A colt by SHAMARDAL proved the show-stopper on the third day of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale when selling to John Ferguson for 240,000 guineas.
He was one of fourteen foals to sell for 100,000 guineas or more, almost triple the number on the corresponding session last year. The third day saw a total of 234 lots sell for 8,576,000 guineas, at an average of 36,650 guineas and a median of 26,000 guineas.
Catalogued as lot 824, the SHAMARDAL colt out of the DISTORTED HUMOR mare SAPPORO was knocked down to Ferguson for 240,000 guineas after he outgunned Kingwood Stud's Mehmet Kurt and Blandford Bloodstock's Richard Brown, stood alongside Corduff Stud's James and David Egan. SAPPORO is a daughter of the Grade 1 Spinster Stakes winner ASI SIEMPRE and a half-sister to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner OUTSTRIP.
The pair were consigned by John McEnery's Rossenarra Stud who commented:Ferguson also bought the following lot when he went to 160,000 guineas to secure the DARK ANGEL colt out of the AUTHORIZED mare WITNESSED, a Group 3 winner and placed in the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes.
"They had over 50 shows a day. We bought them over on Friday so they had two days' rest, we knew they would be busy."
When asked what it was that helped the sale price, McEnery reported: "They were healthy and well!"
Fillies accounted for five of the foals to reach six figures and the highest of these was lot 930, the MAXIOS filly out of the IRISH RIVER mare REMOTE ROMANCE who was knocked down to Anthony Stroud for 180,000 guineas. The filly, who was consigned by Newsells Park Stud, is a half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner SADDEX and from the family of Group 1 winners DENON, CHIMES OF FREEDOM and ALDEBARAN.
"Maxios was a very good racehorse, he had great speed and the foals I have seen I have liked," said Stroud. "This filly has been bought for a partnership out together to buy her, she will probably race for them.
"She comes from a very good Niarchos family and I am delighted we have bought her."
The Gestut Fahrhof-based sire MAXIOS is a son of MONSUN and won the Group 1 Prix d'Ispahan and Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp and is represented by his first crop of foals.
The owners of lot 921, the KODIAC half-brother to the Group 2 Lowther Stakes winner INFAMOUS ANGEL were well rewarded when he was knocked down to Stephen Hillen on behalf of MC Bloodstock for 150,000 guineas. Consigned by Dermot Dwan's Kellsgrange Stud, the colt is out of the SADLER'S WELLS mare EVANGELINE who was purchased in February with this colt in utero for 41,000 Euros by Blandford Bloodstock.
The fourth day of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale takes place on Friday, November 27 with 302 lots catalogued and the action set to start at 9.30am.
