Tattersalls sale ends in decline

The Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling sale ended its three-day run Thursday with across-the-board declines, despite a $2 million sale-topper.

The 2010 Book 1 auction sold 449 yearlings for about $80,035,137, for an average price of about $178,252 and a median of approximately $116,130. Compared year-to-year in the auction currency of guineas, the gross was down 10 percent. The average and median pricesfell by 5 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Buy-backs were 25 percent.

The 2010 sale also had 19 post-auction private sales totaling more than 1.1 million guineas, or about $1,897,979. Last year, the private sales totaled 1.6 million guineas for 30 horses.

The highest-priced horse on day three was an Oasis Dream daughter out of Tariysha, a Daylami mare who already has produced a Group 1 winner in Arcano, the filly’s full brother. Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum’s Shadwell operation, which also campaigned Arcano, paid 700,000 guineas, or about $1.2 million, for her. Corduff Stud consigned the bay filly.

There were two other yearlings who sold Thursday for more than 500,000 guineas, the equivalent of $829,000 at that afternoon’s exchange rate. A Galileo daughter of multiple Grade 1 winner and $2 million earner Riskaverse brought about $995,000, from Hugo Merry Bloodstock. Merry was bidding on behalf of Dr. Jim Hay and said the filly will go into training with Paul Cole. Ted Voute consigned the filly. A colt by Montjeu brought $871,000. A son of Tarfah, he went to Coolmore agent Demi O’Byrne from Highclere Stud.

The auction’s most expensive yearling was a $2 million Galileo daughter out of Alluring Park, by Green Desert. Coolmore, which stands the sire, purchased the filly, the first yearling to bring six figures at a European or British yearling sale since 2007. The filly is a three-quarter-sister to New Approach. Lodge Park Stud was the consignor.