No Nay Never filly tops day one of December Foal Sale

On a day where selectivity once again governed the market, it took a name with the commercial weight of No Nay Never to inject some life into yesterday’s first session of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale in Newmarket.

Last week’s unforgiving trade at the Goffs November Sale was still fresh in the memory as the first of those catalogued to this week’s sale filtered through the ring yesterday. And it was a similar story to that seen in Ireland as the good foals went on to attract an array of interested parties while a number of others failed to recoup their costs.

View sales results and buyers

Of the 254 foals to come under the hammer yesterday, only 61 per cent changed hands. In turn, the aggregate fell by 44 per cent to 1,614,850gns while the average dropped by 31 per cent to 10,486gns. The median also suffered, falling 40 per cent to 6,000gns.

Last year’s corresponding session was a day of record trade that featured two six-figure lots and 15 foals that made 40,000gns or more. By comparison, six foals broke the 40,000gns barrier this time around, although that figure does compare favourably with the opening day of 2016 when a 48,000gns colt led the way among another sextet of foals within that same bracket.

Casse gets behind No Nay Never

No Nay Never can do little wrong at present, so it was no surprise to see his sole representative catalogued yesterday, a filly from Voute Sales, generate plenty of interest, eventually falling to Florida-based agent Justin Casse at 80,000gns.

Casse, who has been a regular visitor to Tattersalls for several years now, was buying with an eye to race in America, from where No Nay Never was trained to such good effect by Wesley Ward.

No Nay Never might today be one of the leading lights of Coolmore’s Irish arm but the son of Scat Daddy has also been ably represented in his homeland this year by Mae Never No, winner of the Colleen Stakes at Monmouth Park for Ward, and as Casse explained, there is every reason to think his presence in America will continue to grow.

"No Nay Never needs no explanation,” said Casse. “I've bought four this year, a couple of them to race.

“Wesley's filly is good but I think with the Scat Daddy factor you could easily take a No Nay Never over to America and do well anyway.

"And while you have to go back a bit, this filly is from one of the best female families out there.”

He added: "You need a little bit more patience when buying foals to race but we've been lucky before doing it.”

Bred by Killashee House Limited, Casse’s new purchase is the second foal out of her dam Velvet Ribbon, a daughter of Duke Of Marmalade who made four starts for the Coolmore triumvirate. In turn, she is a granddaughter of the Wertheimer brothers’ blue hen Born Gold and therefore related to Goldikova, Galikova, Anodin and Gold Round among others.

Adaay captures the imagination

Few aspects of the bloodstock industry come under as much scrutiny as first-crop sires and one that has already captured the imagination is Whitsbury Manor Stud’s Adaay, who supplied two of the top ten to go through the ring yesterday.

Leading the way was a colt from Overbury Stud out of the Grade 3-placed Lamentation, a daughter of Singspiel whose four winners include the useful multiple scorer Elegiac.

David Powell of Catridge Farm Stud was among those to make a play for the colt but no one could match the determination of John Cullinan of Horse Park Stud, who sealed matters with a bid of 55,000gns.

"I haven't really been after first-crop sires," said Cullinan. "But I've had a couple of Adaays on my mind today. He seems to be getting good looking, racy, athletic types and he's a good Kodiac who was a good runner and a good breezer, so you'd think he'd have a chance. Whitsbury are on a roll with Showcasing and perhaps this is the next one.”

He added: "The mare was a good runner and she has already produced a good one in Elegiac, who is now rated 104. The yearling goes to Mark Johnston - hopefully he will have won with it by the time we return to sell!”

Adaay was also responsible for a colt out of Flemish School, a winning daughter of Dutch Art, who sold out of the Plantation Stud draft for 38,000gns to Guy O’Callaghan’s Grangemore Stud.

It wasn’t all about Adaay among the fresh intake of sires, however. Cheveley Park Stud’s Twilight Son also enjoyed a good day as the sire of eight foals who sold for an average of 21,688gns while The Last Lion and Kodi Bear were responsible for a pair of colts who made 40,000gns apiece to Littleton Stud and Howson and Houldsworth Bloodstock.

Sole Authorized in demand

The sole foal on offer by Darley’s French resident Authorized led the way for much of the morning after selling for 43,000gns to agent Troy Steve.

Appropriately, the colt was bred by Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar, the owners of Blue Diamond Stud in whose colours Authorized won the 2007 Derby and Juddmonte International.

"Hopefully he'll come back here to Book 2 next autumn," said Steve. "He's a nice, straightforward type with size and scope, and my client has had a bit of success with Authorized - we had a nice touch with one at the sales this year."

Sold by Jamie Railton on behalf of his breeders, the colt is the second foal out of Blue Diamond homebred Bella Lulu, a winning Iffraaj half-sister to the Listed-winning sprinter Justineo.

Trade is expected to step up a gear for today’s second session of selling, which starts at 10am.

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