Sea The Stars Colt Goes for $1.2 Million at Tattersalls

Record-breaking Book 1 trade appeared to have a knock-on effect on the opening session of Book 2 as the October Yearling Sale market continued to run hot at Tattersalls Oct. 14. The biggest price of the day was 875,000 guineas (approx. US$1,199,979), with agents Anthony Stroud and Richard Brown clashing over a well-related son of Sea The Stars (IRE) consigned as Lot 597. Stroud stood beside David Loder, who was taking instructions on the phone against the back wall, while Brown was perched in his usual spot at the top of the stairs to the left of the rostrum. When Stroud struck the decisive 25,000 guineas increase, auctioneer Simon Kerins looked in Brown's direction and said, "A brave man would say a million!" However, with no further action forthcoming, the hammer fell on the third-most expensive lot to change hands at Book 2. The Staffordstown-consigned colt comes from a family Loder knows well, as he trained the granddam, Bianca Nera, to win the 1996 running of the Moyglare Stud Stakes. The colt's dam, Bighearted, is one of three black-type performers bred by Bianca Nera, having reached the podium in three listed contests. It is one of her non-black-type daughters who has done most for the family, however, as Bighearted's half sister Ever Rigg found fame as the dam of group 1 winners God Given and Postponed. Sons of Sea The Stars figured prominently on Godolphin's shortlist. Earlier in the day the operation went to 475,000 guineas (approx. US$651,417) for a colt out of Angel Fairy from Norelands. "He's a very strong, well-made horse," Stroud said of the session topper. "It's a wonderful family and he'll be a nice staying horse for the future. He fitted the bill for Godolphin so he'll go to Charlie Appleby, as will the other Sea The Stars. I thought he was a very nice horse from Norelands, very athletic. I thought they were the two standouts." On the day's headline price, Stroud added: "We were definitely stretched as that was more than I anticipated, but we're very glad to get him." The session-topping colt is the first foal out of Bighearted, and Staffordstown representative Richard Frisby revealed the daughter of Farhh (GB) would follow her son into the sales ring later this year. "The mare is cataloged in the December Sale and this will freshen things up," he said. "This colt was accepted for Book 1 but we felt that dropping him in here would help him stand out, and I think that's what has happened. "He's a fine first foal. Obviously he's a horse who'll need a bit of time but he has been bred to be a Classic horse and that's what you would expect to need to give him. I bought Bianca Nera as a yearling and it's a family that has been very kind to us." Frisby added: "You never really know how much they're going to make. The price at half of what he has made was a good sale, and who could forecast that?" Norelands' Harry McCalmont was another delighted vendor, and said after the sale of the 475,000 guineas Sea The Stars: "We loved the horse and he was a colt who could have gone anywhere. He could have gone to Goffs or Book 1 but we decided to put him in here. He's a beautiful colt and we thank Mrs. Tsui for sending us the mare and letting us look after the colt for her. It's another good result for her as she's had a good year." Reflecting on last week's market, McCalmont added: "We bring very few to Book 1 normally because it's so selective. This year I wish I had 30 yearlings in there!"