Shadwell buys session-topper

LEXINGTON, Ky. Sheikh Hamdan al-Maktoums Shadwell Farm picked up the session-topper Saturday at Deauvilles August yearling sale, paying about $837,900 for a Muhtathir filly.

The filly sold for 570,000 euros from the Haras du Mezeray consignment at a session that enjoyed a substantial gain in median price and saw a slight decline in average. The Saturday session, second of four days selling at Deauville in France, sold 70 of 92 yearlings offered for a total of about $12,730,200, down 3 percent from last years aggregate for 72 yearlings. Average price dropped by half a percent to about $181,860, but median increased by 11 percent to about $147,000. The buyback rate held level with last season at 24 percent.

The session-topper is a bay daughter of Princess dOrange, a stakes-placed Anabaa mare. She is the dam of the winning Barathea colt Taliesyn.

The sale was to continue in Deauville through Monday.