Frankel foals were in hot demand highlighted by a colt that topped the third session of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale when realising 1,150,000 guineas, the third highest price for a colt foal ever sold in Europe. It was the second highest turnover ever for a day at the sale with seven lots realising 500,000 guineas or more, bought by seven different buying entities, and 31 lots realising 200,000 guineas or more.
West Blagdon’s Frankel Colt to M V Magnier
West Blagdon Stud’s FRANKEL colt became the highest priced foal sold in Europe this year when realising 1,150,000 guineas to M V Magnier in the third session of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale. The February-foaled colt was bred by James and Anita Wigan out of the KODIAC mare CLOUDY DAWN who carried the famous Wigan ‘cherry, cornflower blue sash and cap’ silks to victory in the Group 3 Prix de Lieurey.
Bidding developed into a duel between Juddmonte’s Simon Mockridge and M V Magnier, and Mockridge’s bid of 1,000,000 guineas looked for a moment to have been decisive before M V Magnier countered. Mockridge was forced to finally shake his head at 1,150,000 guineas, the third highest price for a colt foal ever in Europe.
M V Magnier commented: “It is a great result for James Wigan, he is one of the best breeders there is. It is a great farm and has produced a lot of good horses. Frankel is a very good stallion, this is a very nice horse, we will take him home and we will review plans after the summer, but in all likelihood he will go to Ballydoyle. It is a lot of money for him, but when you breed a horse like that the Wigans deserve to get it.”
James Wigan said: “I didn’t have any sort of figure in my head, I thought he was a very nice horse and deserved to make a good price. We bought the grandam here at the foal sale. Frankel gets great bone, great substance, he suits a mare with speed and she was fast, and they worked together on conformation. This foal has always been a very nice horse and has a very nice character. You don’t expect to sell a horse for that sort of price.
“I am delighted that M V got him and he has gone to the best possible home – with Coolmore and Juddmonte battling for him, he is going to get the best home whichever! It is just what you want for the mare.”
The colt’s granddam IN THE MIST was bought by Wigan’s London Thoroughbred Services for 110,000 guineas at the 2006 Tattersalls December Foal Sale. The daughter of PIVOTAL is a half-sister to Group 1 Prix du Moulin winner GREY LILAS, the dam of dual French Classic winner GOLDEN LILAC.
Frankel Filly to Lascelles at 850,000 Guineas
The December Foal Sale also provided the highest priced filly foal sold in Europe this year with a FRANKEL filly out of Group 2 winner TROPBEAU knocked down for 850,000 guineas to Henry Lascelles. Juddmonte’s Simon Mockridge was again the underbidder.
The April-foaled filly was offered by the Castlebridge Consignment on behalf of her breeder Lady Bamford. Henry Lascelles, racing manager to Lady Bamford, revealed:
“She’s a homebred filly who we really like. Her full-brother is a two-year-old with the Gosdens. We like him too and he’ll run in the spring next year, and we also have a Night Of Thunder filly who’ll go into training next year too. This filly is a credit to Lady Bamford, Chris [Lock, stud manager] and the whole team at Daylesford. She’s a lovely filly and we’re delighted to get her back. Tropbeau was a very good racemare, she was a Group 2 winner at two and Group 1 placed at three. She’s a really exciting mare.”
TROPBEAU won the Group 2 Prix du Calvados and was placed in the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest and the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes. The daughter of SHOWCASING is a granddaughter of the Group 1 July Cup winner FRIZZANTE.
Frankel Colt to SackvilleDonald for 700,000 Guineas
It was third time lucky for TBT Racing’s Simon Sadler and Ed Sackville who saw off M V Magnier to purchase the third and final lot by FRANKEL offered at the December Foal Sale for 700,000 guineas, having tried in vain to secure the top two lots by the peerless Champion racehorse and sire.
Simon Sadler, standing in the bidders with Sackville and trainer Ed Walker, said: “Today has been a great day – we saw Frankel this morning and now have bought a Frankel related to Starman, perfect. I am very much looking forward to next season and we just want to win as many Group 1 races as TBT Racing can, and to breed one.”
Consigned by Whatton Manor Stud on behalf of breeder David Ward, the April-foaled colt is out of a KODIAC half-sister to Ward’s Group 1 July Cup winner and Champion First Season Sire elect STARMAN. Whatton Manor Stud’s Ed Player said:
“It is fantastic to have a Frankel to sell, and this colt is a lovely horse. He is a late foal and there is a lot of maturing to do, but he has a lovely walk. I hope and am sure he will grow into a cracking yearling and racehorse.
