THE top lot on the opening day of the Tattersalls February Sale was Shadwell Estate Company’s Taqaareed, a winning Sea The Stars full-sister to the champion Taghrooda. She was offered in foal to Pinatubo and sold for 200,000gns to bloodstock agent Jill Lamb, standing with Childwickbury Stud’s Sally Flatt.

“She stood out really - she is a full-sister to a champion, she is a lovely model and she is in foal to a champion whose yearlings were very well received. We tried very hard to buy a foal by him last year and we could not get one,” explained Lamb. “It was a bit more than we were planning to spend and that was definitely our last bid, she added. “The plan is to have a meeting right now, but I guess we would like to try and find a Dubawi stallion for her.”

Childwickbury is owned by Paul and Sally Flatt and Taqaareed is the sixth addition to the broodmare band on the farm. Lamb said: “Sally and Paul want to build the stud back up to where it was when it was owned by Mr Jim Joel.”

Stud manager Christian Williams was also in the ring and commented: “We are looking to buy commercial mares, and we will keep some nice fillies to add to the broodmare band and sell the colts. We are delighted to buy this mare and it was a great opportunity.”

Juddmonte sale

The Juddmonte-consigned and impeccably-bred three-year-old Retort boasted an impressive win subsequent to the catalogue publication, so it was no surprise that the son of Frankel proved one of the most eagerly sought after lots on the opening day. He was eventually knocked down to Alastair Donald of SackvilleDonald for 125,000gns on behalf of Highclere Australia.

Donald commented: “We have had a bit of luck for Highclere - we bought the subsequent Group 1 winner Durstan for the team and they have a nice horse at the moment in Australia called Naval College who has won his last three. [Retort] was not really on the radar until that last win, which I think jumped him up a bit. He will be going to Annabel Neasham and I think Harry Herbert will have no problem selling the shares quite quickly, particularly after the success they have had of late.”

Knocktoran Stud

The O’Mahony family recently purchased Knocktoran Stud, previously owned by Brendan and Anne-Marie Hayes, and they added to their growing broodmare band with the purchase of Lady Bullet. James O’Mahony went to 62,000gns to secure the listed-placed daughter of James Garfield, who was consigned by her trainer Alice Haynes.

“We will get her home and make plans then, but she has her blacktype now and she will be retired to stud, “said O’Mahony.”

We are usually trying to make fillies with blacktype but sometimes you have to buy them! We will send her to a proven stallion. We have not done much with the farm yet. We are going to foal the mares at home and then move them over – the plan is to run Springwell as the farm, and the new farm as the stud. We would like to keep to around 15 of our own mares, but who knows what the future will bring.”

Clearpoint bought for 22,000gns and sold for €75,000

PURCHASED for 22,000gns from Richard Fahey’s yard last August, the Charlie Fellowes-trained Clearpoint regained winning ways in November, taking his career tally to four, and yesterday the four-year-old son of Ardad realised 75,000gns. He headed trade on the second day of the Tattersalls February Sale, being bought for 75,000 by PCF Racing.

Trainer Simon Hodgson, who took over the training stables from the late Peter Hedger, did the bidding. “He has been bought for John Whelan of PCF Racing,” said Hodgson. “I don’t know if we will run on Sunday [holds a listed race entry]; we will need to chat about it. John is a big supporter of his trainers, has lost some good sprint handicappers and has been looking to replace them. This was the only horse we had on the list that was worth having a look at. John is in his eighties, loves going racing, and when he gets a bee in his bonnet he normally buys.”

Of this horse, he outlined: “He has been running well, I would have liked his Turf form to have been a little bit stronger but he looks as though he does not want heavy ground. We should have a lot of fun with him.

J.D. Moore purcgase

First Encore from the Ed Walker Racing draft was bought by J.D. Moore for 62,000gns. The three-year-old Acclamation gelding is the winner of his last two starts over seven furlongs and is now rated 81.

Moore said: “He is for trainer Hamad Al Jehani in Qatar, who has the recent Qatar Derby winner Jeff Koons in his stable and he has been very lucky at Tattersalls. This is a very good physical, his form is rock solid, he looks progressive with a lovely profile and he has been very well produced by Ed Walker.”