Records Tumble At Tattersalls December Foal Sale

The records continued to fall on the fourth and final day of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale with a further 8 lots selling for 100,000 guineas or more. A total of 149 lots were sold during the final session for 4,724,800 guineas, a rise of 28% on last year whilst the average and median rose 29% and 3% to 31,710 guineas and 20,000 guineas respectively. The four day sale saw a total of 740 lots sell for 31,420,400 guineas which was 30% up on the four day total last year and also a record turnover for the December Foal Sale. The average rose 25% to a record 42,460 guineas, whilst the median rose 15% to 23,000 guineas, also a new record.

The top lot for the day was the INVINCIBLE SPIRIT colt out of the CELTIC SWING mare GROWLING that was knocked down to John Ferguson for 220,000 guineas after he saw off a determined effort from Peter and Michelle Morgan of Carmel Stud. The colt was offered by the Irish National Stud on behalf of Italian breeder Giovanni Caiani.

"I have just a small stud Agricola Del Parco and keep a few mares at home," said Caiani, "but the problems that Italian racing is experiencing are just too difficult.

"There is not the quality of stallions in Italy and although I have usually sold yearlings in Italy, I think my mares deserve for their progeny to be sold here."

It is a long developed pedigree developed by Caiani, who bought this foal's grand-dam RAFIF in 2002 carrying to SOVIET STAR. That foal became PRESSING, a multiple Group race winner, including twice being successful at Group 1 level.

Caiani also holds the distinction of breeding HURRICANE FLY, the dual Champion Hurdler and holder of the world-record for the most Grade 1 wins at 17.

"Giovanni is looking forward to this foal being his next top level winner!" smiled a delighted John Osborne of the Irish National.

GROWLING is in foal to POWER, while "negotiations are underway" regarding her returning to INVINCIBLE SPIRIT.

John Ferguson also signed for the second highest priced lot of the day when he went to 200,000 guineas to secure the EXCEED AND EXCEL colt out of MISS BRIEF. Consigned from Ballyhampshire Stud, the colt is a half-brother to the Listed winning RISKIT FOR A BISKIT and the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes second CROWN PROSECUTOR and was knocked down to Ferguson after he saw off underbidder Andrew Tinkler.

"He has been a lovely foal since the day he was born," said consignor Edmond Kent. "It is a family we've had for a long time, I bought the grand-dam Preponderance.

"The family has always crossed really well with Danehill line stallions, hence the Exceed And Excel covering.

"It's been a great day, we've been lucky."

The third highest price for the day was 180,000 guineas for the HIGH CHAPARRAL colt out of the GREEN DESERT mare PENNY POST. Consigned from Bob Lanigan’s Tullamaine Castle Stud, the colt is out of a sister to the Middle Park Stakes winner ZIETEN and Champion European filly BLUE DUSTER and was knocked down to Paul Shanahan.

The sire of the day on the final day of the December Foal Sale was DUTCH ART whose eight foals to sell realised a total of 810,000 guineas and included four of the eight lots to sell for 100,000 guineas or more. The top priced of the foals by the Cheveley Park Stud-based stallion was the colt out of the OASIS DREAM mare ALICE ALLEYNE who was knocked down to Shadwell Estates’ Angus Gold for 160,000 guineas. The colt, whose dam is a sister to this year’s Group-placed AVENUE GABRIEL, was consigned by Charlie Wyatt’s Dukes Stud on behalf of Dunchurch Lodge Stud.

The leading purchaser over the four days of the December Foal Sale was John Ferguson who purchased 20 foals for 3,209,000 guineas to finish ahead of Shadwell Estates whose 10 purchases cost a total of 1,685,000 guineas. The leading consignor was The Castlebridge Consignment who sold 39 lots for 1,725,500 guineas, to finish narrowly ahead of Trickledown Stud whose 53 foals realised a total of 1,595,400 guineas.

At the conclusion of the 2013 Tattersalls December Foal Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented;

"Record breaking Tattersalls October Yearling Sales have been followed by a record breaking Tattersalls December Foal Sale. More than 30 million guineas has changed hands over the past four days, a sum unprecedented even at the height of the market in 2006 and 2007. An average in excess of 40,000 guineas is also unprecedented and to have sold more than 70 foals for 100,000 guineas is a clear indication of a foal catalogue of outstanding quality.

"As ever, the cream of the British and Irish foal crop has been sent to the Tattersalls December Foal Sale and Park Paddocks has been a hive of activity all week, with pinhookers and many of the world's leading owners battling at all levels of the market. The sustained demand for foals certainly gives cause for optimism as we look forward to the Tattersalls December Mares Sale starting on Monday. Widely regarded as the most international fixture in the bloodstock sales calendar, this year's December Mares catalogue has quality in abundance and we are looking forward to welcoming the usual cosmopolitan crowd in their annual quest for some of the finest breeding stock to be found anywhere in the world."

The highly anticipated Tattersalls December Mare Sale starts at 9.30am on Monday, December 2 and with more than 400 fillies and mares already on site, it looks set to be a busy Sunday of inspections at Park Paddocks.