by Carl Evans
Share prices may have plunged in Great Britain on Monday, but 24 hours later book one of the Tattersalls Timeform Millions October yearling sale proved surprisingly buoyant.
Helped by several key investments from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the day closed with total receipts of $26,333,727 (15,078,000 guineas), an average price of $199,497 (114,227 guineas), and a median of $139,720 (80,000 guineas). Compared with the corresponding 2007 session, total sales increased 3.6% and average dipped 1.1%.
“We’re pleased and relieved,” said Tattersalls’ director Jimmy George.
Tattersalls was unwilling to compare figures with those of 12 months ago because that was a four-day sale of 733 horses, while book one this year is three sessions and 611 yearlings. Average price was down 10.3% down compared with last year’s cumulative book one average.
Yearlings by prominent European sires Galileo (Ire), Pivotal, and Montjeu (Ire) featured heavily among top-priced horses, but the number one spot went to a colt by Oasis Dream (GB), who was bought by Sheikh Mohammed’s adviser, John Ferguson, for $873,250 (500,000 guineas).
Offered by Liam Cashman’s Rathbarry Stud, the colt is a half brother to Finsceal Beo, one of the stars of the 2007 European racing season when she won both the Stan James One Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) and Boylesports Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1).
Oasis Dream is a Juddmonte stallion based at Newmarket’s Banstead Manor Stud.
Ferguson also signed the ticket for an $838,320 (480,000 guineas) Pivotal filly from Brian Grassick’s Newtown Stud and an $803,390 (460,000 guineas) colt by Dynaformer, who stands at Three Chimneys in Midway, Kentucky, and is gaining in stature in Europe. Group 1 winner Rainbow View, by Dynaformer, is a leading candidate to be named Europe’s champion two-year-old filly.
Bloodstock agent Oliver St. Lawrence was underbidder when Ferguson signed for the Pivotal filly, but he purchased a Galileo full sister to 2007 Ladbrokes St. Leger (Eng-G1) runner-up Mahler for $838,320 (480,000gns). The Galileo filly was offered by Chris Budgett’s Kirtlington Stud.
“She’s been bought for Fawzi Nass, who trains in Bahrain and Dubai, and who bought Aislabie Stud [formerly Collin Stud] in August last year,” St. Lawrence said. “He’s spent a lot of money doing it up and is now putting together some foundation mares. He’s got eight there, and we bought a [three-quarter] sister to Shamardal at [the] Keeneland [September yearling sale] last month.”
Pivotal, England’s leading sire, was responsible for another high-priced colt. Michael Goodbody, acting on behalf of Thomas Barr, purchased the bay colt for $698,600 (400,000 guineas). Offered by Voute Sales, the Pivotal colt was produced by Group 2-placed stakes winner Massarra, by Danehill, a half sister to 2002 Stanley Leisure Sprint Cup (Eng-G1) winner and leading sire, Invincible Spirit.
Carl Evans is an England-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent