'I'm glad I've waited for the last day' - the National Stud's Valuate bound for India after topping trade at Tattersalls

A sober final session of the December Mares Sale was topped by Valuate at 52,000gns, as the curtain came down on Tattersalls' year.

Thursday's clearance rate of 50 per cent was further evidence of the challenges breeders and consignors face at the lower end of the market, against a background of prize-money and affordability check woes, plus a generally grim economic climate.

The session saw 69 lots from 137 offered sell for turnover of 413,000gns (down 19 per cent year-on-year), an average of 5,986gns (down eight per cent) and median of 3,000gns (down 29 per cent)

Overall, the four-day sale saw 630 lots sell for a total of 67,752,800gns (down 16 per cent year-on-year), an average of 107,544gns (down eight per cent) and median of 30,000gns (down six per cent). Tuesday's session had been the third highest grossing day in European sales history, underlining the polarisation of the market.

Indian buyers have been a notable presence at Park Paddocks this week, and the well-related Valuate is bound for Kunigal Stud in Bangalore after selling to Dr Cyrus Poonawalla's representative Zeyn Mirza.

Consigned by the National Stud, the daughter of Shamardal is carrying to St James's Palace Stakes winner and Newsells Park Stud sire Without Parole. She is out of Valeur, a daughter of Rafha, meaning she can count Invincible Spirit, Kodiac, Massarra and Acts Of Grace among her siblings. 

Mirza said: "She has a great pedigree and I'm glad I've waited for the last day. She'll ship straight away and needs to do a month's quarantine in the UK and then another month in India." 

The seven-year-old could be set for a date with either Chindit – who is in quarantine bound for stallion duties in India – or Baratti, a son of Frankel who won the Listed Prix Lord Seymour and was second to Alpinista in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. The Juddmonte-bred horse stands at Poonawalla Stud Farms alongside other familiar European names Roderic O'Connor and Excellent Art.

Good Hope followed daughter Candle Of Hope through the Park Paddocks sales ring, making 32,000gns on Thursday to Freddie Morley of Blandford Bloodstock. Her Listed-placed Cable Bay filly had sold to Naohiro Hosoda of Shadai Corporation for 100,000gns on Wednesday. 

The Royal Studs' Good Hope sells to Blandford Bloodstock for 32,000gns on the final day of the Tattersalls December Mares SaleCredit: Alisha Meeder

Good Hope is also the dam of stakes performer Encourage, among four individual winners, and is a half-sister to My Kingdom Of Fife, winner of the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick.

Morley said of the Cape Cross mare: "We bought her for an existing client, he's had a bit of luck with the family and she's the dam of a couple of stakes horses. She'll head to France and we'll make plans; obviously she's done it before and hopefully she can do it again."

'She's a long-term project' 

Tom Blain was also active, buying Houghton Bloodstock's Cape Cross mare Zurigha for 25,000gns under the name of Blue Chip Bloodstock. 

The Listed Rosemary Stakes winner is well-known to her buyer, as the Barton Stud principal sold her Too Darn Hot filly to Mike Ryan for 400,000gns at Tattersalls Book 1 in 2022. The now two-year-old is in training with Chad Brown and has been named Oversubscribed.

Tom Blain: among the buyers at the sale on ThursdayCredit: Alisha Meeder

Blain said: "She's a nice mare. She does have a patchy breeding record and is a bit of a chancy one, but she's a long-term project." 

Zurigha was covered again by Darley's leading first-season sire Too Darn Hot this year but did not get in foal. The 13-year-old is out of Noyelles, making her a half-sister to Group 3 Chartwell Fillies' Stakes winner Lily's Angel and to Labeling, who was third in last year's Group 1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes in Japan. 

Under the second dam, Bellarida, is fellow Group winner In Clover, the dam of Group 1 winners With You, Call The Wind and We Are. The page received another Group 1 update when Kelina, a daughter of Incahoots, struck in the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp in October.

Curtain falls for Trickledown

Havana Gold filly Desert closed the curtain on Trickledown Stud's consigning operation, selling to the Coolsilk Partnership for 17,000gns.

The Trickledown Stud team at Tattersalls on the final day of the December Mares SaleCredit: Alisha Meeder

Trickledown's Paul Thorman said: "I didn't want to finish with three no bids and to sell the last one of our three for okay money was a thrill. Of course we'll miss it, but we're still around and bought plenty of foals, albeit I won't have to be here now all the time.

"It's a year or two since we've been at the top, but for three consecutive years we were leading consignor of foals here by aggregate. I always think it's quite sad when a commentator or jockey goes on two years too long; hopefully we were still doing a good job, but it's a young person's game, they know everybody. We've had a ball and a great run." 

End of sale statement

Reflecting on the four days, Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony said: "International demand is the feature of so many sales at Tattersalls, but few can match the global appeal of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, which annually draws buyers from every continent, united in a quest to acquire some of the finest bloodstock to be found anywhere in the world.

"In only their second year the two showcase Sceptre Sessions again produced some spectacular theatre played out in front of a packed sale ring, with the highlight being the outstanding Group 1-winning sale-topper Teona, who became the third-highest priced broodmare ever sold at the December Sale when selling for 4,500,000gns to Juddmonte Farms. 

"The supporting cast of British-trained Group 1-winning fillies, Cachet, Lezoo, Poptronic, Prosperous Voyage and Via Sistina all also provided memorable sales for their connections, averaging almost 2,000,000gns apiece and adding to a day which produced turnover exceeded only twice in Tattersalls history.

Edmond Mahony: "We must also recognise that the appetite for the less commercial mares and fillies has dwindled dramatically"Credit: Alisha Meeder

“Elite fillies and mares have been in high demand throughout the sale, with an unprecedented six selling for more than 2,000,000gns and 29 breaking the 500,000gns mark, which is a number bettered only at last year’s extraordinary record breaking sale. 

"American, Australian and Chinese buyers have all made a huge contribution at the top end of the market, as have the impressive number of Japanese buyers who continue to prioritise the Tattersalls December Mares Sale above all other European breeding stock sales. As ever, they have all faced strong competition from British, Irish and French breeders, who form the backbone of the December Sale, and there has been notable participation from throughout Europe as well as strong contingents of Indian and Turkish buyers who between them have bought more than 60 fillies and mares."

He added: "While we can reflect on a combined December Sale turnover of more than 100,000,000gns for the second consecutive year and sustained demand for quality stock, we must also recognise that the appetite for the less commercial mares and fillies has dwindled dramatically. The international bloodstock market is not immune from global economic pressures and certain sectors are facing a headwind, but we will continue, in association with our extensive network of overseas representatives, to explore every avenue to encourage as wide a participation as possible. 

"In the meantime we extend our sincere thanks to each and every individual who has contributed to a year which has seen our annual turnover exceed 350,000,000gns for only the second time. Figures of this magnitude are a tribute to all involved and to the consistent support from so many British, Irish and European breeders, which all of us at Tattersalls are very proud to receive."

Read more from Tattersalls

'She was the pick of our draft' - Godolphin's Mufeeda tops December Mares Sale trade at 160,000gns 

'It’s not really a job, it’s a way of life' - Barton Stud's Tom Blain in dreamland after December Mares Sale bonanza 

'We've been hugely lucky all the way through' - end of an era as Trickledown Stud shuts up shop at Tattersalls 

'She's everything we want' - Juddmonte see off Coolmore and Godolphin to land 4,500,000gns Teona at Tattersalls