Montjeu colts top Tattersalls sale

Benny Andersson, best known as a member of the Swedish pop band ABBA, added a little star power to the buyers' list Thursday at the Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling sale in Newmarket, England. Bidding through Peter Doyle Bloodstock, Anderson paid the sale-topping price of 650,000 guineas, or about $1,180,725, for a Montjeu colt. On Wednesday, Coolmore Stud also paid 650,000 guineas for a Montjeu-Vanishing Prairie colt.

The three-day sale, shortened from four days last year, ended with a 23 percent decline in aggregate. The auction sold 410 horses this year, as opposed to 510 last season, for about $90,499,846. That produced an average price of approximately $220,731, down 5 percent from last year's four-day average, and median hit a record 85,000 guineas, about $154,402.

The results came as a relief to Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony.

"To say that Book 1 . . . has exceeded our expectations would be something of an understatement," he said.

The session-topping gray colt is out of one-time Irish juvenile filly champion Danaskaya, by Danehill. Ballylinch Stud, which also bred Danaskaya, consigned the colt.

The Book 2 portion of the October sale will take place in Newmarket from Oct. 13-15.