John Stewart's Resolute Bloodstock makes a powerful impact - as it happened on day two at Tattersalls December Mares Sale

Vertical Blue topped Resolute Bloodstock's shopping list at Tattersalls Credit: Laura Green

John Stewart may not have been physically present at the second of the Sceptre Sessions at Tattersalls on Tuesday evening but the man behind Resolute Bloodstock made his presence felt, buying 33 per cent of the nine fillies and mares who sold for seven-figure sums.

Stewart, who leapt to prominence when publicly stating he was willing to bid Aus$9,000,000 for Winx's Pierro yearling filly last April, made more major internatioanl headlines when acquiring a majority share in Goliath after the gelding's victory in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in July.

Kentucky-based Stewart is now a significant investor globally and spent 6,265,000gns (£6,578,000/€7,933,718) acquiring five fillies and mares, headed by the 3,200,000gns Vertical Blue.

Speaking by phone from America, Stewart commented: " Vertical Blue was my number one pick, and I had targeted her. I know a lot about the filly as she is trained by Francis-Henri Graffard and he trains Goliath for me. She will be going back to France to be trained by him.

"I thought she would make that sort of money; premium horses generate that sort of price and there is a small group of people buying them." 

The daughter of Mehmas was a wildcard entry in the sale and one of three individual juvenile Group 1 winners for Tally Ho Stud's powerhouse stallion this year courtesy of a shock nose success over stable companion Zarigna in the Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp.

She was joined on the Resolute team by 1,300,000gns Group 3 winner Village Voice, a daughter of Zarak, and the Group 3 winner A Lilac Rolla who was runner-up to Fallen Angel in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and third to Porta Fortuna in the Falmouth Stakes, her most recent run for Paddy Twomey.

Resolute got this evening's Sceptre Sessions off to a screaming start with the first of two Mehmas fillies Stewart bought; Tales Of The Heart who is a full-sister to the Flying Childers Stakes winner Caturra, who has his first crop of foals this year.

Even with the Sceptre Sessions finished for another year, Stewart wasn't done. He added two-year-old Calyx filly It Ain't Two, successful in the Listed Bosra Sham Stakes, to the squad at 115,000gns.

Trained by Hugo Palmer, the filly is the third foal out of Requinto mare Usra who was third in the Listed Tipperary Stakes.

It Ain't Two was bred by former England, Liverpool and Real Madrid star Michael Owen.

All four are heading Stateside as Stewart revealed grand ambitions for his racing and breeding empire.

"The others will be coming to the US and will be staying in training. I want to dominate Turf racing at Keeneland," he said.

!I want to do an Aidan O'Brien there, and around 80 per cent of my horses are Turf horses. The Keeneland track there is quite an anomaly in the US as most of the tracks are firm, but the turf at Keeneland is on the soft. The horses I have bought will act on a soft track."

Sean Grassick (centre) and Kevin Coleman (right with brother Aidan on the left) enjoyed stunning success Credit: CAROLINE NORRIS

The Palace Girl transformed from €30,000 yearling into 1,550,000gns two-year-old at the Sceptre Sessions where Woodford Thoroughbreds purchased the Areion half-sister to this season's Sun Chariot Stakes winner Tamfana, who was third in the Prix de Diane and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

It was a marvellous result for trainer Kevin Coleman and bloodstock agent Sean Grassick's Atomic Racing, who purchased The Palace Girl through Jeremy Brummitt in Germany last September prior to Tamfana's debut.

Placed on her only start, in a Curragh maiden last month, The Palace Girl earned herself a wildcard entry in the Sceptre Sessions and the Atomic Racing team a massive pay day.

Vertical Blue (Alexis Pouchin) after the Prix Marcel Boussac Credit: Edward Whitaker

At the risk of repeating myself and boring you all to tears, the identity of the online buyer of two-year-old Mehmas filly Vertical Blue, is shrouded in mystery.

At 3,200,000gns she is the second most expensive lot of the Sceptre Sessions.

And now the most expensive lot bought by the free-spending John Stewart of Resolute Bloodstock.

You Got To Me and trainer Ralph BeckettCredit: CAROLINE NORRIS

Kia Joorabchian has publicly had his issues with trainer Ralph Beckett, who handled the racing career of the most expensive horse sold at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, and when asked about plans for the Nathaniel filly, the Amo racing supremo wasn't prepared to let sleeping dogs, or horses, lie.

