A record 17 yearlings fetched seven-figure sums at Tattersalls' thoroughbred sales in Newmarket, where more than 1,800 horses sold for £133m in just 72 hours.
The one-year-olds have never raced, but they are sired by champions such as Frankel, who retired undefeated, and Galileo, winner of the Derby and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Over the next few years, these horses are tipped to compete in the world's biggest flat races, including The Derby, the Ascot Gold Cup, the Oaks, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas, and the St Leger.
Sheikh Mohammed's £28m Spending Spree
United Arab Emirates Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum spent £28m over three days on 25 horses for his Godolphin stable, nine of which cost £1m or more. His most expensive purchase, 'Lot 130', fetched £4.8m, the highest price for any horse in European history.
The chestnut colt is by Night of Thunder, winner of the 2014 2000 Guineas, who was himself sired by Dubai Millennium. The Brit-bred Dubai Millennium won the Dubai World Cup before dying at age five from grass sickness, an equine ailment caused by eating bacteria-infected food.
International Buyers Drive Top End
Bloodstock expert Richard Brown, who bought a horse for £1.4m, said: "The top end of this week has been exceptional. International people from every corner of the globe have been here competing to buy British and Irish thoroughbreds, and that's what's driving that top. We're very lucky that there's people with big pockets who are willing to come and play."
Other buyers included footballer-turned-racing trainer Michael Owen, triple champion jockey Ryan Moore, and King Charles III's racing manager John Warren. Despite the high stakes, the crowd was casual, with Sheikh Mohammed, 77, arriving in a green tracksuit and white trainers.
Auctioneer and Director Note Global Appeal
Tattersalls' first female auctioneer, Shirley Anderson-Jolag, a former opera singer, said: "Not much beats this for pure drama. When huge sums of money are being bid the entire place goes silent. All you can hear is the sounds of the horses' hooves in the parade ring. Then as the winner is recognised there is this sudden murmur of excitement and realisation something extraordinary has just happened."
Managing director Matthew Prior said the sale had become the 'focus' of the international horse world, welcoming a 'truly global audience' to see the 'cream of the crop'. He noted an 'unprecedented number of North American buyers' and added: "We now look forward with a degree of optimism."
