Tattersalls and Newmarket courses combine for £100,000 Somerville graduate race

Tattersalls and Newmarket racecourses will stage a new £100,000 two-year-old race for graduates of the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale starting from next year.

Taking place over six furlongs at Newmarket’s July Course in August, the contest will be run with a maximum field of 20 and prize-money down to tenth place.

Following on from the success of last year's relocated Tattersalls Ascot Yearling Sale, which posted a record average, median and top lot, graduates of the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale will be eligible for both the new £100,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes and the £150,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes held five weeks later.

Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony said: “Our commitment to rewarding owners in as many innovative ways as we can has resulted in over £6,100,000 in bonus prize-money being paid out by Tattersalls in the last five years.

Miss Amulet: Lowther Stakes winner is another high-profile Tattersalls Ascot Yearling Sale graduateCredit: Patrick McCann

"The £100,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes will provide an opportunity for graduates of the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling sale to run for substantial prize-money, and further enhance the appeal of the sale which has quickly established a reputation as a consistent source of top-class juvenile talent.”

Michael Prosser, Regional Head of Racing for The Jockey Club’s East Region, added: “We're delighted to be hosting the £100,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes on the July Course next year in addition to the ever popular £150,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes run on the Rowley Mile.

"The track has long been regarded as providing one of the best educational and introductory experiences for juveniles and I’m sure we will see a competitive field of high-quality two-year-olds lining up to take their chance in 2022 for what is an excellent prize fund.”

Former graduates of the Tattersalls Ascot Yearling Sale include last week's Windsor Castle victor Chipotle and his trainer, Eve Johnson Houghton, was another to lend support to the new race.

She said: Having bought Chipotle for only 10,000gns at last year’s sale, the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale is already in the diary and finding the winner of the new £100,000 Tattersalls Somerville Stakes will be the aim - as well as another Royal Ascot winner of course!”

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