The four-day Tattersalls December Foal Sale began on Tuesday with a session which saw increases in the median, average and clearance rate from the equivalent day in 2023.
Some 61% of foals offered were sold, up from 59% on this day last year. The median price rose from 8,000gns to 9,000gns and the average price of 12,086gns was up 8% on 12 months ago.
Topping the day's trade was a colt by first crop sire Space Traveller, a dual Group 2 and multiple Group 1-placed son of Bated Breath who stands at Starfield Stud in Mullingar.
Consigned by Barton Stud on behalf of breeder Steve Parkin’s Rathbride Farm, the May-foaled colt was knocked down for 82,000gns to Mick and Ciara Carty of Kilmoney Cottage Stud in Rathangan, Co Kildare. Bidding online under the name 'KCS Bloodstock' the Cartys saw off Michael Fitzpatrick, Brendan Morrin and Billy Jackson-Stops to secure the colt.
Kilmoney Cottage Stud pinhooked this year's Queen Mary Stakes winner Leovanni.
Of the Space Traveller colt, Ciara Carty said: "For us he was the best physical today. He walks well, has size and scope and is only a May foal and he stood out for us. We can't fault the sire - he was a good racehorse. We underbid one by him last week, another good physical, and the stallion seems to be stamping his stock. This colt has a nice pedigree too and we will hope to bring him back here for the October Yearling Sales."
Consignor Tom Blain said: "He was a talking horse for today, and I was told that he was a standout foal today. He is a beautiful colt, a beautiful mover, a beautiful colour - and to be fair the stallion is a beauty. This foal is a perfect example of what you hope to get if you send a mare to a stallion like that."
He added: "Steve Parkin wanted to show the industry that the stallion is producing good foals, and I think this foal has achieved that - and he has a good pedigree with a Royal Ascot winner this year. He is good enough to be offered any day this week, but today has paid off and all the judges were on him, all the pinhookers."
The May-foaled colt is a half-brother to Ain't Nobody, winner of the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot this year, out of Burmese Waltz, a winning daughter of Showcasing from the family of Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Domedriver.
Nathaniel for Tally-Ho
The second highest priced lot of the opening session was the Altenbach Bloodstock-consigned Nathaniel colt, who was bought for 55,000gns by Tally-Ho Stud having seen off the persistent effort of underbidder Tom Whelan of Church View Stables.
Tally-Ho Stud’s Roger O'Callaghan revealed: "He is a very athletic foal, by a good sire in Nathaniel and will be coming back here for resale."
Consignor Alexandra Whitehead commented: "We are delighted with that. He has been a lovely straightforward colt, he has showed well from the start and settled in well here, he is a lovely mover, and the sire is doing very well. The mare is in-foal to Golden Horn."
The colt is a half-brother to the Listed Prix Finlande winner and Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary runner up Olendon out of the Sunday Break mare Talema from the family of American Grade 1 winners Hail Atlantis and Bandini, as well as prolific stakes-producing sire Stormy Atlantic.
Pinatubo colt
Barton Stud also consigned another of the opening day’s highlights with a colt by Pinatubo following hot on the heels of the session topper into the sales ring. The son of Shamardal has enjoyed a promising start to his career at stud with four blacktype performers to date from his first crop, and the April-foaled colt duly realised 50,000gns to the bid of first-time purchasers St Simon Bloodstock.
St Simon Bloodstock’s Anna Raddavero commented: "We liked him the first time we saw him! This is our first experience buying here and we are very happy! We don’t know what will happen, we will see how he grows and then decide because we have some that we sell and others that we race. We have some horses here in Newmarket, Palazzo Blu won on debut and that was also our first experience as an owner."
Barton Stud’s Tom Blain commented: "He is out of High Hopes and was bred by Dukes Stud's Charlie Wyatt. They do a great job, and Charlie and Will kindly give us the horses to sell. They are lovely people and it is great to get a result for them.
"The mare is coming through next week because they are slimming down a bit. Dukes is a beautiful stud, they breed lovely horses and it is just a pleasure to be part of such an historic operation. We have been selling for them for three or four years and they have a lovely draft to sell on Friday."
The colt’s dam High Hopes is a homebred daughter of Zamindar who was twice placed at listed level for Major Michael Wyatt, and she will be offered as Lot 1272 by Barton Sales at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale next week.
A significant milestone was also reached in the first session of the December Foal Sale with Shirley Anderson-Jolag taking to the rostrum at Park Paddocks to become the first female auctioneer at Tattersalls in its 258-year history, and the first at a public thoroughbred sale in Britain and Ireland.
The Foal Sale continues on Wednesday.