for Poptronic (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the G1 Champion Fillies and Mares S. at Ascot. What made the win extra special is that the four-year-old was bred by her owners David and Yvonne Blunt, who keep three broodmares and were enjoying their first win at the highest level.  Poptronic, a daughter of the Dream Ahead mare Alpine Dream (Ire), is one of three classy fillies to be heading to the Tattersalls December Mares' Sale...

With the benefit of glorious hindsight it seems scarcely believable that Via Sistina (GB) could have been sold at the December Yearling Sale four years ago for just 5,000gns by her breeder Laundry Cottage Stud. One thing is certain: when the Group 1 winner returns to Tattersalls in a few weeks among the elite Sceptre Sessions of the December Mares' Sale, her price will have many more zeroes on the end. A big, scopey mare who took some time to fill her statuesque frame, the five-year-old daughter of Fastnet Rock...

Trainer Tom Clover says that Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) provided him and his owners with a day they will never forget when winning at Royal Ascot but described her date with the Tattersalls December Mares Sceptre Sessions as the perfect way of seeing the Group 2 winner off on her next chapter as a broodmare. Rogue Millennium, who was bought by Billy Jackson-Stops for just 35,000gns from Shadwell at this exact sale in 2021, has carried the colours of The Rogues Gallery with great distinction and brought Clover to...

A quintet of Group 1-winning race fillies anchor the 1,062-strong Tattersalls December Mares Sale from Dec. 4-7, headlined by the Sceptre Sessions on Monday, Dec. 4 and Tuesday, Dec. 5. Inaugurated last year, the Sceptre Sessions feature 1000 Guineas heroine Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) (1433); Pretty Polly S. victress Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) (lot 1788); top-level winners Lezoo (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}) (lot 1776) and Prosperous Voyage (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) (lot 1811), both trained by Ralph Beckett; and South African Grade 1 winner Vernichey (SAf) (Vercingetorix {SAf}) (lot 1802)....

G1 Prix Vermeille heroine Teona (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) will be offered during the Tattersalls December Mare Sale from Dec. 4-7. In foal to Frankel (GB), the 5-year-old daughter of G1 Pretty Polly S. victress Ambivalent (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) is a half-sister to G2 Prix Hocquart hero Al Hilalee (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Teona, from the family of G1 Prix de l'Abbaye winner Total Gallery (Ire) (Namid {GB}) was a 280,000gns purchase out of the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1. Also third in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf,...