Dubawi dominates at Tattersalls

Five Dubawi yearling sell for seven figures, headed by 2,000,000gns colt

The second session of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling sales swiftly became Dubawi day on Wednesday as the leading sire dominated proceedings with no fewer than five of his yearlings selling for seven figures.

The quintet were headed by the first foal of the top miler and Classic heroine Sky Lantern (lot 222). Offered by Highclere Stud on behalf of breeder Simon and Ben Keswick's Rockcliffe Stud, the colt was the subject of a fierce bidding war with MV Magnier eventually getting the upper hand at 2,000,000gns.

Just five lots earlier, the Godolphin team struck for a filly out of G2 Park Hill Stakes winner Silk Sair, from the outstanding family of Gossamer, again offered by Highclere Stud, this time on behalf of Sara Cumani's Fittocks Stud (lot 217). That price was matched twice more, first by Alistair Donald who secured a filly out of the Stakes-winning Galileo mare Soon from New England Stud (lot 233) and around an hour later by a colt out of Anthony Oppenheimer's New Approach mare Vanity Rules, who hails from the leading Hascombe & Valiant Studs family of Nuryana (lot 283).

Dubawi's five million-guinea yearlings were rounded out by the first foal out of G1 winner Seal Of Approval (Authorized) (lot 195). The mare was famously retained by her owner-breeder Tim Vestey when he failed to find a buyer for her in the ring at 10,000gns as a yearling, but she rewarded her breeder in ample style on the racecourse and gave him another day to remember at Tattersalls as Godolphin snapped up the filly, from the further family of Harzand, for 1,100,000gns.

Other standout lots on the day for Darley sires included a Shamardal filly out of G3 winner Whazzis, a half-sister to the dam of Exceed And Excel's recent G2 Mill Reef Stakes victor James Garfield (lot 298).

First-season sire Farhh has made a huge impression with his small first crop this year, headed by G3 winner Wells Farhh Go, and the sole representative from his second crop made a splash in the ring yesterday when bought by Godolphin for 375,000gns. The filly, offered by Meon Valley Stud, is out of an unraced half-sister to the Izzi Top, dam of Tuesday's 2.6m gns session-topper by Dubawi from the great family of Colorspin (lot 308).

Earlier in the session, the same price was reached by a daughter of Poet's Voice (lot 260), a half-sister to three Stakes-performing fillies including the G3 heroine La Rioja, offered by Pier House Stud and purchased by Alistair Donald. 

 Champion sprinter Slade Power recorded two notable results with a pair of his first yearlings each selling for 260,000gns. Charlie Gordon-Watson secured Glenvale Stud's colt out of a winning half-sister to top juvenile Lujain (lot 218), while five lots later Godolphin snapped up the filly out of a Stakes-placed half-sister to the G1 Man O'War Stakes winner Zhukova (lot 223).