Look out as the next stars step up at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale

The Tattersalls December Foal Sale, which starts a four-day run on Wednesday, is billed as Europe's premier auction of its type with its long roll of honour including the winners of this year's Dewhurst and Middle Park Stakes.

Last year's renewal produced the highest-priced foal in Europe since 2002 as Genesis Green Stud's Dubawi colt out of Madonna Dell'orto sold to Godolphin for 1,800,000gns, while the sale could boast of 14 of the 15 most expensive foals sold in Europe in 2021.

The Whitsbury Manor Stud-bred Chaldean, a son of the mighty Frankel, has not looked back since his debut at Newbury, with a novice strike at the track and then wins in the Acomb Stakes, Champagne Stakes and Dewhurst placing him firmly in the reckoning for next year's Qipco 2,000 Guineas.

The chestnut was a reasonably rare Juddmonte auction purchase having been bought by the Abdullah family's operation for 550,000gns here in 2020. And he was not the only Group 1-winning juvenile from the 2022 season to have been sold there.

Blackbeard, now retired and standing at Coolmore alongside his sire No Nay Never, was picked up for 270,000gns by Jamie McCalmont from Norelands Stud.

It was money very well spent as the colt won five black-type races this year, namely the Middle Park, Prix Morny, Prix Robert Papin, Marble Hill Stakes and First Flier Stakes, in an eight-race campaign.

Minzaal: Sprint Cup scorer sold from the December Foal Sale in 2018Credit: Grossick Racing

A trio of 2018 graduates also struck in Group 1 races this year. Sprint Cup winner and new Derrinstown Stud sire Minzaal was sold by Ringfort Stud to Peter and Ross Doyle for 85,000gns; Prix Rothschild winner Saffron Beach was a 55,000gns purchase by Liam Norris and Lord Huntingdon from Ballylinch Stud; and Prix Ganay and Prince of Wales's Stakes winner State Of Rest, now at Rathbarry Stud, was a 45,000gns pick-up by Diamond Bloodstock from Tinnakill House.

This year Whitsbury Manor not only has the first foals by its young sire Sergei Prokofiev to sell, as the Harper family's operation also offers a Kingman half-sister to Chaldean (lot 1025) and a Frankel filly out of a stakes-placed Showcasing half-sister to Queen Mary winner Heartache (1024).

The Friday session in which they feature looks a belter, with Hyde Park Stud's sole offering being a Mehmas half-brother to this year's 1,000 Guineas heroine Cachet (1033), while Kirsten Rausing's St Simon Stud sells a Lope De Vega half-brother to St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov (1027).

Acorn Stud's Invincible Army colt was another to receive a Group 1 update this year as his half-sister Lezoo struck in the Cheveley Park Stakes (1013), while Yellowford Farm's consignment includes a Sea The Stars half-sister to runaway Mill Reef Stakes winner Sakheer (1052).

Frankel has eight lots on offer, including Trinity Park Stud's half-sister to Queen Anne winner Accidental Agent (1051), while champion sire-elect Dubawi's sole lot is Hazelwood Bloodstock's filly out of Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte winner Sans Equivoque (1065). Last of the Galileo foals to sell will be from The Castlebridge Consignment, a colt out of Bahamian Bounty mare Bounce (1038).

There are also sires with their first crop of foals selling, namely Circus Maximus, Earthlight, Ghaiyyath, Golden Horde, Hello Youmzain, Kameko, King Of Change, Mohaather, Persian King, Pinatubo, River Boyne, Sands Of Mali, Sottsass and Without Parole.

Speaking upon the release of the catalogue, Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony said: "The Tattersalls December Foal Sale has enjoyed a banner year, with Group 1-winning two-year-old colts Chaldean and Blackbeard burnishing its reputation as the showcase for the cream of the British and Irish foal crop.

"As well as consistent racecourse success, the sale has been the source of spectacular pinhooking triumphs and we have some truly outstanding foals catalogued this year, with the quality and diversity to appeal to buyers from throughout the world at all levels of the market."

Selling starts at 10am each day.

Take a look at the catalogue

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