'I liked the idea of selling a couple here' - meet the debut consignor looking forward to Germany's biggest sale

Fresh from the debut of Spencer Sales at Doncaster this week, Hetty Spencer presents her first consignment at BBAG on Friday, with the accomplished horsewoman consigning two lots at Germany's most important sale.

It's been something of a whirlwind start to life as the figurehead, face and frontwoman of her own business, but a challenge Spencer has met with her customary aplomb, and a frantic dash from Doncaster to the airport to make the flight to Karlsruhe, and her German debut.

This isn't her first trip to Baden-Baden, as she has been here for the breeze-ups with Con Marnane and the Bansha House team numerous times, and Marnane's support and encouragement were key in Spencer's decision to strike out on her own.

Selling at BBAG was also influenced by the success for Jamie Railton, with whom she was a vital member of the sales team, from the handful of yearlings he has sent to a venue just across the road from the pretty track.

"When I first said I was going to do this [set up her own consigning business], I didn't think I'd have any horses for this sale, but I liked the idea of selling a couple here, if I had the right ones," she says, taking a pause from overseeing the shows of the two yearlings she did uncover.

On a swelteringly hot morning in the Black Forest, with heat warnings issued by the German Weather Service, ensuring the two yearlings in her care and the staff she has assisting her are kept cool and hydrated is uppermost in her mind.

The yearlings are relaxed, with coats gleaming in the sun and having had the time to recuperate after their arduous journey across land and sea, from Ireland to Germany. It's no small undertaking, transporting and consigning horses more than 1,000km away from home, so the yearlings chosen for Baden-Baden had to be the right ones.

Spencer Sales' colt by Study Of Man out of the Sea The Moon full-sister to Group 1 winner DurstonCredit: Hetty Spencer

The first horse to sell in Germany for Spencer Sales is by a young stallion who has been making waves with his first two crops. Lanwades Stud's Prix du Jockey Club winner Study Of Man has just two representatives in the catalogue and Spencer's colt (111) has a pedigree that is instantly recognisable, with domestic and global appeal.

Spencer says: "He's the first foal of a Sea The Moon mare, and she's a full-sister to the Group 1 Caulfield Cup winner Durston. The dam is also a half-sister to Cubanita, who was champion older mare in Germany for Miss [Kirsten] Rausing."

Study Of Man has five stakes winners, headed by Deepone and Birthe, both successful at Group 2 level. The Deep Impact stallion, who is a grandson of Miesque, has in his first crop the multiple Listed-placed Kinesiology, whose broodmare sire Sea The Stars is the sire of Sea The Moon.

Spencer says: "The Study Of Man colt is an attractive horse and by a stallion who's doing very well, so we thought we'd come here with him and maybe he'd stand out a bit more."

He will be followed quite quickly by a filly from the first crop of In Swoop, who defeated Torquator Tasso in the Deutsches Derby and went down fighting to Sottsass in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe later that season.

By Adlerflug, he is a full-brother to the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Bayern winner Ito. Their dam, Iota, by Tiger Hill, won the Preis der Diana.

Of In Swoop, Spencer says: "Any first-crop stallions all get looks and there's an excitement around them. There's a bit of a buzz and, being by Adlerflug, he's going to fit in very well here."

The In Swoop filly from the family of Sendawar offered by Spencer Sales at BBAGCredit: Hetty Spencer

Coolmore swooped for the flashy bay and he stands at The Beeches Stud, but in his native Germany, and in pockets around Europe, In Swoop is appreciated as the top-class middle-distance Flat horse he was. There are two members of his first crop in the sale and Spencer consigns the only filly (128).

She is out of a Verglas half-sister to the Group 3 Prix d'Arenberg winner Yakaba, who has already produced the Group 2 winner Accakaba, and the family goes back to the Prix d'Ispahan, Prix du Moulin, Poule d'Essai des Poulains and St James's Palace Stakes winner and sire Sendawar.

Brand recognition for In Swoop and Study Of Man will not be an issue here, and that's also something heading Spencer's way in time. 

Spencer Sales is an embryonic consignment business with a smart woman at the helm whose ideas for the integration of technology, particularly communications, will take the business to the next level. 

Everyone has to start somewhere and Baden-Baden is the right place for Spencer Sales and its yearlings to make their mark.

"It's really good to be here and it's important to get my name out here and to develop the brand," she says. "I'm lucky enough to come here with a couple of very nice horses so hopefully they can sell well."