"If she stays in training obviously Ralph Beckett wants her back and I said as long as he does not injure her he can have her back!," was Joorabchian's response to questions about plans for this year's Irish Oaks heroine.

He added: "I am thinking about plans. If she stays in training she is not a horse to take away from her current trainer, and Ralph has done a wonderful job with her."

In a three-way tussle with Graham Smith-Bernal of Newsells Park Stud, who were part-owners of the Classic winner, and Will Walden in which bidding commenced at 1,000,000gns, Joorabchian frankly said that at 4,800,000gns he thought that the price might be a little on the steep side.

"We were getting to a point that we were thinking she was overpriced but she could be very cheap in the long run. At least we know she is proven because she won the Irish Oaks amazingly, and I am so happy as the guys that owned her - Valmont - are dear friends of mine, we have partnerships together in other horses."

Alex Elliott, who has been doing much of the bidding for Amo Racing during an extraordinary seven week spending spree, purchased You Got To Me as a yearling at Book1 for 200,000gns for Valmont, who went into partnership with Newsells Park where Nathaniel stands, after You Got To Me made a winning debut at two.

She was bred by Dullingham Park and Sarabex and sold through The National Stud for 62,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale.

At 4,800,000gns or £5,040,000 (€6,076,537), You Got To Me is the most expensive of the 48 horses that Amo Racing has bought, either on their own or in partnership, at Tattersalls since October.

As it stands, Amo has splurged an astonishing 39,040,000gns or £40,992,000 (€49,427,905).

Group 2 winner Term Of Endearment made 1,300,000gns at the Sceptre Sessions Credit: Laura Green

The trigger-happy online bidders struck for yet another seven figure lot at the Sceptre Sessions with the Group 2 Lillie Langtry Fillies' Stakes and Group 3 Bronte Cup winner Term Of Endearment making 1,300,000gns to a buyer calling themselves Red Bank.

Trained by Henry de Bromhead, she was the leading trainer's first winner at Goodwood when victorious in the Group 2 contest this summer and Rachael Blackmore was in the saddle when she was successful in May's Group 3 Cup.

You Got To Me ready to sparkle at the Sceptre Sessions Credit: Laura Green

'The chance of a lifetime,' is how auctioneer Alistair Pim described the opportunity to buy this year's Irish Oaks winner You Got To Me as he exhorted the rival bidders dotted around the sales ring for one more bid.

His bromance with Kia Joorabchian, whom he serenaded with a few bars of Bonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' last night is ongoing but sadly there was to be no more singing as Joorabchian didn't turn around this time and, instead, he bought the Nathaniel filly for 4,800,000gns.

It is the third highest price at the December Mares sale behind Marsha's record sale of 6,000,000gns and Alcohol Free's 5,400,000gns sale to Yulong Investments here two years' ago.

Group 3 winner and Group 1 runner-up River Of Stars at Tattersalls Credit: Laura Green

Group 3 Bronte Cup winner and Group 1 Prix de Royallieu runner-up River Of Stars made 1,650,000gns to an online bidder, who was listed as Oakley Creek.

The daughter of Sea The Stars was trained by Ralph Beckett for Woodford Thoroughbreds LLC and is a half-sister to Amazonka, dam of this season's Group 2 Coventry Stakes winner and Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and Prix Morny second Rashabar.

Lumiere RockCredit: Patrick McCann

The Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Saxon Warrior filly Lumiere Rock has been sold for 1,300,000gns to Narvick International. Offered by The Castlebridge Consignment for her owner Michael O'Flynn, the four-year-old was trained by Joseph O'Brien to win the Blandford Stakes and she was third in the Group 1 Prix de l'Opera.

Out of the Gold Away mare Last Gold, she is from the family of the Group 3 Prix des Chenes winner Stimulation.

Group 3 winner Village Voice made 1,300,000gns Credit: Laura Green

The Jessica Harrington-trained Village Voice as knocked down to an online bidder for 1,300,000gns during the Sceptre Sessions.

That online bidder is the prolific purchaser Resolute Bloodstock, who added the Group 3 winner to his earlier purchase of Classic-placed three-year-old A Lilac Rolla.

Group 2 Sapphire Stakes winner Believing ahead of her 3,000,000gns sale to MV Magnier Credit: Laura Green

So often the bridesmaid on the racetrack, Believing has the spotlight all to herself at the Sceptre Sessions as the new sale-topper and Coolmore's MV Magnier revealed that the quadruple Group 1-placed sprinter will stay in training with George Boughey next season.

