Trade stepped up a level on the second day of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale with fifteen lots realising 100,000 gns (AU$190,000) or more and a son of Bated Breath (GB) the session headliner.
The colt was offered by Colin and Melba Bryce’s Laundry Cottage Stud and was knocked down to Brendan and Ger Morrin for 185,000 gns (AU$351,500).
Lot 632 - Bated Breath (GB) colt
"He is a great physical, the best here today. He is by a sire who is on the upgrade and is supported by Juddmonte," Morrin said.
The youngster is out of the Proud Citizen (USA) mare Unnatural (USA), who is a half-sister to the dam of the five-time Group 1 winner and sire Dream Ahead (USA).
Smart sibling
Langton Stud’s father and son team of Michael and Giles Wates celebrated after their colt by first-crop sire Postponed (Ire) realised 150,000 gns (AU$285,000).
The colt is out of the Dansili (GB) mare Shemya (Fr), dam of Aidan O’Brien’s highly-rated Kingman (GB) colt Cormorant (Ire), who realised 1,050,000 gns (AU$1,995,000) at Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale last year.
"We bought the mare in France carrying to Oasis Dream," recalled the father and son team. "We decided on Postponed as he was a pretty good son of Dubawi!
"This foal has been busy since we've been here – one of the days he was out of his box from 8am to 4pm, but he took it all in his stride."
Lot 545 - Postponed (Ire) colt
"He is by an exceptional racehorse and this foal was our pick of the day," purchaser Robert O’Callaghan, of Yeomanstown Stud, said.
"He is by an exceptional racehorse and this foal was our pick of the day." - Robert O' Callaghan
Another first-crop stallion to make a mark on the second day of the December Foal Sale was Highland Reel (Ire), who shuttles to Swettenham Stud, with his colt out of the Medicean (GB) mare Self Centred (GB) selling for 150,000 gns (AU$285,000) to the bid of Bertrand Le Metayer.
"He has been bought for a partnership and has been bought to race," Le Metayer said. "When a horse achieved what Highland Reel did as a racehorse you have to take note – it is very difficult in this day and age for a racehorse to achieve what he did.”
Almanzor popular
The progeny of Cambridge Stud’s high-class shuttle stallion Almanzor (Fr) were the subject of keen interest with four lots through the ring and a top price of 125,000 gns (AU$237,500) for a filly bought by Blandford Bloodstock.
Consigned by Overbury Stud, she is out of Plume Rose (GB) (Marchand De Sable {GB}), who is from the family of multiple Group 1 winner and sire Peintre Celebre (USA).
The day’s trading saw 317 lots sold for 8,532,700 gns (AU$16,269,130), down seven per cent on last year, at an average of 40,826, gns (AU$77,569), a decrease of six percent, while the median rose 10 per cent to 33,000 gns (AU$62,700). The clearance rate was on a par at 79 per cent.
Lifetime Achievement Award
David Minton, of Highflyer Bloodstock, was presented with the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Federation of Bloodstock Agents’ honorary president Geoffrey Howson on Thursday.
A former member of the Curragh Bloodstock Agency, Minton set up David Minton Bloodstock in Newmarket in 1985 before forming Highflyer with Anthony Bromley and Bernice Emanuel in 2001.
“I first met David when he joined the Curragh Bloodstock Agency in Newmarket in 1970,” Howson said. “I have always admired his talent in establishing a wonderful client base and sourcing so many top-class winners.”
