A filly and colt by Champion sire FRANKEL were the star turns on the third and final day of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, selling for 1.6million guineas and 950,000 guineas respectively and their sire dominated this sale with 18 yearlings averaging 617,778 guineas and generating total turnover of 11,120,000 guineas..
Frankel Filly out of Millisle to Shadwell for 1,600,000 Guineas
The first foal out of the champion two-year-old filly MILLISLE became the highest-priced filly at Book 1 of this year’s Tattersalls October Yearling Sale when selling for 1,600,000 guineas to Shadwell Estates after a prolonged bidding duel with Kieran Lalor from Al Shira’aa Stables, standing alongside David Cox. The daughter of STARSPANGLEDBANNER won the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes as a two-year-old and was sold by Watership Down Stud on behalf of breeder Francis Jennings of Stonethorn Stud.
Shadwell Estates’ Angus Gold said outside the sale ring: "A lovely first foal, I saw her on the farm and loved her. We loved her every time we saw her as did Sheikha Hissa. We knew she'd make a lot of money, but we need some fillies for the stud and a first foal out of a Cheveley Park Stakes winner and by a great stallion, it was fairly self-explanatory. She seemed very athletic, very well balanced and has a very good mind, so now she has got to be able to run!
"It is a period of rebuilding and is a long term project for Sheikha Hissa. We have been lucky this year with the older horses and Sheikha Hissa is happy to take a different route to her father Sheikh Hamdan, who did not like to keep the older horses. She is prepared to if we think there is more to come and she has been rewarded with a Group 1 winner. It is exciting times for the stud, but you have to keep regenerating."
Gold added: "She has loved coming here, she can stand looking at the horses all day if someone did not come and move her! She loves coming to see the yearlings and we saw them all on Monday, and she has been back over the three days to see the horses again. She is picking it up very quickly, like her father, and really enjoys the business."
Simon Marsh, General Manager of Watership Down Stud, commented: "She is a beautiful filly and was born and raised at Kiltinan Stud, our farm in Ireland. She has never put a foot wrong all her life and there were a lot of people interested in her. It is extremely rare to have a filly out of a Cheveley Park winner come up for sale, and as attractive as she is. It is a lot more than we thought she would make but I am not ultimately surprised.
"She is very similar to the mare, and she belongs to Francis Jennings whose father Jerry Jennings was a wonderful breeder and bred Sorbus, who became a foundation mare for Juddmonte. He also had Eurobird who was a very good horse who he bred from his farm in Northern Ireland. We have had the mares at Kiltinan Stud for the last fifteen years, and bred Millisle and raced her. It is just reward for Francis and his family who have put enormous trust in us to raise the horses."
Of the purchase by Shadwell, Marsh added: "Sheikha Hissa has taken on the racing operation and Sheikh Hamdan's legacy, and to see the horses running as well as they have over the last two years is a real tribute to him and it is great that she is taking things forward again."
Fittocks Stud’s Frankel Colt to MV Magnier for 950,000 Guineas
The top priced colt on the final day of Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale was the FRANKEL colt out of the Listed placed OASIS DREAM mare MATERIALISTIC who was knocked down to MV Magnier & White Birch Farm for 950,000 guineas. Underbidder on the Fittocks Stud consigned colt was Juddmonte Farms’ Simon Mockridge.
"It is a great family and this colt has always been a fantastic horse," said breeder Luca Cumani.
"Right from the moment he was born, he has looked strong and has been a wonderful horse all the way through. We sold a colt by Frankel to MV Magnier last year and he won yesterday - he was very green and was always going to take a while. "The guys from the farm will be so delighted. It is a great result and we are so grateful to the people who support us and work with us."
Sara Cumani added: "Materialistic is back in foal to Frankel. Her three-year-old with John Gosden called Naaey is going to run in the Pride Stakes on Saturday week, they plan to keep her in training next year."
The pedigree is littered with top class performers including Group 1 winner MAGIC WAND and Irish Oaks winner CHIQUITA, and the Cumanis said: "It is a family that has been very good to us!"
