Tattersalls: Immortal Verse brings record price

Immortal Verse sold to BBA Ireland for 4.7 million guineas, or about $8,093,400 in U.S. funds at current conversion rates, to establish a new European record for a broodmare Tuesday at the Tattersalls December breeding stock sale.

Consigned by Mount Coote Stud, Immortal Verse sold carrying her first foal, by Dansili. The 5-year-old Pivotal mare eclipsed the price of Magical Romance, who sold for 4.6 million guineas at the 2006 Tattersalls November sale.

Immortal Verse was a dual Group 1 winner as a 3-year-old, claiming the Coronation Stakes in England and the Jacques Le Marois in France. She also won the Group 2 Prix Sandringham and finished third in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, retiring with earnings of $1,053,873.

Immortal Verse is out of the stakes-winning Sadler’s Wells mare Side of Paradise, a full sister to stakes winner Flowerdrum. Side of Paradise is also a half-sister to Breeders’ Cup Mile winner and champion Last Tycoon, Group 3 winner Astronef, Group 3 winner and stakes producer The Perfect Life, stakes-placed Save Me the Waltz, dam of Grade 1 winner and stakes producer Sense of Style, and additional stakes producers Zelda, Moon Flower, and Tender Is Thenight.

Immortal Verse became the highest-priced mare through the first two days of Tattersalls December, surpassing the 4 million guineas fetched by dual Oaks winner Dancing Rain during Monday’s opening session. The Danehill Dancer mare, who sold carrying a foal from the first crop of unbeaten Frankel, was purchased by John Ferguson, agent for Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum.

Dancing Rain captured both the Epsom Oaks and German Oaks in 2011.