“REFERENCES to ‘the cream of the British and Irish foal crops’ have been made constantly throughout the record-breaking Tattersalls December Foal Sale, and the extraordinary figures show the esteem in which the best British and Irish thoroughbreds continue to be held and where ‘the cream’ is to be found,” commented Edmond Mahony at the conclusion of what was a week of historic proportions for the 2024 renewal of the sale.

Records were equalled or bettered throughout the four days, an historic first was achieved when the first female auctioneer took to the podium, and the third day’s sale was simply breathtaking. Alastair Pim took charge as the European record price for a foal was equalled, a record that had stood the test of time for more than a quarter of a century.

Mahony continued: “All week Park Paddocks has been alive with pinhookers from Britain, Ireland and further afield; a combination of veterans who have been plying their trade for many years, and hordes of the younger generation whose enthusiasm and commitment provide encouragement to the wider industry looking forward.

“Equally notable has been the immense contribution made by owners buying to race. The December Foal Sale will always be dominated by pinhookers, but owners, both domestic and international, have made a huge impact on the sale, particularly those from Australia, China, Japan and the USA, as well as from throughout Europe and the Gulf region.

European record

“Between them all they have contributed to a Tattersalls December Foal Sale which will be remembered for a very long time, not only for Whitsbury Manor Stud’s outstanding 2,500,000gns Frankel filly foal out of Suelita, who equalled the 27-year European record price for a foal, but also for a sale which produced an unprecedented number of foals selling for 500,000gns or more, wide margin records across the board for average, median and turnover, and a massive 32 of the 40 highest-priced foals to have been sold in Britain and Ireland this year.

“The confidence that the leading British and Irish breeders show in the uniquely diverse market at Tattersalls is a source of immense pride, and it would be no exaggeration to say that so much of the strength of this week’s foal trade, as well as the record-breaking December Yearling Sale, has been driven by the game-changing Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale a few weeks ago. Those three days of yearlings have driven the European bloodstock market ever since, and to see so many British and Irish breeders and consignors subsequently reaping richly deserved rewards has itself been truly rewarding.

“Not all in the garden has, however, been rosy, and the lowest tier of the market continues to struggle which is a concern, but we can reflect on another 2024 Tattersalls sale which has exceeded expectations, and again shone a positive light on the industry.”

Frankel-mania

Seven foals sold for 700,000gns or more last Friday, five sired by Frankel and two by Sea The Stars. Both sires were responsible for a seven-figure lot. Whitsbury Manor Stud’s own-sister to Chaldean selling for 2,500,000gns guaranteed the Harper family’s operation the top spot among vendors, and in all they sold 21 foals for a staggering 4,347,500gns.

Another family business, the Swinburn’s Genesis Green Stud, sold nine lots for 2,782,500gns, and their two highlights were the Seas The Stars son of Angel’s Point for a million guineas, and he immediately followed the Frankel son of the Group 1 winner Audarya who realised 850,000gns. M.V. Magnier bought the former, while Amo Racing signed for the Frankel.

The spending at this year’s Tattersalls sales by Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing has been nothing short of stupendous. Four foals bought at Tattersalls cost 4,675,000gns, and included three of the four most expensive transactions of the sale. In Book 1 of the October Sale he spent, alone or with partners, 22,940,000gns, and his purchases included the sale-topping Frankel filly out of Aljazzi at 4,400,000gns. His spend in Books 2 and 3 topped three million guineas.

THE international dimension to the December Foal Sale results was demonstrated when Yulong Investments, signing as Willingham, spent 3,224,000gns on 17 lots, and Harry Sweeney’s Paca Paca Farm in Japan was successful in acquiring 14 lots for 1,680,000gns.

The O’Callaghan name was prominent on the list, Gay’s Yeomanstown narrowly heading brother Tony’s Tally-Ho on numbers bought, 15 against 13. M.V. Magnier bought just two foals, Genesis Green’s Sea The Stars, and a Frankel filly from West Blagdon for 800,000gns.

While Bill Dwan’s The Castlebridge Consignment included a number of Irish foals, it was Harry McCalmont’s Norelands who headed the Irish drafts, selling a dozen foals for 1,833,000gns. Baroda and Castletown Studs were others among the top 10 consignors.

Five Frankel foals averaged 1,140,000gns, and he was followed by Sea The Stars, whose three lots traded for an average of just short of 600,000gns.

After his sensational season with juveniles, Wootton Bassett ranked third on the sires’ table with seven lots selling for an average of 320,000gns. There was huge interest in the first foals by Baaeed at the sale, and all seven offered were sold. They averaged 240,000gns, and even more impressive was the fact that the median was 260,000gns.

Another sire with his first foals on the ground is Blackbeard, who retired to stud at a fee of €25,000. Ten of his 12 lots offered sold and averaged 115,900gns, with a best price of 300,000gns.