'I think it's as strong as it's ever been' - consignors hopeful ahead of BBAG

The talk of the town is that the catalogue for this year's BBAG Sale is one of the strongest in years, if not ever.

That's a strong sentiment given two record-breaking top lots have materialised over the past two years, but confidence certainly appears in plentiful supply on the ground in Iffezheim.

An early-morning fire at the Radisson Blu hotel in Baden-Baden will not have helped the disposition of some British and Irish visitors, but consignors seem very hopeful of a productive sale despite the backdrop of 18 months of coronavirus restrictions.

Top-lot honours in 2019 and 2020 went to daughters of Sea The Stars bought by Godolphin and Gestut Ammerland respectively for €820,000, and it would not be a huge surprise if lightning struck a third time for Gilltown Stud's sire, who has enjoyed top-level success in Germany via Sea The Moon and Miss Yoda.

Buyers can take their pick from five lots by the champion son of Cape Cross, notably Gestut Rottgen's half-sister to German Derby winners Windstoss and Weltstar (lot 54), the Gestut Brummerhof-consigned half-sister to top German sprinter Julio (188) and Gestut Etzean's full-sister to last year's German Oaks heroine, the aforementioned Miss Yoda (192).

Few are better placed to offer an opinion on the market than Etzean's manager Ralf Kredel, who said: "The catalogue is strong and I think there will be plenty of competition. I'm a bit worried about the middle market, which is our domestic market, as it's usually the result of too many horses and not enough buyers.

"One of the stars in the book is our full-sister to Miss Yoda but she was born late - she was a May foal - so I think the sale comes early enough for her."

The Oberzent-based stud will also be offering a selection from its home roster, including an Amaron colt out of a half-sister to Grosser Preis von Berlin winner Sirius (211), and Kredel was keen to explain his decision to sell a variety of stock by the stud's stallions and sires from overseas.

He said: "Etzean stands three stallions so as a result we use very select international sires and mainly send the mares to our home stallions. That's why we come here with Amarons, Areions and Lord Of Englands."

The quality of this year's catalogue goes right to the wire with a truly international line-up of the world's best stallions, including lots by Australia, Frankel, Lope De Vega, New Bay and Sea The Moon heading around 220 yearlings on offer before withdrawals.

Kredel continued: "There are a few more high-value sires here this time but the sale has been improving all year so that's probably the logical result. BBAG has shown it can get top buyers to the sale so as a result there will be better-bred horses here too."

Gestut Ammerland snapped up last year's sale-topper when equalling the auction record price to secure Gestüt Görlsdorf's full-sister to Lanwades Stud's exciting young sire Sea The Moon. Dietrich von Boetticher's operation has three lots on offer this time including a Muhaarar colt out of Italian Group 3 winner Navarra Queen (35).

Gestut Rottgen offer a Reliable Man half-brother to Blue Riband Trial winner WirkoCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Gestut Rottgen's Frank Dorff was another leading consignor confident of another stellar sale, saying: "I think the catalogue is as strong as it's ever been, we have some very good yearlings with good German pedigrees by stallions such as Frankel, Sea The Stars and Adlerflug."

Highlights among their ten-strong draft include the aforementioned Sea The Stars half-sister to top-class performers Windstoss and Weltstar, as well as a Reliable Man half-brother (55) to this season's Blue Riband Trial winner Wirko, who hails from a native family that includes Park Hill Stakes scorer Wild Coco and German champion two-year-old filly Wild Romance.

"I think the standout of our draft is our Sea The Stars filly, she's a half-sister to two Derby winners in Windstoss and Weltstar and it's very rare something like that comes to the market," said Dorff.

"We kept her Dubawi sister who's in training with Markus Klug now, and we've got a foal full-sister to Weltstar as well. By chance all our commercial pedigrees this year are fillies, which is why we're offering four as we can't keep them all.

"Another from our consignment with a nice pedigree is lot 55 [Weltreise], his Kingman half-brother won a Listed race at Epsom this term."

Dorff is also hopeful that Germany's showpiece yearling sale could continue the positive trend following the opening European sales at Arqana and Goffs UK, adding: "I think the figures were quite okay, people clearly had money to spend, so I think we can look forward to a good sale."

The action gets under way on Friday at 10am local time (9am BST).

BBAG September Yearling Sale factfile

WhereBBAG sales complex, Iffezheim
WhenFriday, 10am local time
Last year's stats From 236 lots offered, 157 sold (67 per cent) for turnover of €6,495,500 (down 21 per cent on 2019), an average of
€41,373 (down 27 per cent) and a median of €39,210 (down 29 per cent)
Notable graduatesMiss Yoda (bought by Blandford Bloodstock for €280,000, sold by Gestut Etzean), Sunny Queen (bought by Stefan Hahne for €35,000, sold by Gestut Ohlerweiherhof), Donjah (bought by HFTB Racing Agency for €100,000, sold by Gestut Karlshof)

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