Tattersalls roars back into life for a new year on Thursday when a two-day pick-and-mix February Sale begins.
Just as the Mare Sale has an end of term feel to it, so the February Sale has the air of a first day back at school after the holidays.
The opening sale of the year at Park Paddocks, staged this Thursday and Friday, is formed of an eclectic mix of young stock, breeding stock and horses in training.
In short, a taste of the various elements to be rolled out in the same Newmarket sales ring over the course of the next 12 months.
Billed as Europe’s ‘premier midwinter sale’, the annual induction features the presence of exhibition displays from Racing Welfare, the National Stud, TB-Ed and RoR (Retraining of Racehorses) in the Lower Sale Ring Bar, with Tattersalls hospitality provided until 1pm.
Selling begins after an RoR showcase at 11am in the sales ring and (in the same location) a stallion parade at 11:30am.
Withdrawals are coming in all the time, but over 300 lots were catalogued, the bulk of them (over 250) fillies, colts and geldings in or out of training. Fifteen yearlings, however, and almost ten two-year-olds, also made the cut, as well as just over 15 broodmares, including Lot 18, the Brazilian Group 1 winner Namasse, set to go through the ring in foal to Cracksman.
The broodmare brigade also features Lot 24, the Shamardal daughter Soft Cover who has produced two winners and is offered in foal to Starman, crowned champion first-season sire in Britain and Ireland, and Elshadin (Lot 4), dam of the Listed winner Moqtarreb and dual Group 3-placed Khaloosy.
Starman is the sire of a number of three-year-old fillies and geldings on offer, including the thrice-placed gelding King Victorious (Lot 123), who’ll be offered by The Castlebridge Consignment, responsible for almost 50 other offerings.
Juddmonte sends six three-year-olds (including Lot 81, the winner Scutari, and Lot 78, the twice-placed Leonetto, a half-brother to Lady Bowthorpe) and a four-year-old, Lot 82, an own brother to the Group 3 winner Delaware.
Godolphin will send a draft of almost 20, its ranks including Lot 110, the winning Monoceros, an own brother to the multiple Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Al Suhail, and Lot 105, the four-year-old Naval Command, a half-brother to Eldar Eldarov, one of the stallions to parade on Thursday.
Other lots of interest include:
Lot 59, a two-year-old Cracksman colt who's a half-brother to the Brocklesby winner and National Stakes-placed Zminiature.
Lot 94, a Godolphin-consigned daughter of Blue Bunting.
Lot 260, the two-time winning four-year-old filly Wilhelmina, a half-sister to the Group 1 winner Poptronic.
Trade gets going after the aforementioned stallion parade on Thursday, and at 10am on Friday.
The catalogue can be viewed here.
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