What a difference a day makes. On Nov. 25, Tattersalls celebrated unprecedented levels of trade at the December Yearling Sale, where a lively market was capped by the 900,000gns (US$1,233,000, 1 guinea=US$1.37) half sister to Camille Pissarro.
But business on Nov. 26 laid bare the sobering reality that exists at the lower rungs of the bloodstock ladder, with the first day of the December Foal Sale bringing a clearance rate of just 61%.
The 111 sold lots may have generated gains in the average and median prices, but even so, most breeders will have been a long way short of covering their production costs. The average price went up by 8% year-on-year to 12,085gns, while the median was up 13 points at 9,000gns, having been 8,000gns 12 months ago. Turnover dropped by 12% to 1,341,500gns, (US$1,837,855, 1 guinea=US$1.37), and the 182 lots on offer represented a drop of 45 foals (20%) compared to 2023.
Admittedly, bigger things are expected later in the week, particularly on Friday, when the choice offerings include a Frankel colt out of group/grade 1 winner Audarya and a sister to Two Thousand Guineas (G1) hero Chaldean. Those events will undoubtedly give the whole-sale figures a much rosier look, but day one served as a reminder of the challenges faced by those operating away from the upper echelons.
The top price on Tuesday came late in the session when Michael and Ciara Carty of Kilmoney Cottage Stud struck an online bid of 82,000gns to secure the Space Traveller half brother to Windsor Castle Stakes winner Ain't Nobody.
Ciara Carty said: "For us he was the best physical today. He walks well, has size and scope and is only a May foal, so he stood out for us. We can't fault the sire—he was a good racehorse. We underbid one by him last week, another good physical, and the stallion seems to be stamping his stock. This colt has a nice pedigree too, and we'll hope to bring him back here for the October Yearling Sale. We'll see how he develops."
First-crop sire Space Traveller, winner of the Jersey and Boomerang Stakes during his racing days, stood his debut season at Ballyhane Stud, where he covered 188 mares at a fee of €6,500 (US$6,825, €1=US$1.05). The Barton Stud-consigned youngster was offered on behalf of Clipper Logistics' Steve Parkin, who bred the colt under the banner of Rathbride Farm.
"He was the talking horse of the day and I was told that he was the standout foal here today," said Barton's Tom Blain. "He's a beautiful colt; a beautiful mover, a beautiful color, and to be fair the stallion is a beauty, too. This foal is a perfect example of what you hope to get if you send a mare to a stallion like that."
Blain added: "Steve Parkin wanted to show the industry that the stallion is producing good foals, and I think this foal has achieved that. He has a good pedigree with a Royal Ascot winner this year. He's good enough to be offered any day this week, but today has paid off and all the judges were on him, all the pinhookers."
The December Foal Sale continues on Wednesday, Nov. 27, at 10 a.m.
