The FRANKEL own-sister to 2000 Guineas winner CHALDEAN, currently at Cambridge Stud in New Zealand, equalled the European record price for a foal when selling for 2,500,000 guineas to Amo Racing on an extraordinary day of trade at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale. The session saw the five highest priced foals to sell in Europe this year, and record turnover for a day at a European foal sale.
Amo Racing Secure Whitsbury Manor’s Frankel Filly for 2,500,000 Guineas
“The Queen of the Show” was how Tattersalls auctioneer Alastair Pim introduced Whitsbury Manor Stud’s daughter of their blue hen SUELITA to the packed sales ring, and the FRANKEL own-sister to 2000 Guineas and Dewhurst winner CHALDEAN exceeded even the loftiest of expectations at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale when selling for a European record 2,500,000 guineas. The price equalled that set at the 1997 Tattersalls December Foal Sale when the brother to Derby winner GENEROUS set the previous benchmark.
The opening bid of 1,000,000 guineas by Philipp Stauffenberg gave an indication of the firepower to come, with bidding eventually narrowing down to a prolonged exchange of bids between trainer Paddy Twomey and Amo Racing’s Kia Joorabchian, with the latter offering the record-equalling final bid following a phone call. It is the highest price ever achieved by a filly foal in Europe, eclipsing the 1,800,000 guineas for subsequent Grade 1 winner MY TYPHOON at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale in 2002.
Bloodstock agent Alex Elliott commented: "What is there to say? We have spent 2.5 million on an own-sister to a Classic winner and I think we have made a good move, and it is a brave statement of intent by Kia. To have come as he did into the yearling sales was one thing, but to continue it into the foals, it is a really good sign moving forward with a long-term aim.
"I was willing Kia to make that last bid, he had to make a phone call - he said that he had to phone a friend! I said don't ask the audience! I was willing him along, I am over the moon - such horses are so very hard to buy. The mare is unbelievable, the farm is unbelievable, the sire is unbelievable... she is a lovely filly."
He concluded: "This is a long-term project and we have come a long way from early Ascot two-year-old races, it is great to see and I am delighted we made that final and last bid."
Chris Harper, who took over the running of Whitsbury Manor Stud in the 1970s and whose son Ed Harper now runs the stud, said: "I am very emotional. Suelita was the last mare I bought, she was just my sort - very pretty, not very big, a nice big body with short legs. Did I think she could become what she has? Never!
"The pedigree went back to an old mare I shared with Gerald Leigh, a small factor. I suppose I bought ten mares that year and she was one of them. What a lucky chap I am? It is quite extraordinary, I never thought this could happen to someone like me!"
He added: "I passed all the decision making to Ed probably twelve years ago, so he makes all the decisions now, but he is kind enough to tell me what he has done! I am so proud. In football terms, I never got the farm out of the Championship, he has got it into the Premier League!"
Ed Harper commented: "It is amazing! It’s funny, when we have a really good one like this I have very little to do with her really. The team just go into overdrive, she did not need any selling, the mating planned itself. It has all been down to the team.
"We try and go by the mantra that every foal on the farm gets looked after the same, but with this one it was a little different - every paddock she moved to was planned, every friend and paddock mate was planned, every visit from the farrier was planned to try and ensure that nothing could do wrong, the team just did an excellent job."
Of his feelings as the bidding played out, he said: "The bidding did seem to take ages, I think only Alastair Pim could have got that last bid. So thanks to him for doing a great job. I have to say a big thank you to Amo, this is not the first horse they have bought off us this year, so a big thank you. It is great to see someone so keen to buy the best, it makes you even more keen to produce the best, it is an aspirational industry and that is what makes it so exciting."
On SUELITA, he smiled: "She is the calmest mare at home, she is so chilled but her foals really want to get on with it. Chaldean was a busy foal, really interested in everything, he would strut up to anyone peering over the gate. We are so lucky to have her - we should be getting portraits done!"
SUELITA was purchased by Whitsbury Manor for 21,500 guineas at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale in 2013.
Sea The Stars Colt to M V Magnier at 1,000,000 Guineas
Genesis Green Stud enjoyed an extraordinary spell in the sales ring with their three lots in the evening realising a total of 2,330,000 guineas, headed by the SEA THE STARS colt out of ANGEL’S POINT who realised 1,000,000 guineas to M V Magnier, with Juddmonte’s Simon Mockridge the frustrated underbidder.
He was preceded into the ring by the FRANKEL colt out of AUDARYA who was knocked down for 850,000 guineas to Amo Racing and the TOO DARN HOT filly out of MADONNA DELL’ORTO who realised 480,000 guineas to Yulong’s Willingham. Genesis Green's Michael Swinburn was in tears after the trio went through the ring, commenting:
"It has just been unbelievable. The dam was a bit disappointing - she had talent but was a minx. It is a family that keeps on producing, they are good looking, they are winners. I Can Fly has a Dubawi coming along, a Frankel, and she went to Justify. Angel’s Point is in foal to Study Of Man."
