Buyers see attraction in Frankel

The three-day Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 concluded with a further four lots breaking the million guineas mark including a joint sale-topping 2.6m guineas sale for a Dubawi colt.

The final session saw a total of 119 lots sold for 30,456,000 guineas at an average of 255,933 guineas and a median of 140,000 guineas, taking the three day total to 386 lots sold for 88,038,000 guineas, a turnover record for any European auction, breaking the record set at this sale last year. The sale average was 228,078 guineas and the sale median 130,000 guineas.

The Dubawi colt out of the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera winner Zee Zee Top became the joint-highest priced yearling in the World this year when knocked down to Shadwell Estates’ Angus Gold for 2,600,000 guineas. The colt hails form one of the great Meon Valley Stud families and is a brother to the dual Group 1 winning Izzi Top whose first foal Dreamfield won so impressively at Nottingham yesterday that he is just 20-1 for next year’s 2,000 Guineas.

“We are obviously delighted,” said Mark Weinfeld of Meon Valley Stud. “The update yesterday did help, but this has been such a great pedigree for the farm.

“You do dream, and we were thinking that he would get a million, and you never know what is going to happen until you are here.

“He has been a smashing colt all the way through – and this family, right back to Reprocolour, all have great temperaments, they are tough too and take their racing.

“It is a great vindication of the stud and we have been having a lucky patch of late, but it is all down to the hard work done at home by the whole team.”

Angus Gold, who secured the filly at the expense of Roger Varian said: “I went to the farm three weeks ago and loved this horse when I saw him there – he has a great outlook. Since being here he has never missed a beat and showed himself really well.

“He has lots of presence, plenty of scope – he won’t be an early sort, but I was impressed with him when he came to the sale ring, he really pulled himself together.

“The family just goes from strength to strength. Sheikh Hamdan was keen to get a good Dubawi and let’s hope this horse can run!”

One of the highlights of the catalogue was the own-sister to the multiple Group 1 winning filly Alice Springs who was consigned by ‘Flash’ Conroy’s Glenvale Stud. Bidding on the chesnut filly by Galileo out of the Danehill Dancer mare Aleagueoftheirown began with a flourish when owner/breeder Paul Makin opened with a bid of 1 million guineas. Alastair Donald was one of those who took the price along after that, as it quickly rose to 1.5 million guineas before Makin again took control of things, raising the stakes to 2 million. MV Magnier was the only bidder willing to raise the stakes, securing the filly for 2.1 million guineas. She was the fourth horse to sell for 2 million guineas or more this week.

Peter Doyle, who has worked alongside Mayfair Speculators’ Markus Jooste and MV Magnier all week, signed for the filly, taking the spending for the trio to 9,010,000 guineas …

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