White Birch Lands Top Lot for Sottsass at Tattersalls

Few offerings draw prospective purchasers to the Park Paddocks ring quite like the draft of Juddmonte fillies, and those lots again took center stage during another solid session of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale Dec. 2. 

Khalid Abdullah's operation offered 19 3-year-olds and a single juvenile, and the draft duly brought an aggregate of 1,526,000 guineas and an average of 76,300 guineas. The most in-demand member of the bunch was Cressida, who was knocked down to Demi O'Byrne, seated to the right of the rostrum with Tammy O'Brien, at 360,000 guineas (US$507,381).

The filly, who was signed for on behalf of Peter Brant's White Birch Farm, will now form part of Sottsass's debut book as the owner's Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) hero begins his second career at Coolmore.

"She's a very nice physical and a great walker," O'Byrne said of the daughter of Dansili whose looks are backed up by a deep Juddmonte pedigree. She is the fifth foal out of Modern Look, the dam of four winners from as many runners and the winner of the Prix de Sandringham (G2) herself."

Modern Look's best performer is Grand Jete, a Dansili sister to Cressida who won the Eatontown Stakes (G3T) and finished second to Dacita in the Beverly D. Stakes (G1T) for Chad Brown.

In turn, Modern Look is out of Shadwell Stud Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) heroine Prophecy, whose brood includes the likes of Australian group 1 winner Foreteller and Arabesque, the dam of stallions Showcasing and Camacho.

Cressida won one of her three outings for Abdullah and trainer John Gosden, with her Kempton novice stakes success coming on debut in July.

Brant is set to throw his considerable support behind Sottsass' stallion career, with the son of Siyouni and Starlet's Sister also due to be visited by the likes of Unaided, the dam of champion Uni, who sold for $4.1 million in November; Rosa Bonheur, the dam of Brant's dual grade 1 winner Raging Bull; Albany Stakes (G3) victress Different League; and Azafata, whose offspring include William Hill May Hill Stakes (G2) scorer and group 1 runner-up Fleeting.

Twomey Gets His Girl

Paddy Twomey enjoyed a big result on Day 2 of the sale when Sonaiyla was sold by his Athassel House Stud to Moyglare Stud for 900,000 guineas ($1,259,103). Nearly 24 hours later, the trainer turned buyer when going to 310,000 guineas ($436,912) to add Stormy Girl to his string.

The daughter of Night of Thunder has developed into a high-class performer for Sedgefield-based trainer Rebecca Menzies and owners Stonegrave Thoroughbreds, as highlighted by her success in the listed E.B.F. Highfield Farm Flying Fillies' Stakes.

"She's a nice filly, and she looks to have progressive form," Twomey said. "She's been unlucky the odd time in her races, but hopefully if the cards fall her way, another winter might help her improve again. Her dam's half sister bred a group 1 winner this year, so it's a deep family and she has residual value as a broodmare. She's been bought for an existing owner."

The 3-year-old's value appreciated markedly since her previous visit to the sales as she fetched just €22,000 ($21,478) when bought by Compas Equine as a yearling. Her pedigree had also undergone a notable upgrade in that time frame as she is out of a half sister to the dam of Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac-Criterium des Pouliches (G1) hero Tiger Tanaka.

Menzies was on hand to offer new connections her congratulations, and after the docket had been signed, she said: "She's been absolutely amazing for us, and she's progressed as the year's gone on. There's loads more to come from her as a race mare, and I'm sure she'll be a brilliant broodmare in time.

"She was owned by Mike And Eileen Newbould. They've had more jumpers than flat horses, but they bought some yearlings a couple of years back and she's been their flagship horse, so it's a brilliant result for them.

"Hopefully, we can go back to the sales in the future and find another like her. We've only got a small yard and she'll leave a massive hole, but I'm really looking forward to watching her. There probably aren't many trainers who'd say that, but I'll get a lot of pleasure out of seeing her race on."

