Tattersalls February mixed sale posts gains across the board

The Tattersalls February mixed sale on Thursday reported gains in total sales, average, and median and a lower buyback rate compared with 2012, led by a six-figure broodmare and half-sister to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Wrote who is in foal to Breeders’ Cup Turf winner High Chaparral.

At its one-day sale, Tattersalls reported 190 horses were sold for a total of 1,747,600 guineas, or approximately $2,883,246. That represented a six percent increase compared with 2012, when 179 hips sold for about $2,707,564. The average price of $15,175 rose less than one percent compared with last year, but the median price of $8,249 jumped a robust 43 percent. The buyback rate of 22 percent marked the second-lowest since the February sale began in 2000.

“The February sale may be a relatively new addition to the Tattersalls sales calendar, but it has always attracted plenty of buyers, and this year’s renewal has been no exception,” Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said. “The common theme running through all Tattersalls sales is the enduring demand for quality, and this has been very evident today, but it is equally crucial at mixed sales to attract buyers at all levels of the market, and the Tattersalls February sale consistently succeeds in doing so.”

Diara Angel, a 6-year-old Hawk Wing mare, brought the sale’s top price of 100,000 guineas, or about $164,981, when she sold to Oak Grove Stud’s Tim Lane. Consigned by Voute Sales, agent, on behalf of Sean Conway, Diara Angel won twice in Germany during her racing career. She is out of the Green Desert mare Desert Classic, who produced four winning foals from four starters, including the High Chaparral colt Wrote, who won the 2011 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Diara Angel is in foal to High Chaparral.

“She was on the list and we liked her when we saw her—she is a neat mare,” Lane said of Diara Angel. “We have no covering plans for this mare; we’ll see what she gets and take it from there.”

To access full results from the February sale, click here.