Mares in Foal to Coolmore Sires in Demand

The second session of the 2011 Tattersalls December Breeding Stock Sale was highlighted by three top class mares in foal to Coolmore sires that all sold for in excess of $1million. Topping the sale was blue-blooded stakes-winning Danehill mare Sumora, who fetched 2.4 million guineas to the bid of MV Magnier. A three-quarter sister to Group I English Oaks winner Dancing Rain, Sumora is the dam of this year’s champion two year-old filly Maybe and was offered in foal to that filly’s sire Galileo. “She’s for Derrick [Smith] and Michael [Tabor], and we hoped we wouldn’t have to pay that much,” said MV Magnier. “These sorts of mare are very rare, they don’t come on the market very well, and you’ve obviously got Maybe and the Oaks winner there on the page. She’ll be going back to Galileo next year.” Selling for 1.7 million guineas to Katsumi Yoshida of Japan was Reve D’Iman, who was offered in foal to Montjeu. A proven stakes producer, Reve D’Iman is the dam of Group I Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Bethrah. "We own her sister Reve d’Oscar, who has produced two stakes winner in Japan," explained Northern Farm’s Shunsuke Yoshida. “We’d been looking at this mare for a while and are pleased to have got her. She’ll come back to Japan.” The third top seller of the session at 1.3 million guineas was Pearling, a full sister to champion sire Giant’s Causeway offered in foal to Galileo in her first season at stud. She was sold to Tony Nerses, acting for Kuwaiti-based owners Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar, who own Blue Diamond Stud near Newmarket. “She is an exciting new addition to our broodmare band and had everything we wanted--substance, a good page and great bloodlines," said Nerses. “We need this sort of blood on our stud, she's higher end, and we’ll keep the Galileo colt she is carrying to race.”