An outstanding collection of fillies and mares including five Group 1 winning race fillies - two of them by Fastnet Rock and Zoustar - have been catalogued for the forthcoming Tattersalls December Mares Sale, headlined by the Sceptre Sessions which received international acclaim in their inaugural year. The December Mares Sale will take place Monday 4th to Thursday 7th December with the Sceptre Sessions on Monday 4th December and Tuesday 5th December. The catalogue for Europe’s premier breeding stock sale numbers 1,059 lots and can be viewed online at www.tattersalls.com.
The Sceptre Sessions were introduced to showcase the highest quality race fillies and broodmares offered for sale in Europe and amongst the stellar cast are brilliant 1000 Guineas winner CACHET, the first 1000 Guineas winner to be offered as a horse in training at the December Mares Sale since 1988, imperious Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes winner VIA SISTINA and the Ralph Beckett trained duo of LEZOO and PROSPEROUS VOYAGE, winners of the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes and the Group 1 Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes respectively. The quintet of Group 1 winning race fillies is completed by outstanding South African performer VERNICHEY. In addition Group 1 Prix Vermeille winner TEONA, carrying her first foal by Champion sire FRANKEL, promises to be another highlight in a catalogue of real depth.
In total an impressive 33 Group and Listed winning race fillies will be offered across the two Sceptre Sessions. Other star performers include the Group 1 Matron Stakes runner up ROGUE MILLENNIUM, winner of the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot, brilliantly fast Group 2 Lowther Stakes winning two-year-old RELIEF RALLY, and twice Group 1 placed Listed winner GET AHEAD, the half-sister to 2000 Guineas winner CHALDEAN. They will be joined by the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks winner POPTRONIC, fellow Group 2 winners POLLY POTT, PURPLEPAY and ZAIN CLAUDETTE and eleven further Group winners including the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye runner up WHITE LAVENDER and MAXUX, a wide margin Group 3 winner on just her fourth start. Additional Group 3 winners include CLEVER AND COOL, DAWN CHARGER, GOLDANA, PARIS PEACOCK, RIVER OF STARS, ROMAN MIST, SYDNEYARMS CHELSEA and TIGER BELLE.
As well as Group 1 winner TEONA, multiple top class mares will be offered carrying their first foals including Group 3 winner NAZANIN and Listed winners GEOCENTRIC and PRIMO BACIO, all in foal to Champion sire FRANKEL, and Group winners EVE LODGE, SILENCE PLEASE and TWILIGHT SPINNER in foal to JUSTIFY, KINGMAN and MEHMAS respectively.
Alongside fillies who have excelled on the racecourse, the Sceptre Sessions feature fillies and mares from the best families in the European stud book including CRUELLA DE VILL, a DUBAWI half-sister to exceptional broodmare LILLIE LANGTRY, and the five length Listed winner FINAL GESTURE, a DUBAWI daughter of Oaks runner up SECRET GESTURE and granddaughter of blue hen SHASTYE. ASTROLOGIA, a GALILEO daughter of SO MI DAR and granddaughter of great racemare and producer DAR RE MI, and GALILEO GAL, a GALILEO half-sister to the three Classic/Group 1 winners ALPHA CENTAURI, ALPINE STAR and DISCOVERIES, are among their broodmare counterparts and will be offered in foal to WOOTTON BASSETT and NEW BAY respectively.
The Sceptre Sessions will also showcase outstanding broodmares led by the dams of six Group/Grade 1 winners including Sceptre star VIA SISTINA’s dam NIGH and TUTTI FRUTTI, dam of fellow 2023 Grade 1 winner ANISETTE who is currently the highest rated three-year-old turf filly in the US. CALLISTO STAR, the dam of Grade 1 American Oaks winner RHEA MOON, and MUHAWALAH, the dam of Group 1 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes winner ESHAADA, are amongst other exceptional female producers and they will be joined by ALINA, dam of four-time Group 1 winner BARNEY ROY. Young broodmares VIDA AMOROSA, the dam of Group 2 winning young sire PERSIAN FORCE, and RIOTICISM, the dam of Group 2 winner LADIES CHURCH, are also among the highlights and the covering sires reflect the Sceptre Sessions’ outstanding quality with mares in foal to elite stallions including FRANKEL, JUSTIFY, KINGMAN, LOPE DE VEGA, NO NAY NEVER, NIGHT OF THUNDER, SEA THE STARS, and WOOTTON BASSETT.
