Sales action resumes in Newmarket with the December Yearling Sale

Sea Of Class, one of the leading lights of the 2018 Flat season, flew the flag for the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale having been purchased for 170,000gns by McKeever Bloodstock in 2016.

In a case of quality over quantity, the catalogue for this year's sale has been trimmed to 200 for the third year in a row, despite a record average of 34,488gns and median of 25,000gns being posted last year.

Among the headline acts in Monday's auction is a colt out of Vodka (59) offered by Mount Coote Stud.

The mare was crowned champion two-year-old filly and champion older mare at four and five in Japan, and won the Yasuda Kinen over a mile twice, as well as the Autumn Tenno Sho, Japan Cup and Victoria Mile.

The yearling's three-year-old brother Tanino Frankel landed the valuable Seibu Suponichi Sho at Kokura in August.

Also of interest is Drumachon Stud's colt out of Artisia (87), who has a double dose of Melbourne Cup success in his pedigree as he is by the same sire responsible for this year's winner Cross Counter and is a half-brother to the three-time runner-up Red Cadeaux.

View December Yearling Sale catalogue

Buyers looking for a more precocious type need look no further than Mount Eaton Stud's half-brother to the Norfolk Stakes scorer and sire Prince Of Lir (133), with the colt hailing from his sire's first crop.

Make Believe won both his starts at two and annexed the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Prix de la Foret as a three-year-old. The son of Makfi is a €12,000 option for breeders at Ballylinch Stud next spring.

Ballylinch are not only represented by their stallions, as the operation also consigns a half-brother to Forest Ranger (73), who won this year's Group 2 Huxley Stakes at Chester.

Tweenhills Stud recruit Lightning Spear was the joint-oldest Group 1 winner in Europe this season after winning the Sussex Stakes as a seven-year-old. The same race was won by a horse of the same age last year in Here Comes When, who will see his half-brother (18) offered by Brendan Holland's Grove Stud.

Last year saw a Kodiac half-sister to Barney Roy top the sale when hammered down for 400,000gns to David Redvers on behalf of Qatar Racing. In training with Richard Hannon, the unraced filly has already been given the auspicious moniker Qatar Queen.

Edmond Mahony, chairman of Tattersalls, said: "The December Yearling Sale is a consistent source of top-class performers and the outstanding filly Sea Of Class, purchased at the sale two years ago, shows why the fixture is so popular year after year."

Tattersalls December Yearling Sale

Where/when Park Paddocks; Monday, November 26, selling starts at 11am

Sold last year From 160 offered, 124 sold for turnover of 4,271,500gns, an average of 34,448gns and median of 25,000gns

Star graduates Sea Of Class (bought by McKeever Bloodstock for 170,000gns), Mobsta (Gill Richardson Bloodstock, 12,000gns), (Cormac McCormack Bloodstock, 41,000gns)