Beach Frolic, the dam of this year’s dual Group 1 winner Palace Pier, was the star turn on the second day of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, selling for 2,200,000 guineas to MV Magnier.
Beach Frolic looked the headline lot in the 2020 renewal of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale and she did not disappoint.
Newsells Park Stud’s Julian Dollar kicked off bidding at 1,000,000 guineas with agents Alex Elliott and Rob Speers both joining in the battle it was MV Magnier, standing outside, who prevailed.
“She is a lovely mare and she has already bred an exceptional racehorse, the yearling by Highland Reel that Jamie McCalmont bought is a very nice horse too,” Magnier told Tattersalls. “She is a special mare; they don’t come up very often. Palace Pier is a very special horse, an exceptional horse – she is a good producer. I would say that we will cover her with Galileo.
“It is incredible the involvement from Floors and it is great to hear that they are keeping some mares, let’s hope they have plenty of success again. I would also just like to say what an amazing job Lady Carolyn Warren has done all the way through with this mare,” added Magnier.
The Listed winning and Group 1 placed four-year-old Sonaiyla attracted the attention of a multitude of bidders including agent Demi O’Byrne and trainer Joseph O’Brien but both were unable to match Fiona Craig who secured the daughter of Dark Angel for 900,000 guineas on behalf of Moyglare Stud.
“A case of reinvesting from the sale of Mia Maria earlier,” smiled Craig, referring to the 450,000 guineas that Moyglare Stud’s four-year mare Mia Maria sold for.
“It is basically a need for speed, that is why everybody else was bidding on her too.
“She has something that we find hard to breed, and there is that Group 1 placing. She is a pretty filly too, and she is an outcross, she can go to anything – I am so struggling with all our mares, aside from her own sire Dark Angel she can go to any of the top 15 stallions by stakes winners, which makes her invaluable.
“She can go to Galileo, Frankel, Dubawi, Kingman, Sea The Stars – she can go to all of those.”
Sonaiyla won the Listed Sweet Mimosa Stakes for owners Ennistown Stud before finishing third in the Group 1 Flying Five at the Curragh. She was consigned today by her trainer Paddy Twomey’s Athassel House Stud.
Turnover on the first day of mare trade fell just shy of 25 million during the session with seven lots selling for 500,000 guineas or more.