Tattersalls sale's Book 2 opens with strong gains

Led by demand for yearlings by the British sire Acclamation, the Tattersalls October yearling sale's Book 2 section started Tuesday in Newmarket, England, with gains across the board.

The first of three Book 2 sessions ended with 210 yearlings sold for about $12,449,304, an average price of about $59,282, and a median of about $44,268. Compared year-to-year in guineas, the local auction currency, those figures all rose sharply. The gross was up 39 percent, the average price by 27 percent, and the median by 24 percent.

The buy-back rate also fell dramatically, from 30 percent last year to 15 percent.

Acclamation, who stands at Rathbarry Stud in Ireland, sired three of Tuesday's five most expensive yearlings, including the session-topping colt out of Intrepid Queen, by Theatrical. The bay went for 180,000 guineas, or about $257,040. Sheikh Hamdan al-Maktoum's Shadwell Estate Co. bought him from The Castlebridge Consignment, agent. The colt is from Eurosilver's family.

Acclamation also sired the day's second-most expensive horse, a $235,620 colt out of the Anabaa mare Grand Slam Maria that Peter and Ross Doyle bought from Rathbarry Stud, as well as the third-most expensive lot, a $228,480 son of the Seeking the Gold mare Gold Hush that Charlie Gordon-Watson, agent, bought from Keith Harte.

Rounding out the top prices was an Iffraaj colt out of Khibraat, by Alhaarth; he also fetched $228,480 when Shadwell purchased him from Kildaragh Stud.