Cox Plate contender Via Sistina (IRE) was purchased from the 2023 Tattersalls December Mares Sale for 2.7million guineas and the catalogue for this year's sale is now online featuring another galaxy of stars.
An outstanding collection of fillies and mares have been catalogued for the forthcoming Tattersalls December Mares Sale, headlined by the third renewal of the acclaimed Sceptre Sessions. The December Mares Sale will take place Monday 2nd December to Thursday 5th December with the Sceptre Sessions on Monday 2nd December and Tuesday 3rd December. The catalogue for Europe’s premier breeding stock sale numbers 991 lots and can be viewed online at www.tattersalls.com
The Sceptre Sessions in their two years to date have showcased the finest fillies and mares to be offered for sale in Europe with historic results. Among the stellar cast for the 2024 renewal are the brilliant Group 1 Irish Oaks winner YOU GOT TO ME, the first Irish Oaks winner to be sold at Tattersalls in the year of her victory in over forty years, and BELIEVING, the top rated sprint filly in training in Europe. They are joined by an impressive total of 34 Group and Listed winning race fillies to be offered across the two Sceptre Sessions.
Other star performers include the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes runner up STAY ALERT, who was an impressive winner of the Group 2 Dahlia Stakes, the Group 1 Matron Stakes runner up ROGUE MILLENNIUM, winner of the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot, and this year’s Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas runner up A LILAC ROLLA. They will be joined by Grade 2 Flower Bowl Stakes winner IDEA GENERATION, the brilliantly fast Group 2 Duke of York Stakes winning sprinter AZURE BLUE, and Group 2 winners TERM OF ENDEARMENT and LUMIERE ROCK in a catalogue of real depth.
11 further Group winning race fillies catalogued include Group 1 Prix de Royallieu second RIVER OF STARS and Group 1 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes fourth VILLAGE VOICE as well as CAROLINA REAPER, CAUGHT U LOOKING, GOLDANA, GREGARINA, LADY BOBA, MAMMAS GIRL, ROYALTY INTEREST, SHANDY and WITHOUT WORDS.
Multiple top class racemares will be offered in foal led by Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye winner MABS CROSS, in foal to record-breaking young sire HAVANA GREY, and the Group 1 placed CAIRDE GO DEO and RAWDAA, in foal to NIGHT OF THUNDER and LOPE DE VEGA respectively.
Alongside fillies and mares who have excelled on the racecourse, the Sceptre Sessions feature mares from many of the best families in the European stud book including ELIZABETHAN, an own-sister to Group 1 winners ROLY POLY and U S NAVY FLAG, and DEADLY NIGHTSHADE, a JUSTIFY half-sister to Group 1 winner ABOVE THE CURVE out of a GALILEO daughter of blue hen MARIAH’S STORM, both offered in foal to WOOTTON BASSETT. They will be joined by sisters to outstanding performers of recent years including BAY BRIDGE, HURRICANE LANE, PORTA FORTUNA, SAFFRON BEACH and TORQUATOR TASSO.
The Sceptre Sessions will also showcase proven Group 1 producers led by the dams of four Group 1 winners including FRANGIPANI, the dam of Champion German colt and dual Group 1 winner FANTASTIC MOON, who will be offered carrying an own-sibling by SEA THE MOON. Group 1 producers LANDIKUSIC and MORNING MIST, both half-sisters to Group 1 winners themselves, will be offered in foal to TOO DARN HOT and SEA THE MOON respectively, the former on Southern Hemisphere time, alongside SWEETY DREAM, the dam of French 1000 Guineas fourth ROMANTIC STYLE, and KENTUCKY BELLE, the dam of French 2000 Guineas second ISAAC SHELBY, both carrying own-siblings by NIGHT OF THUNDER.
