Baden-Baden yearling sale ends on high note

Baden-Baden's Yearling Sale was a hive of activity Friday, with a strong

overseas presence creating an intense atmosphere and helping hoist the figures

and prices above last year's equivalent. While the regular domestic stalwarts

headed by BBA Germany were in effect, the likes of John Ferguson, the FBA

Agency, Jean-Claude Rouget, MAB Agency, Peter Doyle Bloodstock, Sylvain Vidal

and Team Valor made for the kind of competitive bidding not always witnessed at

the Iffezheim complex.

Ferguson made his presence felt, taking home four yearlings including the

sales-topping colt by Teofilo. Out of the 2006 Prix Robert Papin (Fr-G2) winner

Boccassini (Artan), Gestut Westerberg's Hip No. 153 cost

€220,000, which eclipsed the

€200,000 paid by BBA Germany for Gestut

Etzean's full brother to the top German distaffer Night Magic (Sholokhov).

That high-class performer cost Dirk Eisele's operation just

€43,000 at this auction five years ago

before going on to taste glory in the 2009 Preis der Diana (Ger-G1). Led out

unsold at €800,000 at that year's Arqana

December Sale, the Stall Salzburg colorbearer has subsequently added the 2010

Grosser Preis von Baden (Ger-G1) and this season's Grosser Preis der Badischen

Unternehmen (Ger-G2) to her resume. Her half-sister Night of Dubai (Lord of

England) was third in the Diana-Trial (Ger-G2) and fifth in the German Oaks

itself this term, adding further weight to the immediate family. Consigned as

Hip 178, her February-foaled full-sibling named NIGHT WISH was also bought on

behalf of Stall Salzburg and is likely to also go into training with Night

Magic's trainer Wolfgang Figge.

Another of Ferguson's high-profile purchases was Gestut Fahrhof Stiftung's

Hip 235, the only representative of Singspiel (Ire) in the catalogue. Her dam is

a half to another notable Singspiel performer in Lateral (GB), who captured the

2005 Gran Criterium (Ity-G1) before establishing himself as Germany's champion

miler the following year courtesy of three pattern-race wins including the

Grosse Europa-Meile (Ger-G2). Her €180,000

tag was not enough to secure the position of top-priced filly of the session,

with a daughter of Montjeu (Ire) earlier going to agent Borje Olsson for

€190,000. From the draft of Gestut

Ebbesloh's, Hip 70 is named AMATIA and is the first foal out of 2008 Prix de

Pomone (Fr-G2) winner Avanti Polonia (Polish Precedent).

Barry Irwin's Team Valor, whose purchase of Animal Kingdom's dam Dalicia

(Ger) (Acatenango) here six years ago is now the stuff of history, purchased a

trio headed by a €155,000 daughter of

Shamardal named LEGENDA AUREA. Consigned by Gestut Karlshof, hip 168 is a

granddaughter of 1999 Nassau S. (Eng-G1) winner and Epsom Oaks (Eng-G1) third

Zahrat Dubai (GB) (Unfuwain), whose progeny include the stakes-winning Godolphin

filly Modeyra (GB), also by Shamardal.

Eckhard Sauren, owner and president of the Cologne Racing Club, was on hand

to secure three of the top 10 lots. The first pair were back-to-back, with

Fahrhof's Hip 48, an Oasis Dream (GB) full-sister to last year's Premio

Presidente della Repubblica (Ity-G1) hero Querari, fetching

€100,000 and Gestut Wittekindshof's Hip 49,

a High Chaparral (Ire) three-parts brother to multiple Group 3 winner

Saldenschwinge (In the Wings [GB]) and half to Saldentigerin (Tiger Hill) and

Saltas (Lomitas [GB]) selling for €190,000.

Later in the session, he paid €140,000

for another from the Wittekindshof draft in Hip 179, the sole representative of

Galileo (Ire) whose dam is Germany's champion juvenile of 2005 Nordtanzerin (Danehill

Dancer). That homebred went on to add Frankfurt's Euro-Cup (Ger-G2) to her

profile and was also third in the Preis der Diana the following year. Named

NOTRE GALOPPIER, her February-foaled half-brother also boasts among his siblings

five other black-type runners including stakes winners Nadour Al Bahr (Be My

Guest) and North Queen (Desert King). The cross of Galileo over Danehill is

responsible for champion and undefeated Frankel.

Two others to make six-figure sums were Hip 67, a Platini full sister to

Godolphin's triple group winner and dual Group 1 place-getter Antara, who was

knocked down to Tina Rau Bloodstock for €105,000;

and Hip 124, a son of Manduro whose champion second dam Royal Dubai (Dashing

Blade) has already produced another smart Godolphin performer in the stakes

winner Rumh (Monsun). Also from Gestut Fahrhof, he cost Peter Schiergen

€100,000.

With the average and median up by 24 percent on 2010, officials at BBAG were

buoyant and Managing Director Carola Ortlieb summed up the mood.

"This was a blinder of a sale for us," she said. "Our grand total increased

by €1 million for 50 less horses and the

average and median are up by more than €10,000."

Full results are available at

www.bbag-sales.de.