Sheikh Mohammed on spending spree at Tattersalls

Sheikh Mohammed's buying team dominated the upper echelons of Monday's

opening

Book 2 session of Tattersalls' October Yearling Sale, with his representatives

John Ferguson

and Richard O'Gorman buying all but two of the day's eight six-figures lots.

Indeed Ferguson,

O'Gorman, Rabbah Bloodstock and Shadwell combined to account for 1,960,500

guineas

(29.2

percent) of Monday's 6,715,500 guineas turnover.

The aggregate was up 12 percent from a year ago, although that day had experienced a drop of over 50 percent on 2007.

Monday's 33,410 guineas average was down 11.5 percent, while the 25,000 guineas median

fell by

16.7 percent. The buy-back rate was 18.6 percent.

O'Gorman bid for the day's top lot, a Cape Cross (Ire) colt out of the

well-connected True

Crystal (Sadler's Wells), who brought 160,000 guineas. The colt, Hip No. 867, was

offered by his

Co. Limerick-based breeders, Bobby and Honora Donworth's Round Hill Stud.

Trainer Clive

Cox, standing with owner Alan Spence, was the underbidder. 

"He was a very well-presented colt and his sire is flying. He has been bought

for Darley," O'Gorman said. "The market has been amazingly strong and I can't

believe that it

has held up so well. I thought it would drop off a bit after last week, but this

has been great

for the industry and it seems very similar to last year -- something few other

businesses could

achieve at the moment."

Ferguson took second place on the pecking order when paying 130,000 guineas for a Rabbah

Bloodstock-bred Exceed and Excel colt consigned from Charlie and Tracy Vigors'

Hillwood Stud. Hong Kong-based Jim Walker, an owner with Newmarket trainer

William

Jarvis, was underbidder for Hip 708.

The most profitable offering was a colt by first-season Darley sire Shirocco

(Ger) out of a full sister to Eclipse S. (Eng-G1) winner Compton Admiral (Suave Dancer).

Hip 781 had been bought for 38,000 guineas last year to keep another foal company at Dominic

Burke's

Whitley Stud in Gloucestershire, and Monday resold for 125,000 guineas to Blandford

Bloodstock's Tom Goff. Jim Walker again was underbidder.

"He's been bought for an overseas client and will be trained in Newmarket,"

Goff said. "He

was a lovely horse by a sire that a lot of us are taking very seriously."

The sale continues Tuesday. For complete

results, visit tattersalls.com.