The buoyancy of the yearling market experienced during Book 1 of Tattersalls' October Sale continued through Book 2, which concluded on Wednesday with a son of Cape Cross (pictured) among the top five lots during the three-day auction.
Consigned by Round Hill Stud, the colt out of True Crystal, a daughter of the Lancashire Oaks winner State Crystal, sold for 160,000gns, while another Cape Cross colt from the Listed winner Zeiting fetched 78,000gns. Five yearlings by Cape Cross were sold during the sale for an average of 66,200gns.
The stock of first-season sire Shirocco was also in demand during Book 2: the son of Monsun had five change hands for an average of 57,000, nearly six times his 2007 stud fee of £10,000. Dominic Burke's Whitley Stud consigned a colt by Shirocco out of Compton Admiral's full-sister So Admirable, who was the young stallion's top price of Book 2 when selling to Blandford Bloodstock for 125,000gns.
Leading freshman stallion Shamardal was strongly represented in Book 2 with 12 yearlings returning an average of 54,917. Hillwood Stud sold a filly out of Exultate Jubilate to Shadwell for 110,000 and Charlie Vigors' operation also enjoyed a good return from an Exceed And Excel colt out of Ribh, who fetched 130,000gns on the first day of the sale. Exceed And Excel had eight yearlings sell in Book 2 for an average of 50,625gns, just marginally higher than the figure set by Dubawi, who this week recorded his 26th individual two-year-old winner and had 14 yearlings go through Book 2, setting an average of 50,429gns, with two colts from the Biddestone Stud draft each selling for 105,000gns.
Halling has had another successful year, most notably via his G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Cavalryman, who was third to Sea The Stars in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Trainer Clive Cox paid 100,000gns for a filly out of Hector's Girl consigned by Genesis Green Stud while another trainer who has enjoyed much success with Halling's offspring this year, Mark Johnston, paid 80,000gns to secure a half-brother to Singspiel's G1 Fillies' Mile winner Hibaayeb.
Like Shirocco, Iffraaj also has members of his first crop on sale this year and those in Book 2 returned a pleasing average of 39,455gns for 11 sold. A half-brother to Cape Cross' black-type earner Capable Guest was consigned by Norelands Stud and sold for 65,000gns while another colt out of Sharp Catch made 62,000gns.
Among the six-figure lots of the sale was a Kheleyf colt from the family of Zieten and Blue Duster, who was selected by Hugo Merry for 110,000gns from the Pier House Stud consignment.
