Sheikh still buying at Tattersalls

Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum continued his aggressive pursuit of yearlings at Englands Tattersalls October yearling sale on Thursday, picking up the third days session topper for 550,000 guineas, about $1,085,700.

The session-topping colt was a son of two-time English champion Oasis Dream out of the French stakes winner Side of Paradise, by Sadlers Wells. Maktoums agent, John Ferguson, signed the ticket for the colt. Irelands Kilfrush Stud sold the Thursday session topper.

Overall, the third of four sessions at Part 1 of the October yearling auction in Newmarket sold 112 lots for approximately $24,295,992, yielding an average price of about $216,929. In the local currency of guineas, this years session gross was off by 23 percent, while the average price fell 12 percent. But the median of about $152,985 was up 3 percent.

Ferguson bought six yearlings for Maktoum at the Thursday session, spending about $3,237,360.