John Gosden strengthens squad with sale-topping 260,000gns Oasis Dream colt

Fresh from a remarkable year on the track that saw him crowned Champion trainer for a third time, John Gosden was busy bolstering his Clarehaven battalion with a pair of notable purchases at yesterday’s Tattersalls December Yearling Sale.

Much of the build up to the final Park Paddock’s yearling auction of 2018 had been dominated by the Frankel colt out of multiple Japanese Group 1-winning mare Vodka, but he went through the ring unsold at 285,000gns after failing to make his reserve.

Grove Stud’s Lope De Vega half-brother to Sussex Stakes hero Here Comes When and the only Galileo yearling to be offered at the sale were also expected to be among the protagonists, but the latter was another who failed to meet his reserve at 190,000gns after the former returned to his vendor for 180,000gns.

December Yearling Sale results

Those results paved the way for Lot 89 to break the six-figure barrier, doing so in emphatic style when selling to Gosden in conjunction with Anthony Stroud, who signed the docket for the sale-topping price of 260,000gns.

Offered by the Castlebridge Consignment, the colt is by Juddmonte’s Oasis Dream and received a timely update as his brother Azano, also trained by Gosden, finished second in the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury last month.

"His full-brother was going well at home and he won his first race on October 15, and then went on to finish second in the Horris Hill. We wanted to wait until he had run before offering this colt," said breeders Martin and Lee Taylor of Elysian Bloodstock, the brothers who retained ownership of Azano.

"The mare has produced five foals and they have all been beautiful. She had a filly foal by Frankel this year and is in foal to Sea The Stars.”

Lot 89: The sale-topper was offered by the Castlebridge ConsigmentCredit: Laura Green

The latter stallion also drew a six figure sum from Gosden in the shape of Lot 149, with Stroud again signing the docket at 105,000gns for the half-sister to Group 3 winner Caravan Rolls On, one of five winners out of the unraced Machiavellian mare Grain Only.

“I thought she was a very nice filly and the mare has done incredibly well. She’s from a very good farm who breed very good horses, and John is going to train her,” Stroud said.

“Sea The Stars was a fantastic racehorse and is doing extremely well as a stallion. He’s a special horse, to do it both on the track and as a stallion.”

The filly was consigned by Staffordstown Stud, with Lanwades supremo Kirsten Rausing revealing the daughter of Sea The Stars had been earmarked as a possible for Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, only for injury to strike in the lead up to the premier auction.

"Unfortunately she got a stone bruise and could not come in October. I am delighted that she was purchased today by John Gosden and Stroud Coleman Bloodstock,” Rausing said.

“She is a lovely filly and has always done everything right, except find one stone to stand on! Her dam had a colt foal by Bobby's Kitten this year. I have two by him to sell later this week.”

Sea The Moon caps off memorable year

Moments later, Rausing watched on as a stellar year for Lanwades stallion Sea The Moon was reflected in the ring, with a filly by the German Champion Juvenile sire fetching 125,000gns.

Anthony Stroud was once again the man responsible for the winning bid, before revealing the filly will board the ferry to France to be trained by Andre Fabre.

“They are fantastic breeders and she was a very athletic, light on her feet filly. I’ve bought several Sea The Moons and he has had a brilliant first season,” Stroud said.

The sale capped a terrific few days for the son of Sea The Stars, who earlier in the week saw his leading son Noble Moon, winner of the Group 3 Preis von Winterfavoriten, officially named Germany's champion two-year-old.

A delighted Ronald Rauscher, who consigned the filly as Lot 154, said: "The sire has done well this year and, although there was some Montjeu in this filly as her dam sire, I think she was a very good advertisement for Sea The Moon.

"She had the right people on her and has sold well. She was bred by Gestut Ammerland and it was just a late decision to come to sale.

"I have sold them all my four foals here today, one in a private sale, so that is very pleasing. It is always difficult to know what might happen at an end-of-year sale.”

Stroud Coleman continue spending spree

Stroud Coleman Bloodstock's spending was not done there, with the partnership stretching to 150,000gns to secure Lot 171, a filly by Tally Ho Stud stallion Kodiac.

Consigned by Rathasker Stud, the filly hails from the unraced dam Lake Nona, herself a half-sister to Es Que, the dam of four stakes winners including Hong Kong Vase hero Dominant.

"I bought the mare in-foal here in 2016 carrying this filly," said Rathasker’s Madeline Burns, who has three mares at the stud in her own name. "She is a lovely filly - very typical of the sire. The mare had a Zoffany colt and is in-foal to Sea The Stars, both crosses that work.

Tally Ho Stud's Kodiac will stand for a new career peak of €65,000 in 2019

"We know this family very well as we bred the black-type horses – Dominant, Es Que Love, Zhui Feng and Listen In – who are out of Bellona, the second dam on the page.

"Three new black-type performers have also come through this year – Teppal, Call The Wind and Listen In – it is just a family that keeps on producing."

"The team at home have just done a great job."

The day ended with Stroud Coleman Bloodstock as clear leading buyers after signing for eight lots at an aggregate of 884,000gns.

Gleneagles colt fetches 240,000gns

Earlier in the afternoon, bloodstock agent Amanda Skiffington found herself in familiar territory, parting with 240,000gns for Lot 96, a colt by Coolmore stallion Gleneagles.

Bred and sold by Barronstown Stud, he is a half-brother to German 1,000 Guineas winner Hawksmoor, whom Skiffington bought for €80,000 as a yearling, as well as Magical Fire, who ran second in the 2016 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes.

“He was a beautiful horse. I bought Hawksmoor and Magical Fire, so I suppose I was always favourite to buy this horse. He’s for an existing client and let’s hope he’s as good as the girls,” Skiffington said.

“Funnily enough, I don’t see any similarities between this colt and his half-sisters, none of them are alike. They’re all nice individuals but not terribly similar.”

Oasis Dream resurgent once more

In addition to his sale topping colt, Oasis Dream also saw another of his progeny fetch a six figure sum, further evidence to confirm his resurgence as one of the leading sires on the European circuit after a noticeably quiet spell.

2018 was an important year for the Banstead Manor resident, with the likes of Prix Morny winner Pretty Pollyanna and Prix Maurice de Gheest heroine Polydream registering Group 1 victories, with the son of Green Desert now standing at £30,000 having stood previously at a career high of £85,000.

Catalogued as Lot 106 and offered by the Castlebridge Consignment, the colt, who fetched 140,000gns from Kuwait-based Rashed Aldaban, is the first foal out of the Listed-placed Clarentine.

“I want to keep him in the UK and take him to all the big race meetings,” a delighted Aldaban said: We haven’t yet decided who will train it, but we have horses here with Richard Hughes and Richard Fahey, as well as in Dubai and Kuwait.”

Aldaban was also in action later in the afternoon, with his bid of 78,000gns enough to land Lot 159, a filly by Ballylinch Stud stalwart Lope De Vega, who has enjoyed a stellar year on the track with the likes of emphatic Breeders Cup winner Newspaperofrecord.

Consigned by Croom House Stud, the filly is a half-sister to seven winners out of the precocious mare Jewel In The Sand, who landed Royal Ascot’s Albany Stakes and the Group 2 Cherry Hinton for Richard Hannon Snr as a juvenile.

Statistics

Overall, the 2018 Tattersalls December Yearling Sale generated a record average for the second year in succession, with 35,597gns surpassing last year’s figure of 34,448. The clearance rate dropped five per cent to 73, while the aggregate and median also fell by two per cent and 14 per cent respectively.