A yearling, two-year-old, horse in training and others to watch at Tattersalls

The two-day Tattersalls February Sale gets under way on Thursday from 11am and will offer plenty of variety for buyers, including yearlings, two-year-olds, horses in training and broodmares. Also taking place on Thursday, before the sale in the parade ring, is the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association's Flat stallion parade. Here we take a look at some of the lots to follow over the course of the two days, with emphasis on the diversity available.

The yearling

Barton Sales offers the sole yearling by Lanwades Stud sire Sea The Moon at the sale, a chestnut colt (96) out of the well-related winner Come Touch The Sun.

The Fusaichi Pegasus mare has produced two winners from four runners. She is out of an unraced sister to Irish 1,000 Guineas Trial winner Kamarinskaya in the shape of the influential Butterfly Cove.

Butterfly Cove is the dam of Prix Marcel Boussac winner Ballydoyle, the stakes-winning Group 3-placed Twirl and, most significantly, champion two-year-old filly Misty For Me, in turn the dam of multiple Group 1 winners Roly Poly and US Navy Flag, the latter now ensconced at Coolmore and who has his first runners this term.

The two-year-old

The trimming of Shadwell's worldwide operation in the wake of Hamdan Al Maktoum's death last year continues at this sale, and there are a number of two-year-olds on offer that in different circumstances would most likely not have been.

One such individual is the New England Stud-consigned Sea The Stars colt out of the high-class Teofilo mare Tarfasha (80). The April-born bay is out of a dam who won the Blandford Stakes and was also second to fellow Shadwell filly Taghrooda in the Oaks at Epsom.

New England Stud offers a Shadwell-bred Sea The Stars colt out of Oaks second TarfashaCredit: Tattersalls

The 11-year-old has produced a brother to this lot in Rakan, who struck in the Listed King George V Cup for the Dermot Weld yard, as well as another black-type performer in Dubawi colt Wuqood, who was a close second in the Eyrefield Stakes for the same connections.

Further back on the page are the likes of Goodwood Cup winner and Gold Cup third Saddler's Rock, Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Gamut, EP Taylor Stakes winner Tannery and Prix du Cadran scorer Sought Out.

The horse in training

Darwell Lion (354) arrives at Park Paddocks in a rich vein of form, having recorded a personal best at Lingfield late last month for David O'Meara.

The son of The Last Lion won on his sole start at two for Ellmarie Holden, before being switched to O'Meara's yard after two further runs without success for Holden.

Now four, the Michael O'Mahony-bred colt won on his first start for the North Yorkshire-based trainer in a Class 4 handicap at Wolverhampton in December and two close thirds were followed by a three-and-a-half length strike at Lingfield.

A lightly raced and progressive sort, Darwell Lion is a half-brother to last season's unbeaten Anglesey Stakes winner Beauty Inspire. He looks a tempting proposition for any buyer seeking an improving performer on the track.

The broodmare

Another consigned by Barton Sales, Realism (116) is a young mare with a promising future. She has a three-year-old Lope De Vega colt in training and youngsters by Frankel and Too Darn Hot waiting in the wings.

Placed twice in the US during a short career for the Bill Mott barn, the daughter of First Defence is a half-sister to the multiple Grade 1 winner Emollient - dam of the Group 2-placed Peace Charter and the exciting Raclette - as well as the Grade 1-placed Hofburg and the stakes-winning Courtier.

Realism has been covered by Make Believe, while the pedigree could be further enhanced by the likes of Deauville and Chantilly winner Raclette, who is on the Classic trail this year for Juddmonte and Andre Fabre.

The wildcard

The unbeaten White Marlin (375A) headlines four wildcards for the sale and the dual-winning son of the late Mastercraftsman should have plenty of admirers as he takes to the sales ring in Newmarket.

Consigned by Ronald Rauscher on behalf of Joseph O'Brien, White Marlin was a head winner of a maiden at Dundalk in December and followed up in a handicap there in the middle of last month.

The gelding has an attractive pedigree too, being a half-brother to last season's Flying Five winner Romantic Proposal, while their dam is a winning half-sister to the prolific Group 1 winner Toylsome.

Read more

Sire power gives vendors plenty to toast at Tattersalls Ireland

'She's ready to kick on' - winning Irish pointer Criquette heads to Alex Hales

'She ticked all the boxes' - £56,000 No Risk At All filly foal tops January Sale