Coolmore's MV Magnier went to 3,000,000gns for the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes winner by Mehmas who has been placed at the highest level in the Nunthorpe, Flying Five, Haydock Sprint Cup and Prix de l'Abbaye for Highclere Racing and Boughey.

The four-year-old, who is the only winner out of the unraced Kodiac mare Misfortunate was sold for 70,000gns by Baroda Stud to JC Bloodstock at Book 2 and Highclere went to 115,000gns to buy her from Kilminfoyle House Stud at the Craven Breeze-Up.

Racing for the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing - Jane Addams Syndicate, Believing has won six of her 24 starts and finished in the first three on nine more occasions earning her owners £625,638 in prizemoney although that has been rather dwarfed by her sales ring turn.

"It is unbelievable, exclaimed syndicate manager Harry Herbert. 

"There was some chat before that she might make more than Cachet [2,200,000gns in 2023] and I thought that was ridiculous but hearing from Jake [Warren, his nephew] and the stud before that all the key people were on her I thought it was possible but there can be so many disappointments in the ring, both buying and selling.

Herbert added: "The journey her 20 share owners have enjoyed from a breeze up filly of 115,000gns to a three million here is incredible.

"She is staying with George, which is fantastic and is a wonderful bonus. It is so incredible to have a filly looking like that, she has an incredible will to win, consistent, with speed, she is dream down the road. We look forward to following her future career."

Group 3 winner A Lilac Rolla made 1,000,000gnsCredit: Patrick McCann

From €40,000 Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale to 1,000,000gns Sceptre Session star, it has been a meteoric trajectory to the top for Paddy Twomey and the Mutual Admiration Society Parnetship's three-year-old filly A Lilac Rolla.

The Group 3 winner by Harry Angel was second to Fallen Angel in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and third to Porta Fortuna, in the Falmouth Stakes on her most recent run.

Bred by John Cullinane, out of the Red Ransom mare Mejala, A Lilac Rolla was bought by Amanda Skiffington from Timmy Hillman's Castledillon Stud and was unbeaten in two starts as a juvenile. She announced herself as a major talent when defeating Opera Singer, who would go on to Group 1 glory, and she confirmed her superiority over the Justify filly, when splitting Fallen Angel and the Prix Marcel Boussac winner at the Curragh.

A half-sister to the Listed King Charles II and Doncaster Stakes runner-up Mutaaqeb, A Lilac Rolla is from the family of champion miler and sire Bahri.

Caturra's full-sister got the second of the 2024 Sceptre Sessions off to a flyerCredit: Mark Cranham

The first lot of this year's Sceptre Sessions makes 650,000gns to an online bidder, subsequently confirmed to be Resolute Bloodstock

Two-year-old Tales Of The Heart is a Mehmas full-sister to Flying Childers Stakes winner and young Overbury Stud sire Caturra.

Placed in the Group 3 Princess Stakes and the Listed Empress Stakes, she was sold by WH Bloodstock.

Bought by Jamie McCalmont for 400,000gns at Book 1 last year, she raced in the silks of Andrew Rosen and Mark Chan and was trained by Ralph Beckett, who also trained Group 1 Falmouth Stakes winner Prosperous Voyage for the pair.

The daughter of Zoffany was sold at last year's Sceptre Sessions for 2,400,000gns to Katsumi Yoshida and was covered by Kingman.

Teona topped the 2023 Sceptre SessionsCredit: Laura Green

Every available vantage point has been staked out and laid claim to in advance of the Sceptre Sessions, which start now 

Satoshi Yoshida and Hirotaka Ezaki inspecting mares at Tattersalls Credit: Laura Green

Ahead of the second of the Sceptre Sessions, which will begin around 5pm, the all-powerful Yoshida family behind Japan's exceptional Shadai Stallion Station and Northern Farm have been busy buying mares.

The most expensive of the trio is Shagpyle, the winning four-year-old Frankel half-sister to Pyldriver with the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner's younger sibling making 300,000gns.

Offered by trainers Willie Muir and Chris Grassick, she is one of four winners from four runners out of La Pyle, a daughter of Le Havre.

A winner on the Flat and placed over hurdles, La Pyle is a full-sister to the Group 3 Park Express Stakes winner Normandel and a half-sister to Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Mont Ormel. 

La Pyle is also a half-sister to Lillebonne, dam of Listed winners Seisai, Thornbrook and Magnanimous.

Shadai also purchased three-year-old Dark Angel filly Got To Love A Grey who won last year's Listed Marygate Stakes for Karl Burke and Middleham Park Racing.

