Another Show-Stopping Performance From Norris At Slimmed-Down Somerville Sale

[Wandering Eyes]

The slimmed-down Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale resulted in meaty rises in the median and average on a day when Jenny Norris, consignor of Windsor Castle Stakes winner Havana Hurricane at this sale 12 months, backed up those exploits by sending out a Havana Grey filly [lot 39] to command joint top-lot status at 160,000gns to Rabbah Bloodstock. 

Norris Bloodstock shared the spoils with Guy O'Callaghan's Grangemore Stud, who sold a Dark Angel colt [65] out of Listed-winning speedster Measure Of Magic to Highflyer's Anthony Bromley on behalf of owner Phil Cunningham. That buying team followed on from last week's Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale spending spree to also end this sale as the leading buyer. 

Havana Hurricane was sourced by Bromley on behalf of Eve Johnson Houghton for just 9,000gns last year. Success breeds success in this game and Norris is a good example of that old saying given her Havana Grey filly – bred by Lord Margadale – proved one of the Somerville show-stoppers on Tuesday.

“We did not expect her to make quite that much,” Norris beamed. “But we had targeted this sale to be a standout. The pedigree is strong enough to go later, but the pedigree has done so well here that we'd keep that trend going. It's a good start to the Tattersalls season for us – let's hope she goes on to become a Royal Ascot winner!”

Norris added, “She has been extremely busy and we have had plenty of vets, which gives you confidence. It is lovely for Lord Margadale. He was not going to give her away and has had the whole family and it is close to his heart. But I said we could be brave as she has been very popular. We sold Francisco's Piece as a foal here and Windstormblack at this sale. It is a lovely family.”

The Havana Grey filly is out of a winning Sakhee's Secret mare Josefa Goya, who as Norris alluded to, is a producer of two black-type performers. It was Jono Mills who signed for the filly on behalf of Rabbah Bloodstock.

He commented, “She is a very nice horse by a very exciting stallion and is reared by a great farm and is near the pick of the fillies today. She is a balanced, attractive horse and we are hopeful she will be a proper two-year-old.”

As for the sale on the whole, it followed on from the momentum built up at Doncaster last week, with the new one-day format getting a resounding thumbs up from buyers and vendors alike. The proof is in the eating given the average climbed 21% to 34,254gns and the median by 14% to 25,000. The average was up a massive 11% to 90% while the 7,878,500gns was a little over 1 million gns down on last year, that ended up being a massive result given the catalogue was slimmed back by 43% [194 horses].

Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony said, “This is the fifth year of the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale, and it has proved to be a record-breaking edition, with a joint record top price, a record number of six-figure lots, a new benchmark for the average, and a clearance rate of 90%.

“The sale has quickly established itself as an important fixture in the European yearling sales calendar, and there has been plenty of positive feedback from consignors regarding the high level of inspections over the past couple of days.” 

He added, “With racecourse successes such as Royal Ascot winner Havana Hurricane, purchased for just 9,000gns last year, and Group 3 Solario Stakes winner A Bit Of Spirit two of 41 Group or Listed performers since 2023 – it is no surprise that the sale has produced such strong results. Combined with the prize-money increases for both the Somerville and October Auction Stakes, each of which will be run for a minimum of £200,000 in 2026, it is clear that the Somerville Yearling Sale continues to go from strength to strength.

“We made a conscious decision this year to reduce the number of lots in the catalogue, shortening the sale from two days to one, a move that has been met with numerous positive comments. We now look forward to Books 1 – 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and to showcasing the cream of the European yearling crop.”

Cunningham: 'If They Keep Winning, We'll Keep Buying'

Phil Cunningham may be having his best-ever season on a racecourse in terms of prize-money [over £554,000] earned and, keen not to rest on his laurels, the owner took his overall spend at the yearling sales in Britain this year to nearly £2 million by spending 677,000gns on seven lots on Tuesday. 

That outlay was headed by the 160,000gns Dark Angel colt sourced from Grangemore Stud while the buying team, which is headed by Bromley, also swooped for the only colt by Too Darn Hot in the sale at 135,000gns. Other noteworthy additions included a Mehmas colt out of Listed-winning Kodiac mare Atomic Lady from Tally-Ho Stud at 100,000gns. 

Speaking after signing for the joint sale-topping Dark Angel colt, Cunningham said, “The mum was very fast and I think he's going to be early – I think it's one of the earliest foaling dates [January 3] I've seen. Richard picked him and the optimistic trainer tells me he's probably going to be our first runner next season. So let's wait and see if he's right.”

