575,000 Guineas for St Mark’s Basilica Filly

A five-time Group I winner and European Horse of the Year in 2021, St Mark’s Basilica made a big splash at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale on Friday when his filly from Group I Epsom Oaks winner Talent topped the session at 575,000 guineas.

The highest priced foal sold in Europe and North America this year when knocked down to Jill Lamb for Newsells Park, the star filly was consigned by Ashbrittle Stud and is a also a half-sister to Group II winner Ambition.

"She is beautiful, absolutely gorgeous, I fell in love with her as soon as I saw her," said Lamb.

"She is very athletic and has a wonderful page. She has been bought to race and to come back to Newsells Park Stud. She has two half-sisters by Dubawi and she ticked all the boxes for us. We are delighted to get her. I watched everyone going in for her and thought 'Oh my gosh!"

Ashbrittle’s stud manager Georgina Whales found the sale bittersweet, but reported there is still plenty of the top class family at home to go on with as Ambition is still on the farm and being bred to the best sires.

“This filly speaks for herself, and she has been so well behaved here. She has been really busy and had ten vets, and it was just this morning that she got tired but she still marched around the sales ring. Jill came to see her several times,” she said.

The first Australian foals by St Mark’s Basilica have impressed local breeders and the champion son of Siyouni has been busy this spring at a fee of $44,000.