RACING at the top level on the flat is dominated by some powerful global operations who mostly breed their own stock, so there is no guarantee that you’ll find future Group 1 winners on offer in a foal sale.
But if you’re going to find them anywhere it’s probably going to be at Tattersalls next week, where there’s over 1,000 foals on offer and the catalogue is almost weighed down with blacktype.
The pre-sale publicity from the sales company proclaimed “Buy your Chaldean or Vandeek at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale” and that is quite a boast.
Let the record show that Chaldean was a 550,000gns purchase by Juddmonte here in 2020, before going on to win the Dewhurst and the 2000 Guineas. Vandeek was sold for 52,000gns here the following year. He came back to Tattersalls as a yearling and only made 42,000gns before blossoming into a Craven Breeze-Up sale-topper at 625,000gns and winning the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes.
Incredibly, this year’s catalogue has half-brothers to both of those exceptional animals.
Whitsbury Manor Stud consigns the Showcasing half-brother to Chaldean, whose Kingman half-sister topped last year’s renewal of the sale at one million guineas. Maywood Stud will consign the Starspangledbanner half-brother to Vandeek.
In total the catalogue features own and half-brothers and sisters to 148 group and listed winners, including 10 Group 1 winners.
There’s a Palace Pier half-sister to this year’s Haydock Sprint Cup winner Regional, himself a December Foal Sale graduate when bought for 35,000gns in 2018.
The Frankel half-brother to Group 1 Nassau Stakes winner Lady Bowthorpe and the New Bay own-brother to Group 1 Champion Stakes winner Bay Bridge are other highlights, alongside half-sisters to dual Group 1 winner and Oaks second Emily Upjohn and the dual Group 1 winner Dubai Honour, by first season sires Starman and St Mark’s Basilica respectively.
There are also 98 foals out of group and listed-winning mares catalogued including a St Mark’s Basilica filly out of the Oaks winner Talent, and a Frankel colt out of her Group 2-winning daughter Ambition.
Cheveley Park Stud offer a Ulysses colt out of Group 1 winner Echelon alongside a Palace Pier colt out of her Group 1-winning daughter Integral.
Frankel fillies out of the Grade 1 winner Blowout (a daughter of Poule d’Essai des Pouliches winner Beauty Parlour) and the Group 2 winner Liberty Beach are amongst the other highlights.
The largest consignment is the team of 58 foals coming from Richard Kent’s Mickley Stud followed by the 44 catalogued from Barton Stud. Whitsbury Manor Stud has a team of 24 foals and Ringfort Stud, who consigned this year’s Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan winner Anmaat at the 2018 December Foal Sale, will offer 14.
No less than 230 lots are by the current top 25 active British and Irish sires, including Australia, Camelot, Churchill, Cracksman, Dark Angel, Frankel, Gleneagles, Havana Grey, Invincible Spirit, Kingman, Kodiac, Lope De Vega, New Bay, Night Of Thunder, No Nay Never, Sea The Moon, Sea The Stars, Showcasing, Sioux Nation, Starspangledbanner and Wootton Bassett.
The 14 first-crop sires represented include Japan, Palace Pier, Space Blues, St Mark’s Basilica, Starman, Supremacy and Victor Ludorum.
There is also significant representation from stallions who have made a favourable impression with their first crop of runners in 2023, including Blue Point, Calyx, Soldier’s Call, Ten Sovereigns and Too Darn Hot.
Sale info
Sale: Tattersalls December Foal Sale at Newmarket
Date/time: Tuesday, November 28th to Saturday, December 2nd (10am)
Lots: 1,084
Info: New format this year. Foals will sell on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, with a viewing day on Thursday.
Tel: 0044 1638 665931
Web: tattersalls.com