Five lots who can steal the show at the December Mares Sale

Lot 1,797 Birdwood
4yo b m Oasis Dream-Concentric (Sadler's Wells)
Consigned by Newsells Park Stud

Hertfordshire-based Newsells Park Stud are no strangers to making commercial decisions in order to be a self-sufficient operation.

At this auction 12 months ago the operation offered Hazariya, the dam of dual Derby hero Harzand, and that decision was certainly vindicated as MV Magnier went to 2,000,000gns to secure her, giving a tidy return on the €480,000 they paid for her at the Goffs November Mares Sale in 2014.

They return this year with another mare with a big update in the shape of Birdwood who was boosted by the exploits of her outstanding half-sister Enable throughout 2017. An unraced daughter of Oasis Dream, the four-year-old mare joined the Newsells broodmare band after they picked her up for 150,000gns from the Juddmonte draft at this sale last year.

Out of a sister to the dam of multiple Group/Grade 1 winner Flintshire, Birdwood is offered in foal to hot young sire Lope De Vega.

Lot 1,836 Different League
2yo b/br f Dabirsim-Danseuse Corse (Danehill Dancer)
Consigned by Amy Marnane Bloodstock

It looks like there could be a very happy ending indeed to the fairytale story of Albany Stakes heroine Different League when she goes under the hammer on Tuesday.

Originally bought by pinhooker Con Marnane for just €8,000 at the 2015 Arqana December Sale, she then failed to sell for £14,000 just under a year later at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale.

It was in the colours of Con's wife Theresa that she registered her victory at Royal Ascot before going on to finish placed in both the Prix Morny and Cheveley Park Stakes.

It is unusual for a two-year-old with genuine Classic aspirations to come under the hammer, so with her racing ability and future broodmare potential - breeders tend to love a speedy filly - combined, Different League is set to make fetch a sum many multiples of her foal price.

Lot 1,848 Marsha
4yo b f Acclamation-Marlinka (Marju)
Consigned by Heath House Stables (Sir Mark Prescott)

Speaking of speedy fillies, Elite Racing Club's Marsha added a second victory at the highest level when collaring the great Lady Aurelia on the line in the Nunthorpe Stakes.

That success came after she also beat the boys in the Prix de l'Abbaye at the backend of 2016.

As a daughter of Acclamation, who was represented by a new Group 1 scorer in Aclaim, she has helped contribute to a stellar year for her sire. She is also closely related to Elite's iconic mare Soviet Song.

Lot 1,861 Quiet Reflection
4yo b f Showcasing-My Delirium (Haafhd)
Consigned by Jamie Railton

Marsha isn't the only sprint queen who will be offered at Park Paddocks this week as Quiet Reflection, another who beat the boys twice to win Group 1 races, will also be up for grabs.

Trained by Karl Burke for the Ontoawinner syndicate, who bought her for £44,000 at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale in 2015, she went on to provide those involved with her with a memorable day when landing the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot last year.

That was swiftly followed by a win in the Haydock Sprint Cup.

Ruled out of Royal Ascot this year, the four-year-old daughter of Showcasing returned to winning ways when landing the Renaissance Stakes in September.

Lot 1,868 Zhukova
5yo b m Fastnet Rock-Nightime (Galileo)
Consigned by the Castlebridge Consignment

One of several top performers bred on the famed Fastnet Rock-Galileo cross, Zhukova registered her biggest success when an impressive six-length winner of the Man O'War Stakes in May.

She is the best performer out of Galileo's Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Nightime and is a half-sister to this year's Group 3 Autumn Stakes scorer Ghaiyyath, who looks an exciting prospect for Godolphin as a three-year-old next year.

With an impressive race record that yielded sevens wins and a family that has been active in recent times, Zhukova could be yet another top-class mare who catches the attention of prospective buyers.