Time Test Colt Heads Strong December Foal Sale Opener

An array of 'car park full' signs on the way into Park Paddocks foretold a busy Nov. 24 at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, and some fairly frenetic trade duly produced a record clearance rate for the curtain-raising session. Some 171 lots sold at a clip of 84%, which in turn generated an aggregate of 2,624,800 guineas (US$3,673,939). Turnover was up 66% year-on-year, despite only three more lots being offered, while the average rose by 31% to 15,350 guineas ($21,484) and the median was 10,000 guineas ($13,997), a 25% climb. There were plenty of whispers ahead of the Time Test (GB) colt out of Wild Mimosa (IRE) (Lot 362) entering the ring, and a sizeable crowd assembled in the gangway as the Overbury Stud-consigned youngster made his entrance. After an opening bid of 20,000 guineas and some rapid-fire raises, it was pinhooker Jimmy Murphy of Redpender Stud who had the final say at 75,000 guineas ($104,977). The colt was cataloged as a sibling to three winners, including the useful pair Ghaith and Wild Hope, but his full sister Love Interest had enhanced the pedigree further by making a successful debut in late October. "He's a very nice horse and by a promising young sire," said Murphy. "He's a well-made horse and there's a bit going on in the pedigree so we'll hope for the best. I thought I'd get him for less than that but you've just got to keep bidding when you want one." The National Stud resident Time Test has created a big impression with his first 2-year-olds, with his 11 winners including no fewer than four black-type scorers. Results such as the group 3 successes of Romantic Time and Rocchigiani have seen the son of Dubawi (IRE), who boasts a 10% black-type winners to runners strike-rate, upped to a fee of £15,000 for 2022. Wild Mimosa is a sibling to eight winners, including group 1 scorers Compton Admiral and Summoner, as well as The Fugue (GB)'s dam Twyla Tharp, while Limato (IRE) also appears under the Time Test colt's second dam. Wild Mimosa joined the Overbury herd from Watership Down Stud in 2017, when she fetched 52,000 guineas ($73,590) from Blandford Bloodstock. Her Ardad (IRE) colt foal sold for 26,000 guineas ($36,478) in 2020, before being resold through Kilminfoyle House Stud for 100,000 guineas ($142,684) to Woodhurst Construction at Book 2 earlier this year. Although Wild Mimosa has a promising production record both in sales and racing terms, Overbury's Simon Sweeting explained she has not always proved the perfect mother. He said of the daughter of Dynaformer: "She's been a huge success for us; we've been very lucky with her. Although she's a mare you have to take the foals off straight away because she savages them so we have to have a foster mare organized. "The 2-year-old (Love Interest) looks like she might be OK and the mare will go back to Time Test next year. I've got a breeding right in Time Test and he's a fabulous stallion. He's got a lot further to go so we should be excited about him. It's great for the National Stud that they've got such a promising stallion." The sire had another big result much later in the session when Michael Fitzpatrick of Kilminfoyle House Stud, signing as Good Will Bloodstock, went to 66,000 guineas ($92,380) for the colt out of Sweet As Honey (Lot 433) from the National Stud. "This is the first Time Test foal I've bought," said Fitzpatrick. "The stallion is a son of Dubawi and they're doing well; that's a trend that's becoming apparent. I wanted to have a Time Test to sell next year as I think his first crop of 3-year-olds will go on again. This colt would be an October Book 2 type." The Tattersalls December Foal Sale continues on Thursday at 10 a.m. local time.