Frankel Fillies High in Demand at Tattersalls October

An electric atmosphere and frenzied trade characterized a remarkable opening session Oct. 8 at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. A Frankel   filly realized 4,400,000 guineas (US$6,048,664, 1gn=US$1.34), the second-highest price for a yearling in European auction history, with 18 lots realizing 500,000 guineas or more. The progeny of Frankel were in great demand, realizing three of the four million guineas prices, while Amo Racing's Kia Joorabchian was the leading buyer, securing 10 lots for 11,045,000 guineas (US$14,800,300). The clearance rate during the opening day was an impressive 90%. 

One hundred seventeen lots sold from the 130 on offer, grossing 42,680,000 guineas (US$57,191,200), up 39% from last year's opening session. The average was 364,786 guineas (US$488,813), up 48% from last year's 247,081 guineas. The median was 260,000 guineas (US$348,400). 

The top lot was the Frankel filly out of Duke of Cambridge Stakes (G2) winner Aljazzi  who was knocked down to Joorabchian. He stood alongside agent Alex Elliott after he saw off a determined effort from Japanese trainer Mitsu Nakauchida. The sale was second in European auction history to the 5,000,000 guineas paid for the filly subsequently named Al Naamah at this sale in 2013.

Once Elliott had taken a breath, he said: "Phew! Kia and partners wanted the filly very badly. A Frankel filly from that family and with that physical, she was always going to be a collector's item. It is a deep price tag and, though we had discussed her at length, obviously I did not see her making that, but we had very much homed in on her.

"But she is part of Team Amo now ... wow! She is a spectacular filly, it is a spectacular price, a spectacular bunch of horses here. I'd like to say I was a cool customer when all that was taking place, but that would be a fib—I have never been in that rarified atmosphere before." 

He added: "We have seen Ylang Ylang from the same farm and from the same cross, we just need history to repeat itself! The figure I had in mind was a good bit below that but, as I keep saying to people, good horses will pay you back!

"It is great that she is staying here, it is great for British racing that these people are around to buy these horses, as we all understand how difficult the product is to promote at the minute. To have two men to say they are going to keep her here, it is huge kudos to them. Kia knows you have got to buy them at the top level to compete at the top level." 

Elliott continued: "This filly has got through most of the hoops. She is by the right stallion, she is out of a good Shamardal mare, she is from a great farm, she has come to a sale, she has shown she is in the top echelon of horses, now she has got to keep going!"

The Shamardal mare Aljazzi was purchased by Newsells Park Stud at the 2018 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale for a record-breaking 1,000,000 guineas, and this filly's great granddam Majestic Sakeena was bought by Tony Nerses at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale in 2006 for 200,000 guineas. 

Consignor Julian Dollar of Newsells Park Stud said: "To be honest with you, I was hoping she would make a million and that would have been nice, but obviously some good players had her valued at twice that. We are obviously delighted. Mitsu Nakauchida is a great trainer and a lovely guy and he loved her, and obviously, Kia, Amo, and Alex loved her too ... it is unbelievable."

Sister to Alpinista Sells for 2,500,000 Guineas to Amo Racing

One of the stars of the catalog was the Frankel sister to the 2022 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Stakes (G1) winner Alpinista , and she did not disappoint when selling for 2,500,000 guineas (US$3,350,000). The daughter of listed winning Hernando (FR) mare Alwilda was consigned from her breeder Kirsten Rausing's Staffordstown and was another high-profile filly purchased by Amo Racing.

"That pedigree, a sister to an Arc winner, there is not a lot to tell you that we don't all know!" said a laughing Elliott, who stood among the Amo Racing team. "Kia has been in the game for a number of years now, and to compete at the top table you have to have the best pedigrees—it is the only way to compete consistently.

"Amo has got to a level now that it is ready to try and do that, and that filly has just about the best pedigree in the book. It doesn't get any better than that. She is a fine big scopey filly, she is worth a hell of a lot of money residually. We will see how she goes but we will take our time. It is very much a late-developing family and she looks like that physically, but we are up and running."

He added: "We have obviously got some horses who will stand at stud such as King of Steel—I am not saying they will be for him, but if he proves himself good enough these mares could be. We have got an awful lot of proving to do.

"But Kia is ready for the operation to prove itself at the next echelon and that is where we are trying to get to, and that is why we need to get into these families. The fact that these horses are staying here is huge for British racing and we should all be huge cheerleaders for it."

Godolphin Strikes for Ballylinch Stud's No Nay Never at 2,200,000 Guineas

Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation struck during the afternoon to secure the No Nay Never colt out of the listed winning High Chapparal (IRE) mare Bella Estrella from Ballylinch Stud for 2,200,000 guineas (US$2,948,000).

"He is one of the nicest horses we have ever brought to a sale," said Ballylinch Stud's John O'Connor of the half brother to the Champagne Stakes (G2) winner Iberian, "and possibly the nicest horse—and we have sold quite a few group 1 winners here, too. Ronan Wade, our yearling manager at Castlemartin, gave him the highest mark he has ever for a horse. We are delighted Sheikh Mohammed has bought the colt and we wish him every success.

"This mare was very good, and it is an original pedigree from when the McCalmont family was based at Ballylinch," said O'Connor. "I bought Uncharted Haven here out of training at the December Sale, and most of that black type on page has been bred by us—it is a very active family." 

The grade 2 winner Uncharted Haven (GB) was purchased by Ballylinch Stud for 320,000 guineas at the 2001 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. 

Purchaser Anthony Stroud said: "He is a lovely horse, a very good-looking horse, we all really liked him a lot. He has a wonderful pedigree, is from a very good stud farm, and was the one horse we really wanted today."

Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale continues Oct. 9 at 11 a.m. local time.