Clodovil colt brings top price at Tattersalls opener

Wednesday's opener to the Tattersalls December Foal Sale -- the weakest

of the five days on paper -- was topped by a Clodovil colt out of Inching

(Inchinor [GB]). Selling as Hip No. 541, he was bought by pinhooker Jimmy Murphy

of Redpender Stud for 60,000gns. Inching had been acquired by agent Gill

Richardson for Tania Trant for 30,000gns while carrying the colt at Tattersalls

in February.

"The sire has done well and he's a quality horse with a very fast book,"

Murphy said. "The mother is by Inchinor, who has been good to me."

A colt from the first crop of Avonbridge

(Averti) was purchased for 58,000gns. He's out of Go Between (Daggers Drawn), a half-sister to Flying Childers S.

(Eng-G2) heroine Wunders Dream (Averti), and sold as Hip 436. Agent Richard Frisby

signed for the flashy chestnut who was consigned from breeder John Deer's

Oakgrove Stud in Wales.

"He's been bought for a client to race, although it's too early to say where

he'll be trained," said Frisby. "I've bought a couple of Avonbridges and they

seem nice horses -- his sire Averti made a solid start to his stud career before

his untimely death, and there's every chance his son will be equally effective."

It was a selective market with a clearance rate of 54 percent, compared to 70

percent on the same day in 2006.

The sale continues Wednesday. Complete results and catalogues can be found on

www.tattersalls.com.