Laundry Cottage clean up with 185,000gns Bated Breath colt at December Foal Sale

Trade stepped up markedly on day two of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale on Thursday, and by the close of a busy session a growing list of six-figure prices was headed by a son of Bated Breath, who brought a winning bid of 185,000gns from Peter and Ross Doyle.

The result was a big one for Laundry Cottage Stud's Colin and Melba Bryce, parents of Sky Sports Racing presenter Gina Bryce, as the couple bred the colt off a stud fee of just £10,000.

The youngster is the third living foal out of Unnatural, a daughter of Proud Citizen who was purchased through the BBA Ireland for 180,000gns at the 2014 December Mares Sale, having spent her racing days in Japan.

View full Tattersalls December Foal Sale results and stats

The smooth-moving February foal was consigned on behalf of Laundry Cottage by Jamie Railton, who said: "It's a fantastic result for Colin and Melba, who put a lot of money and effort and passion into breeding, so I'm really pleased for them to get a great result like this.

"The colt was a really impressive physical. Colin wasn't planning on selling him as a foal but when I went around their paddocks this summer I saw him and said, 'I like that one!' To my mind, he looked like a great foal sale prospect."

Ross Doyle: signed for the session-topper on behalf of Pier House StudCredit: Laura Green

This is not the first time the progeny of Unnatural have proved a hit in the Tattersalls ring this year, as her Pride Of Dubai filly, pinhooked by The Blind Leading The Blind syndicate at 14,000gns, fetched 115,000gns from Joe Foley during Book 2.

The Doyles' purchase was made on behalf of the Pier House Stud team, whose Brendan Morrin said: "He's a great physical, the best here today. He's by a sire who's on the upgrade and is well supported by Juddmonte."

Bated Breath, who supplied a hat-trick of Royal Ascot winners with Daahyeh, Space Traveller and Biometric, will stand the 2020 breeding season at Juddmonte's Banstead Manor Stud at an increased fee of £12,500.

DECEMBER FOAL SALE STATS: DAY TWO

Offered 266
Sold 209 (79 per cent)
Aggregate 8,532,700gns (down seven per cent year-on-year)
Average 40,825gns (down six per cent)
Median 33,000gns (up ten per cent)

Shemya stars again

Another mare whose progeny have proved popular in the ring before is Shemya, with her first foal, Eareckson, having fetched 110,000gns and her second, the Kingman colt Cormorant, having gone from 135,000gns foal to 1,050,000gns yearling.

On Thursday, her fourth foal, a colt from the debut crop of Darley's Postponed, caused a stir of his own when he was knocked down to Yeomanstown Stud at 150,000gns. The colt was bred and consigned by father-son duo Michael and Giles Wates of Langton Stud in Dorset, who purchased the dam through Blandford Bloodstock for €160,000 at Arqana in 2014.

"We bought the mare in France carrying to Oasis Dream," said Michael Wates. "We decided on Postponed as he was a good son of Dubawi. This foal has been busy since we've been here. One of the days he was out of his box from 8am to 4pm but he took it all in his stride."

Another first-crop sire to receive a big vote of approval was Darley's Ribchester, as Hubert Honore went to 145,000gns for the colt out of Jawlaat offered by McCracken Farms.

The French purchaser said: "He's a pinhook prospect and will come back to my farm [Haras d'Ommeel] for the winter and spring. He might come back here to sell or be offered in France. He's a well-balanced foal, with a good shape and a good head."

Ribchester, whose debut crop was conceived at a fee of €30,000, has seen his progeny offered at the December Foal Sale average 67,500gns for six lots sold.

Highland colt the Reel deal

While many of the session's more notable purchases were made with resale in mind, Bertrand Le Metayer indicated that the Highland Reel colt he bought for 150,000gns had been selected with a racecourse career in mind.

"He's been bought to race by a partnership I'm in the middle of putting together," said Le Metayer. "It's early days, so we'll have to see how he grows but I was hugely impressed by Highland Reel - what he achieved on the track was quite incredible. These days it's rare to see a horse perform as he did, and when they do they need to be rewarded with support."

The Highland Reel colt out of Self Centred takes to the Tattersalls ringCredit: Laura Green

The colt is out of the Chesham Stakes third Self Centred, a daughter of Medicean whose two winning foals include the Listed scorer Feel Glorious. Le Metayer added: "He's just a quality horse with a good walk and he had everything going for him. He comes from a very good farm too."

The colt was sold by Newsells Park on behalf of breeder Elizabeth Robert, and the stud's general manager, Julian Dollar, said: "The mare boards with us and this has always been a lovely foal. He's been very busy here and has been a true pro - he's shown exactly the same for every viewing. He's a great advert for his young sire."

Foley a fan of Wootton Bassett

Laundry Cottage Stud's influence was not only felt in the sale of the 185,000gns Bated Breath colt, as the Bryces also bred Wootton Bassett, sire of a colt who fetched 135,000gns from Ballyhane Stud's Joe Foley later in the session.

Bred by Emma Capon and cosigned by New England Stud, the colt is the first foal produced by the winning Raven's Pass mare Dazzling Rose, who was bought through Blandford Bloodstock for 55,000gns carrying to the Haras d'Etreham stallion.

Further back on the page are the smart juvenile Guildsman and the mighty Almanzor, both of whom are also by Wootton Bassett.

"He's a very similar type to Guildsman, who’s back in the pedigree," said Foley. "He's a beautiful, well-balanced, gorgeous-looking colt. We bought a Wootton Bassett yearling at Goffs [for €120,000] and we like him a lot, so we're big fans of the stallion.

"This was a particularly good example of what Wootton Bassett can throw. He's got a great temperament on him. He's been bought to race and will head back to Ballyhane now."

Overbury Stud in clover

A good sale for Wootton Bassett continued when Peter and Ross Doyle went to 130,000gns for another of his sons consigned by Overbury Stud, who also enjoyed a fruitful day having sold a filly by Wootton Bassett's best son Almanzor to Richard Brown for 125,000gns earlier in the session.

The Almanzor filly is a half-sister to the smart Desert Icon - who Brown purchased for €110,000 - and is out of another of the agent's purchases in Plume Rose, who was bought with the Almanzor foal in utero at €55,000 at last year's Arqana December Sale.

"There's a bit of a story behind this one as I bought the mare for Simon Sweeting [Overbury Stud manager] when she was carrying this filly last year," said Brown. "I couldn't actually get hold of Simon at the time so I just bought her and then told him later! He was looking for a mare, though."

The filly boasts an improving page, as her closely related two-year-old sibling, Woot City, broke his maiden after the catalogue's publication.

"I bought Desert Icon for Sheikh Juma and we're still big believers that he's a proper horse," continued Brown. "I know the family very well. I bought the mare on the back of Desert Icon, the two-year-old is a winner and looks above average. I'm all in basically having bought the mare, Desert Icon and now the foal!

"This filly has been bought for Corduff Stud so she'll come back to the sales next year - she's all class. I haven't seen many by the sire but I'm sure we'll see some more in France. He's a lovely horse."

On Overbury's productive shift, Sweeting said: "It's been an amazing day. I knew the two mares would be okay - Richard Brown bought them both while I was in church for my children's carol service!"

The Tattersalls December Foal Sale continues on Friday, with the headline session kicking off at 10am.