A review of Wednesday's action from Book One of the October Yearling Sales at Tattersalls.
Another busy day at Tattersalls
Galileo fillies have topped the last two installments of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and that trend looks set to continue after the Galileo sister to Was topped proceeding's on the second day at 1,500,000 guineas.
Tuesday's opening session was the highest grossing session at Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale since its inception in 2003, but that record was only to last 24 hours.
A total of 140 lots sold for a record 25,022,000 guineas, at an average of 178,729 guineas and a median of 112,500 guineas which represented rises of 58%, 39% and 13% respectively when compared with the second session last year.
The top priced lot on the second day of Book 1 was the Galileo sister to the Group 1 Oaks sister WAS, who topped this sale in 2010 at 1,200,000 guineas.
Consigned from Seamus Burns' Lodge Park Stud, the daughter of the Green Desert mare Alluring Park is also closely related to the successful first season sire New Approach.
Those looking to secure the filly included James Delahooke and underbidder John Magnier, but it was Mandore International's Nicholas de Wantrigant who finally proved successful with a bid of 1,500,000 guineas.
"She is one that you would like on your farm," said de Watrigant.
"She is a lovely filly with a Classic pedigree, and she moves very well. She will be trained in France."
The Galileo filly catalogued as lot 249 was always going to be one of the star attractions as a full-sister to Grade 1 winner Together and a three-parts-sister to Group 1 winning juvenile Jan Vermeer.
Offered from Timmy Hyde's Camas Park Stud, the daughter of the Pennekamp mare Shadow Song caught the attention of Badgers Bloodstock's Grant Pritchard-Gordon and US agent David Ingordo as the price moved from six to seven figures for the first time this week.
With John Magnier joining the fray, and the price rising to 1,300,000 guineas, Ingordo called time and the filly was knocked down to the Coolmore supremo.
"She is a lovely filly," said O'Byrne.
"She is from a family that we know well and is quite a similar sort to Together. I had seen her at Camas Park ahead of the sale, but I thought she was the best filly here."
Shadow Song was bought by John O'Byrne for 74,000 guineas at the 2005 Tattersalls July Sale and has proven to be a great investment with her three yearlings offered grossing almost two million guineas in the last four years.
A few lots earlier, lot 242, the Galileo sister to the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Roderic O'Connor entered a packed sales ring. Californian owner Jon Kelly opened the bidding at a cool 500,000 guineas, and then went head-to-head with fellow American Marc Keller as the price rose to 800,000 guineas.
However, the pair were usurped by Cheveley Park Stud's Chris Richardson and Blandford Bloodstock's Tom Goff with the latter successful at 925,000 guineas.
"She is for a long-standing client of Blandford, and was an absolute outstanding physical," said Goff.
"She was very mature for a relatively late foal and a fantastic walker.
"I didn't see her until yesterday, but fell in love with her straight away. When she came up to the pre-Parade Ring she really showed herself off, I could watch her all day!"
Late in the evening John Magnier bought the highest-priced colt for the day when he signed for lot 375, the Galileo colt out of the multiple Group 1 winning Gold Away mare Alexander Goldrun.
Despite plenty of opposition from Anani Antoniadis, bidding on behalf of an unnamed Russian client, the colt was knocked down to Magnier for 950,000 guineas.
Waratah Thoroughbreds' Paul Fudge also made an impact on the second day, signing for the Montju colt out of Wanna at 725,000 guineas and also for a Galileo filly out of the Lear Fan mare Witch Of Fife at 900,000 guineas.
In total, Fudge, bidding through agent Michael Goodbody, has signed for six lots for 2,415,000 guineas so far.
The final day of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale starts at 11am on Thursday.