Juddmonte Action Continues

Famed Juddmonte producer Clepsydra has exerted a notable influence on proceedings at this year's December Mares Sale, with no less than four of her daughters changing hands.

The priciest of those was Time Saver, who went the way of Blandford Bloodstock at 850,000 guineas ($1,189,152), while Gerrardstown House Stud gave 200,000 guineas ($280,022) for Mechanism, and Ted Durcan and the Heider family went to 160,000 guineas ($224,018) for Amser.

On Wednesday, the fourth daughter of Clepsydra sold when Marc-Antoine Berghgracht of MAB Agency went to 190,000 guineas for the 3-year-old Kingman filly Brinjal. The half sister to Timepiece, Passage of Time, Father Time, and Continuum is set to commence her breeding career in France.

"It's just a lovely family, and she's been bought for French breeder Haras d'Haspel, which is based in Normandy," Berghgracht said. "The farm started in the last three years, mainly as a commercial breeder.

"The pedigree is very active with plenty of fillies breeding—you can expect the page to look different next year. We will think about what stallion we send her to. We might ask Juddmonte what would be their suggestion!"

Tom Goff also dipped into the Juddmonte draft when the Blandford Bloodstock man went to 170,000 guineas ($239,597) for Arabian Dream, an unplaced sister to Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Gimcrack Stakes (G2) scorer and Whitsbury Manor Stud stallion Showcasing.

Being by Oasis Dream and out of Arabesque means the 3-year-old filly is also a half sister to Yeomanstown Stud sire Camacho, the group 3-placed Tendu, and the stakes-placed Westerland and Bouvardia.

"I thought we had her at 65,000 guineas!" Goff said. "Oasis Dream is a fantastic broodmare sire, and she's going to go to Ireland and be a mummy straightaway. The page speaks for itself."

Godolphin Queens in Demand

The Godolphin draft also proved a major draw as 22 lots brought receipts totaling 686,800 guineas. The priciest of those was Queen Kahlua, who was knocked down to Stuart Thom of Galloway Stud in Woburn for 160,000 guineas ($225,503).

The 3-year-old daughter of Kingman won two races for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid and Henri-Francois Devin, including a Bordeaux Le Bouscat conditions event by four lengths on her penultimate outing. She also compiled some classy form in defeat, most notably when fourth behind Earthlight in the listed Qatar Prix Kistena.

She will get the opportunity to further enhance her race record as Thom reported that her new owner would be sending her into training in Newmarket.

"She's been bought to keep in training, but she'll probably come home for some rest first. Then she'll go into training with this man," said Thom, gesturing toward Stuart Williams. "She's a lovely filly physically. We thought she moved very well, and the fact she was only beaten five lengths by Earthlight really caught our attention.

"Eventually, she'll come back to Galloway Stud, and hopefully she'll make a nice broodmare."

Bred by Horizon Bloodstock, Queen Kahlua is a half sister to six winners, most notably the listed scorer Windhoek. She was making her second appearance at public auction, having been signed for by Devin and Stephen Hillen at 57,000 guineas ($78,362) at Book 1 in 2018.

Two lots later, the six-figure mark was reached again as Laurent Benoit of Broadhurst Agency struck for Queen of the Sea at 100,000 guineas ($140,940).

The daughter of Sea The Stars did not manage to get her head in front in five starts for Godolphin but does possess a strong pedigree as she is a half sister to group 3-winning Sacred Life and group 3-placed Khagan.

"We're not sure where she will go just yet, but she will go to a nice proven stallion," said Benoit, who explained he had gone in pursuit of the filly's dam, the Montjeu mare Knyazhna, when she was bought by Ecurie des Monceaux at €700,000 ($797,090) at Arqana in 2018.

"We know the family well in France, and the dam is still young herself. Sea The Stars will be a lovely broodmare sire, too. Funnily enough, I tried to buy the dam at Arqana, but Mr. (Henri) Bozo was too strong! Time will tell, but I think the daughter looks fair value."

The Tattersalls December Mares Sale concludes Thursday with a session starting at 9:30 a.m. local time.