Ferguson snaps up Saoirse Abu at Tattersalls

Trainer Jim Bolger's SAOIRSE ABU (Mr. Greeley), a dual Group 1 winner in

2007, was the star turn at the first breeding stock session of the Tattersalls

December Sale in Newmarket Monday night when selling for 1.95 million guineas to

John Ferguson, acting for Sheikh Mohammed. The three-year-old went on to run

third in this year's One Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1), and she stood out Monday as

Lot 1780. Ballylinch Stud's John O'Connor, James Wigan and underbidder Peter

Doyle all went after the chestnut.

"She won't run again, and we look forward to seeing her foals," Ferguson

said. "We'd seen her at the races and she was a beautiful filly. To win both the

Phoenix S. (Ire-G1) and Moyglare S. (Ire-G1), you have to be an exceptional

two-year-old. Sheikh Mohammed has been lucky with Balanchine and West Wind from

this family and, although we don't normally plan before buying a mare, the cross

of a mare by (Mr. Greeley's sire) Gone West and Montjeu (Ire) produced

Motivator, so she could easily go to Montjeu's best son Authorized."

Bolger, who owned session-topping Saoirse Abu in partnership with Ruairi

O'Coileain of Ennistown Stud, was satisfied with the near 2 million guineas

return on a filly that cost $260,000 as a yearling at Keeneland in 2006.

"I am happy with that," Bolger said. "She is a very good filly and it is just

a pity she got injured -- she pulled muscles in her back. I was very happy with

her in the One Thousand Guineas at Newmarket, she just went wrong afterwards and

that was unfortunate. She has a great pedigree, there is a lot of quality on her

page and she is a really nice prospect as a broodmare. Her mother is still quite

young, and Darley have her, too."

O'Coileain added, "Maybe in 10 years' time I'll have a couple of Saoirse Abus

out in the field, but for me she was too valuable to hold on to. I'm in the

business of buying yearlings and will maybe invest in some after this."

The rags-to-riches story of the day revolved around this season's St Leger

(Eng-G1) runner-up UNSUNG HEROINE  (High Chaparral [Ire]) (Lot 1801), who

sold to agent Hubie de Burgh for 950,000gns. Having drawn a successful bid of

only 5,000gns when passing through the same auction ring as a yearling in

October 2006, the filly, out of Thermopylae (Tenby), is expected to join David

Hayes in Australia. Michel Zerolo of Oceanic Bloodstock was underbidder for the

lightly raced three-year-old, for whom Grant Pritchard-Gordon and Jamie

McCalmont also showed an interest.

"She's for an established client and will probably join David Hayes, and

hopefully, go for the Melbourne Cup (Aus-G1) next year," de Burgh said. "She

will hopefully be the new Makybe Diva. She had all the attributes to suit

Australia, she's a lovely rangy filly without many miles on the clock, she stays

and looks like she will improve physically. The Australian prize money is also

outstanding."

Successful in two of her four career starts, including the Give Thanks S.

(Ire-G3) at Cork in August, Unsung Heroine made rapid progress for trainer Tommy

Stack. On only her third outing, the three-year-old chased home subsequent

Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) victor Conduit (Ire) (Dalakhani) in the St Leger in

September, and she rounded off her 2008 campaign when a head second to Crystal

Capella (Cape Cross [Ire]) in the Pride S. (Eng-G2) at Newmarket.

Grange Studs' Andrew Magnier -- a member of Adahessonsplusone Syndicate,

which consists of Tadhg Collins, his sons Victor, Barry and Jack -- bought back

Unsung Heroine after she had been knocked down to Cormack McCormack for the

paltry sum of 5,000gns a little over two years ago. Magnier's father, David,

bred the filly.

"She is a very good filly with loads of racing left in her, and I hope she is

very lucky for her new owners," said Stack's son and assistant Fozzy. "She still

has loads of untapped ability and will win good races. I would love to have

continued training her, so in that sense it could be little bit bittersweet, but

we have had some great times with her and it is unbelievable when you look at

how little she cost."

Last year's One Thousand Guineas runner-up ARCH SWING (Arch), Lot 1753,

realized 600,000gns when selling to Hamdan al Maktoum's racing manager Angus

Gold. Agent Hugo Merry was underbidder on the daughter of Gold Pattern (Slew O'

Gold), who had been bought on behalf of owner Pat Garvey for $55,000 at

Keeneland November as a foal.

"She was only just beaten in a classic and was a very attractive mare.

Northern Dancer is also far enough back in her pedigree to give plenty of choice

about who she could go to," Gold said. "I don't know if she'll stay here or go

to America. Sheikh Hamdan will decide."

Earlier in the day, the 11-year-old mare OUR QUEEN OF KINGS (GB) (Arazi), dam

of 2006 Sun Chariot S. (Eng-G1) winner Spinning Queen (Spinning World), was

secured by John Warren Bloodstock for 500,000gns and will join the Jacobs

family's Newsells Park Stud. Offered as Lot 1593, the mare is believed in foal

to Pivotal.

"She will hopefully continue to build for the future of Newsells Park Stud,

and she has the top-class bloodlines to help achieve that," Warren said. "The

aim is to make the stud one of the leading nurseries in the country."

Lodge Park Stud's Seamus Burns, breeder of Epsom Derby (Eng-G1) winner New

Approach (Galileo [Ire]), paid 450,000gns for Group 3 winner GRECIAN DANCER (Dansili

[GB]), who was covered by Galileo (Ire).

"I loved her as a yearling when John Ellis sold her, then saw her at The

Curragh and saw her today," Burns said. "Galileo's the boy now and whether she

has a colt or a filly doesn't matter."