Showcasing pair share top billing as Taylor Made set up camp

A pair of foals set the Tattersalls sales ring alight when hammered down for 120,000gns each in quick succession during the fourth and final December Foal Sale session on Saturday.

Auctioneer Harvey Bell called for an opening bid of 80,000gns for the March-born filly out of Park Law, though had to eventually get the ball rolling at 20,000gns.

Bids then flew in from all sides of the ring before slowing at the six-figure mark, with the hammer eventually falling at 120,000gns in favour of Tim Hyde of Camas Park Stud.

"She was a gorgeous filly," said Hyde. "She really owned the ring and will be offered for resale. There's been a lot of nice horses this week and plenty of competition for them."

Tim Hyde jnr: signed a 120,000gns docket for Park Law's filly by ShowcasingCredit: Laura Green

"Park Law's filly is a full sister to Pavillon, who was a Group filly in the making for Clive Cox," said Ed Harper of Whitsbury Manor Stud.

As well as her high-achieving sister, Park Law is a winning Fasliyev daughter of the unraced Blanche Dubois, a half-sister to the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner and sire Indian Haven and Group 1-winning juvenile Count Dubois, with that trio out of the 1990 Park Hill Stakes scorer Madame Dubois.

Shortly after, Duchess Dora's February-foaled colt went the way of Robert O'Callaghan of Yeomanstown Stud for 120,000gns - a tidy return on the 40,000gns trainer Mark Johnston paid for the mare at Tattersalls last December, when she was carrying the Showcasing foal in utero.

"He turned out to be a very nice foal," said Sam McCullagh of Friar Ings Stud, who consigned the colt on behalf of the winningmost trainer.

View sales results and buyers

Duchess Dora - who paid a visit to The Last Lion this spring - was second in the 2011 Beverley Bullet to Tangerine Trees, who annexed the Prix de l'Abbaye on his next start.

The 11-year-old Tagula mare also shares her third dam Heaven High with Muhaarar, the champion three-year-old sprinter whose first yearlings sold for up to 925,000gns at Book 1 of this year's October Sale.

Ed Harper took time to reflect on the popularity of Whitsbury Manor stallions Adaay and Showcasing this week.

"Showcasing is doing it for himself now, so it was even more satisfying to see the progeny of Adaay proving so popular," said Harper.

Showcasing - sire of this year's Phoenix Stakes scorer Advertise - has seen 22 of his offspring sell during the December Foal Sale for a total of 1,902,000gns and average of 86,455gns.

Adaay, meanwhile, also made the top ten with 22 lots changing hands for sales amounting to 741,715gns at an average of 33,714gns. The dual Group 2-winning son of Kodiac is a £5,000 option for breeders next spring.

Duchess Dora's Showcasing colt who turned a nice profit for Mark JohnstonCredit: Laura Green

No stopping Never

No Nay Never, whose 26 first-crop winners in Europe include the Middle Park Stakes hero Ten Sovereigns, saw four colts and two fillies sell during the December Foal Sale, bringing in total receipts of 565,000gns at an average spend of 94,167gns.

The last to pass through the acorns this week was Musically's March-foaled colt, offered by Peter Collier's Premier Consignment, with Simon Kerins introducing him as "every inch an athlete".

"Every time you look at him you like him more," said Kerins, once into six figures, with Roger O'Callaghan of Tally-Ho Stud sealing the deal with a bid of 110,000gns.

"We're delighted," said Collier, who bred the foal together with Philip Blake and Jim Carey. "No Nay Never is a phenomenal stallion and very much on the up. That's what it's all about - that's what you keep breeding for - to try and get lucky with a stallion like that.

"The market is unforgiving and has been the last couple of weeks. Everyone's trying to buy those horses by proven sires."

Musically was bought carrying to Kyllachy for 19,000gns at the 2013 December Mare Sale, with the resulting colt foal sold for €38,000 at Goffs, while her foal last year - a Gutaifan colt - was sold by Rockton Stud to Timmy Hillman for €46,000 at Goffs as well.

Flying freshman - whose fee has been quadrupled to €100,000 for the 2019 breeding season - has put clear daylight between himself and his first-season rivals by progeny earnings, despite five of those also surpassing the 20-winner mark.

Musically visited another son of Scat Daddy this spring in Yeomanstown Stud's El Kabeir, and is entered in Wednesday's session of the December Mare Sale.

