Tattersalls Somerville Sale Takes Center Stage

Sales season rolls into Newmarket Sept. 2 for the sixth edition of the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale. The event has quickly established itself in a crowded calendar, thanks to some positive results both in the ring and on the track. Celeron (GB), an impressive winner of this year's Railway Stakes (G2), is the latest example of the talent that can be found at this sale. The group 2-scorer was picked up by Antonio da Silva for just 20,000 guineas. The Michael O'Callaghan-trained son of Mohaather (GB) joins a roll of honor that includes other notable runners such as Anisette (GB), Arabian Dusk (GB), and Bradsell (GB), the last of whom now plies his trade just up the road from Tattersalls at the National Stud. Half Sovereign (FR), a mere 12,000 guineas signing by Karl Burke, also won the Prix Miesque (G3) before being resold to Lady Bamford for a sales-topping €2.6 million last December at Arqana. After hitting a bit of a bump in the road when expanded to two days in 2024, last year's staging saw the Somerville Sale resume its upward trajectory. The average price of 34,255 guineas was not only a 21% year-on-year gain, but set a new benchmark for the sale. There was also a record number of six-figure lots (10), headed by two that equaled the auction's high price of 160,000 guineas. Rabbah Bloodstock was the first buyer to hit that mark for a daughter of Havana Grey (GB), before the sale's leading spenders Highflyer Bloodstock and Phil Cunningham went to the same sum for a son of Dark Angel (IRE). Although the picture of this year's yearling market will become that bit clearer after the Somerville, those selling in Newmarket have taken plenty of optimism from the auctions staged elsewhere this year. Arqana's blue-chip August Sale produced an unprecedented set of results, thanks in no small part to several seven-figure clashes between Coolmore and Godolphin. The Irish firm won out when a blue-blooded son of Wootton Bassett brought a record €4.6m on the final day. Some had expected the commercial end of the market to prove altogether more challenging. However, while Doncaster was not entirely plain sailing, the two-day sale still threw up its share of positive signs. The top price of £250,000—achieved by a well-related son of Blue Point (IRE)—eclipsed last year's top lot, while turnover was almost identical to 12 months ago at £14,247,000. And although the average price dipped by 7% to £40,020 and the median fell 14% to £30,000, there was still a solid clearance rate of 85%. "I thought Doncaster was a good sale, especially for the nicer horses," said Luke Barry, whose Manister House Stud sold nine lots for receipts totaling £547,500. Those sentiments were echoed by Jamie Railton, who sold nine lots for an aggregate of £251,000. The Goffs UK Premier Sale and the Somerville Sale specialize in yearlings whose primary selling point is their physical attributes, more so than their pedigree. This means placing your yearling in the right sale is absolutely imperative for vendors looking to maximize their returns, while buyers looking to get the most out of these events are best served by rolling their sleeves up and getting stuck into inspections. "These sales are all about the physical," said Barry, who offers three lots at the Somerville, namely colts by Kameko and Shaman (IRE) and a daughter of Sioux Nation. "This means sales placement is ever-so important. You need every horse to hold its own and stand out to a degree. If you're not good enough, you'll get slated." Looking ahead to Wednesday's Somerville session, for which Tattersalls has cataloged 286 lots, Railton said: "I'm sure it'll be selective, but we can't get away from the fact there's going to be some very good value horses here." Railton pointed to the appeal of lots qualified for the Great British Bonus (GBB) scheme, which pays up to £20,000 in additional winnings per race. Given the median price at last year's Somerville Sale was the equivalent of £26,250, a GBB windfall could potentially go a long way. Railton's consignment kicks things off with Lot 1, a Mostahdaf (IRE) filly out of the Hilary Needler Trophy scorer Lady Ayresome. She is swiftly followed by a daughter of in-form sire Kameko out of the well-related War Front mare Lady Eros (Lot 3). The Somerville Sale has already proved it can offer buyers bang for their buck, as shown by its 12 group-winning graduates costing an average of 43,415 guineas. This track record suggests someone is going to unearth a bargain Wednesday. The only question now is who.