Swoop not alone among freshmen

In Swoop is not alone among stallions with their first-crop yearlings selling at Baden-Baden. Not one but three new German-based sires make their sales debut and all are Group 1 winners, with one in particular an established name beyond Germany's borders.

Gestut Etzean stands the Juddmonte International and Grand Prix de Paris winner Japan, a son of Galileo and Shastye, making him a full-brother to Mogul, who beat In Swoop to himself claim the Grand Prix de Paris.

Also successful in the Group 2 Beresford Stakes and King Edward VII Stakes for Aidan O'Brien and Coolmore, Japan is the strongest numerically of the first-crop sires represented in the catalogue with 24 members of that cohort initially entered in the sale.

The number reflects his position as one of the most strongly supported stallions in Germany over the past three seasons. He covered 82 mares in his first year, with 71 reported yearlings. 

Japan, who was also third in the Derby, King George and Coronation Cup, received the backing of Germany's powerhouse breeders, including Gestut Auenquelle, Fahrhof, Brummerhof and Park Wiedingen, as well as his own breeder, Hertfordshire's Newsells Park Stud.

The Japan half-brother to Group 1 winner Miss YodaCredit: BBAG/Gestut Fahrhof

On pedigree, Gestut Etzean offers one of the standout lots, the already-named Mountbatten (81). The colt is a out of Monami, who was Germany's champion two-year-old filly of 2011 with her Preis der Winterkonigin victory. At three she won the Group 2 Diana Trial and was also third in the Group 1 Premio Vittorio di Capua.

Monami is the dam of four winners, including John Gosden and Westerberg's 2017 Preis der Diana winner Miss Yoda, who is by Sea The Stars and is herself a graduate of this sale, making €280,000 to Blandford Bloodstock.

Alson may not have the same recognition outside of Germany or France, where the son of multiple German champion sire Areion was trained by Andre Fabre to win the Group 1 Criterium International and finish third in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains for his owner-breeder Gestut Schlenderhan.

In common with Japan, the Gestut Fahrhof sire is also a grandson of Galileo, although in his case it is through his dam Assisi, a daughter of the late phenomenon and the Preis der Diana winner Amarette.

Hailing from another of Schlenderhan's brilliant families, Alson is a half-brother to the Group winners Ancient Spirit and Aemilianus and related to the Melbourne Cup hero Almandin.

He was a popular new recruit to the stallion ranks and covered 48 mares, with 37 reported foals, including a half-sister to Torquator Tasso and his Group 1-winning half-brother Tunnes.

Naturally, Schlenderhan and Fahrhof supported him strongly, as did Auenquelle – where Torquator Tasso stands – along with Etzean, Ebbesloh and Brummerhof, among others.

There are 11 yearlings by Alson in the catalogue, including a half-sister (54) to the Group 3 winner Winterfuchs and the Preis der Diana third Wonder Of Lips. 

Consigned by Fahrhof, she is out of Wunderblume, a Lomitas half-sister to Wurftaube, dam of Waldpark and Waldmark, who is the dam of Masked Marvel and second dam of Waldgeist.

Gestut Rottgen's homebred stallion Windstoss is notable for his dam, as the son of Shirocco is the first Deutsches Derby winner foaled by Wellenspiel. She repeated her Hamburg success a year later when Weltstar, her son by Soldier Hollow, was successful in the race, and Wellenspiel is also dam of the Group 3 winner and Grosser Preis von Bayern runner-up Well Disposed.

A third of Windstoss's first registered crop of nine foals are in the catalogue, with Rottgen offering two from the one family; a half-brother to Listed winner Derida (63) and a half-sister (176) to Derida's dam Damour, a multiple Listed-placed daughter of Azamour.

BBAG Yearling Sale Factfile

Where BBAG sales complex, Iffezheim

When Friday from 10am local time (9am BST)

Last year's stats From 218 lots offered, 163 sold (75 per cent) for turnover of €8,071,500 (down five per cent year-on-year), an average of €49,518 (down seven per cent) and median of €48,879 (down nine per cent)

Notable graduates Palladium (sold by Gestut Fahrhof, bought by Liberty Racing for €80,000); Fantastic Moon (sold by Stauffenberg Bloodstock, bought by Liberty Racing for €49,000); Wilko (sold by Gestut Park Wiedingen, bought by Henk Grewe for €75,000); Gaelic Warrior (sold by Gestut Fahrhof, bought by PB Bloodstock for €9,000); Quantanamera (sold by Gestut Fahrhof, bought by Andreas Suborics for €200,000)

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