'He's a beautiful colt' - stars align for Gorlsdorf with six-figure sale in Baden-Baden

A son of Sea The Stars shone brightest of all at the BBAG Spring Sale, with the juvenile, who was the highlight of the breeze-up session, becoming the second most expensive horse in the sale's existence.

A handsome bay in the mould of his outstanding sire, he was offered by his breeders Gestut Gorlsdorf and prepared by Markus Klug for the sale. The March-born bay was purchased for €135,000 on behalf of Eckhard Sauren, president of Cologne racecourse and vice-president of FC Cologne.

It was the best price recorded at the sale for a decade, with the €180,000 made by Malibu Beach, a Mastercraftsman half-sister to Anglesey and Tyros Stakes winner Grafelli out of Listed winner Spark Sept, remaining the high watermark for this sale.

Heike Bischoff, who owns the renowned farm where Sea The Stars' first crop Deutsches Derby winner Sea The Moon was born and reared, spoke of her pleasure that the colt from one of Gorlsdorf's major families would continue his career in Germany.

Heike Bischoff bred and sold the sales-topping Sea The Stars colt at the BBAG Spring SaleCredit: Michele MacDonald

She said: "I'm very pleased he's been bought by Herr Sauren and that he'll be trained here. He's a beautiful colt and comes from a very important family for us. His dam foaled a lovely full-sister to him this spring, so we're very pleased to have such a nice Sea The Stars filly."

The colt is a three-parts brother to the Listed Grosser Preis der VGH Versicherungen winner Mercedes, a daughter of Sea The Moon, who stands at Lanwades Stud.

They are out of Meergorl, who won the Group 2 Diana Trial for her owner-breeders Gorlsdorf in 2013. A daughter of Adlerflug and out of a Tertullian mare, Meergorl is inbred to Anatevka through her Lombard daughters Allegretta and Alya, and the further family includes the Oaks d'Italia winner Monami, dam of Miss Yoda, who won the Preis der Diana for John Gosden and Westerberg in 2020. 

Already named Meer, the two-year-old colt carries three lines of Germany's most famous equine family as he is inbred to Allegretta through Urban Sea and her three-parts brother Tertullian. The cross of Sea The Stars with broodmares by the late, lamented Adlerflug has already produced River Of Stars, who won the Chester Stakes last season for Ralph Beckett and Woodford Thoroughbreds.

Another member of the Gorlsdorf draft set the early pace when making €28,000 to Richard Venn. Francina, a three-year-old Sea The Moon full-sister to Group 3 N E Manion Cup winner Favorite Moon, and a half-sister to Listed winner and Group 1 Prix du Cadran third Fun Mac, will travel to Britain and the yard of Jamie Snowden.

"She has a lovely page, is a really good mover, and the reports about her were very good," said Venn.

"Jamie is a big supporter of the juvenile hurdles so she could be an ideal candidate for those, but she could also run in a bumper or on the Flat. She has plenty of options and, with her page, she has fine residual value as a broodmare."

Francina is out of Favorite, who has so far produced five winners from seven runners and is a Montjeu half-sister to Fureau, dam of Group 1 Premio Lydia Tesio winner Floriot.

The sales of the pair propelled Gestut Gorlsdorf to the top of the consignors' charts on aggregate, while Stephan Vogt's breeze-up draft attained a decent average price of €25,375.

Four of the five juveniles offered by his Renello Bloodstock Agency changed hands in the ring, with the Kodiac colt out of Landale making €38,000 to trainer Mario Hofer. 

His dam is a Raven's Pass half-sister to the Listed winners That Is The Spirit, Khukri and Mischief Making, dam of Horseplay, who won the Lancashire Oaks, and More Mischief, successful in the Hoppings Stakes. Second dam Fraulein won the Grade 1 EP Taylor Stakes and the daughter of Acatenango is a granddaughter of A Priori, who is a full-sister to another German matriarch in Anna Paola.

Hana Jurankova bought two of the top five lots at the BBAG Spring Sale

Vogt's Kodiac filly out of a half-sister to the Debutante Stakes winner Raydara made €32,000 to Hana Jurankova, the Austrian-based bloodstock agent and amateur rider. 

The Czech native, who is Arqana's Eastern European representative, also signed for the day's most expensive older horse, Norton, a three-year-old Tai Chi gelding who recently recorded his first success at Mannheim. Another from the yard of Klug, the grandson of High Chaparral was consigned by Gestut Rottgen and made €36,000.

Overall, the statistics painted a mixed picture, with the €13,487 average showing a gain on previous years at an increase of 23 per cent on 2022, but all other metrics moved in the opposite direction. 

The median fared next best, dipping by two per cent to €10,458, while turnover of €512,500 represented a decline of 19 per cent on last year's aggregate. The clearance rate was 68 per cent, with 38 horses sold out of 56 offered.

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