‘That was definitely our last bid’ - Taghrooda’s sister heading to historic new home after 200,000gns transaction

Park Paddocks opened for business for the first time this year as the Tattersalls February Sale began with a routine session of trade. The market was headed by the well-related Taqaareed, who fetched 200,000gns when offered as part of the Shadwell draft.

Agent Jill Lamb, standing in the bidders’ area to the left of the rostrum, clashed with Blandford Bloodstock’s Tom Goff, who was positioned at the top of the stairs behind his rival. Several last-gasp bids made for a protracted duel but it was Lamb who eventually struck the decisive 10,000gns increase after a brief consultation with her client. 

The winning sister to Taghrooda will now head to the paddocks at Childwickbury Stud after being purchased on behalf of Sally and Paul Flatt, who are in the process of returning the St Albans farm to its former glory. 

Taqaareed, an 11-year-old daughter of Sea The Stars, has already bred two winners, including the smart Tafreej. She is carrying a three-parts sibling to that son of Shamardal as she was offered in foal to Darley’s highly touted young sire Pinatubo. 

Jill Lamb and Christian Williams in conversation after purchasing Taqaareed for 200,000gns at the Tattersalls February SaleCredit: Laura Green

“She’s the only one we came here for,” said Lamb. “She stood out really, being a full-sister to a champion. She’s a lovely model and in foal to a champion whose yearlings were very well received. We tried very hard to buy a foal by him last year but couldn’t get one. I think the fact her foal is closely related to Tafreej, who’s rated in the 90s, is all quite encouraging.” 

She continued: “I’d like to find a Dubawi-line stallion for her, I think that makes sense. We bought a nice mare at Goffs [the €410,000 Suwayra], she’s due to foal [to Sea The Moon] any minute so we’re excited about that too. Sally is intent on building up the stud to where it was when Mr [Jim] Joel had it. That’s where we’re aiming.” 

On the price, Lamb said: “She was a little bit more than I expected. I was hoping we’d get her at around 150 or 160 [thousand guineas], I thought she’d make that all day, but there’s always somebody else who likes them just as much as you! That was definitely our last bid.” 

Childwickbury has a long and successful history, and is best known as the source of Derby winners Sunstar, Pommern, Humorist and Royal Palace, as well as Grand National scorer Maori Venture. The stud previously belonged to the Marquesa de Moratalla and was purchased by the Flatts in 2011. 

Childwickbury Stud manager Christian Williams and Jill Lamb after their purchase of TaqaareedCredit: Laura Green

Stud manager Christian Williams added: “That takes us to six mares now. We’re looking for commercial mares but we’ll keep some nice fillies to add to the broodmare band over time, and perhaps sell the colts. We’re delighted to get her, she’s a nice mare to have.” 

The sale of Taqaareed helped Shadwell top the consignors’ chart for the session, with five lots sold for a combined 266,000gns. 

Retort relocates after 125,000gns transaction 

Highclere Australia has an exciting new recruit on its hands after Alastair Donald saw off the attentions of Jamie Piggott and Will Douglass to secure the Juddmonte-consigned Retort at 125,000gns. 

The three-year-old son of Frankel boasts a big pedigree as he is a brother to the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham scorer Obligate and out of Responsible, an unraced daughter of Oasis Dream and blue hen Hasili. This means the likes of Banks Hill, Cacique, Champs Elysees, Intercontinental, Heat Haze and Dansili appear back on the page. 

“He’ll go to Australia for Highclere,” said Donald. “We’ve had a bit of luck for them with a horse called Durston, and there’s another nice horse running at the moment called Naval College. He’s won his last three. Retort is a neat, bonny horse and he goes on all ground. He’s by Frankel and is bred to be a proper horse. He’s rated 90 and on the up. He’s a horse I thought would have probably made more money later in the year.” 

Retort: "He’s by Frankel and is bred to be a proper horse"Credit: Laura Green

Retort also brought a significant update to the ring as he was catalogued as the winner of one race for Henri-Francois Devin but doubled his tally on his most recent start at Chantilly just eight days before coming under the hammer. 

