Tattersalls sale posts decline

The Tattersalls December foal sale in Newmarket, England, ended Saturday afternoon with declines compared to last year's record-setting figures. But the sale still achieved its second-highest gross and average ever and elicited positive comments from the auction house's chairman, Edmond Mahony.

"Last year's December foal sale set new records across the board with an average price up a massive 34 percent and turnover [gross] also in uncharted territory, up 24 percent," Mahony said. "This year's foal sale has all but matched those extraordinary figures with turnover and average second only to 2006."

The five-day foal auction sold 785 weanlings for about $61,743,601, resulting in an average price of about $78,654 and a median of approximately $43,050.

Compared in the local auction currency of guineas, average and median were down from last year by 5 percent and 9 percent, respectively. Gross fell slightly, from 28,861,600 guineas last year, when 746 horses sold, to 28,684,600 guineas.

The sale-topper was a Galileo-Epping colt that brought 470,000 guineas, or about $1,011,675 from Coolmore agent Demi O'Byrne. The colt is a full brother to classic-placed The Last Drop. Hillwood Stud was the seller.

Saturday's final session saw a 240,000 guinea session-topper. That price, the equivalent of about $516,600, was for a filly by Green Desert out of Group 1-placed Hotelgenie Dot Com. Dwayne Woods of Brook Stud purchased the dark bay filly, a three-quarter sister to Group 1 winner Simply Perfect. Derek and Jean Clee sold the filly through the consignment of Catridge Farm Stud.