Tattersalls October Comes To A Close

After the heady business of the past couple of weeks, one knew what to expect from the final session of the October Yearling Sale at Tattersalls simply by surveying the car park: more trainers' than owners' badges, and number plates from some of the sport's more remote European outposts. There was a corresponding ceiling to the bidding through the remainder of Book 3; nonetheless, the close-of-business numbers stacked up very well, and no doubt another gem or two will follow in the footsteps of Delectation (GB) (Delegator{GB}), an unbeaten Group 3 winner since failing to meet her reserve at just 3,000gns in Book 4 last year.

As the previous day, the 172 lots that completed Book 3–down from 296 offered on its second day last year–achieved strong gains in both the median and average, respectively 8,500gns (up 55%) and 10,748gns (up 31%). The combined Book 3 figures duly registered an insignificant decline in turnover, relative to the drop from 610 lots offered to 420, at a virtually identical clearance rate of 78%. In the circumstances an overall Book 3 aggregate of 5,844,300gns measured very well against last year's tally of 6,335,900gns, down just 8%. The jump in median and average worked out at 13,000gns (up 44%) and 17,927gns (up 37%).

The possibility of an overnight bloom in the family tree encouraged Emma Armstrong to equal the highest bid of the day for lot 1642, the first foal of a half-sister to The Tin Man (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) by rookie sire Lethal Force (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Signing for the grey at 38,000gns, Armstrong was keeping fingers crossed that The Tin Man can make his Group 1 breakthrough in the Qipco British Champions' Sprint at Ascot today.

The inaugural running of that race was won by The Tin Man's half-brother Deacon Blues (GB) (Compton Place {GB}), while their trainer James Fanshawe also won four races with this colt's dam If So (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}).

Armstrong and her husband David bred Mayson (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who now stands alongside Lethal Force at Cheveley Park Stud. Told that her new acquisition was topping the leaderboard, Armstrong replied: “He wasn't meant to. But I think he was probably in the wrong sale, wasn't he? He was David's pick, to be fair, I can't take the credit. But it's obviously a fast family. I don't know where he'll go–it'll be someone in the north, though.”

Lethal Force's first yearlings have certainly been well received, with four six-figure lots in Book 2 here earlier in the week.

The day's top price was matched by Paul D'Arcy for lot 1626, a filly by Zebedee (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) out of a Norwegian Oaks winner. “I train this filly's half-sister who I think is okay, and I like the sire,” he said. It was this time last year that D'Arcy launched Spring Loaded (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) on a spree of six sprint handicap wins in eight starts.

A bid of 35,000gns from Thomand O'Mara secured lot 1790, a colt by Sepoy (Aus) (Elusive Quality) out of a winning half-sister to triple stakes winner Caledonia Lady (GB) (Firebreak {GB}), in the name of Howson & Houldsworth. “I thought he was a lovely individual,” O'Mara explained. “A strong horse with a lot of his damsire Kyllachy (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) about him. He's been bought to breeze. I've bought six but have found it tough. They're a fraction too dear.”

Book 4, which concluded trade on Friday with 85 lots, predictably found the stamina of most to be exhausted, but Henry Candy, with his proven eye for a bargain, will make rival trainers wonder what they may have missed when he paid its top price of 20,000gns for lot 1846, a colt by Hellvelyn (GB) (Ishiguru) out of a daughter of G1 Cheveley Park S. winner Dead Certain (GB) (Absalom {GB}). The bargain basement could not quite maintain the trends of Book 3, with an unchanged median of 2,500gns and an average of 3,300gns (down 11%) from 67 lots offered (20 more than last year), clearing at 64% (improved from 57%).

Certainly the indices for the combined October catalogues entitled the Tattersalls chairman, Edmond Mahony, to an upbeat review in the firm's 250th anniversary year. “More than 132 million guineas has been spent on yearlings at the 2016 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, which is a record sum for the fifth consecutive year,” he said. “More importantly, it's a huge tribute to our vendors who have brought the cream of the European yearling crop to Tattersalls.”

“To have produced record turnover having catalogued almost 300 fewer yearlings than last year is a significant achievement,” Mahony added. “We were overwhelmed by demand for places in the 2015 October Yearling Sale and were acutely conscious that the larger numbers were challenging for purchasers and vendors alike. It was important for all concerned to make the sale more manageable, and decreasing the numbers has without doubt been the key to maintaining the momentum throughout the fortnight.”

“The highlights of Book 1 included the world's highest-priced yearling for the fifth consecutive year, and an extraordinary 44 yearlings selling for 500,000 guineas or more, but the sustained demand at Book 3 has been equally satisfying,” he continued. “Significant increases in the Book 3 average and median and a new record top price of 200,000 guineas have brought the two weeks of the 2016 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale to a fine conclusion, and we are enormously grateful to all those who have contributed to the success of the past two weeks.”

The aggregate turnover for Books 1 to 3–comprising 1,621 lots offered, down from 1,898, and clearing at an identical rate of 81%–weighed in at 132,705,800gns compared with 131,494,400gns, median and average climbing to 52,000gns (up 30%) and 101,612gns (up 19%), respectively.