Smaller Catalog Drives Record Prices at Tattersalls

An invigorated buying bench drove a lively trade at the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale Sept. 2, where the market was led by a pair of 160,000gns (US$225,037, 1 guinea=US$1.41) purchases. Tattersalls offered a significantly slimmed-down catalog compared to 12 months ago, with 257 lots coming under the hammer during a single session. Last year saw 426 yearlings presented over a two-day affair. While this inevitably impacted aggregate sales, all other key market indices showed healthy year-on-year gains. The average price was up 21% to 34,255gns, a new high mark for the sale that was underpinned by ten six-figure lots, while the median rose by 14% to 25,000gns, having been 22,000gns in 2024. The clearance rate was a rock-solid 89% as 230 yearlings found a buyer. A 40% cut in offered lots saw turnover clipped in by 12% at 7,878,500gns. Rebel reloads Phil Cunningham's Rebel Racing outfit has already enjoyed a productive 2025, both on the track and beyond. The year began on the Gold Coast, where he teamed up with leading Australian trainer Ciaron Maher to take a slice of a Snitzel (AUS) colt who fetched a then-auction record AUS$2,800,000. At the start of last month, Cunningham revealed in-house trainer Richard Spencer would be setting up a Dubai branch of the Newmarket operation, while Two Tribes has carried the Rebel Racing colors to victory in a pair of heritage handicaps, the most recent of which came in the Stewards' Cup at Glorious Goodwood. Cunningham has also been busy restocking for next season and beyond, and Highflyer Bloodstock's Anthony Bromley bid 160,000gns on the owner's behalf to secure the Dark Angel (IRE) colt out of Measure Of Magic offered by Grangemore Stud. The colt is the first foal out of the mare who won a pair listed sprints for Johnny Murtagh and also finished third in the Commonwealth Cup (G1) in 2021. The six-figure youngster was born on Jan. 3. "I think he's got the earliest foaling date of a yearling I've seen this year!" said Cunningham. "Hopefully, he'll be early. The optimistic trainer tells me this will probably be our first two-year-old runner next year, so let's see if he's right." Spencer added: "We've had luck with the sire, so hopefully he is what he says on the tin." That was far from the team's only acquisition of the day. With around 50 lots still to sell, the Highflyer-Cunningham axis had signed for six lots at an outlay of 577,000gns, putting them in pole position on the buyers' table. The group included a 135,000gns son of Too Darn Hot (GB) offered by Plantation Stud and a 100,000gns Mehmas (IRE)colt from Tally-Ho Stud. The Tattersalls spend follows on from Doncaster, where the team signed for eight lots at an outlay of £830,000. Bromley was also involved in the purchase of ten yearlings with Eve Johnson Houghton, a haul that cost a combined 277,000gns. By the close of trade, Highflyer's name had appeared on the docket of 27 lots for a cumulative spend of 1,218,000gns, meaning Bromley accounted for 15% of turnover and 12% of sold lots. Havana Grey filly exceeds expectations Earlier in the day, a three-way tussle propelled the Havana Grey (GB) filly out of Josefa Goya to the head of the market. The business end of the bidding concerned Richard Hughes and an unidentified online bidder, but it was Rabbah Bloodstock's Jono Mills who came over the top of that pair with a bid of 160,000gns. The filly was bred from Fonthill Stud's foundation family by Lord Margadale and sold by Norris Bloodstock, who presented Windsor Castle Stakes scorer Havana Hurricane at this event 12 months ago. "She has been extremely busy; we've had plenty of vets, which gives you confidence, and she vetted clean," said consignor Jenny Norris. "It's lovely for Lord Margadale; he wasn't going to give her away, he's had the whole family and it's close to his heart, but I said we could be brave as she's been very popular." Norris added, "We didn't expect her to make quite that much, but we had targeted this sale to be a standout. The pedigree is strong enough to go later in the year, but the family has done so well here that we wanted to keep that trend going. It's a good start to the Tattersalls season for us—let's hope she goes on to become a Royal Ascot winner!" The filly is a sibling to five winners, most notably listed Prix la Fleche scorer Francisco's Piece and Italian group 3 winner Windstormblack, who later raced in Hong Kong Campione. Rabbah Bloodstock secured six new recruits for a combined 497,000gns and at an average of 82,835gns. The 160,000gns price tag equalled the high mark for this sale, which was set in 2022 when Hughes secured the winning and group 3-placed Zoustar (AUS) filly Star Music.