The No Nay Never colt out of Musically capped a strong week of sales for his sire when sold for 110,000gnsCredit: Laura Green

Grassick stocks up

Cathy Grassick of Brian Grassick Bloodstock helped drive trade on Saturday by securing three of the top seven lots for a combined 210,000gns - headed by a 75,000gns Fast Company filly.

"She has a very active pedigree," said Grassick. "I'm a big fan of Fast Company and think he is underrated, and this filly is from his first crop bred at Kildangan Stud.

"The Danehill line works very well with this family and she's been purchased for Yvonne Jacques, who was looking to buy into a residual, blue hen family."

Consigned by Salcey Forest Stud, the May-foaled filly is half-sister to the Listed winner Tilly's Chilli, from the family of October's Star Appeal Stakes scorer No Needs Never.

Grassick also went to 70,000gns for an April-born Siyouni filly out of a winning half-sister to the Group 1-placed miler Spectre, and to 65,000gns for a Mastercraftsman colt from the same family as Juddmonte International winner One So Wonderful.

Taylor Made in town

As the December Foal Sale wrapped up, the boxes were starting to fill up once again ahead of next week's December Mare Sale, with Taylor Made Sales Agency among those setting up camp early.

Selling in Europe for the first time, its six-strong draft is headed by the Marco Botti-trained Raven's Lady (lot 1,915), winner of the Group 3 Summer Stakes at York and the Group 2 Golden Peitsche at Baden-Baden during the latest season.

"She's got a gorgeous profile and we're very excited to be offering her," said Phillip Shelton of Taylor Made. "Someone can either have a bit of fun with her next year or decide to breed from her. We're very grateful to Marco Botti and the partnership for allowing us to sell her."

Also consigned by Taylor Made is (1,914), winner of the Group 3 Park Express Stakes at the Curragh on the opening day of the 2016 Irish Flat season, and (1,913), who landed the Grade 3 Robert J Frankel Stakes at Santa Anita last December.

Both were raced by Medallion Racing, a horseracing partnership backed by Taylor Made and led by Shelton.

"We're lucky to have received so much support and people have put a lot of faith in us," added Shelton about Taylor Made's first foray into the European market.

"We just hope it goes well and that this is something we can do again in the future. We're finding out where we fit in the market and where the horses fit - our focus is very much on quality."

'Imbalance between supply and demand'

Edmond Mahony, chairman of Tattersalls, said in his end-of-sale statement: "The highest priced filly foal in 2018, a record December Foal Sale turnover of nearly 35 million guineas, and an unprecedented number of foals selling for 500,000gns or more are all heartening statistics to be able to take from this week's sale.

"Above all, the December Foal Sale has confirmed that the demand for quality stock remains robust and we must thank the consignors who have presented some truly outstanding foals this week for their confidence in Europe's premier foal sale.

"All week the buyers have commented on the quality of the foals on offer here at Park Paddocks and despite uncertainties in the marketplace, the cream of the British and Irish foal crop has been met with enthusiasm by pinhookers and end users alike.

"As ever, the pinhookers have worked tirelessly all week and we look forward to seeing a large number of this week's purchases returning to Tattersalls as yearlings next October.

"While we can reflect on the positive aspects of this week’s December Foal Sale and also the record breaking October Yearling Sale, we should not overlook the challenges that currently exist in certain sectors of the bloodstock market.

"The overall clearance rate this week has fallen and it is abundantly clear that the current imbalance between supply and demand at the lower end of the market is an issue for all concerned."

Figures

Despite three headline prices, total sales on the final day fell by 14 per cent year-on-year to 3,031,407gns, with 144 of the 235 lots on offer changing hands for a clearance rate of 61 per cent - down from 71 per cent last year.

While the average was trimmed slightly to 21,051gns, the median held steady at 15,000gns.

Aggregate sales for the four days came in at 34,924,757gns, the median stayed put at 25,000gns while the clearance rate dropped from 78 to 70 per cent.

The December Mare Sale begins its four-day run at Park Paddocks on Monday, with sessions beginning at 9.30am each day.

Full reports from the Tattersalls December Foal Sale:

Decorated Knight's sister becomes highest-priced filly foal of 2018

Kingman's daughter the star of the show as figures start to rise

No Nay Never filly tops day one of December Foal Sale