‘Karl felt this was a step above as an individual’ - 100,000gns Starman filly tops trade as new link-up emerges at Somerville Sale

With an extra day added to this year’s Tattersalls Somerville Sale schedule, buyers seemed content to pace themselves during Monday’s opening session. 

The market was led by a well-related filly from the first crop of champion sprinter Starman, with agent Richard Ryan signing the 100,000gns ticket on behalf of Teme Valley Racing. 

The Tally-Ho Stud-consigned youngster is a half-sister to three winners, most notably Palace House Stakes scorer Seven Questions. 

One of the others is Boogie Time, a four-time winner for Karl Burke, who Ryan revealed would be training Monday’s solitary six-figure lot. 

“She’s a lovely filly,” said Ryan. “She’ll be the first horse Teme Valley has with Karl Burke. I’ve been looking for a nice horse for Karl for a while and she fills all the criteria. 

"She’s out of a proven mare and is a half-sister to a Palace House winner. Karl trained Boogie Time and felt this filly was a step above as an individual. 

“Although she’s by a first-season sire, she has a great mind, a fabulous walk, there’s a lot to like. We actually bid on a couple by the sire at Doncaster and I like them as a bunch. I think he’s got every chance. We’ll race her and she’ll be in the shop window one day, hopefully. She’s got a fair residual value to kick off with, which helps.”

Richard Ryan: "We actually bid on a couple by the sire at Doncaster and I like them as a bunch"Credit: Alisha Meeder

On the filly’s price, Ryan added: “I was hoping for a little less but she’s a good model and a half-sister to a stakes winner, so I’m afraid that’s what you have to pay.”

Starman covered a debut book containing 261 mares at a fee of €17,500. His eight sold lots on Monday generated receipts worth 297,000gns and an average price of 37,125gns. Those transactions follow on from three six-figure sales in Doncaster last week, where the sire’s stock averaged £52,360. 

Tally-Ho Stud finished the session as the leading vendor by aggregate sales, with nine yearlings traded for a value of 323,500gns. 

The introduction of a two-day format for this year’s Somerville Sale slightly skews more precise year-on-year comparisons, although at the halfway stage this year’s renewal has been unable to match the vibrancy of last year’s trade. Turnover reached 4,385,500gns, with an average price of 27,240gns and a median of 22,000gns. The clearance rate was 75 per cent as 161 lots sold from 214 offered. 

Last year’s one-day sale had a clearance rate of 89 per cent and average and median prices of 31,905gns and 27,000gns respectively. 

Cox purchase puts on a show

The second-top lot is heading to Clive Cox’s Beechdown Stables after the trainer got the better of Tom Dascombe to secure the Sands Of Mali colt out of Island Drive at 85,000gns. 

The dam made a winning debut at two for William Haggas and Clipper Logistics, while her first foal, Churchill filly Full Gambit, is a winner in Qatar. 

“He’s a really nice colt who showed well and showed himself even better when he came into the ring,” said Cox. “He looks very sharp and he’s out of a Kodiac mare. He’s just very athletic and he’s an exciting one to look forward to. 

“Sands Of Mali was a very good performer, especially against Harry Angel, which I remember well. This is the first I’ve had by the stallion but I’m very pleased he’s coming home with us. There’s some nice stock around. As always it’s just a case of trying to pick the ones you’d be really pleased to take home. This fella certainly fits the bill.” 

The Sands Of Mali colt out of Island Drive sells to Clive Cox for 85,000gns Credit: Alisha Meeder

The trainer finished the session as the leading buyer with five recruits secured for an outlay of 236,000gns. When asked whose colours the Sands Of Mali colt would be racing in, Cox said: “To be confirmed.” 

The colt was bred under the banner of Rathbride Farm, Steve Parkin’s Curragh property that was put on the market earlier this year and currently has a guide price of €4,700,000. 

Ballyhane Stud’s Sands Of Mali has made an eyecatching start with his first two-year-olds, with the crop containing 11 European winners and three black-type horses. The best of his runners are the Windsor Castle Stakes scorer Ain’t Nobody and Lowther Stakes runner-up Time For Sandals. 