He added, “We bought eight at Doncaster. We bought some expensive horses and we tend to come to Doncaster and then on to this sale here. We are looking for the more precocious types to crack on with and it seems to be going well. If they keep winning, we'll keep buying.”

Aguiar Goes Big On Perfect Power Colt

Robson Aguiar ought to know what a good son of Perfect Power should look like given he was involved in the breezing of the triple Group 1 winner along with Tally-Ho Stud. 

In fact, Aguiar also played a hand in the breezing of Perfect Power's sire Ardad, who also passed through the breeze-up system under the Tally-Ho tutelage, and Aguiar said that lot 118, who he sourced from Barton Stud for 105,000gns, had all of the right attributes to make it as a racehorse and even labelled him as his pick of the sale. 

Rodrigo Goncalves, bidding on behalf of Aguiar, who was sitting the trainers' course in Ireland, held off Jono Mills on the Perfect Power colt.

Speaking from home, Aguiar said, “I bought him for the track. I like this horse a lot. I broke in and breezed his grandad [Ardad] and I breezed his dad [Perfect Power] as well. He is very athletic and very racy. Hopefully he will do well. I was at Tattersalls all day on Saturday. I saw all of the horses and then I came back on Sunday. The only horse that I really wanted today was him.”

The Perfect Power colt was bred by the Rogues Gallery, best known for owning top-class racehorses rather than breeding them. He is out of Rogue Missile (Dandy Man), who carried the red and white colours of the syndicate to win twice for Tom Clover. The Perfect Power colt is her first produce and was consigned by Barton Stud. 

That outfit's chief Tom Blain commented, “He's the first horse we've sold for Rogues Gallery, although Tony [Elliott, syndicate founder] has had mares with us for a couple of years. This is a first foal out of Rogue Missile, who Tom Clover always thought was a very nice filly. He's a very good first foal with a very good walk. He got a place in Book 2 but we thought we'd bring him here and stand out a bit. It was the right call because we ended up with Robson and Jono Mills from Rabbah on the horse. It's a really good result. Some of the owners are here and it's given them a great buzz. It's a thrill for us too but I'm just delighted for them.”

Talking points

• One of the most expensive horses of the sale was bought to go breezing, with Tom Whitehead of Powerstown Stud going to 145,000gns to secure a Starman colt from Tally-Ho Stud. Whitehead said that a return to Park Paddocks for the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale could be in the mix for the colt out of Pooky (Twilight Son), herself a daughter of Listed winner Firenze (Efisio), who is the dam of smart sprinter Harry's Bar. Not many breeze-up handlers can boast out-bidding Amo boss Kia Joorabchian but Whitehead was intent on adding lot 97 to his roster for the upcoming breeze-up season.  Whitehead said, “The stallion is flying and this is a nice horse. I'll probably bring him back here [for the Craven] if the wheels stay on the wagon. Hopefully he'll be lucky. The market seems to be strong here today.”

• Less than a week after spending £110,000 on a colt by Persian Force at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, Amo Racing continued its support for the young stallion by going to 90,000gns to secure a filly by the Group 2 scorer from Tally-Ho Stud. It was Alex Elliott who did the bidding on behalf of Amo boss and football agent Kia Joorabchian who, with the earlier closing time [7pm] to the transfer window on Monday, was able to make it to the Somerville Sale in plenty of time. He said, “She is a very good-looking filly and a bit of a standout for the whole team today – everyone put her up to Kia independently. Kia got here in good time after the transfer window closed late last night. I was a bit worried he wouldn't, especially as she was in early.” On the progeny of Persian Force on the whole, Elliott added, “Listen, he is producing very nice, hardy-looking horses. He is by Mehmas and Mehmas was obviously a top two-year-old. Persian Force was also a top two-year-old and I think he's going to be very attractive to, not only trainers, but many people within the breeze-up community. It's all been very positive so far.”