The Godolphin consignment is a perennial highlight of the December Mares Sale and for good reason, with domestic and international stars such as four-time Group 1 winner HIGHFIELD PRINCESS and top Australian three-year-old MILITARIZE among the progeny of dams sourced from previous Godolphin drafts, sold for 18,000 guineas and 150,000 guineas respectively. This year’s draft numbers 46 fillies and mares with eye-catchers including Group 1 winner WHITE MOONSTONE and Group performer HANKY PANKY, a GALILEO daughter of the exceptional broodmare MARIAH’S STORM in foal to dual French Classic winner PERSIAN KING. The Listed winning DUBAWI mare PABOUCHE and BEAUTIFUL TIMING, a DUBAWI half-sister to Group 1 winner CURSORY GLANCE, are both offered in foal to five-time Group 1 winner PALACE PIER, and the team also includes several beautifully bred fillies out of Group 1 winners such as YOUNGEST, a daughter of DUBAWI and Grade 1 winner SHEIKHA REIKA, SAAMYAA, a SEA THE STARS filly out of Group 1 winner NEZWAAH and JOYFUL ACT, a daughter of FRANKEL and dual Classic winner BLUE BUNTING, as well as half-sisters to Group 1 winners DREAM CASTLE and LORD NORTH.
The draft from Juddmonte Farms is always equally sought after and has produced 2023 Group winners in a remarkable eight countries for the progeny of mares sold at previous December Mares Sales. Amongst this year’s regally bred team of 29 fillies and broodmares are RADIATOR, a Listed placed DUBAWI daughter of Grade 1 winner HEAT HAZE and a half-sister to Group 1 winner MIRAGE DANCER, and her close relation VERY GOOD NEWS, the dam of Group 1 placed WEEKENDER and a daughter of outstanding broodmare HASILI, who will be offered in foal to NATHANIEL and NEW BAY respectively. Sisters to star Juddmonte performers including CALYX, NEW BAY and WORKFORCE are amongst the other highlights, alongside the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes winner RIPOSTE, a half-sister to Group 1 winner POWERSCOURT and to KIND, dam of the peerless FRANKEL, who will be offered in foal to CHURCHILL. Highlights among young mares include FRAXINELLA, a daughter of FRANKEL and Group 2 winner LUCKY KRISTALE who will be offered in foal to KINGMAN, alongside the customary selection of well related fillies from exceptional Juddmonte families.
Shadwell Estates will offer a select team of eight including TAQAAREED, the own-sister to Champion filly TAGHROODA, offered in foal to PINATUBO, and beautifully bred fillies by leading sires DUBAWI, KINGMAN, INVINCIBLE SPIRIT and SEA THE STARS. Several of Britain’s leading studs will offer significant consignments with 30 to come from Cheveley Park Stud including Group winning broodmares from some of their most illustrious families in PILASTER and MARENKO, the Listed winners DANCE DIVA, ON HER TOES, ZUHOOR BAYNOONA and QUEEN OF ICE, and the beautifully bred filly PERSIST, a daughter of FRANKEL and Group 1 winner PERSUASIVE. Newsells Park Stud will consign 19 lots including a high class trio of broodmares in foal to their proven Classic sire NATHANIEL, led by the regally bred Group producer LOVEISALLYOUNEED, a sister to Irish 1000 Guineas winner YESTERDAY, the Group 2 placed NANCY O, dam of NATHANIEL’s Group winning son ZECHARIAH, and the Listed winner IROMEA.
At the head of the December Mares Sale consignors table since 2015, The Castlebridge Consignment comprises 105 lots with 12 lots catalogued in the Sceptre Sessions and further highlights of their draft including broodmares PODIUM, a GALILEO own-sister to Irish 1000 Guineas winner PEACEFUL offered in foal to WOOTTON BASSETT, BUGLE, the dam of Listed winner PEKING OPERA and a half-sister to Champion two-year-old AIR FORCE BLUE offered in foal to CHURCHILL, and CALIFORNIA, a Group 3 winner and black type producer who will be offered in foal to NEW BAY.
The second largest consignment will be from Barton Sales with 65 lots including HIDDEN GEM, a SHAMARDAL half-sister to dual Group 1 winner EMILY UPJOHN offered in foal to STATE OF REST, and the Group 2 German 1000 Guineas winner UNFORGETABLE FILLY and DUBAWI mare MALAKOOT, a half-sister to Group 1 Prix Vermeille winner and Sceptre star TEONA, both offered in foal to Champion BAAEED. The outstanding six-time Group 1 winner has eleven mares catalogued in foal including KAMAKURA and PATRONISING in the Sceptre Sessions, as well as the European Sales Management consigned Group 3 winner NEMORALIA, Fittocks Stud’s Group 1 producer BAISSE and a beautifully bred duo of mares consigned by New England Stud in ASANTA SANA and POPULIST.
Commenting on the catalogue for the 2023 Tattersalls December Mares Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said;
“The Sceptre Sessions at the Tattersalls December Sale were introduced last year to widespread international acclaim and made an immediate impact. This year’s Sceptre Sessions look set to follow suit with an outstanding array of Classic and Group 1 winning fillies and producers amongst some of the finest fillies and mares to be offered for sale anywhere in the world. In addition to the extraordinary quality showcased in the Sceptre Sessions the Tattersalls December Mares Sale features consignments of real quality from so many of Europe’s leading owner/breeders including the much sought after drafts from Godolphin, Juddmonte Farms and Shadwell Estates all of which combine to enhance the reputation of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale as the most influential breeding stock sale in Europe.”