The Juddmonte consignment is a perennial highlight of the December Mares Sale and for good reason, with 2024 European Group 1 winners KALPANA and ERLE among the progeny of dams sourced from previous Juddmonte drafts, both for 35,000 guineas. This year’s draft numbers 37 regally bred fillies and mares with eye-catchers including ZAGABRIA, a daughter of DANSILI from the excellent family of Group 1 winners PROVISO and BYWORD who is offered in foal to FRANKEL, RESPONSIBLE, an OASIS DREAM daughter of blue hen HASILI who has herself produced the Group 2 winner OBLIGATE and is offered in foal to NEW BAY, and the Group 1 winner CAPLA TEMPTRESS, offered in foal to DARK ANGEL. Highlights among the customary selection of well-related fillies include the promising unbeaten three-year-old AROLLA, by KINGMAN out of a FRANKEL half-sister to Group 1 winner SPECIAL DUTY, and several regally bred daughters of FRANKEL including HYDNA, out of an own-sister to Champion MIDDAY, NEWSHOUND, out of a daughter of HASILI, and INVERSION, a half-sister to 2024 Grade 1 winner WHITEBEAM.
The draft from Godolphin is always equally sought after with FONTEYN, HIGHFIELD PRINCESS, LEZOO, MILITARIZE and WITHOUT A FIGHT among Group 1 winners in the last two years out of Godolphin fillies and mares sold at previous December Mares Sales. This year’s draft of 53 lots features Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas and Yorkshire Oaks winner PLEASCACH, offered in foal to FARHH, and three regally bred daughters of DUBAWI offered in foal to NATHANIEL; Group 3 winner BEAN FEASA, a half-sister to TEOFILO, ANTISANA, a half-sister to PINATUBO, and LOOKTOTHERAINBOW, a half-sister to RIBCHESTER.
They will be joined by Listed winners DUBAI LOVE and FLEUR FORSYTE, both offered in foal to PALACE PIER, and PENNYMOOR, offered in foal to FARHH. BRIDESTONES, a Listed placed daughter of Group 1 winner WHITE MOONSTONE by TEOFILO, and PICTURE HOUSE, by KINGMAN out of the Oaks winner QUALIFY, are also Godolphin eye-catchers, in addition to daughters of DUBAWI, FRANKEL and SHAMARDAL.
Barton Sales, the leading consignor at the December Mares Sale in 2023, will offer the largest consignment with a draft of 85 lots including DESIROUS, a half-sister to Juddmonte’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner BLUESTOCKING out of Group 1 winner EMULOUS. The second largest draft will be from the Castlebridge Consignment which will offer 84 lots, including 17 lots catalogued in the Sceptre Sessions, and their quality team includes DALDIYNA, a half-sister to Group 1 winner DOLNIYA from an exceptional Aga Khan family, in foal to WOOTTON BASSETT, and several beautifully bred fillies led by SEA LA VENUS, a SEA THE STARS own-sister to the Derby favourite THE LION IN WINTER, and BIRKIN, by DUBAWI out of a GALILEO daughter of Champion ISLINGTON.
Other highlights among the beautifully bred mares catalogued include the Ballylinch Stud consigned NARIMAN POINT, the DUBAWI half-sister to Group 1 winner PLACE DU CARROUSEL in foal to their leading sire LOPE DE VEGA, MEAN MACHINE, the GALILEO own-sister to Group 1 winners MISTY FOR ME and BALLYDOYLE, who will be offered in foal to WOOTTON BASSETT by WH Bloodstock and FRILL, the GALILEO own-sister to Group 1 winner GARSWOOD, who will also be offered in foal to WOOTTON BASSETT by Glenvale Stud. Baroda Stud will offer HIBISCUS, the GALILEO own-sister to Breeders’ Cup winner LINE OF DUTY, in foal to TOO DARN HOT and Manister House Stud will offer the regally bred ALLEZ ALAIA, a PIVOTAL own-sister to Group 1 winner and exceptional broodmare HALFWAY TO HEAVEN, in foal to GHAIYYATH.
Commenting on the catalogue for the 2024 Tattersalls December Mares Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said;
“The acclaimed Sceptre Sessions at the Tattersalls December Sale continue to attract an abundance of outstanding fillies and broodmares with Irish Oaks winner YOU GOT TO ME exemplifying the quality that buyers from every continent in the world can expect to find at Europe’s premier breeding stock sale. The Tattersalls December Sale is an unmissable event for so many, combining not only the quality and diversity to suit all budgets and requirements, but also the depth and numbers which make it the European breeding stock sale worth travelling for. Crucially buyers know that there are future Group 1 producers to be found at every level of the December Sale market with the dams of 2024 superstars CHARYN and KALPANA purchased for 3,000 guineas and 35,000 guineas respectively and it is results of such distinction which make the Tattersalls December Mares Sale truly the most influential breeding stock sale in Europe."