Quirke and St Lawrence secure 75,000gns brace

Two yearlings hit the 75,000gns mark during the session, the first of which was the very first lot into the ring. Agent Oliver St Lawrence secured Loughtown Stud’s Acclamation colt out of the Listed-placed Zoffany mare Adelante. 

“He was a colt who caught the eye early on,” said St Lawrence. “I think he was well bought as he was so early – he would have made more if the sale had got going.” 

The second 75,000gns lot came just eight from the finish of the near nine-hour session as Conor Quirke bid on behalf of owner Jeremy Young to secure Whitsbury Manor Stud’s Showcasing colt. 

The agent and owner sat either side of trainer Mick Appleby, who said: “He was the pick of the day for us. Hopefully he’s as good as he looks. Conor picked him out and Jeremy already had him on his list, so great minds think alike! Showcasing is one of my favourite sires too.” 

The youngster is out of a Pivotal sister to Group 3 Abernant Stakes scorer Keystroke, making her a sister to this year’s first-time-out two-year-old winner Fondest Dream. 

Another Grey day

Trade also produced a pair of 72,000gns lots. Dascombe may have missed out on the 85,000gns Sand Of Mali colt but the trainer had better luck earlier in the day when he secured the Wootton Bassett filly out of the Listed-placed Helvezia from WH Bloodstock. 

The trainer signed the docket alongside Sackville Donald, while the filly turned a tidy profit for her past connections as she was signed for by WH Bloodstock at last year’s December Foal Sale at 27,000gns. 

Tom Dascombe goes to 72,000gns for WH Bloodstock's Wootton Bassett filly out of HelveziaCredit: Alisha Meeder

The other lot to bring 72,000gns was the priciest breeze-up pinhook of the day, with Tom Whitehead of Powerstown Stud landing Pier House Stud’s Havana Grey colt. 

“He’s from a fast family and has been bought to breeze,” said Whitehead. “I haven’t had any to breeze by Havana Grey so far, but I have bred to him and he’s been lucky for me.” 

The colt is the first foal out of Deep Impression, a half-sister to South African Group 2 winner Gorongosa who was secured with the youngster in utero through Kelly Equine at a cost of 52,000gns. 

Haynes hoping for a call

Plenty of Newmarket trainers were in attendance and one of those, Alice Haynes, made her presence felt when bidding 70,000gns for Whitsbury Manor Stud’s Sergei Prokofiev colt out of Enchanted Linda. Mark Grant and Matt Houldsworth filled second and third spot on the bidders’ podium. 

The colt is a half-brother to Havana Ball, winner of a Hanover Listed contest for Archie Watson and Lone Star Investments in May this year. 

Haynes signed alongside agent Mark McStay, who said: “He’s a fast-looking horse without an owner. Hopefully in the next couple of days somebody will ring up and buy him because he’s a very sharp-looking colt and he’s going to a trainer who, as we all know, is very good at getting these two-year-olds out and gets lots of winners. 

Alice Haynes among the buyers at the Tattersalls Somerville SaleCredit: Alisha Meeder

“He was well presented by Whitsbury Manor and he’s a lovely looking horse. He looks every inch a two-year-old. Sergei Prokofiev was a fast horse himself and he seems to be getting fast horses too. He’s definitely holding his own. 

"We had to push the boat out to get him as there were five or six different bidders at various stages. Mark Grant was our direct underbidder and he sold Bradsell, so that tells you all you need to know about his judgement.” 

Sergei Prokofiev continues to carry all before him in the European first-season sire standings. The son of Scat Daddy has 15 winners to his name, a roll of honour headed by the classy Arizona Blaze. Sergei Prokofiev was the second-highest grossing sire of the day with eight sold for a combined 280,000gns. The sire’s average of 35,000gns was aided by Cox signing at 65,000gns for a colt from Ladytown Stables late in the session. 

The Tattersalls Somerville Sale continues on Tuesday at 10am.

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