THE yearling sales wagon rolls on to Book 3 on October 17th and 18th, with Book 4 taking place from 6pm on the Friday evening. As per Book 1 and 2, both catalogues have been reduced from 2023 levels, with 571 listed at Book 3 (-12%) and 81 lots for Book 4 (-26%).

A tightening of the selection process should help maintain key statistics, with Book 3 having produced its third best average (19,100gns), median (15,000) and turnover (9,080,000gns) in 2023.

An impressive set of results on the track should encourage buyers, with Group 1 Prix du Moulin victor Tribalist leading a list of 19 stakes winners so far this year. Stroud Coleman’s 130,000gns purchase was more expensive than is customary for Book 3, with Queen Mary Stakes heroine Leovanni more characteristic of the sale at 20,000gns.

The cheapest of this year’s Book 3 flagbearers is Sunset Glory, the Del Mar listed winner bought by Mark Flannery for just 5,000gns. Gill Richardson forged a strong reputation for unearthing bargains, including 30,000gns buy Youmzain, and Certain Lad is one of the most recent reminders of the agent’s judgement.

Bought at Book 3 for 13,000gns, Jack Channon’s admirable eight-year-old is a dual stakes winner this season, bringing his total stakes wins to five and career wins to 11. Never out of the first four in six starts this season, the son of Clodovil has amassed over £445,000 in earnings.

The sale’s six Group 2-winning graduates in 2023 included Ivan Furtado’s 8,000gns purchase Just Beautiful, while William Jarvis’s 6,000gns buy Knights Order was one of three Group 1 winners the previous year.

Potential stars

Despite the bargain prices listed above, the Book 3 catalogue features the progeny of proven Group 1 sires, ranging from Acclamation and New Bay, to Oasis Dream and Showcasing. Possible highlights based on pedigree include:

Lot 1273: Blue Point colt out of the multiple group-placed mare Anahita

Lot 1300: Time Test half-brother to dual group winner and Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes second Simmering

Lot 1315: This Ulysses half-brother to listed winner Mukaddamah has benefitted from notable updates, with half-sister Fiery Lucy having finished second in a pair of Group 3 contests

Lot 1318: Filly from the first crop of St Mark’s Basilica, out of a half-sister to Peeping Fawn

Lot 1360: Showcasing own-brother to Group 3 performer Endless Joy and a half-brother to another two stakes winners

Lot 1367: Invincible Spirit colt out of the listed winner and Group 3-placed Gorane

Lot 1417: Sea The Moon colt out of Cheveley Park Stakes winner Magical Romance. He is a half-brother to a dual listed winner and to the dam of Channel

Lot 1423: Bated Breath half-brother to dual Group/Grade 3 winner Queen Blossom, herself the dam of top-class filly Blue Rose Cen

Lot 1463: Ardad colt out of a blacktype mare. He is a three-parts brother to Group 2 second Yazaman (Kodiac) and listed winner Royal Commando

Lot 1667: Ardad half-sister to two blacktype horses and to the dam of two pattern performers. Their listed-winning dam is an own-sister to the dam of Giofra

Book 4’s sire list is less commercial, the pages lighter on blacktype, but it has produced the likes of Oscula (4,000gns) in recent years.

Bought by Michael Aguiar from Kilpatrick Farm in 2020, the daughter of Galileo Gold went on to win three Group 3 contests and placed in the Prix Marcel Boussac before selling for €1 million.