Tattersalls had a Historic December Mare Sales

The Tattersalls December Mare Sales 2025, held from December 1st to 3rd in Newmarket, once again solidified themselves as the global epicenter where a large part of the future of thoroughbred breeding is decided. With a turnover of 81,583,515 guineas and an average of 140,661 guineas per head, the sale displayed a sustained, deep, and extremely selective market, where the major operations of the world did not come to buy names, but structural pedigrees, complementary biotypes, and genetic tools that project entire generations. But beyond the figures, this edition stood out for its symbolism: the sale of the champion Porta Fortuna coincided with the retirement of the iconic auctioneer John O’Kelly, who received a spontaneous ovation from the public after lowering his gavel for the last time, in one of the most emotional moments in Tattersalls’ recent history.

John O’Kelly, historic auctioneer of the English auction firm.

In a catalogue loaded with depth, the sale presented a precise radiography of the genetic priorities of the Northern Hemisphere: refined speed, milers with stamina, daughters of new stallions, young maternal lines, and outcrosses compatible with the major stallions of the future. Europe, Japan, the United States, and Australia participated aggressively, showing how each region seeks to resolve its own internal needs through complementary mares. The 2025 edition also confirmed the growing value of in-foal mares by emerging stallions such as Auguste Rodin, whose first pregnant mares reached significant prices, reinforcing the idea that hybrid genetics (Europe × Japan) will dominate the next decade.

Within that context, the great protagonist of the auction was Barnavara (Calyx), sold for 4,800,000 guineas to Sugar Whiskey Trading, becoming the most expensive in-training mare in the world in 2025. The filly comes from an ascending campaign: she won a G3 at Naas, captured the Blandford Stakes (G2), and crowned her progression by winning the Prix de l’Opéra (G1). Her trainer, Jessica Harrington, confirmed that the filly will remain in training, a decision that becomes clear when analyzing her physiological and genetic architecture: Calyx contributes explosive speed, while the maternal family supports an aerobic engine that only matures at four years of age. Barnavara recalls the case of Via Sistina, sold in 2023 and later turned into a multiple G1 winner in Australia. Everything in her profile indicates that she has not yet reached her ceiling.

The other major strike was the sale of Porta Fortuna (Caravaggio), purchased for 4,200,000 guineas by MV Magnier (Coolmore). A winner of four G1s in two seasons, with victories in the Cheveley Park, Coronation, Falmouth, and Matron Stakes, Porta Fortuna retires immediately to stud. Magnier revealed that her first mating will be “most likely with Starspangledbanner,” an underestimated but extraordinarily effective stallion at producing juvenile champions such as Precise and Gstaad. The combination between Starspangledbanner and Caravaggio generates an inbreeding to Danehill 4x4, which has proven to enhance precocity without sacrificing biomechanical efficiency. For Coolmore, Porta Fortuna is a genetic anchor to reinforce the elite European speed line, at a time when the operation seeks to complement the dominant influence of Wootton Bassett and No Nay Never.

Porta Fortuna (Caravaggio) consigned by the now international Taylor Made Sales.

Another decisive move by Coolmore was the purchase of Tamfana (Soldier Hollow) for 2,600,000 guineas. The winner of the Sun Chariot Stakes (G1) will not continue racing: MV Magnier confirmed that she will be sent immediately to the farm and will be bred to Justify. The cross between the German toughness of Soldier Hollow and the North American power of the Triple Crown winner is highly appealing, especially because Justify has proven to transmit class, bone, and late-developing precocity, a pattern that fits perfectly with a mare who showed progression at four. Saqqara Sands (Oasis Dream), purchased for 2,100,000 guineas, will continue racing in the United States. Her agent, Stephen Hillen, explained that the mare has an ideal profile for racetracks with turns and that they consider an American G1 possible before her retirement. Meanwhile, Survie (Churchill), sold for 1,900,000 gns, does not yet have a defined destination: Magnier commented that they will decide whether she continues in training or enters stud, while her trainer and breeder, Nicolas Clement, expressed his desire to see her produce a top-class offspring.

Among the finest purchases from a breeding perspective is Choisya (Night of Thunder), acquired by Anthony Stroud for 2,000,000 guineas. Stroud noted that the mare will remain in Europe and that they are interested in breeding her to Frankel, a mating that, if confirmed, would be one of the most coveted nicks of the 2026 season. Night of Thunder is one of the most consistent and undervalued stallions on the continent, and his daughters are becoming elite broodmares thanks to their physical balance and fertility.