The least expensive of their purchases so far today is Derryconnor Stud's Listed-placed Siyouni filly So Majestic for 180,000gns. The three-year-old is from the family of My Titania.

Katie McGivern of Derryconnor Stud wasn't at Tattersalls for the sale having recently given birth to her daughter Lola. Congratulations to Katie, her husband Tom and their children Zara and Frankie.

Gary Hadden of Coolruss Stud, which has bred four Grade 1 winnersCredit: Lorraine O'Sullivan

The bigger prices are coming thick and fast now at Tattersalls with Gary Hadden going to 625,000gns for Shamardal nine-year-old Gumriyah, sold by Whatton Manor Stud.

A half-sister to the 1,000 Guineas, Nassau and Matron Stakes winner Legatissimo, Gumriyah was a winner over ten furlongs at three for John Gosden but her first foal, the four-year-old Sea The Stars gelding Exoplanet was runner-up in the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes at last year's Royal Ascot meeting.

Gumriyah has an unraced two-year-old Night Of Thunder daughter named Channel Check who was sold for 400,000gns at Book 1 to Mike Ryan for Klaravich Stables while her Ardad yearling daughter was sold for 80,000gns at Book 2 last month to Sackville Donald.

She has a filly foal by Night Of Thunder and was covered by Sea The Stars this year but is not believed to be in foal.

Her pedigree is of the top-class middle distance variety with her dam, Yummy Mummy, a winning Montjeu full-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Fame And Glory who was developing into a fine National Hunt sire before his untimely demise.

Run Away exits the Tattersalls' ring after her 650,000gns sale to Ecurie des Monceaux Credit: Laura Green

Blackbeard's three-year-old sister Run Away, who has a colourful sales history, has just been knocked down to Henri Bozo of her part-owners Ecurie des Monceaux for 650,000gns.

Bozo was buying out another of her part-owners, Qatar Racing, and Run Away is likely to be retired to stud. It is her second trip to the sales, and the fall-out from this one will hopefully be less dramatic than her yearling sale.

Run Away made €2.6m as a yearling when sold by Glenvale Stud on behalf of breeders Newstead Breeding but a series of unfortunate events saw her purchaser, ultimately believed to be Saleh Al-Homaizi the part-owner of Derby hero Authorized unable to pay for almost £20,000,000 worth of yearlings bought on his behalf across the major European and American bloodstock auctions.

The 17 yearlings had to be offered for resale and Run Away, the most expensive of the bunch, appeared in the colours of David Howden with partners Qatar Racing and Ecurie des Monceaux.

Trained by Andrew Balding, the No Nay Never filly displayed some of her brother's characteristic moves but was a very different animal on the track from the Group 1-winning juvenile.

Run Away didn't run at two but made a winning debut over seven furlongs in April at Yarmouth, and on her penultimate start was third in the Listed Prix de Saint-Cyr at Longchamp last month.

"She is a good-looking filly, she has a great pedigree and she is a little more precocious for the stud then we tend to have, she is for a partnership,."

Bozo hinted: "She should be easy to mate, and a certain stallion not too far from here comes to mind." 

Bluestocking (Rossa Ryan) wins the ArcCredit: Edward Whitaker

Juddmonte Farms, whose homebred fillies Bluestocking and Kalpana lit up the Flat season with some sparkling displays including Bluestocking's Arc triumph, were crowned Owners of the Year at the HWPA Awards yesterday.

Leading breeders will have the opportunity to buy into the farm's outstanding bloodlines this afternoon as the cream of the Juddmonte fillies and mares offered for sale this year are due to come under the hammer this afternoon.

Among those on offer are:

• Lot 1690; Listed third Crenelle by Dansili out of a half-sister to Logician and the dam of Whitebeam, from the family of Bated Breath. She is in foal to Chaldean
• Lot 1691 Group 3 Park Express Stakes runner-up Redressed out of Atone, an Oasis Dream full-sister to Midday, in foal to Chaldean. She is a half-sister to the Frankel colt bought for 1,100,000gns by Amo at Book 1
• Lot 1698 Escrow an unraced Night Of Thunder full-sister to Group 3 winner Pocket Square out of a full sister to the dam of Kalpana (bought back for 575,000gns yesterday)
• Lot 1700 Inversion a three-year-old Frankel half-sister to Grade 1 winner Whitebeam out of a half-sister to Logician, by Frankel
• Lot 1702 Red Pixie a winning three-year-old by Kingman out of Listed winner Desert Diamond from the family of Frankel

Dr Cyrus Poonawalla is one of India's leading ownersCredit: Patrick McCann

Indian purchasers have been very active over the first day and a half of the sale with Poonawalla Stud, where Roderic O'Connor and Excellent Art stand and now the home of Territories, among the busiest of buyers.

