Five potential showstoppers among the December Mare Sale lots

Breeders, buyers and bloodstock buffs will make their annual pilgrimage to Tattersalls this week for the four-day December Mare Sale, which begins on Monday at 9.30am.

With 1,025 lots catalogued, there looks to be everything from bargain buys to budding blue hens on offer and we've picked out five potential headline acts.

Thistle Bird (Lot 1,515)

Pedigree 11yo b m Selkirk - Dolma (Marchand De Sable)
Consigned by The Castlebridge Consignment

The dispersal of stock from the Rothschild family's Waddesdon Stud looks set to provide a highlight full of poignancy on day one, following the death of famed owner-breeder Lady Rothschild in January aged 84. The pick of the draft looks to be Thistle Bird, whose eight victories include a memorable success in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes.

She has already proved capable of passing on some of her considerable talent to her offspring, as both of her foals who have raced are winners, including the two-year-old Bullfinch, who looked a bright prospect when shedding his maiden tag in impressive fashion last month.

Thistle Bird and George Baker after victory in the Group 1 Pretty Polly StakesCredit: Patrick McCann

Thistle Bird will be offered in foal to the hugely exciting Kingman, who has already produced high-class talents King Of Comedy and Kinross when crossed with daughters of Selkirk.

View full Tattersalls December Mare Sale catalogue

Sands Of Mali (1,621A)

4yo b c Panis - Kadiania (Indian Rocket)
Musley Bank Stables

This may be the December Mare Sale, but an intriguing stallion prospect in Sands Of Mali was a last minute addition to the opening session. The son of the little-known Panis won five times for trainer Richard Fahey, including the Group 1 British Champions Sprint Stakes, in which he beat the likes of Harry Angel and Donjuan Triumphant.

Sands Of Mali: Group 1-winning sprinter is among the wildcard entriesCredit: Edward Whitaker

He also won the Gimcrack Stakes at two and the following season's Sandy Lane Stakes. Sands Of Mali is being offered to dissolve a partnership between the Cool Silk Partnership and the troubled Phoenix Thoroughbreds.

Terre (1,790)

5yo b m Motivator - Trevise (Anabaa)
Haras du Quesnay

The Head family's farm sends just the one lot over from Normandy, but the sole offering boasts one of the most regal pedigrees in the catalogue.

Terre is a winning full-sister to none other than Treve, the six-time Group 1 winner who cemented her place among the pantheon of greats with back-to-back victories in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Treve: a winning sister to the dual Arc heroine is among those cataloguedCredit: Frank Sorge

There is every chance the pedigree could improve further still in the coming years, as Treve has a two-year-old colt by Dubawi, named Qous, a yearling filly by Shalaa, named Paris, and a filly foal by Siyouni - who Terre is offered in foal to.

Mabs Cross (1,818)

5yo b m Dutch Art - Miss Meggy (Pivotal)
Denton Hall Stables

Fast fillies have a fine record at the December Sale - think back to Marsha, who set an auction record of 6,000,000gns when bought by MV Magnier in 2017 - and none in this year's catalogue can boast the blistering speed of Mabs Cross.

David Armstrong's homebred won seven of her 20 starts, most notably the Group 1 Prix de l'Abbaye, and was also beaten into second by just a nose in the Nunthorpe Stakes last year. It's easy to see where Mabs Cross gets her speed from, as her pedigree is packed full of sprinting blood.

Mabs Cross (red) wins the Prix de l'AbbayeCredit: Edward Whitaker

She is by the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes scorer Dutch Art and out of Miss Meggy, a daughter of Pivotal who landed the Listed Hilary Needler Trophy at two. The dam also produced the Grade 3-winning Charlie Em, while further back this is the family of champion sprinter Namid. Expect fireworks when she takes her turn in the ring.

Coplow (1,834)

10yo ch m Manduro - Anna Oleanda (Old Vic)
Stowell Hill Stud

The Stowell Hill Partners will offer one of the most promising producers around, with Coplow having dropped some sizeable hints that she is a blue hen in waiting.

Her first foal is Billesdon Bess, a daughter of Dick Turpin who won the Listed Upavon Fillies' Stakes and, more importantly, her second is Billesdon Brook, who proved her 1,000 Guineas triumph over Laurens was no fluke when she added a second Group 1 to her record in this year's Sun Chariot Stakes.

Billesdon Brook returns victorious after the 1,000 GuineasCredit: Edward Whitaker

And those two fillies might only be the start of a dynasty for Coplow, who also has a colt foal by Dubawi and is offered in foal to rising star Kingman.

She is a sibling to no fewer than five stakes performers, notably the Group 3-winning trio Anna Nerium, Middle Club and Piping Rock, and her pedigree also includes the likes of National Defense and Helmet.

The family has recent form in the Tattersalls ring, as Billesdon Bess was sold to Erdenheim Farm for 800,000gns some 12 months ago - before she joined her dam in visiting Kingman earlier this year - while Middle Club's Frankel filly foal fetched 700,000gns from Hugo Lascelles in 2018.

TATTERSALLS DECEMBER MARE SALE FACT-FILE

Where Park Paddocks, Newmarket
When Four-day sale begins on Monday, with sessions starting at 9.30am
Last year's stats From 878 offered, 782 lots sold (83 per cent) for turnover of 60,712,100gns (down 11 per cent), an average of 83,396gns (down 18 per cent) and a median of 20,500gns (down 18 per cent)
Notable graduatesLucky Clio (sold by Fenpark Stables to Brian Grassick Bloodstock for 17,000gns in 2007); Scarlett Rose (sold by New England Stud to John Walsh Bloodstock for 50,000gns in 2006); Shastye (sold by Kiltinan Stud to John Warren for 625,000gns in 2005)