This year’s Group 1 Irish Oaks winner You Got To Me has changed hands for 4.8 million guineas (A$9.85 million) during a European-record day of trade at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale.
With brash international thoroughbred owners Kia Joorabchian and John Stewart helping push day two’s turnover to 55,168,500 guineas (A$107.816 million), exceeding the benchmark set at Tatts’ 2022 December sale, the thirst for elite mares helped drive demand to new heights.
Amo Racing’s Joorabchian, as he has across the northern hemisphere bloodstock markets in recent months, made a successful high-stakes play for trainer Ralph Beckett’s 2024 Oaks winner, the third highest-priced horse ever sold at a Tattersalls December Mares Sale.
Resolute Racing’s Stewart, who already has six two-year-olds in Australia and underbid the record-breaking $10 million daughter of Winx at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in April, spent 6.265 million guineas (A$12.86 million) on five horses, headed by the Francis Graffard-trained last-start Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac-winning two-year-old Vertical Blue for 3.2 million guineas.
Coolmore’s MV Magnier also paid 3 million guineas (A$6.156 million) for Group 2-winning mare Believing who finished third behind Bradsell and Australia’s Royal Ascot heroine Asfoora in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at Goodwood in August.
The star of the show, however, was You Got To Me, the first Oaks winner to be offered for sale at public auction in the same year as their Classic triumph in at least four decades.
And it was Joorabchian who prevailed after an enthralling bidding duel which lasted for more than seven minutes.
"We are trying to do the right thing. We have to compete, and we have been trying to compete for many years and have probably burnt so much cash by trying to do it, by trying to pick the next one - why try to pick the next one when you have the one here?" Joorabchian said.
"Obviously Ralph Beckett wants her back, and I said as long as he does not injure her he can have her back.
“I am thinking about plans. If she stays in training she is not a horse to take away from her current trainer, and Ralph has done a wonderful job with her."
Vertical Blue, France’s highest-rated two-year-old this year, will remain in training with Graffard after being purchased by American newcomer Stewart, who burst onto the scene a little over 12 months ago and has quickly amassed bloodstock interests around the world.
“Vertical Blue was my number one pick and I had targeted her. I know a lot about the filly as she is trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, and he trains Goliath for me,” said Stewart, who bid online from the US.
Tim Rowe
“She will be going back to France to be trained by him. I thought she would make that sort of money, premium horses generate that sort of price and there is a small group of people buying them."
Stewart’s Resolute Racing spent $5.4 million at the Inglis Easter sale before backing up at the Chairman’s Sale a month later to buy the Chris Waller-trained three-time Group 1-placed filly Tutta La Vita for $3.2 million.
You Got To Me fetches 4,800,000gns, with @amoracingltd coming out on top of a protracted bidding war.
— Tattersalls (@Tattersalls1766) December 3, 2024
Trained by @RalphBeckett for Valmont & @newsellspark, the Irish Oaks winner is the third-highest priced lot ever at the #TattsDecember Mares Sale.
Enjoy the whole spectacle... pic.twitter.com/B0YvwNJBiB
The Autumn Sun filly Tutta La Vita has since been exported to the United States.
Nine horses fetched 1 million guineas or more on day two at Tattersalls’ Newmarket sales ring. The third session starts on Wednesday evening (Australian time).