Poonawalla Exhilaration Stud PVT with Raunak Banerji have just purchased 300,000gns Hurricane Run mare Wekeela, from Tweenhills Stud, and she is in foal to Zarak.

The Group 3 winner and triple Group/Grade 1-placed full-sister to Matauri Pearl, dam of Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Aunt Pearl, is the dam of two winners from three runners and has an unraced two-year-old Lope De Vega filly named Growth Trajectory, so she is very closely related to Aunt Pearl.

Banerji, a manager at the farm in India, explained that Wekeela has been bought as a future mate for Territories.

"She was a good race mare and we really like the family," he said. "We think going back to Monsun will provide Territories with a bit of staying ability, so we hope for the best with her."

About the purchase of Territories, he added: "The goal is to improve racing in India, and, hopefully, our investments will pay off. Mr Poonawalla has a vision to go global and we want to make the Indian presence felt in the international arena, we want to copy what Japan has done over the last 30 years, it is not too late to start. Between the two farms we have about seven stallions and Territories changes the whole dynamic with an international presence."

Alex Elliott and Kia JoorabchianCredit: Alisha Meeder

Amo Racing's investment in bloodstock has exploded in the last couple of months with Kia Joorabchian's vehicle shelling out a whopping 31,350,000gns at Tattersalls in less than two months.

From the opening session of Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale to this morning, Amo has been listed as the purchaser of 41 horses, mainly yearlings and foals, for an average price of 764,643gns. 

In sterling that is an average of £802,866 and a total outlay of £32,917,500 which at this morning's conversion rates looks even more expensive with the total coming in at just shy of €40 million at €39,620,115 and an average of €963,328.

The most expensive was the Frankel filly out of the Group 2 winner Aljazzi bought for 4,400,000gns at Book 1 with the full-sister to Arc heroine Alpinista, also by Juddmonte's outstanding stallion, costing a relative bargain at 2,500,000gns which is the same price Amo paid just last Friday for the full-sister to last year's 2,000 Guineas winner and young Juddmonte sire Chaldean, also by Frankel

If you think there is a theme emerging here, then you would be correct.

Amo's investment this autumn has been on a different level to previous years with the progeny of Europe's elite stallions targeted.

Among those picked up as part of their Book 1 supermarket sweep was the Wootton Bassett colt out of Park Bloom, a Galileo full-sister to Oaks winner Was who cost Joorabchian and his investors 4,300,000gns.

The Camelot full-sister to Group 1 winner Luxembourg was added to the collection at 2,900,000gns while another Frankel, this time a colt out of Atone who is a full-sister to Midday, brought 1,100,000gns.

At last week's December Foal Sale, Amo signed for a Frankel colt out of Group 1 winner Audarya and a filly who is the first foal of Listed winner Auria in addition to the sale-topper.

They have already been in action this week, buying half-sister to their two-year-old Mehmas filly California Dreamer who was runner-up in the Group 2 Balanchine Stakes this year.

On Monday they went to 450,000gns for Pennymoor, her Listed-winning Frankel half-sister in foal to Farhh from the Godolphin draft, and this morning they have made their cheapest purchase at Tattersalls this year. It took just 55,000gns to secure Disco Fever, by Oasis Dream, and in foal to Nathaniel, small change compared to what they have spent in less than two months.

One of the most exciting aspects of the sale is the opportunity to view Britain's leading stallions as the stud farms around Newmarket open their doors to breeders looking for the perfect mates for their mares.

The most anticipated are the new stallions, with this week affording the first chance to view those who have recently retired.

Newsells Park Stud and Tweenhills also bring their young sires to Newmarket for prospective clients to inspect, with the facility at Longholes Stud hosting Tweenhills' very promising first season sire Kameko, whose progeny include the Grade 1 winner New Century and the Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Wimbledon Hawkeye.

The Group 2 Superlative Stakes winner and Poule d'Essai des Poulains runner-up Isaac Shelby has swapped his new home of Newsells Park Stud for Longholes this week as the son of Night Of Thunder has his first opportunity to wow breeders.

The Racing Post team were among those who went to view him and Rosie Margarson filmed him.