Australasians up their spend at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale

Cover image courtesy of Tattersalls

Last year, buyers from Down Under and New Zealand spent 1.8 million gns (AU$3,397,200) on 16 horses at an average of 112,500gns (AU$212,300), while this week Australasian interests (not including Yulong) purchased 19 lots and their total spend rocketed to an extraordinary 4.1 million gns (AU$7,738,100) and finished with an average of approximately 215,800gns (AU$407,300).

In 2021, the most expensive horse knocked down to clients in either Australia or New Zealand was Salsa Bella (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), who was purchased by the Freedman Brothers for 200,000gns (AU$377,500), compare that to this year where, even outside Yulong's purchases, more was spent on the top-lot as Kia Ora Stud forked out 850,000gns (AU$1,590,750) for G2 Sapphire S. winner Mooneista (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}).

In the past, the sale has been used as a brilliant source of fresh blood for any broodmare band in the Southern Hemisphere, however in more recent times the sale has proved a happy hunting ground for buyers looking to purchase racing prospects to plunder riches and improve their pedigree before retiring to the breeding barn in the Southern Hemisphere.

Success breeding success

This strategy has been bolstered by the success stories from the sale, including Promise Of Success (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who was purchased by David Redvers and Rosemont Stud for 27,000gns (AU$51,000) at the 2020 edition of the sale. She has since added four wins to her record, including victories in the G2 Emancipation S., while she pocketed a cool $1 million for her owners with a victory in The Invitation earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Turaath (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who was bought by John Nicholls at the auction for 35,000gns (AU$66,000) in 2020, has since added the G2 Let's Elope S. and Listed Black Pearl S. to her CV and boasts prizemoney earnings of $555,702.

Earlier this year, Harry McAlpine was appointed as an additional Australasia representative, working alongside his aunt and long-standing Tattersalls Australasian representative Jenny McAlpine, and he told TDN AusNZ that the lure of big purses means buyers are no longer sifting through the catalogue looking for broodmares.

“There was a big market for people searching for horses with a bit of form to take back to Australia and race. They were looking for great families up here in Europe as well and they were underbidders five times more than they were buyers, so they really had a good crack,” said Harry.

“There is a great option that when you buy here in December you've got a whole prep to race them in Australia before you have to breed them if you bring them back down south immediately and if you do that, there is a big chance to recoup your purchase price before you’ve even bred from them, which is obviously a very pretty attractive prospect to any buyer.”

A great program

Jim Clarke of Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) and Michael and Terry-Ann Sherrin of Sheralee Estate purchased two lots during the week for a total spend of 600,000gns (AU$1,132,400) and one, Show Of Stars (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), will race on in Australia.

Clarke told TDN AusNZ earlier in the week that the black-type available for mares and fillies is obviously a great allure when buying race fillies at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale, but that the introduction of lucrative events for fillies and mares, such as the aforementioned $2 million The Invitation and $2 million The Five Diamonds, has only intensified the thirst for these types of prospects.

“There is a great program for these sorts of mares in Australia,” said Clarke. “She gets off the plane as a 4-year-old and in the spring there are great stakes races for her, but also a race like The Five Diamonds worth $2 million.”

Blandford Bloodstock’s Stuart Boman, who teamed up with Annabel Neasham to buy Kings Joy (GB) (Kingman {GB}) for 84,000gns (AU$151,000), told TDN AusNZ he believed the black-type and prizemoney on offer means there is a huge advantage in sourcing mares in Europe to continue their careers in Australia, a gap in the market that is finally beginning to be filled.

“There’s just not many fillies bought for Australia, but I think there’s a real angle in buying fillies. That, to my mind, means the Australians are missing the boat,” he said.

“It’s all very well buying these geldings, but I think there’s a real opportunity for Australians to be buying race fillies and people don’t really seem to want to do it.

“I understand the stakes program (in Australia) is a mile and below but there are still horses that would be suitable to buy here and it would be great to bring in some new bloodlines and serious families.”

Fierce competition

Jenny McAlpine told TDN AusNZ that she had never seen the competition from Australasian buyers as strong as it was at Park Paddocks this week, especially in the race fillies section.

“I think there has been a shift in that people are now more interested in the race fillies catalogued at the sale and obviously with the success of horses like Promise Of Success and Turaath have done a good job to promote that section of the sale and there has certainly been more interest in buying race fillies than there has ever been,” she said.

“The option to race one more preparation before they go to stud and with the prizemoney on the table makes it worth racing them on.”

The final day of trade on Thursday saw turnover for the December Mare Sale move further into record territory, with the four-day sale aggregate reaching 80,831,200gns (AU$152,556,600), up 30 per cent on last year’s sale total and 16 per cent higher than the previous record set in 2007.

The results recorded were in line with many sales around the globe this year, with the appetite for bloodstock as strong as it has ever been and Jenny McAlpine said, given the strength of the market, it was brilliant to see the Southern Hemisphere buyers making their presence felt, even at the top end.

“I think a lot of Australians came to the sale knowing that it would be strong and knowing they would have to go hard, but I think they were a bit blown away with how strong it was in the ring but baring in mind that a lot did try bidding and missed out, so they did boost the market by being bidders in the ring,” she said.

Reflecting on his first sale as in the new role, Harry said: “It was a great sale for my first year and myself and Jenny got a few guys up there for the first time.

“It’s a great week because people get it and also go round the stallions while they are there. Everyone was able to go look at Baaeed for the first time. It was a great experience for them and I’m glad they were able to buy some.”

Australasian purchases