Recent Sun Chariot S. (Eng-G1) heroine SPINNING QUEEN (Spinning World)
spearheaded a dramatic opening breeding stock day with a 3 million-guineas
final bid, a record at the event, at the Tattersalls December Sale in Newmarket
Monday. Consigned by Faringdon Place Stables, the three-year-old, who also
scored in the Brownstown S. (Ire-G3), was purchased by James Wigan of London
Thoroughbred Services, acting on behalf of an undisclosed client. She will be
boarded at the Rothschild family’s Waddesdon Stud in Buckinghamshire. Japan’s
Shadai Farm, London-based agent Jamie McCalmont and finally Sheikh Mohammed’s
representative John Ferguson provided Wigan with his opposition.
“She’s for an existing client and is going to Waddesdon, where she’ll be
kept,” Wigan said. “It’s a great pedigree and she was very impressive when
winning at Newmarket.”
Spinning Queen’s price eclipsed the previous December record of 2.5 million
guineas paid by Satish Sanan in 1997 for both Dance Design and Padua’s Pride.
SHORT SKIRT (Diktat), winner of the St. Simon S. (Eng-G3) October 21 for Sir
Michael Stoute, was another to
make seven figures when Ferguson fought off Japanese agent Nobutaka Tada at 1.4
million guineas. Agents Luke Lillingston and John Warren were underbidders on
the sophomore.
“She’s a top, top racemare from a fabulous family,” said Ferguson, a
one-time assistant to Stoute. (Owner/breeder) John Greetham has done fabulous
things with this family — they are all tough sound and there are eight stakes
or group winners under the first dam. It’s highly likely that she’ll continue
racing, and highly likely, that she’ll run in (Godolphin’s) blue colors before retiring
to the paddocks, to hopefully, be a broodmare with a great future.”
Last year’s Nunthorpe S. (Eng-G1) heroine LA CUCARACHA (Piccolo) was sold for 525,000
guineas to agent James Delahooke, acting for Thoroughbred Daily News publisher Barry Weisbord and
Richard Santulli, who trade as Colts Neck Stables.
“Nothing has been set in stone, but looking at the Dubai races, my sense is
she probably won’t run there and she’s done plenty already,” Weisbord said. “We
recently brought another of our mares, Ipi Tombe (Zim), back to America and I think
she’ll head back home as well. If she’s got the pedigree to go with her looks
and race record, she would have made a lot more, but a lot of daughters of these
top sprinters who didn’t have much pedigree have done well at stud. I didn’t see
this as a quick-turn deal. In 15 years, I hope to be racing her foals and their
progeny.”
Three-year-old PARK ESTEEM (Singspiel [Ire]), a three-parts sister to 1998 Italian Derby
(Ity-G1) winner Central Park (Ire) (In The Wings [GB]) offered from Jeremy Noseda’s stable, was bought for 580,000 guineas by Australian agent Kieran
Moore, acting for the Scone-based Cressfield Stud. Charlie Gordon-Watson was
immediate underbidder on the filly.
“We may give her a try on the track, but she’s been principally bought as a
broodmare,” Moore said. “She’ll go to Redoute’s Choice and I thought she’d make
far less, but she was our number one pick and the bar appears to have risen on
the price of horses. She was an extremely good individual and was a really good
outcross.”
The sale continues Tuesday.