MAGICAL ROMANCE (Barathea [Ire]), winner of the 2004 Cheveley
Park S. (Eng-G1) and a three-quarter sister to this year’s dual classic winner Alexandrova
(Sadler’s Wells), set a world auction record for a mare or filly when selling for 4.6 million guineas to
agent James Wigan at Tattersalls’
December Sale in Newmarket on Tuesday.
Seamus Burns of Lodge Park Stud and Anthony Stroud both bid on the
four-year-old, in foal to Pivotal, but Wigan’s penultimate opponent was Sheikh
Hamdan’s racing manager Angus Gold. Gold dropped out after 3 million guineas to
be replaced by John Ferguson, representing Sheikh Mohammed.
Wigan revealed that Magical Romance, along with Monday’s 3 million guineas
purchase Spinning Queen (Spinning World), were bought for Lady Rothschild
and will be based at the historic Waddesdon Stud at her family home in
Buckinghamshire.
“She’s going to Waddesdon and we thought we’d come here and try to get the
pick of the sale and these were the two we wanted most,” Wigan explained. “She’s
a half-sister to not just the best filly in Europe, but the best we’ve seen for
a very long time.”
“We’ve got 12 mares at home now and the idea is to race, rather than sell
their progeny.” Lady Rothschild added.
Magical Romance’s price — equating to $9.35 million on Tattersalls’ bid
board — surpassed the previous record of $9 million for multiple champion Ashado at
the 2005 Keeneland November sale. Magical Romance was consigned by owner Con
Wilson from Stephen and Louise Kemble’s Elms Stud.
“Not in my wildest dreams did I think she would make that,” Wilson said, who
bought Magical Romance for 125,000 guineas as a yearling. “We kept getting good
offers, and I thought it was time to sell her. We hoped she would fetch a good
price, and I bought three yearlings this autumn on the strength of that.”
A dispersal from Roger Baines’ Britton House Stud brought a total of
4,610,000 guineas, included two seven-figure sellers, on Tuesday.
John Ferguson, buying for Sheikh Mohammed, spent 1.6 million guineas on the
13-year-old MACKIE (Summer Squall), the highest-priced offering from Britton
House. Acquired by that stud for $5 million at the 2000 Keeneland January Sale
in foal to Mr. Prospector, the daughter of top broodmare Glowing Tribute (Graustark) became
the dam of four stakes performers, including Arlington Classic (G2) winner Mr.
Mellon (Red Ransom). Lincoln Collins of Kern Lillingston was underbidder.
Following Mackie through the ring was her four-year-old Sadler’s Wells
daughter MONTFLEUR in foal to Tiger Hill. The bay was purchased by German
International Bloodstock for 250,000 guineas. The other Britton House offering
to attain seven figures was the four-year-old Carisolo (GB) (Dubai Millennium), a winner at Hollywood Park last year for Neil Drysdale.
Out of the top broodmare Solo de Lune (Law Society), she sold for 1 million to agent Richard Frisby as a broodmare
prospect.
“She’s been bought for an international breeder and it’s a lovely page; we’ve
seen what the rest of the family have made and there aren’t many Dubai
Millenniums around,” Frisby said.
Frisby was referring to the spectacular autumn sale season enjoyed by Solo de
Lune’s offspring. Her Dalakhani yearling filly set a Tattersalls December record
when going for 700,000 guineas to Demi O’Byrne last week, and her Sadler’s Wells
weanling colt was purchased by Tim Hyde for 370,000 guineas in this ring five
days ago. In addition to Carisolo, Solo de Lune’s two-year-old Danehill filly
Danoise, in training but unraced to date, sold Tuesday. The bay was acquired
by Kia Ora Stud for 240,000 guineas.
John Warren, acting for Klaus Jacobs’ Hertfordshire-based Newsells Park Stud,
was the first to spend seven figures on Tuesday when signing a 1.1 million guineas
ticket for HELENA MOLONY (Sadler’s Wells). The
four-year-old, a full sister to champion High Chaparral (Ire), was stakes-placed
for trainer John Oxx for owner/breeders Sean and Anne Coughlan.
“She was a beautiful specimen with an outstanding pedigree,” Warren
said.
“We’ve got 90 mares and we’re culling and buying at the moment. It’s a
commitment to the British racing and breeding industry, and we want to invest in
world-class families,” Jacobs said.
Helena Molony’s dam Kasora (Darshaan) was acquired from her breeder the Aga Khan for
270,000 guineas as a three-year-old at the 1996 Tattersalls December Sale. The
Coughlans alternated between selling and racing Kasora’s foals; High Chaparral
sold for 270,000 guineas as a yearling in 2000.
In 2002, the four-year-old Exciting Times (Jeune Homme) sold for 82,000 at the Deauville December Sale. The Grape Tree Road (GB)
filly she was carrying at the time turned out to be none other than Gorella
(Fr), a Group 2 winner in France in 2005 who became one of the finest U.S. turf
fillies this year.
Exciting Times’ second foal was Porto Santo (Fr) (Kingsalsa), a stakes winner and Group 1-placed at two last year. He followed his elder
sister to the United States and has been a capable performer in California for trainer
Julio Canani. With those two as her first two foals, Exciting Times was
successfully covered last spring by Dubawi in his first season at stud. Charlie
Gordon-Watson bought the flashy nine-year-old for 900,000 guineas to join the
Breeding Capital investment scheme. Bert Kerr was the underbidder.
The sale continues Wednesday. Complete results are available on www.tattersalls.com.