Godolphin dominated trade on the first day of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, spending close to A$20 million, including a purchase of the most expensive yearling in the world this year.
Sheikh Mohammed, who rarely misses the sale, spent 9.3 million guineas on 10 yearlings for Godolphin, including three of the five seven-figure lots.
Lot 90, a Sea The Stars colt from Longview Stud that sold for 3.7 million guineas (A$7.9 million), was the most expensive yearling sold globally this year. He is out of the Dubawi mare Crystal Zvezda, a Listed winner. He sparked a fierce bidding duel between Godolphin and Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing.
“He was exceptional-looking and from a very good stud farm,” said Godolphin’s Anthony Stroud.
“The family works well with Sea The Stars and he really stood out for us. You have to pay for the ones you really want.”
Also on Stroud’s purchase list was Lot 95, a Too Darn Hot half-brother to champion two-year-old Skitter Scatter from Airlie Stud and Lot 67, a Blue Point colt, both for one million guineas.
Amo Racing had earlier gone to 3.6 million guineas ($A7.7 million) for Lot 15, a Frankel colt out of Group 2 winner Aljazzi from Newsells Park Stud.
The colt is a brother to last year’s sale-topper Partying, who fetched 4.4 million guineas and is now with trainer Kevin Philippart de Foy.
“The boys love him,” Joorabchian said. “We want to keep the family tight. We thought we paid a little more than expected, but you’ve got to give Coolmore a crack.”
Overall turnover reached 40.53 million guineas from 125 yearlings sold, down 6 per cent on last year’s opening day. The average fell 11 per cent to 323,352 guineas and the median dropped 19 per cent to 210,000 guineas.
Between them, Godolphin and Amo Racing accounted for almost a third of the day’s turnover.
Yearlings by Australian-bred stallion Starspangledbanner (Lot 42) sold for 325,000 guineas and 210,000 guineas (Lot 72), while a St Mark’s Basilica colt out of blue hen Australian-bred mare Believe’n’succeed, the dam of Bounding and Anthony Van Dyck, sold for 80,000 guineas.
