Tattersalls December Sales

[avongirl]

I'm an occasional visitor to ATR forum, rarely looking at the day to day race threads, but I dip into the general interest threads. Recently there have been a few threads touching on the breeding side of the racing industry and I get the impression that most here (with a few notable exceptions) don't have much experience or knowledge of this. So I thought you might be interested to know a little bit about the upcoming breeding sale at Tattersalls Newmarket, which runs for 2 weeks. Well worth a day trip there if you get chance. Tattersalls is in the centre of Newmarket town, head towards Bury St Edmonds from the racecourses. Sales normally start at 9.30 and continue on until the day's scheduled lots are sold, often well into the evening. First week is for Yearlings (Nov 23rd) and Foals (4 days, Nov 25th-28th). Second week for Mares and Fillies, and also usually includes a few Stallion prospects (4 days Nov 30th - Dec 3rd). The Mares sale will have in-foal mares (where you are buying both the mare and due foal) and barren/maiden mares. The best news is, it's free to go! And if you go you can pick up a catalogue with all the pedigree information on every lot (and a free pen if you ask ;)) The catalogues are also free to download now from the Tattersalls site, but you do have to pay if you want them to post an actual catalogue out to you. http://www.tattersalls.com/ You can go round and see the horses while they are stabled before sale (usually from the day before), then they parade round outside the sales ring for about 20 mins before going in for sale. Plenty of seating inside to watch them from, although it's full if there's a real star going through. For once, it's girl power that rules here with the top mares commanding million guineas prices, especially if both John Magnier and Sheikh Mohammed want her. Not that you'll see either of them bidding themselves, although Magnier is usually there. But there are plenty of high profile racing faces you'd recognise, trainers and owners, and occasionally footballers and snooker players. :lol If you like collecting leaflets, there's loads of stallion promotional leaflets and books all to pick up for free (Coolmore, Darley and Shadwell all compete to have the biggest book!) And throughout the second week you can get a lift out to Darley and Cheveley Park Studs to see their stallions (Darley do particularly good free food!) and if you ask around probably also Shadwell (Hamdan) and Juddmont (Abdullah). Me and runadrum often go down to Newmarket for the 2 weeks (generally rent a cottage near Bury for the fortnight) but this year we're just there for the Mares week. A little taster of what's on sale this year from the Tatts site. :ok

A trio of Group 1 winning fillies are amongst the stars to feature in the 2009 Tattersalls December Mares catalogue which is out now and can also be viewed online here. The Tattersalls December Mares Sale takes place from Monday 30th November – Thursday 3rd December and the Group 1 winning trio comprises the Mick Channon trained three year old LAHALEEB, recent winner of the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine in Canada, the four year old EVA’S REQUEST, also trained by Channon, who won the Group 1 Premio Lydia Tesio in Rome a week ago and the 2008 triple Group 1 heroine LUSH LASHES trained in Ireland by Jim Bolger. The recent Group 1 wins of the Mick Channon trained duo LAHALEEB and EVA’S REQUEST confirmed them as amongst the leaders of their generation in Europe while LUSH LASHES’ hat trick of 2008 Group 1 wins over 8, 10 and 12 furlongs established her not only as Ireland’s Champion 3 year old filly but also as one of the most versatile and talented fillies of recent years. Currently rated 121 by ‘Timeform’, LAHALEEB is the third highest rated three year old filly in Britain behind Classic winners GHANAATI and SARISKA, while the tough and versatile EVA’S REQUEST has won Group races over 7, 8, 9 and 10 furlongs in four different countries. In total the December Mares catalogue numbers 981 lots and features broodmares in foal to all of the current top 20 active sires in Britain and Ireland including CAPE CROSS, DALAKHANI, DANEHILL DANCER, DANSILI, HIGH CHAPARRAL, MONTJEU, OASIS DREAM and PIVOTAL as well as the only mare in foal to Champion sire GALILEO to be offered in Europe this year. Sires who covered their first mares in 2009 are also well represented with mares in foal to Classic and Group 1 winners DUKE OF MARMALADE, HENRYTHENAVIGATOR, NEW APPROACH, RAMONTI, SAKHEE’S SECRET, SIXTIES ICON and TAMAYUZ as well as MOUNT NELSON whose dam INDEPENDENCE is catalogued in foal to last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic winner RAVEN’S PASS.

[BillyHills]

Re: Tattersalls December Sales Thanks very much Helen, you and Duncan will have to pop in a bit more often and teach us a thing or two. I'm pretty clueless on breeding, although had a great day at the National Stud last year, had the tour and everything, really interesting stuff. Have you got any horses at the minute? Or are you looking out for one or two? Thanks