Sea The Stars Filly Leads BBAG Premier Sale

An Irish-bred filly by Sea The Stars was the best seller at the BBAG premier yearling sale Sept. 2 at Iffezheim in Germany, bringing €500,000 ($559,900) from South Africa's leading owner, Mayfair Speculators, via agents Peter and Ross Doyle.

The sale, conducted by Baden-Badener Auktionsgesellschaft, realized increases by double-digit percentage points in the key market indicators, including average and median prices, both of which gained by more than 10%. 

There were 185 of 235 horses offered reported as sold for €8,426,500 ($9,400,222), up 31% from last year when 156 horses changed hands. The average price was up 10.4% to €45,549 ($50,812) and median was up 10.3% to €45,445 ($50,696). The clearance rate came in at 79%, improving from 71% in 2015, when gross, average, and median showed declines across the board.

The sale-topping Sea The Stars filly, bred in by Gestut Ebbesloh, is a half sister to multiple German group I winner Empoli. Their dam, the stakes-placed Acatenango mare Estefania, has produced six winners from seven to race, also including German stakes performers Eigelstein, and Ebeltoft, the latter being group-placed. Second dam, Eirehill, a winning daughter of Danehill, is a half sister to Preis der Diana (Ger-I, German Oaks) victress Elle Danzig. The sale topper was offered by agent Ronald Rauscher.

Mayfair Speculators is a group of business associates led by South African owner-breeder Markus Jooste that has spent big at Europe's major yearling sales recently. Teaming with the Doyles they were the sale's leading buyer following seven purchases totaling €1,349,000 ($1,504,902). They also partnered with Gestut Fahrof on Haras de Grandcamp's Siyouni—Sassicaia filly for €110,000 ($111,553).

Offspring of prominent German sire Soldier Hollow brought the next three top prices, with Gestut Rottgen presenting both the second- and third-highest priced lots.

A filly sold for €300,000 ($335,940) to Jamie Railton Agency, and a colt brought €250,000 ($279,950) from Jeremy Brummitt.

The filly is from Alkalde's winning daughter Elora, whose three starters are all winners including group-placed El Loco (Lope de Vega). The mare is a half sister to German Oaks (Ger-I) winner Enora, multiple German group winner Egerton, and German group winner Ephraim.

The colt was produced from the Dalakhani mare Wilddrossel, who was third in the German St. Leger (Ger-III). She is a half sister to multiple English group winner Wild Coco.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club was the sale's second-leading buyer, with three for a total of €535,000 ($596,853), topped by Gestut Schlenderhan's Soldier Hollow—Astilbe (Monsun) colt for the co-fourth-highest price of €240,000 ($246,356).

Mayfair Speculators went to the same price for a colt by first-crop sire Maxios out of Wildfahrte (Mark of Esteem). His dam is a half sister to U.S. grade I winner Wake Forest, a graduate of the 2011 BBAG sale.

The auction's top consignor was Gestut Brummerhof, which sold 12 lots for €1,117,000 ($1,246,310).