Tattersalls three top a million

The second day of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale continued at the same frenetic pace as the opening day, with three lots selling for 1 million guineas or more.

The trio were by Dubawi, Galileo and Frankel, arguably the three most in demand stallions in the world at the moment.

Trade on the second day saw a total of 164 lots sell for 26,342,000 guineas at an average of 201,084 guineas and a median of 120,000 guineas.

The top lot on the second day was another son of Dubawi with John Ferguson signing for the Watership Down Stud offering at 2,100,000 guineas.

The son of the Beat Hollow mare Nature Spirits was bred by the Niarchos family and hails from one of their best families that includes Group 1 winners Hernando and Johann Quatz. Ferguson secured the colt after a head-to-head battle with Roger Varian who trains Dubawi’s best son Postponed and was also underbidder on last night’s session-topping Dubawi.

“A number of mares board at Watership Down for the family,” reported stud manager Simon Marsh, “and this horse was born and raised at our farm in Ireland, Kiltinan Castle Stud.

“He has been a delight all the way through and never a day’s problem from a foal through to a yearling. There, of course, was some debate as to whether to keep him and race him, but I think this result has vindicated the decision to sell.”

Few broodmares have been as rewarding to a stud farm as the Danehill mare Shastye has to her owners Newsells Park Stud. The Listed-placed daughter of the Champion Italian mare Saganeca is the dam of the Group 2 Middleton Stakes winner and Oaks runner-up Secret Gesture as well as to progressive Group 3 winner Sir Isaac Newton who sold at this sale back in 2013 for 3,600,000 guineas.

So it was no surprise to …

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