Sea The Stars Foals Dominate Tattersalls December Foal Sale

Foals from the first crop of the Champion racehorse SEA THE STARS were expected to provide plenty of highlights at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale and they did not disappoint, filling five of the top eight prices for the sale so far and including the top price of 450,000 guineas. The third day of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale saw the strong demand from yesterday continue with rises in turnover, average and median as well as a robust clearance rate of 81%. A total of 176 lots were sold for 12,071,500 guineas, up 51% on this day in 2010, at an average of 68,588 guineas and a median of 47,500 guineas, up 15% and 19% respectively.

The star turn on the third day was the SEA THE STARS filly out of the RAHY mare ECOUTILA who was knocked down to Shadwell Estates’ Angus Gold for 450,000 guineas after he saw off a plethora of other interested parties including Ibrahim Araci, Hugo Lascelles, John Clarke, Cathy Grassick, Chris Wood and Charlie Gordon-Watson. The filly, who was consigned from Harry McCalmont’s Norelands Stud, is a half-sister to this year’s Group 3 winner and Group 1 Prix de la Foret third SURFRIDER as well as the Listed winner ENTICEMENT.

"Hopefully, she'll be very nice!," smiled Gold. "I thought she was a lovely filly and I have been very impressed by the foals I have seen by the stallion. We have some lovely homebreds by him, there are outstanding and, having seen his foals, I think he is fantastically exciting stallion. It is the best bunch of first-crop foals I have seen in terms of quality.

"This filly has the most amazing temperament, all of them by the sire appear to be the same.

"She is out of a Rahy mare, a great broodmare sire, and she has bred two stakes winners already - it was a no brainer really for a racing operation such as Shadwell to buy this filly"

Ling Tsui, owner of SEA THE STARS has been very active in support of her stallion via Racing Manager John Clarke who signed for the colt out of the DANSILI mare RIPPLES MAID. Consigned from David Redvers’ Tweenhills Farm & Stud, the son of the two-time Listed winner was knocked down to Clarke for 340,000 guineas after he saw off Hugo Merry, Ibrahim Araci and Willie Browne.

In total, the eight foals by SEA THE STARS realised 1,865,000 guineas at an average of 233,125 guineas.

SEA THE STARS’ half-brother GALILEO is widely regarded as the best stallion in the World and he provided the second highest price for the day when his son out of the ACATENANGO mare GUARANDA was knocked down to Demi O’Byrne for 375,000 guineas. The Plantation Stud consigned colt is a brother to the Group 3 winner GRAVITATION and out of the Listed placed GUARANDA, herself a half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner FAME AND GLORY.

James Wigan had plenty to celebrate after the seven lots sold as part of the consignment from his West Blagdon Stud realised 928,000 guineas including four that sold for 100,000 guineas or more. Heading that group was the OASIS DREAM filly out of the SELKIRK mare SLINK who was knocked down to Blandford Bloodstock’s Tom Goff for 300,000 guineas after he saw off Richard Frisby.

"The page is there to see, it's a quality page and she's by a proper, proven stallion," said Goff.

"There is the update from Pimpernel and there are good reports of the sister with Henry Cecil.

"It is a lovely cross, Oasis Dream over Selkirk and she is a lengthy quality filly. I am delighted to have bought her.

"I think the market has been very competitive, and for the pinhooker very fierce. I am sure they have had to compromise in order to buy.

"The writing was on the wall after the October Book 1 Sale that it would be a strong trade - that quality foals would make money - it's good to have such a healthy market."

Late in the evening the NEW APPROACH filly out of the NUREYEV mare PINE CHIP was knocked down to Meridian International’s Ghislain Bozo for 300,000 guineas after he saw off a determined effort from John Ferguson. The sale represented a great result for Irish breeder and consignor Max Ervine who bought PINE CHIP at the 2008 Tattersalls December Mare Sale for 90,000 guineas carrying to DYLAN THOMAS. He sold that resulting foal for 140,000 guineas last year at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale before his great result today.

The Tattersalls December Foal Sale continues at 10am on Saturday, November 25.