Tattersalls sale sees gains

The Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling sale outpaced its opening session when the second day of selling on Wednesday rang up gains in gross and median.

The second session sold 146 yearlings, up from last years 132, and saw a 10-percent increase in gross, to about $31,657,962. Median climbed 23 percent to approximately $156,219. Average price remained almost on par with last year, drifting slightly down from 119,705 guineas to the 2008 figure of 119,370, or about $216,835.

The sessions highest price was the $1,180,725 (650,000 guineas) that Coolmore boss John Magnier paid for a son of Coolmore sire Montjeu. The bay colt is out of the Alysheba mare Vanishing Prairie, making him a three-quarter-brother to Group 1 winner Vespone, Group 3 winner La Sylphide, Melbourne Cup second Purple Moon, and stakes-placed Verdi. Caroline Greens Templeton Stud was the consignor on behalf of Marcel and Sybil Egloffs Swiss operation Gestut Sohrenhof.

Magnier later was underbidder on the most expensive yearling that his rival Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum bought at this sale, a Pivotal filly out of Zibilene, by Rainbow Quest. Maktoums representative John Ferguson about $908,250 (500,000 guineas) for the filly, who hailed from Barbara Facchinos Barouch Stud consignment. The bay filly is from the family of Barathea.