CONSIGNORS and sales companies must have entered the 2024 yearling sales season with a degree of trepidation, given how the market tightened at the spring’s breeze-up sales.

Granted, their buying benches differ from the autumn’s to a degree, but the mixed fortunes of breeze-up consignors predicted a tightening of their purse strings when it came to reinvesting.

That, the lack of European buyers at British breeze-up sales, and the increasingly selective market at the lower end provides a stiff test for the Tattersalls Somerville Sale, which extends to two days for the first time this week.

A total of 466 lots will go under the hammer on Monday, September 2nd, and Tuesday, September 3rd, with selling beginning at 10am each morning.

Exceeding expectations

Despite my apprehension, the Tattersalls team have plenty to be cheerful about regarding what they dub “Europe’s most progressive yearling sale”. Since its introduction in 2021, the sale has celebrated numerous success stories on the track, the most recent being Bradsell’s incredible revival.

Bought by Ed Dunlop and Highflyer Bloodstock at the very first sale for 12,000gns, he went on to land the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and returned the following year to beat Highfield Princess in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes.

A close to career-ending injury seemed to have ended the fairytale, but Archie Watson’s charge appeared better than ever when landing the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes recently.

The son of Tasleet is one of 28 Somerville Sale graduates to have won or placed at Group or listed level in 2023/2024. They also include three-time Grade 1 winner Anisette, Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes heroine Arabian Dusk, Group 2 Lowther Stakes winner Relief Rally and Group 3 Acomb Stakes victor Indian Run.

Success off the track

A successful 2023 season saw the sale return its best figures last September, with an average price of 31,904gns and median price of 27,000gns. 271 of the 305 lots offered found favour with buyers, producing an admirable clearance rate of 89%.

Seven yearlings sold for six-figure sums, the most expensive of which was Stroud Coleman’s 155,000gns purchase of a Havana Grey filly. Now named Sexy Rascal, George Scott’s unraced charge enjoyed an update when her half-sister Super Sox recently won a listed race for Paddy Twomey.

Those statistics must have been key in consignors supporting the sale with its biggest catalogue to date, featuring siblings to 77 stakes performers and 66 yearlings out of blacktype mares.

The very first lot in the catalogue is a fine example of the quality pedigrees, as a Blue Point son of the multiple Stakes-placed mare Achnaha.

Potential highlights on Day 1

Lot 16: Sioux Nation own-sister to listed runner-up Shagraan, out of Group 2 performer Annie Fior

Lot 28: Half-sister to Group 3 winner and Group 2 German 1000 Guineas second Queues Likely

Lot 36: Half-sister to Norfolk Stakes second Malc, from the first crop of Lope Y Fernandez

Lot 39: Half-brother to Grade 2 scorer Gift List, out of the Group 3-winning Machiavellian mare Birthstone

Lot 47: Dandy Man half-brother to Windsor Castle Stakes victor Ain’t Nobody

Lot 55: Starspangledbanner filly out of a Galileo own-sister to Group 1 second Espionage

Lot 57: Saxon Warrior colt out of Group 3 Albany Stakes second Celtic Beauty

Lot 85: Soldier’s Call filly is a half-sister to Time For Sandals, who recently finished second in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes

Lot 93: Ardad half-brother to Queen Mary Stakes second Maylandsea

Lot 127: Ardad filly out of an own-sister to Mecca’s Angel, herself the dam of Content and Bedtime Story

Lot 154: Half-sister to Palace House Stakes victor Seven Questions, from the first crop of Starman

Lot 156: Lucky Vega colt is a three-parts brother to multiple Stakes winner Fort Del Oro, herself the dam of a Group 3 winner. Out of Queen Mary Stakes heroine Gilded

Lot 204: Cotai Glory half-brother to listed winner Aesterius, who recently finished second in the Molecomb Stakes

Potential highlights on Day 2

Lot 235: Earthlight filly is a half-sister to Grade 1-winning juvenile La Pelosa

Lot 274: Dark Angel colt out of listed winner Mia Tesoro, who also finished second at Group 2 level

Lot 279: Half-brother to Believing, now a dual Group winner and three-time listed winner, who finished second in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes

Lot 349: Daughter of Group 3 winner Queen Of Bermuda hails from the first crop of Palace Pier

Lot 350: Teofilo filly out of a listed-winning Dubawi mare, from the family of Mastercraftsman

Lot 362: Mohaather half-sister to listed winner Betty Clover, who finished second in the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes since the catalogue was printed

Lot 366: Kameko colt out of three-time group winner Rose Of Kildare

Lot 420: Colt by top sire Galiway, out of a listed-winning mare from the family of Irishcorrespondent

Lot 436: Sottsass half-sister to Group 3 victor and sire Heeraat

Lot 451: Iffraaj filly out of listed winner and Group 2 third Valonia

All lots are eligible for the £100,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes and £150,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes.

The catalogue can be viewed online at tattersalls.com.