'Truly astonishing' December Mares Sale concludes with 81 million guineas spent

Despite quieter trade on the final day of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, the 2022 edition will go down in the history books as the record total spend had been smashed by the third of the four sessions.

With Tuesday evening's Sceptre Session leading to the highest-grossing day in European sales history, it meant that turnover throughout the week came to 80,831,200gns, up 30 per cent on last year’s sale total and 16 per cent higher than the previous record from 2007. The average and median records were also broken comprehensively.

A best-ever average of 117,147gns was up 48 per cent on 2021 with the median soaring by 23 per cent to 32,000gns. Overall clearance rate from 842 lots offered was a healthy 82 per cent.

At the end of play, Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony said: "Every so often we experience sales at Tattersalls which defy all expectations, but in 2022 it is probably fair to say each successive sale here at Park Paddocks has achieved levels of trade which even the most optimistic observers would have deemed unlikely, culminating in a Tattersalls December Mares Sale which at times has been truly astonishing.

“There can be no doubt the eagerly anticipated inaugural Sceptre sessions have added a new dimension to what was already Europe’s premier sale of breeding stock. When we launched the Sceptre sessions back in the summer our goal was to create a format which would allow us to showcase elite fillies and mares to the global audience which defines the Tattersalls December Sale."

Edmond Mahony: 'Turnover, average and median have all soared past the previous record levels.'Credit: Laura Green

He continued: "The response from breeders and consignors to the new initiative was overwhelmingly positive, and this was widely recognised as an exceptional catalogue, but we could not have predicted the extraordinary atmosphere which enveloped Park Paddocks throughout a sale which has seen the record books completely rewritten.

"Turnover, average and median have all soared past the previous record levels and to see the packed sale ring as the succession of outstanding fillies and mares took to the stage will live long in the memories of all those present. The huge number of overseas buyers here at Park Paddocks for the duration of the December Sale reflects the incredible support we have received from the vendors who entrusted us with such an illustrious cast of race fillies and broodmares.

"Every one of the 11 fillies and mares who sold for one million guineas or more was special and the 5.4 million guineas sale of the gorgeous Alcohol Free was not only the highest auction price in the world this year for a filly in training, but also a wonderful reward for her owner Jeff Smith, her trainer Andrew Balding and all associated with one of the great race fillies of recent years."

On overall trade, Mahony said: “While the individual highlights will leave lasting memories, we must express our deep gratitude to all who have made 2022 such an extraordinary year at Tattersalls. Sale after sale has attracted buyers from all over the world in overwhelming numbers, and we are enormously grateful for the support we receive from purchasers and vendors alike, all of whom have contributed to a year which has seen our annual turnover exceed 400 million guineas, comfortably exceeding the previous high of 331 million guineas set in 2017.

"These remarkable figures are a massive tribute to the professionalism and commitment of all involved in the bloodstock industry in Britain, Ireland, France and further afield. It is their consistent support which makes Newmarket such a focal point of the global bloodstock industry and makes the uniquely international Tattersalls December Sale the pre-eminent sale of its type in Europe.”

Gaurav Rampal: 'Her first foal has finished second on his only start to date and looks very exciting.'Credit: Laura Green

The fourth session was topped by Stetchworth Park Stud's Pulitzer, who sold to Gaurav Rampal on behalf of Indian owner-breeder and stallion owner Tegbir Brar for 50,000gns.

Her Night Of Thunder colt named Night Of Lightning had finished a narrow second on debut in France in October. The juvenile had made six-figure sums from the Tattersalls December Foal and Arqana August Yearling Sales, the latter when sold by Stauffenberg Bloodstock to Daniel Cole for €250,000.

Rampal said: "She's a lovely mare and goes to France - her Night Of Thunder two-year-old, her first foal, has finished second on his only start to date and looks very exciting."

A well-related individual as a winning half-sister to Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes winner Smaih and from the family of Grade 1 scorers Sabiango and Silvano, the daughter of Kodiac was sold carrying to the National Stud's Time Test.

Whitsbury Manor Stud's excellent fortnight at Park Paddocks came to a productive close when the team sold Puzzled Look for 28,000gns to Blandford Bloodstock's Tom Biggs, who confirmed she would visit Overbury Stud's new sire and Flying Childers Stakes scorer Caturra.

The nine-year-old's juvenile Showcasing colt Tough Enough provided a timely update when winning at Wolverhampton last month, while she has yearling and foal colts by the red-hot Havana Grey and is carrying to Lope Y Fernandez.

Biggs said of Sakhee's Secret half-sister to stakes winner Laugh A Minute: "She's been bought for the stallion's owner, Saeed Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi. He wants to support the stallion with a few mares. Puzzled Look has produced a good two-year-old, a decent winner last time, and is from a good two-year-old family. She has a good cover and a couple of Havana Greys to come."

Puzzled Look: Whitsbury Manor Stud's daughter of Sakhee's Secret and dam of the winning Tough Enough sold to Blandford Bloodstock for 28,000gnsCredit: Alisha Meeder

Whitsbury Manor sold last week's December Foal sale-topper in the Kingman half-sister to Dewhurst Stakes hero Chaldean to Juddmonte Farms for 1,000,000gns.

Biggs also went to 30,000gns to buy Petches Farm's Baileys Liberty, a winning daughter of Iffraaj and the stakes-winning Baileys Jubilee, who was also third in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes and second in the Lowther Stakes.

Her three-year-old daughter was a winner at Carlisle this summer for Charlie and Mark Johnston and is another booked in to visit Caturra.

Biggs added: "Baileys Jubilee was very fast, I think she broke her maiden in April as a two-year-old and continued through the year to win a Listed race, finish second in the Lowther and run third in the Cheveley Park Stakes. It's exactly the sort of family we are looking for."

The fourth session saw 78 lots sell for a total of 509,700gns, an average of 6,535gns and median of 4,250gns

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