A new European record price has been paid for a filly at the Tattersall’s Houghton Yearling Sales
A new European record price for a filly was established at last week’s Houghton Yearling Sales at Tattersalls when the Coolmore operation paid 2.1m guineas for a daughter of its own 11-times champion sire Sadler’s Wells.
The star of the show, offered from David Nagle’s Barronstown Stud, was a beautiful February-foaled bay out of well-related Sharata, the best of whose five winners has been the yearling’s Sadler’s Wells full-brother Crimson Tide.
The mare herself has a first-class pedigree, being a Darshaan half-sister to Derby hero Shahrastani, but she did not make the track.
The 2.1m filly will join her unraced two-year-old sister Arpege at Ballydoyle after O’Byrne outbid Sheikh Maktoum Al Maktoum’s stud manager Michael Goodbody.
It was more than twice the best previously paid for one of her age and sex in the Tattersalls ring and made her the second-dearest female ever sold there, after Dance Design, who made 2.5m gns as a four-year-old five years ago.
Tattersalls’ chairman Edmond Mahony said: “Exceeding last year’s figures would have been more than satisfactory under any circumstances, but in the prevailing economic climate we must be delighted with the outcome of the sale.
“The impetus came from the vendors who, without doubt, presented us with an exceptional selection. We did feel that the catalogue was a little bit special.”
Another Sadler’s Wells filly took the second spot at 1.1m gns. The first foal of high-class runner Dazzling Park, herself outof an exceptional racemare in Park Express.
“She’s by a top stallion out of a very good mare from an excellent family,” said Hamdan’s racing manager Angus Gold, “and the boss simply wanted her. Let’s hope she can run a bit.”
Top lots
| Horse | Buyer | Price (gns) |
| Sadler’s Wells-Sharata (filly) | Demi O’Byrne | 2,100,000 |
| Sadler’s Wells-Dazzling Park (filly) | Shadwell | 1,100,000 |
| In The Wings-Park Special (colt) | Demi O’Byrne | 675,000 |
| Sadler’s Wells-Groom Order (colt) | John Ferguson BS | 600,000 |
| Darshaan-Spinning The Yarn (filly) | Demi O’Byrne | 600,000 |
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