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50 for Blue Point
Darley shuttler Blue Point (Shamardal) sired his 50th individual winner from his first crop when Word’s Out (2 f ex Voice Of Truth by Dubawi) got off the mark in a maiden over 1300 metres at Deauville on Tuesday. Racing for the second time, the Andrew Fabre-trained filly beat Tazara (Blue Point) by a neck with Nice Spirit (Invincible Spirit) another two lengths away in third. A homebred for Godolphin, Word’s Out is the third foal out of the winning Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) mare Voice Of Truth making her a half-sister to the US Grade 2 winner Eternal Hope (Teofilo). Voice Of Truth herself is a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Rio De La Plata (Rahy). Blue Point will stand the upcoming northern hemisphere breeding season at Kildangan Stud for a fee of €60,000 (approx. AU$99,320).
UK: Sioux Nation colt leads the way at Tattersalls
At the time of going to press, a colt by former Swettenham Stud shuttler Sioux Nation (Scat Daddy) was leading the way during the second session of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale yesterday after Sophie Buckley’s Culworth Grounds Farm went to 135,000gns (approx. AU$271,800) to secure the Langton Stud-consigned youngster. Offered as Lot 558, the foal is out of winning mare Rainbow Springs (Selkirk), the dam of Group 3-placed Oneforthegutter (Muhaarar). Rainbow Springs herself is a daughter of Group 1 placegetter Pearl Dance (Nureyev), making her a half-sister to French Group 3 scorer Sparkling Beam (Nayef) and Born In China (Shamardal), who has been placed at Group 3 level three times in Hong Kong. Further back this is the same family as 2006 Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winner Delta Blues (Dance In The Dark).
UK: Turnover down on challenging day at Tattersalls December Foal Sale
Even those with the most positive disposition couldn’t fail to notice the direction of travel during a challenging day one of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale on Tuesday. The bare facts state that turnover was down by 51 per cent compared to the corresponding session last year, with aggregate sales of 1,517,450gns (approx. AU$3.04 million). The average dropped by 32 per cent to 11,240gns (approx. AU$22,570) and the median was back by 38 per cent at 8,000gns (approx. AU$16,065), having been 13,000gns 12 months earlier. Most sobering of all was the clearance rate of just 59 per cent, with 135 lots sold from 227 offered. Not all breeders were left downbeat by events in the ring though, particularly those with the progeny of Havana Grey (Havana Gold) to sell. Paul Gardner of Springcombe Park Stud bred the colt out of Ebrah (Singspiel) who topped the session when selling to Adrian O’Brien of Hazelwood Bloodstock for 65,000gns (approx. AU$130,615).
UK: Affordability check petition passes 100,000 signatures
The British government has received a firm rejection of its plan to introduce affordability checks from racing’s participants and fans after a petition backed by the sport that called for the measures to be scrapped passed 100,000 signatures on Tuesday night. A debate in parliament will now be considered.