“SHE would grace any paddock in the world.” With these words auctioneer Alastair Pim introduced what he suggested, correctly, was the star of the show.

As darkness fell on the sales yard at Tattersalls late on Friday afternoon, Whitsbury Manor Stud’s Kingman half-sister to Chaldean, himself a 550,000gns foal and winner of the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes, Group 2 Champagne Stakes and Group 3 Acomb Stakes, and the favourite for next year’s 2000 Guineas, strode into the sale ring.

After six minutes of theatre, starting with an opening bid of 200,000gns, the hammer fell at a million guineas. The purchase was the third of the day by Juddmonte’s Simon Mockridge, and their most expensive Tattersalls purchasse. Chaldean carries the famous silks of the organisation.

The filly is the sixth most expensive foal ever sold at a Tattersalls December Foal Sale, and the most expensive filly since 2018. Among those in contention for the prize lot were Philipp von Stauffenberg in the left gangway, Michael Donohoe, who was sitting to the left of the rostrum with Mr Zhang, and an online bidder.

David Redvers, standing in the bidders’ area, stepped in at 850,000gns and pushed out a couple of bids, Mockridge eventually pressing the button at 1,000,000gns.

Mockridge said: “We are delighted. It is always going to be expensive buying a filly like that when you’ve got a new Group 1 winner on the page. Chaldean is very exciting; we were delighted to buy him from Whitsbury and the Harpers do a great job, and I am very happy for Ed Harper and his team.

“The family want to reinvest in pedigrees. This is a very strong page and, with Chaldean, who knows what is going to happen next year. She could be a very valuable filly going forward. Kingman has had such a good season with two Group 1 winners and 14 individual group winners. He is going from strength to strength.”

Appreciate support

Ed Harper said: “What has it been, two months’ since the Dewhurst? It feels like a long long two months! Thank goodness we had her entered here. I could not have hung on another year waiting to sell her. Every time someone dropped a spanner at home, you fear! It is lovely to get a big round figure like that and we really appreciate Juddmonte’s support.

“They supported us by buying Chaldean and they have done it again. Hopefully she can repay that and be a bit of sport on the racetrack before going to Frankel in a couple of years’ time. She is nailed on to be a broodmare for Frankel. Hopefully she is the perfect sort of mare for him, not just pedigree and physic, too - hopefully she wins a couple of Group 1s!”

Success

Chaldean is the best of his dam Suelita’s offspring, joining Alkumait and The Broghie Man as stakes-winnings son of their dam. From an excellent female line, Suelita sold for 3,2000gns as a yearling. She went to Italy where she won four times and was placed on 20 occasions.

Sent back to be sold at Tattersalls as a four-year-old, it took a little wheeler-dealing by Whitsbury Manor’s Chris Harper to secure Suelita for breeding, and the deal was completed in a private transaction for 21,500gns.

Whitsbury Manor, now run by Ed Harper, will be looking forward with huge anticipation next spring to the arrival of the next progeny of Suelita, by Showcasing, and it must be short odds that she will be among the elite mares who will be considered for a covering by Juddmonte’s Frankel in 2023.

Minutes after spending a million guineas for the sale topper, Juddmonte was back in the fray, this time buying the second foal of the listed winner and Grade 1 runner-up Awesometank.

Offered from Heatherwold Stud, the filly is another by Frankel, and she sold for 500,000gns.

During Friday's stunning session, Juddmonte spent almost 2.5 million guineas on just four filly foals. In addition to the pair described above, Juddmonte spent 500,000gns on a Lope De Vega filly from Langton Stud and 425,000gns on a Kingman filly from Selwood Bloodstock.

Immediately prior to the sale-topper, Whitsbury Manor also sold a filly by Frankel, the first foal of a stakes-placed daughter of Showcasing, for 320,000gns. Bloodstock agent Tina Rau secured her for Gestüt Fährhof. The dam, Heartwarming, is a half-sister to the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes and Flying Childers Stakes winner Heartache.

In amongst these dizzying prices, Fiona Craig of Moyglare Stud managed to secure a Frankel filly foal from the Lillingston family's Mount Coote Stud for 550,000gns. The filly is a half-sister to three blacktype horses in Italian Group 3 winner Elisa Again, talented British stayer Berkshire Rocco and consistent Irish filly Sunset Shiraz.