Jacqueline Quest tops Wednesday session of Tattersall’s
December Mare Sale
JACQUELINE QUEST (Rock of Gibraltar), who was first past the post in last
year’s Group 1 One Thousand Guineas before being placed second following a
steward’s inquiry, topped the third day of the Tattersalls December Mare Sale at
600,000 guineas.
There were rises across the board with turnover for the day up 33 percent to
7,417,500gns, and the average and median up 35 percent and 50 percent to
43,125gns and 24,000gns, respectively.
What looked to be a fairytale victory in last year’s One Thousand Guineas for
Jacqueline Quest and her owner Noel Martin, who had named her in memory of his
deceased wife, turned into a nightmare when stewards placed her second following
interference to the eventual winner Special Duty (Hennessy). Trained originally
by Sir Henry Cecil before transferring to Ian Williams earlier this year, the
daughter of Coquette Rouge (Croco Rouge) gained subsequent black-type when third
in the Group 1 Coronation at Royal Ascot and finished runner-up in the Group 3
Supreme.
“Obviously Noel is disappointed to see her go, but she has been good to us
and we wish her a great future at stud. We are delighted with that price,”
Williams said.
Agent Jeremy Brummitt was keen to get the filly, who was consigned as Lot No.
2048, but the final stages were fought out between Gordon-Watson, standing with
a team from Coolmore in the sales ring entrance, and Shensuke Yoshida,
representing his father Katsumi’s Northern Farm in Japan.
“She is a classic winner in all but name,” Gordon-Watson said. “She has been
bought for a private client, will go to Ireland and will visit Galileo. I am not
surprised that she made that figure.”
The team from Northern Farm made a major impact at this year’s December Sale,
buying four lots for 2,795,000gns headed by Reve d’Iman (Highest Honor) on
Tuesday at 1.7 million guineas. On Wednesday they secured Group 3 Italian One
Thousand Guineas winner MY SWEET BABY (Minardi) for 390,000gns at the expense of
John Warren, who was stood alongside Newsells Park Stud’s Julian Dollar.
“We are delighted with that,” said Oliver St Lawrence, manager of vendor
Aislabie Stud. “We bought her privately in Italy on Federico Barberini’s advice
and sent her to Dubai, but things did not quite work out there. We decided to
sell her and she has been very profitable for the stud.”
A half-sister to international Group 1 winner Gladiatorus (Silic), My Sweet
Baby’s second dam is champion Al Bahathri (Blushing Groom), the dam of Group 1
Two Thousand Guineas winner Haafhd (Alhaarth), Group 2 victor Munir (Indian
Ridge) and Group 1-placed stakes scorer Hasbah (Kris).
“She is an attractive mare from a good family and also an Italian classic
winner,” Yoshida said of the four-year-old miss, who was consigned as Lot 1848.
“She will come back to Northern Farm and we have many options with stallions,
but she could go to Deep Impact.”
Earlier in the day the Plantation-consigned stakes-placed mare GUARANDA (Acatenango)
was knocked down to Gordon-Watson for 250,000gns. A daughter of Gryada (Shirley
Heights), Lot 1920 is a half-sister to multiple Group 1 highweight Fame and
Glory (Montjeu) and is the dam of Group 3 winner Gravitation (Galileo). Her
Galileo weanling colt was purchased for 375,000gns by the Coolmore partners at
Tattersalls on Friday.
“I have also bought her for a private client and she is going to Ireland,”
Gordon-Watson said. “She was a very straightforward mare and, for me, her
Galileo colt was the best foal in last week’s sale.”
The Tattersalls December Mare Sale concludes Thursday with 253 lots
cataloged.
For complete results and catalog, please visit
tattersalls.com.