Space Traveller colt overcomes challenging trade to top day one of December Foal Sale at 82,000gns

What a difference a day makes. On Monday Tattersalls celebrated unprecedented levels of trade at the December Yearling Sale, where a lively market was capped by the 900,000gns half-sister to Camille Pissarro. 

But business on Tuesday laid bare the sobering reality that exists at the lower rungs of the bloodstock ladder, with day one of the December Foal Sale bringing a clearance rate of just 61 per cent. 

The 111 sold lots may have generated gains in the average and median prices, but even so, most breeders will have been a long way short of covering their production costs. 

The average price went up by eight per cent year-on-year to 12,085gns, while the median was up 13 points at 9,000gns, having been 8,000gns 12 months ago. Turnover dropped by 12 per cent to 1,341,500gns, albeit the 182 lots on offer represented a drop of 45 foals (20 per cent) compared to 2023. 

Admittedly bigger things are expected later in the week, particularly on Friday, when the choice offerings include a Frankel colt out of Group/Grade 1 winner Audarya and a sister to 2,000 Guineas hero Chaldean. Those events will undoubtedly give the whole-sale figures a much rosier look, but day one served as a reminder of the challenges faced by those operating away from the upper echelons. 

The top price on Tuesday came late in the session when Michael and Ciara Carty of Kilmoney Cottage Stud struck an online bid of 82,000gns to secure the Space Traveller half-brother to Windsor Castle Stakes winner Ain't Nobody. 

Ciara Carty said: “For us he was the best physical today. He walks well, has size and scope and is only a May foal, so he stood out for us. We can't fault the sire – he was a good racehorse. We underbid one by him last week, another good physical, and the stallion seems to be stamping his stock. This colt has a nice pedigree too, and we’ll hope to bring him back here for the October Yearling Sale. We’ll see how he develops.” 

First-crop sire Space Traveller, winner of the Jersey and Boomerang Stakes during his racing days, stood his debut season at Ballyhane Stud, where he covered 188 mares at a fee of €6,500. The Barton Stud-consigned youngster was offered on behalf of Clipper Logistics’ Steve Parkin, who bred the colt under the banner of Rathbride Farm. 

“He was the talking horse of the day and I was told that he was the standout foal here today,” said Barton’s Tom Blain. “He’s a beautiful colt; a beautiful mover, a beautiful colour, and to be fair the stallion is a beauty too. This foal is a perfect example of what you hope to get if you send a mare to a stallion like that.” 

Blain added: “Steve Parkin wanted to show the industry that the stallion is producing good foals, and I think this foal has achieved that. He has a good pedigree with a Royal Ascot winner this year. He’s good enough to be offered any day this week, but today has paid off and all the judges were on him, all the pinhookers.” 

The Barton draft also included the Pinatubo colt out of the Listed-placed High Hope. The three-parts brother to three-time winner Aiming High was knocked down to Anna Raddavero, signing as St Simon Bloodstock, at 50,000gns. 

“This is our first experience buying here, so we’re very happy,” said Raddavero. “We don’t know what the plan is, we’ll see how he improves. We sell but we also own, so we’ll see. We have horses in Newmarket. Our horse, Palazzo Blu, made a winning debut at Chelmsford. That was also our first experience as owners in England. This horse will go to Ireland and then we’ll see whether he goes to the sales or goes into training.” 

Blain added: “He was bred by Charlie Wyatt of Dukes Stud. They do a great job and Charlie and Will kindly gave us the horses to sell – they’re lovely people and it’s great to get a result for them. The mare is coming through the ring next week because they’re sliming down a bit. Dukes is a beautiful stud, they breed lovely horses and it’s just a pleasure to be part of such an historic operation. We’ve been selling for them for three or four years so it’s nice to get them some money.”

Pinatubo is tied with Mohaather in second place on the European first-season sire table with 21 winners. Sergei Prokofiev tops the list with 23 succesful sons and daughters to his name. 

The Pinatubo colt out of High Hopes after his 50,000gns sale to St Simon BloodstockCredit: Laura Green

The only other lot to break the 50,000gns barrier was Altenbach Bloodstock’s Nathaniel colt. The February foal, whose three winning siblings include the Listed scorer Olendon, was signed for by Tally-Ho Stud at 55,000gns. 

“He’s a nice athletic horse,” said Tally-Ho’s Roger O’Callaghan. “Nathaniel does a bit of everything, doesn’t he? He’s good, so I’m glad to have this horse.” 

As well as restocking their broodmare band and adding to their homebred foal crop with a significant number of pinhooks, the O’Callaghan family are currently busy taking bookings for their three new stallions. 

Kingpins Mehmas and Kodiac are being joined in 2025 by Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Big Evs, Phoenix Stakes scorer Bucanero Fuerte and Champion Stakes hero King Of Steel. 

Asked how the new recruits were settling in, O’Callaghan said: “They better be busy after Christmas and keep us all entertained!” 

Consignor Alex Whitehead conceded she had slightly mixed expectations coming into the sale, but declared herself more than happy with the 55,000gns transaction. 

“The horse was well received,” she said. “The sire has had a good year but I wasn’t 100 per cent sure how he’d be received, so we put this colt in on day one and he stood out. He’s a nice individual, a very good mover and it was good to see him so well received. The mare is back in foal to Golden Horn.”

The December Foal Sale continues on Wednesday at 10am. 

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