Tattersalls session sees more gains

England’s Tattersalls December breeding stock sale, which sold four horses for more than 1 million guineas at its second session Tuesday, came down to earth Wednesday for its next-to-last session. But figures continued to run ahead of last year’s returns.

The third of four sessions sold 172 horses for the equivalent of $12,149,865, a 33-percent gain over last year’s third-session gross for 174 horses, when compared year-to-year in the local auction currency of guineas. The $70,639 average price also was up 35 percent, and the median advanced by 50 percent to $39,312. Buy-backs were at 26 percent, level with last season.

Agent Charlie Gordon-Watson walked away with Wednesday’s $982,800 session-topper, the 4-year-old filly Jacqueline Quest. A Rock of Gibraltar filly, she was disqualified from first to second in last year’s 1000 Guineas at Newmarket. Jacqueline Quest is the first winner for her dam, the Croco Rouge mare Coquette Rouge. Gordon-Watson said he bought her for “a private client,” and she will be bred to Galileo at Coolmore Ireland.

The December breeding stock sale was to conclude Thursday in Newmarket, England, with a final filly and mare session.