Marquee names and a Classic candidate on offer as Christmas countdown begins at the December Mares Sale

Even in the curious world of bloodstock, there is no time of the year when spending seems to become quite so giddy as during the week of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale. While the international set regard next week's equivalent in Deauville to be the ultimate festive experience, the Christmas shopping very much begins in Newmarket. 

The cash changing hands even at the October Yearling Sale was seen by some as unhelpful to racing's image as the entire funding model continues to founder, but this sale can in other ways be considered a prime showcase of why the industry needs to be nurtured and supported.

Every major breeder from around the globe will have eyes on individuals in this catalogue as representative of the most historic and coveted bloodlines that money can buy. Last year, record trade saw ten mares tipping past the 1,000,000gns mark, with two-thirds of them bought by overseas entities to bolster paddocks as far afield as the United States and Japan. It can be justifiably described as a concerning talent drain but, at the same time, this is outside investment entering the British and Irish ecosystem.

It is reasonable to again expect a few entrants to reach seven-figure heights, particularly in the keynote Sceptre Session on Tuesday evening, with some obvious names to consider. 

Classic credentials

Some two-year-olds are being offered, including from connections justifiably looking to cash in now on a filly who has had a rewarding season, while others have smart relatives. What makes Pintara (1760A) a rarity is that she is a realistic Classic prospect coming on the market.

Although the Pinatubo filly went through the ring as an Arqana yearling for €75,000, she has remained in the part-ownership of her breeder, Ballylinch Stud, during her nascent career with Ralph Beckett. After winning on her debut at Salisbury, she claimed the Montrose Stakes by an impressive three and a half lengths. That Listed race has produced the Guineas and Oaks heroine Blue Bunting, along with the top-class Timepiece and Passage Of Time.

Pintara, who is from a good Wildenstein family, has given herself considerable breeding value, and the extent to which her present connections are prepared to reach to keep hold of her will be an indication of the true regard in which she is held.

Budding broodmares

Reducing members of the catalogue to those who achieved a Timeform rating of 110-plus cuts them down to eight, among which are some for their new owners to make an executive decision about whether to keep racing. They all appear during the glamour session on Tuesday.

Best of the lot on figures was Porta Fortuna (1734), the collector of Group races at two, three and four, and some major prizes during her incredibly consistent time with Donnacha O'Brien.

Choisya (1717) reached the top level in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland for the Crisford team and has additional value as a daughter of Night Of Thunder, who is set to be crowned this year's champion sire of Britain and Ireland.

Choisya became a Group 1 winner for Simon and Ed Crisford in the Jenny Wiley StakesCredit: Laura Green/Tattersalls

Survie (1723) was beaten a head in last year's Prix de Diane and has gone very close to Group 1 glory for Nicolas Clement again this year, while Tamfana has been another exemplary performer (1743) for David Menuisier and Quantum Leap Racing, gaining her biggest day in last year's Sun Chariot Stakes.

Tiffany (1747) is unlikely to pass the 2017 European auction record of 6,000,000gns set by Elite Racing and Sir Mark Prescott, who were also both responsible for the star sprinter Marsha, but has enterprisingly finished second in three consecutive Group 1s in Germany. 

Some of those in this bracket who feasibly have more to offer on the track in 2026 will appear in close succession. Barnavara (1753), who is only three and from the female family of the outstanding Lope De Vega, reached her peak this autumn in adding the Prix de l’Opera to the Group 2 Blandford Stakes.

She steps out just before the year-older Lady Of Spain (1754), who has been beaten only once in six starts and shaped as if she could still be better than her fourth place in this year's Sun Chariot. 

Saqqara Sands (1756), an Oasis Dream filly who nearly won this year's Celebration Mile for owner-breeder John Deer, has a consistent and appealing overall profile.

Classy covers

Results from last week's Foal Sale were a reminder, even if he doesn't win the sire title this year, that Frankel remains the biggest draw in Flat racing. His mere three foals, including the 1,150,000gns top lot, put him easily at the top of the table on aggregate and average.

Half a dozen mares are being offered in foal to a sire who, at £350,000, is the joint most expensive anywhere in the world and standing tallest is the Whitsbury Manor Stud wonder Suelita (1726).

She is potentially carrying a full-brother or sister to Guineas winner and promising new sire Chaldean, who was a 550,000gns purchase by Juddmonte as a foal, while younger progeny Kassaya and Generous Rascal have also shown ability. 

What makes Suelita harder to quantify is that she is 16, but she ought to still have a few productive years ahead of her. We can confidently expect her to make more than the 21,500gns spent by the Harper family here on her 12 years ago but, apart from that, nearly any outcome is possible.

There are other mares in foal to the Juddmonte juggernaut who already have impressive CVs. Desirous (1733) is a Kingman half-sister to the Arc winner Bluestocking whose page has been given glittering decoration by her other sibling, Qirat, snatching this summer's Sussex Stakes. 

Whitsbury Manor's Suelita, dam of Classic winner Chaldean, takes in the sights at NewmarketCredit: Laura Green/Tattersalls

Faisal bin Mishref Al Qahtani cleverly bought Desirous, who won twice for Juddmonte, at the end of her racing career here five years ago, for 220,000gns when she was also in foal to Frankel. He has sold three of her foals very well, including this year's Listed Lyric Fillies' Stakes winner Sand Gazelle, another Frankel.

Another Listed winner in a brief career was Katie's Diamond (1742), who joined Branton Court for 190,000gns in 2017. She is the dam of Queen Mary and Temple Stakes winner Dramatised, among a few winners, and her Frankel cover gives her even more cachet.

It had looked only a matter of time, and yet may be the case posthumously, that Wootton Bassett would be champion sire one day, and he will finish a clear second this year. The death of the rags-to-riches Coolmore resident in September means that his final crop will be born in 2026, and there are half a dozen opportunities to own one of them, with several Galileo and Dubawi mares in the catalogue.

They pretty much all have flawless breeding, with Mariinsky Theatre (1745) being a great-granddaughter of Urban Sea through Cherry Hinton and Belmont Oaks winner Athena. 

The unraced Magic Ring (1751) is a sister of National Stakes winner and Coolmore stallion Henry Longfellow out of the operation's great champion Minding, from one of the finest families in the stud book.

Among three in the publication carrying to Night Of Thunder, the most famous is undoubtedly Azure Blue (1731), a magnificent performer on the big sprinting stage for Michael Dods. The grey, whose biggest success came in the 2023 Duke of York, was bought back for 600,000gns 12 months ago and has considerable value notwithstanding the possibility of her next owners having a very commercial foal to look forward to.

Tattersalls December Mares Sale factfile

Where Park Paddocks, Newmarket 

When Three-day sale begins on Monday, with sessions starting at 9.30am 

Last year's stats From 795 lots offered, 667 sold (at a clearance rate of 84 per cent) for turnover of 83,067,200gns (up 23 per cent year-on-year), an average of 124,539gns (up 16 per cent) and median of 32,000gns (up 27 per cent)

Notable graduates Suelita (dam of Chaldean, sold by Castletown Stud, bought by Whitsbury Manor Stud for 21,500gns); Queen Blossom (dam of Blue Rose Cen, sold by Taylor Made Sales, bought by Durcan Bloodstock for 110,000gns); Fev Rover (sold by Musley Bank Stables, bought by Tracy Farmer for 695,000gns); Via Sistina (sold by Grove Stud, bought by Evergreen Equine for 2,700,000gns)

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