Ocean Silk tops Tattersalls December Mare record-breaking session

Ocean Silk tops Tattersalls December Mare record-breaking

session

An electric day's trade in Newmarket at the Tattersalls December Sale Tuesday

produced an aggregate of more than 36 million guineas, the highest single-day

turnover ever seen at a European bloodstock auction. No less than three lots

made 3 million guineas or more, and two of the trio came from the Sangster

family's Swettenham Stud.

The 10-strong dispersal brought in a total of 8,555,000gns, including session

topper OCEAN SILK (Dynaformer). The seven-year-old, a listed winner and

runner-up in the 2003 Yorkshire Oaks (Eng-G1), sold in foal to Pivotal for 3.2

million guineas as Lot No. 2236. She was the subject of a duel between John

Ferguson and Coolmore's Paul Shanahan, with the Sheikh Mohammed team prevailing

once again. Ocean Silk, a $190,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase in 2001 by BBA Ireland

supremo Adrian Nicoll, is from the family of two-time European champion filly

Divine Proportions and multiple Group 1 hero Whipper.

The day's co-second top selling lot also came from the Swettenham

consignment. Sold as Lot 2242, Diana S. (G1) and Beverly D. S. (G1) winner

ANGARA (GB) (Alzao) was purchased by James Wigan of London Thoroughbred

Services, agent for Waddesdon Stud, for 3 million guineas.

 "Her page speaks for itself," Wigan said. "I tried to buy her privately

before Ben Sangster bought her, and she won her Grade 1, so I have always

followed her."

Wigan bought last year's 4.6 million guineas record-breaker Magical Romance

for Waddesdon Stud.

"It is a sad day, but we have to be delighted with the prices," Ben Sangster

said. "There a lot of memories -- Ocean Silk was bought as a yearling by Adrian

Nicoll and trained by John Gosden, and we bought Angara privately and had a lot

of sport with the pair of them. We'll let the dust settle and see what the

future holds, but I will have several horses running in my colors and I have a

younger brother with two farms in Australia."

MANDELLICHT (Be My Guest), carrying a full sibling to champion Manduro

(Monsun), is yet another high-priced acquisition set to join the Darley

broodmare band. Dick O'Gorman did the bidding on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed's

team, securing the 13-year-old for 3 million guineas as Lot 2289.

"She's for Darley and will head to Dalham Hall Stud," said O'Gorman. "She was

never going to be cheap and has bred an outstanding horse -- she's done it

already."

Ferguson and O'Gorman spent a combined total of 8,995,000gns on six lots,

with Ferguson striking early to buy Lot 2049, the Irish Group 3 winner GALATEE

(Galileo [Ire]) for 1.4-million guineas from Ennistown Stud.

In the highest-grossing day in European auction history, 129 lots sold for an

aggregate 36,084,500 guineas, up 21 percent from last year's corresponding session

when 221 lots sold for 29,936,500 guineas. The average price rose 49 percent, from

135,459 guineas to 201,589 guineas, while the median increased 47 percent, from 58,000 to

85,000.

The sale continues on Wednesday. For complete results, visit tattersalls.com.