Successful purchaser M V Magnier commented: "He was a very nice horse and we’ve been lucky with Sea The Stars with The Lion In Winter, unfortunately things just didn’t go right for him later in the season. Michael Swinburn has always been very lucky with this whole family, going back to Landseer, who was a very good horse for us.
"I Can Fly was a special filly too, and January has a lot of potential. I Can Fly could end up being a very important broodmare. She'll go to Justify next year. This is a lovely horse too and I’m very happy for the Swinburns. They’ve been great supporters of ours and this is a great result for their team. It’s a lot of money to give for a foal but Sea The Stars is a very good stallion and it’s a very good family, Dark Angel is a very good broodmare sire too. And the sale has been incredible."
The SEA THE STARS colt is the first foal out of ANGEL’S POINT, a DARK ANGEL half-sister to Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1 placed filly I CAN FLY out of MADONNA DELL’ORTO, a half-sister to French 2000 Guineas winner LANDSEER. I CAN FLY is the dam of the two-year-old JANUARY who was second in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile in October.
Genesis Green’s Frankel Colt to Amo Racing at 850,000 Guineas
The aforementioned FRANKEL colt out of Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner AUDARYA would have stolen headlines at most sessions of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale when knocked down for 850,000 guineas to the Amo Racing team, gathered in their customary spot on the second bidders’ rail. They saw off the persistent attentions of underbidder Charlie Gordon-Watson, stood with Simon Marsh on the opposite side of the ring.
Alex Elliott said: "A Frankel colt out of a Breeders' Cup winner does not take too much to explain. He has been bought for Amo. He will go back to Tally-Ho, Roger O'Callaghan was a huge fan of the horse. He will go into the programme in the autumn next year and let's hope he is a racehorse!"
The colt is out of the brilliant racemare AUDARYA, winner of the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet in addition to her Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup triumph when trained by James Fanshawe for Alison Swinburn who bred the March-foaled colt. Genesis Green’s Michael Swinburn commented:
"You would never have known he was on the farm, and here he was never in his box. He was born straight, reared straight, never sick a day in his life. When he has been filmed he just did not give a hoot, he has a fantastic temperament. He is a horse who will get better and better. A month ago he was a shell of a horse, but he has really strengthened and is only going to go in one direction, I am sure Kia is going to be very lucky with him."
Hazelwood’s Frankel Filly Another to Amo Racing at 850,000 Guineas
The FRANKEL filly consigned by Hazelwood Bloodstock was another lot secured by Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing who saw off a persistent online bidder to secure the daughter of Listed winning MUHAARAR mare AURIA for 850,000 guineas. She is the first foal out of her dam who won the Listed Distaff Stakes for her owner-breeders Mick and Fiona Denniff.
Hazelwood Bloodstock’s Adrian O'Brien said: "I am so thrilled for Mick and Fiona Denniff, they are excellent breeders and they have produced this family so well for so many years."
Fiona Denniff commented: "It is our biggest result in the ring - by coincidence the best before was the 500,000 guineas that we got for Chil Chil in Book 2. I must admit, I did come here this week hoping that we would beat that!
"I wanted the mare to get off to the best possible start and that is why we went to Frankel, and I hope she has got that good start. This foal is really a mini-me of the mare, and she was a very talented racehorse. She is in foal to Chaldean."
AURIA is a half-sister to multiple Group 2 winner BEAT THE BANK and Group 3 winner CHIL CHIL out of the excellent broodmare TIANA, who was bred by the Denniffs and bought back as a broodmare after placing in the Listed Oh So Sharp Stakes during her racing career.
M V Magnier Strikes for Frankel Filly at 800,000 Guineas
FRANKEL can do little wrong in the Tattersalls sales ring at present and the fourth lot by Juddmonte’s Champion sire to realise 800,000 guineas or more in the session was the filly consigned by James Wigan’s West Blagdon Stud out of the PIVOTAL mare IN THE MIST.
Bids flew from around a packed sales ring with Ed Sackville, standing with Blackpool FC owner Simon Sadler, and Juddmonte’s Simon Mockridge among those to attempt to secure the filly, but successful purchaser M V Magnier made his sole bid count at 800,000 guineas.
"She is a very lovely filly, she is out of a Pivotal mare who has crossed well with Frankel," said Magnier. "James and Anita Wigan - they have been incredible supporters of ours for a long time, Dad always says they go way back. It is a great result for them. They are very good breeders, they have raised a lot of good horses in the past.
"We have had a great year with Frankel on the track, he speaks for himself - the likes of Lake Victoria, she is an exceptional filly. If this filly is anywhere near as good as her, we will be ok."
The February-foaled filly is out of IN THE MIST, the dam of the Group 3 winner CLOUDY DAWN and Listed winner IROMEA and a half-sister to Group 1 Prix du Moulin winner GREY LILAS, herself the dam of dual French Classic winner GOLDEN LILAC. IN THE MIST was bought at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale by London Thoroughbred Services for 110,000 guineas in 2006.
The Tattersalls December Foal Sale continues with the fourth and final session at 10am on Saturday, 30th November.
