Tattersalls offering four days of foals

Tattersalls' December Sale resumes Wednesday morning with four days of foals

when vendors can take some encouragement from the solid top-end action at Goffs

last week. While numbers have not fallen as sharply as at its Irish rival,

Tattersalls' 941-lot catalog (fractionally down on 2009) is the smallest since

2001 and a third smaller than in 2007.

"Recent Northern Hemisphere foal sales have held up well, which is

encouraging, and there is a lot of depth to this catalog," Tattersalls marketing

director Jimmy George said. "There are significantly less foals catalogued than

two years ago and the balance between supply and demand is beginning to be

addressed."

Foals are graded to improve from Wednesday to Thursday, with Friday and

Saturday set to feature the best offerings. It is a solid catalog, although it

looks unlikely that this year's sale will feature one of the seven-figure foals

that created headlines at the start of this decade.

Galileo (Ire) provided the two joint sale-toppers at Monday's December

Yearling Sale and offerings from the champion sire's 2010 generation include Lot

No. 970, a three-parts sister to Pretty Polly S. (Ire-G1) second Beach Bunny

(High Chaparral [Ire]), bred by the late David Hardisty and consigned by his

family through Harry McCalmont's Norelands Stud.

The same vendor offers an Irish-bred Mr. Greeley colt out of Kushnarenkovo

(GB) (Sadler's Wells), a half-sister to the dam of Workforce (GB) (King's Best),

who was knocked down to Hugo Merry for $1.25 million at the 2007 Keeneland

November Sale.

Relatively few of those on offer were the products of big money in utero

transactions last year although Lot 1104, an Invincible Spirit half-sister to

Sandown Mile (Eng-G2) winner Major Cadeaux (Cadeaux Genereux), was bought inside

his dam Maine Lobster (Woodman) for 130,000 guineas by Grange Stud at last

year's December Sale.

Similarly Lot 943, a well-connected Dubawi colt, was purchased in utero with

his dam Royale Danehill (Danehill) by Michael Goodbody for Lord Vestey's Stowell

Park Stud for 110,000 guineas 12 months ago.

Forestry's only representative, Lot 737, is a filly offered from Andreas

Jacobs and family's Newsells Park Stud. She was bought in utero for $145,000 at

Keeneland in November 2009 inside Maid For Winning (Gone West), a half-sister to

Grade 1 winner Stroll (Pulpit).

Former British Horseracing Board chairman Peter Savill offers a Montjeu (Ire)

filly out of 2007 Italian Oaks (Ity-G2) winner Fashion Statement (Rainbow Quest)

as Lot 1193 from his County Wicklow-based Ballykilbride Stud.

Savill is reducing his broodmare band while among those having complete

dispersals at this year's December Sale are Henrietta, Duchess of Bedford's

Bloomsbury Stud, Peter Harris's Hertfordshire-based Pendley Farm and the

Breeding Capital investment syndicate.

The Pendley Farm offerings include Lot 947, a Mr. Greeley filly who is the

first foal of Santa Maria H. (G1) second Marzelline (Ire) (Barathea [Ire]), a

mare whose Oasis Dream (GB) half-sister appears as Lot 1027.

Breeding Capital's team includes Lot 990, a Monsun half-sister to Beverly D

S. (G1) winner Gorella (Fr) (Grape Tree Road [GB]) whose dam Exciting Times (Jeune

Homme) sold for $900,000 at Keeneland this month, and Lot 988, a Danehill Dancer

three-parts brother to Champagne S. (Eng-G2) winner Vital Equine (Danetime).

Cheveley Park Stud's homebreds include Lot 871, a Dalakhani half-brother to

Matron Stakes (Ire-G1) winner Echelon (Danehill), while among the first-season

sires represented are top performers New Approach and Raven's Pass.

New Approach's team includes Lot 917, a sibling to Ballysax Stakes (Ire-G3)

winner Fergus McIver (Sadler's Wells) offered from Richard and Sally Aston's

Goldford Stud for Dram Bloodstock. Lot 1197 is a Raven's Pass half-brother to

Grade 2 winner Spice Route (GB) (King's Best) sold from Kevin and Sue Mercer's

Usk Valley Stud in Wales.

One offering that will have international appeal is Lot 1224, the only

European-registered foal in 2010 by top Australian sprinter Fastnet Rock

(Danehill). He is out of Beldarian (Last Tycoon [Ire]), who was bought for

A$16,000 when not in foal at Inglis's April sale last year and exported to

Britain last autumn after being covered by Fastnet Rock in June. Beldarian's

three-year-old, Dariana (Redoute's Choice), has since won the Queensland Derby

(Aus-G1) at Eagle Farm and her Fastnet Rock foal is consigned by Biddestone

Stud.