A £50,000 daughter of leading sire Showcasing was among the highlights of a record renewal of the Tattersalls Ascot Yearling Sale on Tuesday.
The sale-topper set a new high for the auction, which has swiftly gained a reputation as a productive source of winners during the course of its brief history. Such increasing popularity also undoubtedly played its part in the sale featuring competitive trade for the better lots, which in turn resulted in improved figures across-the-board; total sales reached a record high of £1,356,850 for 127 sold, up 24 per cent from 2018, while the average rose by eight per cent to £10,684 and the median increased by 14 per cent to £8,000. The clearance rate was an improved 79 per cent.
The sale-topping Showcasing filly will race for Middleham Park Racing after the operation’s Tom Palin signed the docket alongside agent Aidan O’Ryan.
The filly was bred and sold by Whitsbury Manor Stud, whose influence runs across her page; a half-sister to the 91-rated Moraawed, she is out of Hot Secret, a daughter of former Whitsbury stallion Sakhee’s Secret who is a half-sister to Mill Reef Stakes winner Temple Meads. Another close relation is Avengers Queen, another Whitsbury-bred who struck at Listed level in Italy earlier in the year.
While the sale-topper was a homebred, the second dearest lot of the day, a first-crop daughter of Mehmas, provided a memorable moment for connections as a particularly successful pinhook. Vikki Hancock paid just €8,000 for the filly in a private transaction at last year’s Goffs November Sale and was well rewarded on Tuesday as she went on to make £45,000 out of the Clonmult Farm draft to Henry Candy.
The sale marked a return to familiar territory for the trainer who saddled the filly’s half-brother, Treaty Of Paris, to win the 2013 Acomb Stakes at York. The pair are out of Symbol Of Peace, a three-time winning daughter of Desert Sun.
The Showcasing filly who topped the Tattersalls Ascot Yearling Sale on Tuesday – Photo: Tattersalls/Debbie Burt
On a day when fillies dominated the higher echelons of trade, Peter and Ross Doyle went to £40,000 for a Starspangledbanner filly out of the winning Halling mare Callendula from Jamie Railton. The filly was the most expensive of four purchases worth £133,000 made by the day’s leading buyers Peter and Ross Doyle. Others included the most expensive colt, a son of Footstepsinthesand from the family of Oaks heroine Diminuendo who made £37,000 out of the Hegarty Bloodstock consignment.
Matthew Prior, head of Ascot Sales, was satisfied with the day’s proceedings, saying:
“We were cautiously optimistic coming into today’s sale having produced an improved catalogue, and an increased buying bench has led to strong demand for those popular lots.
“As ever we must thank both vendors and purchasers alike for their growing support of this upwardly mobile Sale, which has firmly established its position in the calendar.
“The Ascot Yearling Sale has enjoyed a hugely successful year on the track, with two-year-old graduates such as Weatherbys Super Sprint winner Betty Hope and the four black-type winners flying the flag for the quality that can be found at the Tattersalls Ascot Sales.
“Our thanks must also go to GBRI who have once again assisted coordinating the travel arrangements for our international visitors, as well as the entire Tattersalls Ascot team who have worked tirelessly in promoting the Sale.
“We now look ahead to the 2020 Tattersalls Ascot Breeze Up Sale, which will once again feature the popular £100,000 Ascot Breeze Up Bonus Scheme.”