“That last win jumped him up a fair bit,” Donald continued. “He’s won from the front, won from the back and on all grounds. You need quite a versatile horse for Australia and he’s very sound-looking too. It’s hard to buy them for Australia in that sort of price range.

“I think he’ll stay a little bit further. The family are milers but looking at his racing style you’d hope ten furlongs might bring a bit more out of him. There’s good prize-money over every distance down there. I would have thought Harry [Herbert, Highclere chairman] will have no problem selling him pretty quickly, particularly off the back of the success they’ve had recently. They have a small but select group down there but they’re doing well. He’ll go to Annabel Neasham.” 

Retort was comfortably the most expensive of the three lots sold by Juddmonte, whose draft generated receipts totalling 159,000gns. 

O’Mahony on the mark for Lady Bullet

A handful of Irish breeders were on the ground looking for additions to their broodmare band, and the Springwell Stud ranks are set to be bolstered by Lady Bullet after James O'Mahony won out at 62,000gns. 

The four-year-old daughter of James Garfield won two races for Alice Haynes and has black type to her name having finished a neck second in last year’s running of the Listed Prix Montenica. There is more stakes form close up in the family as Lady Bullet is out of the Group 3-placed Lil’s Joy, meaning she is a half-sister to the Listed-winning and Group 3-placed Ever Given. 

Lady Bullet: "We’ll send her to a proven stallion"Credit: Laura Green

“We’ll get her home to Springwell Stud and make some mating plans after that,” said O’Mahony. “She has her black type, which is what we’re looking for. We’d race a couple and we’re trying to make fillies like her. Sometimes when you can’t make them, you have to buy them! We’ll send her to a proven stallion, but it’s undecided which one. She ticked a lot of boxes for us.” 

O’Mahony also revealed his family were behind the purchase of Knocktoran Stud, from where Brendan and Anne Marie Hayes bred notable talents such as Hypothetical, Precieuse, Roseman, Royal Empire, Scottish and Tie Black. The 250-acre County Limerick farm was bought last September for a reported €4.3 million. 

“She’s actually been bought to go to Knocktoran,” said O’Mahony. “We’re going to foal the mares at home first and then move them over to Knocktoran. There’s an awful lot of moving parts at this time of year but we’ll move in once the mares start foaling.” 

James O'Mahony signing for the smart Lady Bullet at TattersallsCredit: Laura Green

On the purchase of Knocktoran, O’Mahony added: “It made a lot of sense for us because it’s only ten minutes up the road. It’s the best of land and a lot of good racehorses have been produced from there. Finding 250 acres so close to home, you’re a lifetime waiting for that sort of opportunity. 

“Given the circumstances in today’s market we’d like to keep it to around 15 mares for the time being, all our own, and run it as a private stud. But who knows what could happen in the future. We’ll play it by ear.”

Henry O’Callaghan was among the underbidders on Lady Bullet but the Tally-Ho Stud man got on the scoresheet later in the session when securing Queen Of Fairies from the Godolphin draft at 57,000gns. 

The two-time winner is by Cracksman and out of Bean Feasa, who struck in the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial. The dam is by Dubawi, making her a sister to Meydan Group 2 scorer Poetic Charm and, more importantly, the champion two-year-old turned influential sire Teofilo. 

Queen of Fairies will visit Good Guess after selling to Tally-Ho Stud from Godolphin at the Tattersalls February SaleCredit: Laura Green

O’Callaghan indicated that Queen Of Fairies would form part of the debut book of mares bound for Tally-Ho’s newest stallion Good Guess, the Prix Jean Prat-winning son of Kodiac. 

Mixed catalogues such as this are always open to varying degrees of quality year on year, and the figures suggest this is not a vintage renewal. The session saw 143 lots offered, a 21 per cent (37 lots) reduction on last year, and 100 of those found a buyer for a clearance rate of 70 per cent. 

Those transactions generated turnover of 1,407,000gns, which was down 38 per cent compared to 2023. The average price dropped by 12 per cent to 14,070gns, although the median went in the opposite direction to the tune of eight points, rising from 6,500gns to 7,000gns. 

The Tattersalls February Sale continues on Friday, with the second and final session starting at 10am. 

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