Luca Cumani bought SULK, the dam of PUCE, in 2000 and recalls that "I got a hell of a bollocking then for spending so much money! Thank god it has worked out so well, and so many of the mares have done really well. We owe this family a hell of a lot."
Sumbe Buy Sister to Charyn
Earlier in the day the DARK ANGEL own-sister to CHARYN, a Group 2 winning two-year-old and third in this year's Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes and Group 1 Sussex Stakes, sold for 850,000 guineas to Nurlan Bizakov’s Sumbe. The purchase made a lot of sense for the Normandy-based farm who purchased CHARYN at this sale in 2021 for 250,000 guineas.
The filly was bred and sold by Grangemore Stud and Guy O'Callaghan commented: "We are delighted with that price. She has always been a spectacular filly at home - we are thrilled with the price she made and thrilled with the farm who has got her. She has been a pleasure to do, we had to come over to Tattersalls a day early because of the storm last week - she has been here nine days and not put a foot wrong, it is a lot for a yearling to take and she has been a class act.
"She is very similar to the other siblings but probably the best - they have all been so great out of the mare but there was just something about her."
Recalling the 100,000 guineas purchase of FUTOON at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale in 2017, O'Callaghan said: "My brother David and I bought her here as a four-year-old off the track from Stephen Hillen and Kevin Ryan. We were following her as a racehorse and we were very keen to get her at the sales. She has been a very lucky mare ever since. She comes from a real fast family, there was already a good Dark Angel in the family and she made so much sense."
Chairman's Statement
At the conclusion of Book 1 of the 2023 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented;
“Book 1 of last year’s Tattersalls October Yearling Sale produced some outlandish figures which will most likely remain in the record books for many years to come and it is no surprise that this year’s renewal has not matched the extraordinary 2022 returns which saw a year on year rise in turnover of almost 40 million guineas. Nevertheless Europe’s premier yearling sale has enjoyed plenty of memorable moments very much reflecting the quality of the yearlings which have been on show throughout the past three days.
“Year on year the consignors show enormous faith in Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale with the sale showcasing the very best that Europe has to offer and yet again we have seen so many of the world’s leading owners competing for the finest turf bred yearlings to be found anywhere in the world. Amongst them have been a greater number of yearlings selling for 1 million guineas or more than all other European yearling sales combined, Europe’s highest priced yearling yet again and 40 yearlings selling for in excess of 500,000 guineas which similarly is more than all other European yearlings sales to date this year.
“As ever Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale has attracted buyers from throughout the world, so many of them drawn annually to Park Paddocks by the consistent success of Book 1 horses at the highest level on the global stage. In the course of the past three days buyers from Abu Dhabi, Australia, Bahrain, China, Dubai, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the USA have all made significant contributions at all levels of the market confirming the unparalleled esteem in which the finest European yearlings are held and specifically those found annually at this particular sale. This is a sale that produces stallions and breed shaping broodmares on an annual basis and it is the sale's unrivalled reputation which annually makes this fixture an unmissable event for so many of the most influential thoroughbred owners in the world.
“Amongst the success stories and numerous pinhooking triumphs, there has nevertheless been a selectivity to the market which we must recognise. Last year’s game - changing October Book 1 was always going to be a challenging target, and so it has proved with the sale turnover some way short of the massive 2022 total, but the median has held up well, second only to last year’s record level, the average of almost 250,000 guineas is an impressive figure and the clearance rate in excess of 80% is a solid number. We extend our gratitude as ever to the consignors and purchasers alike whose support is what makes Newmarket and Tattersalls a true hub for the European bloodstock industry and we look forward to seeing this year’s crop of October Book 1 yearlings competing globally at the highest level as well as earning their owners in Britain and Ireland yet more lucrative £25,000 Tattersalls October Book 1 Bonuses.
“In the meantime, we now turn our attention to Books 2, 3 and 4 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale which commences on Monday 9th October with a quality three day catalogue for Book 2 which is a sale with a rich history for producing outstanding racehorses including the likes of 2022 Derby winner DESERT CROWN, EMILY UPJOHN, Hong Kong superstar ROMANTIC WARRIOR and this year’s outstanding two year olds BIG EVS and IBERIAN."
Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale starts at 10am on Monday 9th October.
