Caught U Looking was the star turn on the opening day of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, selling to Yulong, buying as Willingham, for 1,800,000 guineas on an opening day that saw significant increases across the board and five lots sell for 500,000 guineas or more.
The opening day’s Sceptre Session, welcomed by a packed sale ring, saw 21 lots sell for 8,350,000 guineas at an average of 397,619 guineas.
Caught U Looking to Willingham for 1,800,000 Guineas
CAUGHT U LOOKING looked one of the highlights of the first Sceptre Session on the opening day of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale and so it proved, with the Group winning daughter of HARZAND knocked down to the online bid of Willingham for 1,800,000 guineas. There were a plethora of bidders on the top lot including underbidder Will Walden, sat with Woodford Thoroughbreds’ John Sykes, Federico Barberini and Amo Racing’s Kia Joorabchian.
CAUGHT U LOOKING was owned in partnership by Tally-Ho Stud’s Tony O'Callaghan and Sabrina Kelly, the wife of breeder Peter Kelly of Kelly Equine Services. "I bred her and I always wanted to stay in her. Noel Meade wanted to buy her, so when he did I stayed in for a half," said Peter Kelly. "Tony was also interested in her and so he bought in, I was chuffed that he wanted part of a horse I had bred. He has been a wonderful partner the whole way."
He added: "Coming here I knew she was going to go better than I had hoped as she had 12 or 13 vets, and the right people were on her."
An emotional Sabina Kelly said: "Oh my gosh! It was incredible, she has always been a pet, we have always loved her. I am in shock, it is amazing! We weren't expecting that. She is a superb filly and it is sad to see her go, but she has been brilliant and we have had a great season."
A Group 3 winner at two, a four length Listed winner last time out and multiple Group placed at three, CAUGHT U LOOKING is by dual Derby winner HARZAND, a son of SEA THE STARS, out of the MASTERCRAFTSMAN mare WILD MIX, a half-sister to the Group winners DOUBLE OR BUBBLE and MIX AND MINGLE.
WILD MIX was bought by Emerald Bloodstock as a three-year-old at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale for 7,000 guineas.
Purchaser Vin Cox of Willingham said: "She has been bought to race on. We want to do a Via Sistina with her. Bids were coming from all corners of the auditorium, which is great as you want to see competition, you hate to be the only one out there.
"She made around where we thought we might end up. She is well-performed filly, she has a pretty good profile to race on. We will send her to Australia and take a path similar to Via Sistina.
"We are not suggesting that she could turn into the same sort of horse, we'd love her to, but you need to keep the feet on the ground and hope she can win some nice races. It is no secret that staying horses from this part of the world can perform exceptionally well in Australia, and she has already performed well.
"We have not got any plans as yet. We will sit on that for a little while yet. James Ferguson did a great job with Via Sistina last year so we will probably send her to James and he can look after her for the short term, and then we will put her on a plane."
Close Relation to Top Class Filly Exactly to MV Magnier for 625,0000 Guineas
MV Magnier secured the Group placed filly UNBREAK MY HEART for 625,000 guineas. The daughter of SHOWCASING is a half-sister to the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes winner HEARTACHE, the dam of two-year-old filly EXACTLY, a wide margin Group 3 winner on her latest start for the Coolmore team and placed twice at Group 1 level in the Prix Marcel Boussac and Moyglare Stud Stakes. She was consigned to the sale by her breeders Whitsbury Manor Stud.
MV Magnier said: "It's a family we know very well as we have her Group 2 winning half-sister Heartache, who has produced Salt Lake City and Exactly for us. Exactly is an exciting two-year-old by Frankel who has been third in a couple of Group 1s this season, and we are excited about her for next year.
"In fairness to Ed Harper and his father they have been very good breeders for a long time now and this is a great family that has produced black type horses in every generation. She will go to either City Of Troy or Auguste Rodin."
Trained by Clive Cox, UNBREAK MY HEART finished third as a juvenile in the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes. She is out of the Listed winning COMPTON PLACE mare PLACE IN MY HEART and it is a long-term Whitsbury Manor Stud nurtured family.
Watership Down Stud and Charlie Gordon-Watson Secure Rocana for 625,000 Guineas
Charlie Gordon-Watson went to 625,000 guineas to secure the ten-year-old FASTNET ROCK mare ROCANA on behalf of Watership Down Stud. Sold by Ringfort Stud, the mare is already the dam of Group 3 Chester Vase winner YOUTH SPIRIT and Listed Feilden Stakes winner CANBERRA LEGEND, and was offered in foal to FRANKEL’s 2000 Guineas and Dewhurst winning son CHALDEAN.
"We had a bit of luck with a pinhook, we like Fastnet Rock and she is for Too Darn Hot," revealed Gordon-Watson.
The ‘bit of luck’ came courtesy of ROCANA’s son ECHALAR who was purchased by Gordon-Watson and Watership Down for 150,000 guineas at the 2022 Tattersalls December Foal Sale before being resold as a yearling at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for 310,000 guineas.
ROCANA is out the the TAGULA mare LAUREN LOUISE and is a half-sister to the top class sprinters BLAINE, BOGART and BYLINE.
Japanese Buyers Strike for Cairde Go Deo at 525,000 Guineas
Japanese buyers were prominent on the opening day of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale and one lot destined for the land of the rising sun is CAIRDE GO DEO, who was knocked down to agent Michael Youngs on behalf of Taihei Stud Farm for 525,000 guineas.
Consigned by Grove Stud, the five-year-old daughter of CAMELOT is out of the Group 2 Debutante Stakes third ELUSIVE GALAXY and was offered in foal to NIGHT OF THUNDER. Trained by Ger Lyons, CAIRDE GO DEO raced for owner Mark Dobbin and was a dual Listed winner and finished third in the Group 1 Irish Oaks.
"She’s been purchased for the Rokuroda family's Taihei Farm in Japan," revealed Michael Youngs, who was in charge of bidding. "She was a good, tough racemare and very attractive - she uses herself very well. She should be a good fit for them and I’m very happy to have got her for them."
The Tattersalls December Mares Sale continues on Tuesday, 3rd December at 9.30am with the second part of the ‘Sceptre Sessions’ set to take place in the evening.
