Blue-blooded drafts and exciting yearling prospects among February Sale offering

Fresh from a mid-winter break, action returns to Tattersalls on Thursday with a mixed catalogue of more than 300 heading through the ring in two sessions of the February Sale.

Godolphin, Juddmonte and Shadwell Estates all offer weighty consignments of horses in and out of training, with Godolphinr’s draft including fillies such as Memphis, an unraced daughter of Dubawi and a half-sister to Fillies’ Mile winner Lyric Of Light.

Those with more known form include Boitron, a Listed-winning juvenile for Richard Hannon, and James Tate’s consistent Power Link.

View February Sale catalogue here

It was always going to be an impossible task for last year's event to live up to the fireworks of 2018, when the inclusion of the immaculately-bred Willie John, at that stage a live prospect for the Classics, saw him become the highest-priced colt in training ever sold in Europe at public auction when knocked down to Roger Varian for 1,900,000gns.

Yet bargains could be found, with Creighton/Schwartz bloodstock picking up the Motivator mare Motion Lass for 9,000gns last year to later discover that she would be the dam of Simon Crisford's Norfolk and Flying Childers Stakes winner A'Ali.

Along with more broodmares, there are around 30 pinhooking yearling prospects by sires such as Night Of Thunder, Time Test, Bated Breath and Churchill up for grabs.

The sale is preceded at 11am by the TBA Stallion Parade, with three new recruits to the ranks - Flag Of Honour, Land Force and Le Brivido - available for inspection alongside sophomore performers Havana Grey, Massaat, Rajasinghe and Washington DC.

TATTERSALLS FEBRUARY SALE FACTFILE

Where Park Paddocks, Newmarket

When Two-day sale begins on Thursday at 11.15am, with Friday's session starting at 10am

Last year's stats From 346 lots offered, 294 sold (85 per cent) for turnover of 3,139,100gns (down 61 per cent year-on-year), an average of 10,675gns (down 60 per cent), and a median of 5,000gns (down 29 per cent)

Notable graduates Willie John (sold by Somerville Lodge partnership to Roger Varian for 1,900,000gns in 2018); Dramatic Device (Godolphin to Durcan Bloodstock, 20,000gns in 2019)

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