'She's an amazing mare' - dam of Palace Pier poised to headline at Tattersalls

Arguably none of the 1,108 entries among the Tattersalls December Mares Sale catalogue catch the eye quite like Beach Frolic, who will be offered by Highclere Stud on Tuesday as lot 1,730.

The nine-year-old daughter of Nayef is the dam of Palace Pier, winner of the St James's Palace Stakes and Prix Jacques le Marois and recently crowned champion three-year-old colt at the Cartier Awards.

Beach Frolic was owned in partnership by Highclere Stud and the late Duke of Roxburghe, whose Floors Stud is hosting a part-dispersal at the December Sale, with the link dating to 2000, when John Warren bought Miss D'Ouilly, a Listed-winning Bikala half-sister to Prix Jacques le Marois heroine Miss Satamixa, for 50,000gns.

The family has bloomed in the 20 years since, not least through Miss D'Ouilly and Night Shift's daughter Night Frolic, who bred Dante Stakes scorer Bonfire and Windsor Forest Stakes winner Joviality for the Highclere and Floors partnership, as well as Beach Frolic.

Palace Pier after his St James's Palace Stakes heroicsCredit: Edward Whitaker

In addition to producing the brilliant Palace Pier, Beach Frolic has also bred the winning Tatweej, while her five yearlings to change hands at public auction have generated receipts totalling £2,063,500.

"John bought the grandmother here at Tattersalls, and after he'd got her Guy Roxburghe asked if he could take a little part of her," said Highclere's Lady Carolyn Warren.

"It's an amazing family that has tremendous depth to it. King's Caper, this year's Italian Derby winner, doesn't even fit on the page under Karen's Caper."

Not only is she the dam of a champion, but being by Nayef and out of a Night Shift mare, Beach Frolic possesses a complete outcross pedigree.

Warren continued: "She's an amazing mare. She's the dam of a world champion and can go to any stallion in the world. They're so rare now, mares who are a total outcross.

"She produces outstanding stock for the sales ring too. When you see her, I don't think it's any surprise that she produces such lovely stock as she's an outstanding-looking mare. She's got tremendous presence."

Lady Carolyn Warren: 'She's an amazing mare'Credit: Laura Green

Beach Frolic has been inspected countless times since she arrived at Park Paddocks, including by some of the biggest operations in global bloodstock, but Warren said she was relishing the busy schedule.

"She's a lovely mare, very straightforward and so easy to do anything with," said Warren. "She's been completely unfazed by this whole experience. In fact, I think she's rather enjoying it! It's hard not to like her.

"The looks, the pedigree and the performance give her wide appeal, but having the option to send her to all those stallions - obviously Kingman worked so brilliantly, but she can go to any sire - is very rare. It's so rare a mare like this comes on the market."

Given she is only nine, there is every chance Beach Frolic's best days are still ahead of her. Her Highland Reel yearling fetched 320,000gns at Book 1 and is due to go into training with John Gosden, she has an Almanzor colt foal on the ground, and is offered in foal to four-time Group 1-winning sprinter Blue Point.

On the Blue Point covering, Warren added: "She's in foal to a champion. Very few horses have ever done what he did when winning two races at Royal Ascot in the same week.

"He's an outstanding horse and John really liked the look of the mating given the speed Blue Point showed and being by Shamardal."