The presence of John Stewart and Resolute Bloodstock added an analytical dimension to the auction. Stewart purchased two extremely interesting mares from a genetic standpoint: Pintara (Pinatubo) for 1,800,000 gns and Understudy (Sea The Stars) for 525,000 gns. The former, undefeated in two starts and winner of the Montrose Stakes, combines the precocity of Pinatubo with the maternal depth of Altamira (Peintre Célèbre), a French family that produces stayers with exceptional aerobic efficiency. Stewart appears inclined to take her to the United States, where a selective campaign over a mile could further increase her residual value. Understudy, on the other hand, represents deep class: daughter of Sea The Stars and G2-placed at Royal Ascot, she is exactly the type of mare that amplifies quality in the second generation. Sea The Stars transmits elasticity, longevity, and a second acceleration, a group of attributes that Stewart seeks to install as a hallmark of his future production. Resolute’s strategy reveals a long-term plan aimed at creating a broodmare base that integrates European speed, classic stamina, and impeccable biomechanics.

One of the most deliberate and technically coherent operations was that of Sam Sangster Bloodstock, which acquired a group of young mares with a unified objective: all will be sent to the new stallion Diego Velázquez, recently retired and now at The National Stud, Newmarket. Among their notable purchases were Miss Justice (Justify) for 750,000 gns, Galilei (Lemon Drop Kid) for 450,000 gns, Neverland (Quality Road × Marvellous) for 310,000 gns, Shelaka (Lope de Vega) for 180,000 gns, and Dervla (Bated Breath) for 110,000 gns. Diego Velázquez, bred and raced by Coolmore, was privately sold to Sangster and, after a brief stint in the United States, represents one of the new mile-oriented projects most strongly supported by European breeders. He is a son of Galileo with a clean outcross relative to Danehill and Scat Daddy, a modern and refined biotype perfectly compatible with speed-oriented mares. Sangster Bloodstock is building a carefully curated broodmare base for a decade of production: young, correct mares with solid pedigrees and, above all, maternal lines that allow a clear reading of what the stallion transmits. Sangster is executing a plan comparable to the one that fueled the early success of Kingman, Night of Thunder, or Showcasing: supplying the stallion with diverse but high-quality mares to maximize initial variability and quickly identify the best nicks.

Japan also left a deep mark on this edition. Katsumi Yoshida, director of Northern Farm and one of the most influential personalities in global racing, invested 2,350,000 guineas in three carefully selected mares: Lady of Spain (Phoenix of Spain) for 900,000 gns, Rage Of Bamby (Saxon Warrior) for 750,000 gns, and Tax Implications (Mehmas) for 700,000 gns. Yoshida does not buy for today; he buys for two generations ahead. Lady of Spain brings classic European speed, Rage Of Bamby introduces the Japanese branch of Deep Impact via Saxon Warrior combined with a European base that enriches genetic variability, and Tax Implications adds the precocious explosiveness of Mehmas, a type of speed the Japanese program uses strategically to reinject quickness every two or three generations. The average of his purchases, 783,333 gns, underscores that Yoshida does not compete by volume, but by precision. Japan values, and pays heavily for— mares that can produce horses with wide stride, the ability to sustain strong fractions, and a competitive mindset, the three pillars that define the modern Japanese champion.

Another key element of the 2025 market was the impact of the first mares in foal to Auguste Rodin, whose pregnancies sold between 110,000 and 180,000 gns. Angelica Tree, Bahama Girl, and Dolphin were among the most notable. This initial success confirms that the son of Deep Impact and Galileo will be a pillar for Coolmore and for breeders seeking to combine Japanese explosiveness with European classic structure. In-foal mares by emerging stallions always act as a market confidence thermometer, and Auguste Rodin exceeded expectations in his first appearance as sire of broodmares sold at auction.

If anything became clear in this December Mare Sale, it is that the global racing world is in a moment of genetic transition: Europe is recharging with refined speed and hybrid lines; Japan continues collecting European outcrosses to feed its stamina stallions; the United States searches for mares capable of sustaining fast miles; and private operations such as Sangster’s design ten-year plans based on structural depth. The high values were not explained by immediate commercial return, but by the ability of these mares to reshape entire populations.

The 2025 auction will be remembered for strong figures, intelligent purchases, and new genetic directions. But it will be remembered above all because a cycle closed: the ovation to John O’Kelly, lowering his gavel for the last time while Porta Fortuna left the ring.