• There's something rather uplifting about seeing a belter by a less-fashionable sire like Mattmu making 55,000gns. There were a few examples of good-looking horses by unheralded stallions making their money at Donny and, in the case of lot 130 here on Tuesday, the Mattmu colt consigned by Marley Girls Bloodstock, he clearly didn't go unnoticed. None other than Anthony Bromley, bidding on behalf of Eve Johnson Houghton, landed the precocious-looking colt. Of course, it would be a disservice to the horse to say that he didn't boast a bit of book given he is out of a winning Kingman mare who is the dam of recent Listed winner Anaisa (Ardad), and he was bred by that filly's trainer, Tim Easterby. Nevertheless, there would be plenty of people who wouldn't pull out a son of Mattmu, who stands for just £2,000 at Norton Grove Stud. More fool them.
• Palace Pier has enjoyed an outstanding second half to the season headlined by A Bit Of Spirit's gritty Group 3 Solario Stakes success and the Group 2 Lowther Stakes victory for Royal Fixation. Other notable recent winners include the Stonehenge Stakes scorer Morris Dancer, and Ted Durcan is clearly taking note of Palace Pier's prowess given he went to 135,000gns to secure a filly from Plantation Stud by the outstanding miler. Durcan said, “She looks nice and racy and is for an existing client. I genuinely think that any nice horse is making its money. It was a strong market last week and it's a strong market today. The nice horses are not being missed. It's a healthy market overall.”
• Nat Barnett has had a lot of success in France but lot 128, a Dark Angel filly sourced from Yeomanstown Stud for 120,000gns, will be going into training with Karl Burke. She was bought alongside owner Will Sangwin. Barnett said, “We have had all of our horses so far together in France and we've had a lot of luck out there. Will is based up in Yorkshire and was keen to have a horse over here. I had a two-year-old with Karl last year called Antonin Dvorak. He was the only yearling for our syndicate and he won a couple and then sold very well [for 220,000gns at the Autumn horses-in-training sale] here. That prompted the decision to go back to Karl here. Obviously this filly has a very strong page and looks a lovely, precocious type. Hopefully she's one that'll crack on early next year.”
• While the usual suspects dominated at the top end, young Oli Rix, who is due to set up as a trainer in Newmarket before the end of this year, signed for his first ever yearling alongside bloodstock agent Charlie Dee. Lot 6, a Profitable filly consigned by Kildaragh Stud, was bought on spec by the 31-year-old, who boasts a glittering CV having spent time working with some of the best trainers in the business. Rix explained, “This is the first ever yearling I bought and she was sourced with the help of my friend Charlie Dee. I have done my time with a fair few trainers. I started with Andrew Balding, spent three years with Hughie Morrison and a year with Chris Waller in Australia. I also spent a year with Hugo Palmer and am in my fourth year now with Roger Varian. I am setting up in Newmarket and will be doing my best to drum up a bit of interest. The filly today was bought on spec and we plan on buying a few horses-in-training as well. We bought one at the July Sale but I am hoping we can acquire a few more.”
• It really was a day when youth came to the fore as Jake Campbell, who has spent time with Tally-Ho and Monceaux, made his debut appearance as a consignor under the banner of Lanark Bloodstock a memorable one when selling a Blue Point filly to James Tate on behalf of Rabbah Bloodstock for 130,000gns. Campbell, who also works closely with Alex Elliott, said, “This is the first horse I have consigned. She belongs to a client, Richard Frayne, who is a great supporter, and it was one of my very first mating plans. We used Blue Point in year four. He was easier to use in that year and it has paid off.”

Golden Touch

Ger Kennedy of Sherbourne Lodge gets famously shy whenever a microphone is waved in front of his face but, when you turn €3,000 into 50,000gns – that's nearly €70,000 –  words come a little more easily. The man they call 'Pockets' left Park Paddocks with his trousers laden with cash after lot 84, an Almanzor colt sourced the previous December at Arqana, sold to Billy Jackson-Stops on behalf of Andrew Balding. 

“A bit of luck and a little bit of feeding,” Kennedy quipped after securing one of the biggest pinhooking profits of the sale. “He was always a lovely horse and it just happened. Beautiful horse with a really good action. If you have a nice horse, you'll sell them in this market. And you can't beat selling in sterling, either!”

He added on the overall health of the yearling market, “There has been a really good and solid trade here today. The trade in Doncaster was brilliant as well and it is great to see. If you have the horse, the money is there, which is good. You can't blame people for not wanting to buy a bad horse in the current climate. But the nice horses are making plenty of money and the market is strong. We have three for the Orby, 10 for Book 1, seven for Book 2 and four for Book 3, so we're only starting. But you'd have to say it's been a very positive start to the yearling sale season. And going back to a one-day sale here has definitely been a help. People don't need all this hanging around at sales.”

Thought for the Day

The catalogues for the Premier Yearling Sale and the Somerville Yearling Sale were numerically down on previous years but the figures were up. Safe to say that less is in fact more

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