Top class offerings on tap for December Yearling Sale

Tattersalls officials believe Monday's December Yearling Sale boasts its best

catalog in recent times as buyers get their final chance to pick up a

two-year-old for next season.

Alongside the traditional group of horses who either missed or failed to change hands at previous sales are a handful who

have not previously been cataloged, most notably the 11 who hail from the

dispersal of Peter Harris's Hertfordshire-based Pendley Farm. Harris, a

leisure entrepreneur and former trainer, has been a breeder for more than three

decades. He is also dispersing his foals and mares in the latter parts of the

December Sales through the Genesis Green Stud owned by his son-in-law Walter Swinburn's family. Among Pendley's yearlings are

Hip No. 162, an Exceed and Excel

half-sister to Middle Park S. (Eng-G1) winner Primo Valentino (Primo Dominie); Hip 163, a Cape Cross (Ire) half-sister to Grade 1-placed Marzelline

(Ire) (Barathea [Ire]); and Hip 236, an Exceed and Excel half-sister to four

black-type performers out of the unraced mare Why So Silent (Mill Reef).

The 306-lot catalog features yearlings at every level, from those that made

the likes of 800 guineas earlier this year to another out of a mare who cost $7.1

million at the Keeneland November sale in 2003. The latter is Hip 244, one of six Galileo (Ire) yearlings still in the

sale, who is out of 1999 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Cash

Run (Seeking the Gold).

Others

by Galileo include Hip 237, a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 victor and sire Toccet (Awesome Again)

who was not sold at €180,000 at Arqana in August, and

Hip 238, a half-brother to

Beverly D. S. (G1) winner Gorella (Fr) (Grape Tree Road [GB]) offered as part of

the Breeding Capital dispersal. His mother, Exciting Times (Jeune Homme), was

recently sold in foal to Sea the Stars for $900,000 at Keeneland November.

Yearlings to have already made a big splash in the sale ring are led by Hip

207, a Giant's Causeway full sister to multiple Grade 2 winner Naissance Royale

(Ire), who was withdrawn from the Arqana August Yearling Sale having made

$280,000 as a Keeneland November weanling last year. She appears from Ciaran 'Flash'

Conroy's Glenvale Stud.

Two Camas Park Stud offerings with dear foal prices are

Hip 218, a Nayef colt who made 100,000gns a year ago at Tattersalls, and the

following Hip 219, a daughter of Lemon Drop Kid who cost $100,000 at Keeneland

last year and was a $90,000 RNA at the same venue in September.

Hip 57, a Jamie Railton-consigned Shamardal colt, made 110,000gns as a foal

last year, although he was not sold at €120,000 at Deauville in August.

Top U.S. sires are well-represented, including Smart Strike, whose sole

offering is Hip 205, a colt out Moyglare Stud S. (Ire-G1) winner Quarter Moon (Ire)

(Sadler's Wells), who is another consigned by Glenvale Stud.

One with a pedigree update is Hip 223, a Dansili (GB) colt who is not

only a half-brother to top Japanese performer Eishin Apollon (Giant's Causeway),

but also the Aidan O'Brien-trained Master of Hounds (Kingmambo), who finished

third in last month's Racing Post Trophy (Eng-G1).

"This is as good a December Yearling catalog as any of us can remember,"

Tattersalls Marketing Director Jimmy George said. "Not only are there over 30

horses eligible for the Tattersalls Millions races, but we also have some very

smart individuals that haven't been cataloged in earlier

yearling sales. All of the top British- and Irish-based sires have horses

cataloged."

The sale starts Monday while the December Foal Sale begins

Wednesday. For outs and complete catalog, visit

www.tattersalls.com.