Tattersalls sale: Galileo colt sells for about $840,000

Prices picked up Friday at the Tattersalls December foal sale in Newmarket, England, where the penultimate session had increases in total sales, average, and median.

The third of four sessions sold 182 weanlings for $22,145,424, posting an average price of $121,678 and an $83,160 median. Compared year-to-year in the local auction currency, guineas, total sales were up 9 percent from last year’s equivalent session, when 176 foals sold. Average price gained 6 percent, and the median rose 4 percent. Buybacks were 17 percent, down from 19 percent in 2011.

An $840,000 Galileo colt bought by Fahad al-Thani’s Pearl Bloodstock was the sale’s most expensive foal after Friday’s session. The colt, whose hammer price was 500,000 guineas, is a full brother to 2010 Epsom Derby runner-up At First Sight. The Castlebridge Consignment consigned the bay colt, foaled March 31.

Al-Thani, a member of Qatar’s royal family, was a prominent upper-level buyer at the Tattersalls October yearling sale, where he paid about $4 million for Hydrogen, a three-quarters-brother to 2007 Epsom Derby winner Authorized. David Redvers, the racing and bloodstock manager of al-Thani’s Pearl Bloodstock, has represented al-Thani at auction, but Tattersalls reported Friday that the sheikh did his own bidding for Friday’s Galileo colt. The colt eventually will join al-Thani’s racing string.

Agent David Ingordo, buying for Paul Fudge’s Australian operation Waratah Thoroughbreds, picked up the sale’s leading filly Friday when paying 450,000 guineas, or about $756,000, for a daughter of Oasis Dream.

“Fillies like her don’t come on the market very often,” Ingordo said after signing the ticket. “She is a gorgeous filly, exactly what you want for a long-term broodmare prospect.”

The March 13 filly is out of multiple German Group 1 winner Albanova, by Alzao, and is a half-sister to stakes-placed winner Albamara and also to the recent juvenile winner Alwilda. St. Simon Stud sold the bay filly after bidding that Tattersalls reported also involved agent John McCormack, Juddmonte Farms’ Phillip Mitchell, and Robert Ogden’s farm manager Gary Norton.

Waratah also went to $252,000 for a Dubawi filly out of the listed winner Lady Eclair. The Danehill Dancer mare is a full sister to listed winner Savethisdanceforme and a half-sister to Group 2 winner Crimson Quest and to Bathilde, the dam of Group 1 winner Al Shemali. Goldford Stud sold the Jan. 28 filly on behalf of Netherfield House Stud. Ingordo and Waratah also paid $268,800 for a Feb. 26 Royal Applause-Like a Dame filly who is a half-sister to Ladys First, a group-placed stakes winner.

The December foal sale concludes Saturday. The final session will stream live at www.tattersalls.com