THE sales season in Europe drew to a spectacular close as events at Goffs and Tattersalls demonstrated a terrific and unrelenting demand for foals, while the prices for blue chip breeding stock went through the roof. The yearling trade meant that demand for foals was also going to be strong but it still appeared to exceed the expectations of many.

At the Tattersalls December Foal and Mare Sales in Newmarket, the four-day Foal Sale produced a record average and a record-equalling median, while the turnover broke through 30 million guineas for the fifth consecutive year.

The top of the market saw the number of foals making 200,000gns or more grow from 16 to 26 and the Capital Bloodstock outfit, headed up by Neil Gilchrist, were major new players to emerge for some top quality foals. In all, Capital, who were acting for an English family buying to race, spent 2.2 millon guineas for 10 foals and signed for four of the top 10 lots.

A strong foal sale was the prelude to a spectacular December Mare Sale where a new European record for a thoroughbred at public auction was set by the Group 1-winning sprinter Marsha after she was knocked down to M.V. Magnier for 6 million guineas.

Marsha headed an extraordinary session where 10 lots hit six figures and the day’s trade broke the European record for turnover recorded in a single day at a thoroughbred auction.

GOFFS NOVEMBER SALE

A new-look Goffs November Sale also witnessed some red hot trade as the decision to revise the foal sale paid notable dividends.

This year Goffs took the decision to begin the foal sale with the three strongest days, as opposed to building towards a climax over five days, and this new format was very well received.

Compared to the corresponding three days in 2016, Part I of the foal sale produced a 43% rise in turnover, a 22 point increase in average and an eight percent progression for the median. The clearance rate also progressed markedly to 81%, while the number of six-figure transactions grew from 31 to 56.

At the top of the market the week long sale was dominated by dissolution of various partnerships between Coolmore and the China Horse Club.

This dispersal produced both of the sale’s seven-figure transactions and the first of these came in the shape of a €1.1 million filly foal by Galileo who was bought by agent Hugo Lascelles for an American client who will race their purchase in Britain.

The following afternoon produced the highest price of the year at Goffs as Inca Princess, the dam of the Galileo filly as well as the Melbourne Cup second Johannes Vermeer and the Group 2 heroine Elizabeth Browning, cost agent Laurent Benoit €1.9m.

The sale of Inca Princess bettered the €1.6 million paid for Beauty Parlour, who headed last year’s Wildenstein Dispersal.