December Foal Sale ends on high note

Tattersalls' December Foal Sale concluded in

Newmarket Saturday evening with record figures. The turnover of 28.8 million

guineas was up

24 percent on 2005, the 38,688gns average rose by 34 percent and the 22,000gns

median jumped by 25 percent.

"This has been a truly phenomenal December Foal Sale from

start to finish," Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said. "The statistics say it all. Last year's

foal sale

achieved records for turnover and median and an average that had been bettered

only once.

Equally telling has been the number of six-figure foals which has gone from 32

in 2005 to 67 in

2006."

Saturday's sale was topped by a Kyllachy half-sister to Group

1-winning juvenile

Dutch Art (Medicean), who had been bought 'in utero' for just 12,000gns at last year's

December Sale.

Agent Amanda Skiffington paid 280,000gns for the filly -- whose dam, Halland Park

Lass (Spectrum), will be

offered Wednesday -- after seeing off Angus Gold, Cheveley Park Stud's Chris

Richardson and

finally Seamus Burns of Lodge Park Stud, who had kicked the bidding off at

100,000gns, to buy

the filly.

"She was beautiful, her X-rays were spotless and she was just perfect

in every respect," Skiffington explained. "She's been bought for a syndicate and I don't know what the

plan will be,

whether she will be resold or kept to race."

A Galileo (Ire) half-brother to Flying

Childers S. (Eng-G2)

third-place finisher Berk the Jerk, offered by Denis McDonnell's Parkway

Farm, was sold

for 260,000gns to James Wigan of London Thoroughbred Services. Croom House Stud

owner

Denis Brosnan was the immediate underbidder.

"He's been bought for a client to

race and will be staying in this country," Wigan said. "I thought he was a particularly nice

colt."

A Montjeu (Ire)

half-sister to this season's listed Hilary Needler S. winner Roxan (Rock of

Gibraltar [Ire]) was

bought for

220,000gns by agent Brian Grassick from Castletown Stud. German agent Ronald

Rauscher was

underbidder.

"She's for a longstanding client whose been trying to buy some nice

fillies and will

come back to my place (Newtown Stud) before going into training in Ireland,"

said Grassick.

The December Mares' Sale begins Sunday morning.