Frankel Colt Tops Tattersalls Yearling Sale

A colt by the Frankel topped the one-day Tattersalls December yearling sale Nov. 21 at 250,000 guineas ($327,153) on a day that saw a record average and median and robust trade throughout the day.

A total of 142 lots were sold for 4,377,500gns ($5,728,462), which was a rise of 7% on last year's corresponding session, while the average and median rose 7% and 8%, respectively, to a record 30,827gns ($40,340) and 21,500gns ($28,135). The clearance was 85%. 

The Frankel colt is out of the Anabaa mare Debonnaire (GB) and a half-brother to the multiple group I winner and recent Melbourne Cup and William Hill W. S. Cox Plate (both Aus-I) placed Hartnell. The colt was knocked down to Charlie Gordon-Watson after he saw off former champion Australian trainer Peter Moody and Oliver St. Lawrence.

"My client wanted to buy two horses today, but I suggested that we target one," Gordon-Watson said. "This is a very nice horse out of a very nice mare. There is an Arc winner on the page and he out of an Anabaa mare, which I particularly like. He is all 2-year-old."

The colt was sold by Highclere Stud, on behalf of Greg Goodman's Mt. Brilliant Farm.

"He is a lovely horse," Highclere's Lady Carolyn Warren said. "We foaled him at Highclere, he went to the U.S. and failed to sell earlier in the year. He came back to us and has done really well." 

McKeever Bloodstock's Johnny McKeever bought the Sea The Stars half sister to the group I winners Charity Line and Final Score for 170,000gns ($222,464). Out of the Hernando mare Holy Moon (IRE), the filly is a sibling to four group winners and was consigned to the sale by Old Buckenham Stud.

"You just need to read the page," Johnny McKeever said. "There are three Italian Oaks winners between 2012-1014, and a black-type update since the catalogue was published. She won't be early and will get tons of time."

McKeever purchased the filly on behalf of Ling Tsui's Sunderland Holdings after seeing off Newmarket-based trainer Marco Botti.

Blandford Bloodstock's Tom Goff signed for the third-highest priced lot for the day when securing the Rathbarry Stud-consigned Kodiac colt out of Azia for 120,000gns ($157,033).

"He is for George Baker at Manton," Goff said. "He is a lovely horse and is an out and out 2-year-old—he is a classic type of Kodiac. He has a proper 2-year-old page, too. I hope they like him when they take delivery at Manton."