Cover image courtesy of Tattersalls
At A Glance
In keeping with the earlier days of the sale, figures were up year-on-year during this third and penultimate session with a notable improvement in the clearance rate from 79 per cent to 86 per cent.
Improved clearance rate lifted the aggregate by 25 per cent to 4,618,000gns (AU$9.4 million), and turnover from the first three days stands at 82,742,000gns (AU$171.5 million), surpassing the bumper year of 2022.
The average on day 3 was up by 29 per cent at 24,962gns (AU$51,800) and the median improved to 16,000gns (AU$33,200), up 14 per cent on the same day last year.
With one day to come, the sale has seen 618 lots sell at an average of 135,087gns (AU$280,000) with a median of 45,000gns (AU$92,800).
The Wednesday of the December Mares Sale may have become a quieter session than was once the case but there are still plenty of enticing broodmare prospects. With one day to come, the sale has already surpassed the aggregate for 2022’s record breaking year.
Elliott reinvests in several nice mares
The Godolphin draft provided five of the day's top 10 lots, including the session-topper Bridestones (Ire), a Listed-placed filly by Teofilo (Ire) out of the G1 Fillies' Mile winner White Moonstone (USA) (Dynaformer {USA}), who sold for 280,000gns (AU$581,000).
The 4-year-old was selected by agent Alex Elliott, who assisted the Amo Racing team in the purchase of the overall sale-topper, the 4.8 million gns (AU$9.9 million) You Got To Me (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), and it was the former part-owner of the Irish Oaks winner, Anthony Ramsden's Valmont, in the chair to buy Bridestones. Elliott, was aided in the bidding by Ramsden's nephew Charlie Spencer, the son of former champion jockey Jamie.
“She will go back to Whatton Manor (Stud) to be looked after by the Players,” Elliott said. “Teofilo is a very good broodmare sire and he works very well with Lope De Vega, one of Anthony's favourite stallions.”
Elliott also signed for Instinction (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}), a 5-year-old half-sister to the G3 Prix Eclipse winner Eddie's Boy (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), sold from Houghton Bloodstock at 120,000gns (AU$249,000). The dual juvenile winner was in foal for the second time to Havana Grey's stud-mate Sergei Prokofiev and is from the strong black-type family of Swiss Lake (USA) (Indian Ridge {USA}).
“She made a lot sense – it's that old Lordship Stud family, a very fast family,” he said Elliott. “She is perfect for Havana Grey and, if we can take a good-looking Sergei out of her, that will go a good way to paying us back for today. She is for myself and a few others.”
New Zealand purchase
Southern Hemisphere buyers were in short supply on Day 3 with only bloodstock agent Bruce Perry and New Zealand’s Elsdon Park active. They bought Islands Of Gem (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) for 50,000gns (AU$104,000). A daughter of Group 1 winner White Moonstone, she’s a half-sister to the day’s sale topper Bridestones.
Lot 1969 - Island Of Gems (Ire) | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
Sands Of Mali Still a friend to Cool Silk Team
Ellaria Sand (GB) (Sands Of Mali {Fr}), winner of the Listed Radley S. for Ollie Sangster and owner-breeder The Cool Silk Partnership, was the standout in-training purchase of the day. The 2-year-old was bought for 200,000gns (AU$415,000) by Sam Haggas and will remain with Sangster's team of horses at Manton.
She is one of two stakes winners from the first crop of Ballyhane-based Sands Of Mali, along with the Royal Ascot winner Ain't Nobody (Ire). The stallion also raced for Cool Silk and is now the sire of G2 Lowther S. runner-up Time For Sandals (Ire) among 19 winners.
Matt Coleman, advisor to the Cool Silk Partnership, said, “When Sands Of Mali was going to stud, I bought her dam Ellaria to join a band of broodmares to support the stallion. Ellaria Sand was born and reared at Culworth Grounds and went into training and, fair dues to Peter, Karin and Chris Swann of Cool Silk, they back their own homebreds and put them all in training. It is great to see them get such a great price for her.”
He added, “It is a big feather in the cap of the Cool Silk team for a homebred to have won a listed race, and then to sell her for 200,000gns. They raced the stallion and bred this filly so it is a great achievement, hopefully she will go on – Cool Silk has still got the mare and has a full sister to race.”
Barry Lynch active for Ballylinch Stud
'Barry Lynch for Ballylinch' was the tongue-twisting buying partnership of the day, with the agent stepping in to sign for the G3 Pinnacle S. winner Miss Marjurie (Ire) (Marju {Ire}) for the powerhouse Irish stud at 140,000gns (AU$290,000).
Lot 1910 - Miss Marjurie (Ire) | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
Now 14 and in foal to Darley freshman Triple Time (Ire), the mare, offered by Baroda Stud, is from the family of Group 1 winners Soviet Song (Ire), Marsha (Ire) and Ribbons (GB).
Her 2-year-old Smoken (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), who was unnamed when the catalogue was published, provided a major update for her page when winning the Listed Montrose S. at Newmarket in early November.
Lynch said, “Marju mares are very hard to come by, she is in foal to an interesting stallion, and she is a horse who can be mated very easily. It is quite exciting, we are delighted and she is for Ballylinch Stud. Could be one for Look De Vega.”
