The world record price for a yearling filly was shattered on Friday, October 12 in Great Britain, during the Tattersalls October Book 1 Yearling Sale at Newmarket. A full sister to recent Group 1 Meon Valley Stud Fillies’ Mile winner Listen, the bay daughter of Sadler’s Wells, out of Brigid, by Irish River, was purchased for 2,500,000 guineas (approximately $5,330,000) by London-based bloodstock agent Charlie Gordon–Watson, on behalf of Craig Bennett of Cheshire.
Bennett, the former finance director of mobile phone business Phones4u, indicated that the record-breaking filly would join Newmarket trainer Luca Cumani, who also trains Bennett’s current Melbourne Cup favorite Purple Moon.
The filly was consigned by Brittas House Stud from Oaks Farm Stables. In addition to bringing a new record for a yearling filly, she is also the world’s highest-priced yearling in 2007. The previous record for a yearling filly was the $4,400,000 paid for a Storm Cat daughter at Keeneland in 2000. The high-selling filly at this year’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale in Lexington, KY, was a Seeking the Gold daughter purchased for $1.6 million by John Magnier’s Coolmore Stud, which stands Sadler’s Wells, Europe’s leading sire with 260 stakes winners.
The world record for a yearling colt, which still stands, was established at Keeneland in 1985 with the sale of Seattle Dancer for $13.1 million. That record was nearly broken last month at Keeneland, when a Kingmambo colt brought $11.7 million.
Founded in 1766 by Richard Tattersall, a former groom to the last Duke of Kingston, Tattersalls is the oldest bloodstock auction company in the world and the largest in Europe. It offers an average of 10,000 thoroughbreds during 15 annual sales at its Newmarket headquarters in England, as well as at Fairyhouse outside Dublin, in Ireland.
The nine sales that Tattersalls holds each year at Newmarket include market leaders in every category. The 2007 (English) Derby winner Authorized is the third consecutive Derby winner from the October Yearling Sale. All yearlings offered in Book 1 of the October Sale are eligible for the new race series, the Tattersalls Millions.
Racing at Newmarket, which is located 65 miles north of London, dates as far back as 1174. More than 2,500 racehorses are stabled in Newmarket, which has a human population of 15,000. It is estimated that one in four jobs in the town are related to horse racing.