With updates aplenty in the Book 1 catalogue, it was no surprise that Coolmore’s MV Magnier went to a session-topping 3,400,000 million guineas to secure the brother to Group 2 Beresford Stakes scorer Japan on day one at Tattersalls’ October Yearling Sale.

That figure saw the son of Galileo become the most expensive yearling to be sold anywhere in the world in 2018 – though of course that price-tag could be eclipsed in the coming days – and capped a big day of spending for the Coolmore operation.

Offered by his breeder Newsells Park Stud, the colt boasts further illustrious siblings on his page in the shape of stakes performers Secret Gesture and Sir Isaac Newton.

After the purchase, Magnier said: “He looks like a horse that is improving a lot and will have a future ahead of him.

“Shastye has been a great producer and Andreas Jacobs, his breeder, had a very high opinion of this horse.

“We’ve had a look at the family before. It’s the right cross and Galileo is absolutely flying again with some very good two-year-olds.

“He’s an exciting horse and we’re very pleased to have got him.”

Coolmore’s other notable purchases on the opening day were a Kingman colt out of the Dansili mare Shemya for 1,050,000gns, and the No Nay Never sister to Coolmore’s Group 1 Middle Park Stakes scorer Ten Sovereigns, bought from Camas Park Stud for 600,000gns.

Strong start to proceedings

The opening hour and a half of Book 1 witnessed a strong start when two lots broke the one million-guinea barrier not even 50 lots into the 2018 auction.

Glenvale Stud’s Galileo half-sister to Group 1 winner Garswood walked into the ring and turned the heads of a host of international buyers.

An opening bid of 300,000gns started proceedings for the filly before climbing up to the one million- guinea mark, where it was left to Hubie de Burgh and Emmanuel de Seroux of Narvick International to fight it out.

Ultimately it was the latter who had the final say, purchasing the Galileo filly on behalf of an undisclosed client.

The Galileo half-sister to Garswood – Photo: Laura Green/www.tattersalls.com

De Seroux said: “She is gorgeous, by Galileo and a half-sister to a Group 1 winner in the shape of Garswood. She has been bought as a breeding prospect.”

A colt out of a full sister to Juddmonte’s outstanding performer Midday, by perennial champion sire Galileo, made headlines when selling to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for 1.1 million guineas.

Offered by Newsells Park Stud, the colt continued an extraordinary year for John and Tanya Gunther of Glennwood Farm, the breeders of US Triple Crown hero Justify and St James’s Palace Stakes victor Without Parole.

More Book 1 success for Meon Valley

Book 1 has been a fruitful sale for the Hampshire-based Meon Valley Stud in recent years and it was again on Tuesday when their Dubawi colt out of Oaks runner-up Shirocco Star sold for 1.1 million guineas.

It was Stroud Coleman Bloodstock who had the final say to come away with the bay colt on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation.

Mark Weinfeld, who manages and part owns Meon Valley Stud with his sister Helena, said: “He was a smashing colt and we’re absolutely delighted with the result.

“You never know when you come to a sale like this how it’s going to happen.

“Various people had looked at the horse and Sheikh Mohammed came down twice to look at him.

“We hope he goes on and does something good for him and it’d be great if this one could go on and win a Group 1 for Shirocco Star.”

Previous Meon Valley lots to light up the Book 1 ring include the promising Prince Eiji, bought by Roger Varian for 2.6 million guineas in 2017, and Emaraaty, a half-brother to Izzi Top and Jazzi Top, snapped up for the same sum by Shadwell in 2016.

Lightning to strike twice?

Twelve months ago, Tally-Ho Stud came to Park Paddocks with a Kodiac filly that sold for 925,000gns. She developed into future Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Fairyland and on Tuesday, her Muhaarar half-sister realised the same price.

There has been an increasing buzz around the Nunnery Stud resident’s first crop of yearlings and with an update to one of Aidan O’Brien’s exciting fillies on the page, the Tally-Ho homebred had caught the eye of the Shadwell operation, who promptly bought her for 925,000gns.

Angus Gold of Shadwell said: “Obviously we like what we’ve seen of Muhaarar’s yearlings and we’ve got some great ones at home at the stud.

“She’s a half-sister to a gorgeous filly who is probably the nicest yearling I saw last year and is now a Group 1 winner.

“Obviously going forward the family will be bred well and she’s out of a very good mare and is by a horse we love, so it made sense.”

On Muhaarar and the buzz around him as a sire, Gold added: “For us he’s the most exciting horse – as I said to Sheikh Hamdan when he retired to stud, he’s our chance of getting a Green Desert type.

“Nobody knows but he’s as good a chance as we’ll get of coming up with a good stallion.”