Mare in foal to Sea the Stars tops Tattersalls session

Local agent Hugo Lascelles, bidding on behalf of an undisclosed American

buyer, headed trading at a lively first breeding session of the Tattersalls

December Sale in Newmarket Monday afternoon, spending 950,000 guineas on

SOINLOVEWITHYOU (Sadler's Wells), a five-year-old in foal to champion Sea the

Stars. Bidders on the Highclere Stud offering, who was owned by William de Burgh

and John Sikura, included Ibrhaim Araci of Turkey, Charlie Gordon-Watson, Ted

Voute and Irish breeder Seamus Burns. The underbidder was Australian agent Tim

Stakemire.

"I'm acting for an American owner-breeder based in Kentucky and there's every

chance the Sea the Stars foal will return to Europe to sell," Lascelles

commented. "She was a lovely Sadler's Wells mare and she could go to Smart

Strike or one of the top American stallions."

Soinlovewithyou is a half-sister to champion Duke of Marmalade (Ire)

(Danehill) and from the extended family of Summer Squall (Storm Bird) and A.P.

Indy (Seattle Slew).

The name Highclere has become a byword for excellence in recent years,

certainly as far as the Tattersalls sales go, with the Highclere Stud draft

having topped the October Yearling Sale for the last four years. At the end of

the first day of the mares' sale at Park Paddocks, the Berkshire-based stud was

once again on top, with eight of its 11-strong draft selling for a total of

1,339,000 guineas. That healthy aggregate was boosted largely by the sale of

Soinlovewithyou.

"It's been a very exciting day and a lovely way to end the season," said a

delighted Lady Carolyn Warren, who runs Highclere Stud with her husband John.

"It feels like the end of term and it's great."

"We're delighted that (Soinlovewithyou) sold so well for them," Lady Carolyn

continued. "She's a beautiful mare and she had the page and the covering. I

think what's really encouraging for the business is that there were five or six

people in there trying to buy her -- so many bidders. The market is still

incredibly selective, as we've seen throughout the year, but the quality goods

sell exceptionally well and the market is very predictable. This mare had been

incredibly popular and she'd handled it all so well. She has a lovely Distorted

Humor foal that I'm very much hoping might come to us a yearling, but we'll have

to see."

Japanese buyers were noticeably strong and brothers Katsumi and Teyuya

Yoshida each made significant purchases. Katsumi Yoshida, bidding through

veterinarian Fumihiko Nakajima, spent 375,000 guineas on BELLE ALLURE (Ire)

(Numerous), winner of the Athenia S. (G3) at Belmont, and offered from Cian and

Sue Ann Foley's Islanmore Stud. The five-year-old mare, in foal to Giant's

Causeway, is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Jukebox Jury (Ire) (Montjeu [Ire]).

Patrick Cooper of BBA Ireland was underbidder on the mare, for whom Teruya

Yoshida's Shadai Farm and New Zealand agent Guy Mulcaster also competed.

"She will foal in Japan and we have plenty of choices about which stallion to

use," Nakajima said. "She had a lovely pedigree."

Mulcaster was underbidder at 300,000 guineas to Teruya Yoshida's team for

LIMELIGHT (Dalakhani), a half-sister to Group 1 winner Aussie Rules (Danehill)

sold from Prince Faisal Salman's Denford Stud in Oxfordshire.

FAILTE ISTEACH (Galileo [Ire]), a full-sister to Irish Derby (Ire-G1) winner

Soldier of Fortune (Ire) sold from the Bolger family's Redmondstown Stud, was

knocked down to Eamonn Reilly of BBA Ireland with a 340,000 guineas price tag.

The mare was offered with an Intense Focus covering.

"She's been bought for a new client in the United Kingdom and is the first

filly out of the mare. She has a great back page and is from a family that Jim

Bolger has had great success with," Reilly said.

The first of four sessions saw a total of 161 lots sell for 8,880,500 guineas

at an average of 55,158 guineas and a median of 26,000 guineas.

Selling continues Tuesday.