“He was bred by David Ward, the pedigree needs no introduction. Starman has had the most incredible first season, and I think he is going to get even better – his horses are scopey and they stay a mile, he is going to be the real deal as a stallion. There is no reason why this lad can’t turn into a stallion too. I am delighted for David, he puts a lot into it, and he has had a fantastic year on the track and with the stallion.”
Player added: “Simon Sadler has had a lot of luck buying from the farm, including the runner up in this year’s Coventry Stakes [Do Or Do Not], and he also has a two-year-old filly with Ed Walker who they think is very good.”
Godolphin Secure Kingman Filly for 625,000 Guineas
Godolphin struck for the second highest priced filly of the session, seeing off a determined effort by Newsells Park Stud’s Graham Smith-Bernal to secure the KINGMAN filly offered by Galloway Stud on behalf of breeder Gestut Rottgen for 625,000 guineas.
Successful purchaser Anthony Stroud said: “She’s a lovely filly with a very good pedigree. After she’s been to the races we’ll be able to breed her to quite a lot of stallions, like Frankel. If you’re thinking long-term she’ll be a good addition to the stud. She’s the only one we’ve bid on today. It’s a fantastic page full of champions.”
Gestut Rottgen’s manager Frank Dorff commented: “She is very typical of the family, she looks just like her mother. I am very happy that she made a very good price, she has gone to a very good home. Let’s hope she is a Group 1 winner in Britain.
“She is a special one and we were very tempted to keep her, you don’t often breed one with that quality, the market recognised that and sometimes you have to sell. The mare is in foal to Frankel, and if it is a colt he will be a stallion prospect. We have not sold many from the family, we are not a commercial stud, we breed to produce good racehorses and later good broodmares.
“We decided to go to Kingman because it was the dream to breed a valuable broodmare prospect, I hate close in-breeding and she is open to nearly everything – that was the idea behind the covering.”
Dorff added: “Well Disposed won two Group races and was Group 1 placed, she was very tough, the whole family is incredibly tough – Windstoss ran 28 times and was placed 14 times in Group races. He is now a really promising young stallion at Rottgen.”
A daughter of DUBAWI, WELL DISPOSED is a half-sister to two Group 1 German Derby winners in German Champion Three-Year-Old Colt WINDSTOSS and his year-older brother WELTSTAR, as well as to the Listed winning filly WELTBESTE from the exceptional family of Champion German fillies WELL KNOWN and WELL PROVED.
Twomey & Bond Thoroughbreds Strike for Wootton Bassett Colt at 550,000 Guineas
The late and much lamented WOOTTON BASSETT provided one of the highlights of the session with a regally-bred colt consigned by Baroda Stud realising 550,000 guineas to Paddy Twomey Racing / Bond Thoroughbreds, bidding online.
“He is a lovely horse, he has been bought to race. The new owners have had a lot of success with Wootton Bassett and very excited to get him,” revealed Twomey.
Bond Thoroughbreds raced WOOTTON BASSETT’s Group 1 Prix de la Foret winning son MARANOA CHARLIE, who has been retired to stand at Tally-Ho Stud in 2026.
The April-foaled colt is out of the unraced GALILEO mare FIRST FLOWER, an own-sister to the Group 1 winners HYDRANGEA, HERMOSA and THE UNITED STATES and to SALSA, the dam of this year’s Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes and Group 1 Nassau Stakes winner WHIRL, a daughter of WOOTTON BASSETT. Since catalogue publication HYDRANGEA’s third foal HAWK MOUNTAIN, also by WOOTTON BASSETT, won the Group 1 Futurity Trophy Stakes.
Baroda Stud’s David Cox revealed: “He is a homebred for Diamond Creek Stud based in America, they asked me what I thought he going to make and I said ‘I hope he is going to make between 400,000 guineas and 600,000 guineas’. He took a bit of time to get there, but then it got rolling and I wish the best of luck to Paddy and Bond Thoroughbreds.
“From when he arrived he was totally chilled out and showed himself well, and obviously they are not making any more by the stallion, but typically they all have good minds. This lad ticks a lot of boxes. It is a very strong market.”
The Tattersalls December Foal Sale will continue with the fourth and final session at 10am on Saturday, 29th November.
