A YEAR ago Tattersalls launched the Sceptre Sessions at the December Mares Sale, whereby approximately 100 of the top lots in the sale were offered in two batches on the first two evenings.

That inaugural year saw Alcohol Free top the sale when selling for 5.4 million guineas, followed by Saffron Beach fetching 3.6 million guineas. A total of 11 lots made seven-figure sums.

This year’s catalogue numbers 1,059 lots and 83 of them are included in the Sceptre Sessions, which take place next Monday and Tuesday.

They include 1000 Guineas winner Cachet, Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes winner Via Sistina, and the Ralph Beckett-trained duo of Lezoo and Prosperous Voyage, winners of the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes and the Group 1 Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes respectively.

Two other Group 1-winning race fillies on offer are South African performer Vernichey and Group 1 Prix Vermeille winner Teona, carrying her first foal by champion sire Frankel. In total there are 33 group and listed-winning race fillies to be offered across the two Sceptre Sessions. Other star performers include the Group 1 Matron Stakes runner-up Rogue Millennium, winner of the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot, Group 2 Lowther Stakes winning two-year-old Relief Rally, and twice Group 1-placed listed winner Get Ahead, the half-sister to 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean.

Group 2 winners

They will be joined by the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks winner Poptronic, fellow Group 2 winners Polly Pott, Purplepay and Zain Claudette, and 11 further group winners, including the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye runner-up White Lavender and Maxux, a wide-margin Group 3 winner on just her fourth start.

Additional Group 3 winners include Jim Bolger’s Clever And Cool, Dawn Charger, Joseph O’Brien’s Goldana, Jessica Harrington’s Paris Peacock, River Of Stars, Roman Mist, Sydneyarms Chelsea and the Ado McGuinness-trained Tiger Belle.

As well as Group 1 winner Teona, multiple top-class mares will be offered carrying their first foals including Group 3 winner Nazanin, and listed winners Geocentric and Primo Bacio, all in foal to champion sire Frankel, and group winners Eve Lodge, Silence Please and Twilight Spinner, in foal to Justify, Kingman and Mehmas respectively.

THE Sceptre Sessions feature fillies and mares from the best families in the European stud book including Creulla De Vill, a Dubawi half-sister to exceptional broodmare Lillie Langtry, and the five-length listed winner Final Gesture, a Dubawi daughter of Oaks runner-up Secret Gesture and granddaughter of blue hen Shastye.

Astrologia, a four-year-old Galileo daughter of So Mi Dar and granddaughter of great racemare and producer Dar Re Mi, comes from Watership Down Stud, and Galileo Gal, a Galileo half-sister to the three classic/Group 1 winners Alpha Centauri, Alpine Star and Discoveries, is consigned by Norelands Stud. Those two are in foal to Wootton Bassett and New Bay respectively.

The dams of six Group/Grade 1 winners are in the catalogue, including Via Sistina’s dam Nigh, and Tutti Frutti, dam of fellow 2023 Grade 1 winner Anisette, who is currently the highest rated three-year-old turf filly in the US. Callisto Star, the dam of Grade 1 American Oaks winner Rhea Moon, and Muhawalah, dam of Group 1 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes winner Eshaada, are amongst other exceptional female producers in the sale.

Four-time Group 1 winner

They will be joined by Alina, dam of four-time Group 1 winner Barney Roy.

Young broodmares Vida Amorisa, the dam of Group 2 winning young sire Persian Force, and Rioticism, the dam of Group 2 winner Ladies Church, are also among the highlights. Covering sires featured in the Sceptre Sessions include Frankel, Justify, Kingman, Lope De Vega, No Nay Never, Night Of Thunder, Sea The Stars and Wootton Bassett.

THE Godolphin consignment is a perennial highlight of the December Mares Sale and for good reason, with domestic and international stars such as four-time Group 1 winner Highfield Princess and top Australian three-year-old Militarize among the progeny of dams sourced from previous Godolphin drafts, sold for 18,000gns and 150,000gns respectively.

This year’s draft numbers 46 fillies and mares with eyecatchers including Group 1 winner White Moonstone and group performer Hanky Panky, a Galileo daughter of the exceptional broodmare Mariah’s Storm in foal to French classic winner Persian King.

The listed-winning Dubawi mare Pabouche and Beautiful Timing, a Dubawi half-sister to Group 1 winner Cursory Glance, are both offered in foal to five-time Group 1 winner Palace Pier, and the team also includes several beautifully bred fillies out of Group 1 winners such as Youngest, a daughter of Dubawi and Grade 1 winner Sheikha Reika, Saamyaa, a Sea The Stars filly out of Group 1 winner Nezwaah and Joyful Act, a daughter of Frankel and dual classic winner Blue Bunting, as well as half-sisters to Group 1 winners Dream Castle and Lord North.

Amongst this year’s regally-bred team of 29 fillies and broodmares from Juddmonte are Radiator, a listed-placed Dubawi daughter of Grade 1 winner Heat Haze and a half-sister to Group 1 winner Mirage Dancer, and her close relation Very Good News, the dam of Group 1-placed Weekender and a daughter of outstanding broodmare Hasili, who will be offered in foal to Nathaniel and New Bay respectively.

Sisters to star Juddmonte performers including Calyx, New Bay and Workforce are amongst the other highlights, alongside the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes winner Riposte, a half-sister to Group 1 winner Powerscourt and to Kind, dam of the peerless Frankel, who will be offered in foal to Churchill.

Highlights among young mares include Fraxinella, a daughter of Frankel and Group 2 winner Lucky Kristale who will be offered in foal to Kingman.

THE outstanding broodmare Kensea, dam of Group 1 winners Sealiway and Sunway, is the only wildcard in the Sceptre Sessions and she will be offered for sale on Tuesday evening.

Owned and bred by champion French owner/breeder Guy Pariente, Kensea is by Pariente’s top class sire Kendargent out of the winning Gold Away mare Sea Island and is in foal to the young proven Group 1 sire Zarak to a March 29th cover.

The only dam of two Group 1 winners to be offered at public auction anywhere in the world this year, Kensea will be consigned from James Hanly’s Ballyhimikin Stud.

Kensea was a high-class race filly herself, winning two races as a two-year-old including the Listed Prix Herod at Chantilly. Her two Group 1 winners are both by Galiway, who stands alongside Kendargent at Haras de Colleville.

Sealiway was crowned champion French two-year-old colt in 2020 and ended his three -year-old season winning the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot.

Sunway has already emulated his older brother as a Group 1 winning two-year-old, having won the Group 1 Critérium International over a mile at Saint-Cloud in October.

There are five other wildcards in the December Sale and two of them, Star Girls Aalmal and Pipsy, are Irish-trained. Offered by Norelands Stud, Star Girls Aalmal was trained by Henry de Bromhead to finish fourth in the Irish 1000 Guineas, the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Group 3 Park Express Stakes.

The Ger Lyons-trained Pipsy was an impressive winner of the Listed Legacy Stakes at Dundalk recently. Consigned by Kilcarn Park, the 100-rated daughter of Kodiac is out of a High Chaparral half-sister to the multiple Group/Grade 1 placed Ziyad from the outstanding Wildenstein family of champion mare Aquarelliste.

Group 3 winner Araminta (by Gleneagles), Group 3 runner-up Nigiri (by Lope De Vega) and two-year-old listed winner Graceful Thunder (by Havana Grey) are the other wildcard entries.

Sale info

Sale: Tattersalls December Mares Sale at Newmarket

Date/time: Monday, December 4th to Thursday, December 7th (9.30am)

Lots: 1,067

Info: Elite lots (83) will be offered in the Sceptre Sessions, towards the end of the Monday and Tuesday trade

Tel: 0044 1638 665931

Web: tattersalls.com