Spinning Queen sets sales record

Sparks flew on Monday evening at Tattersalls’ December Sale with Spinning Queen breaking the European record for the price paid at a public auction for a filly.

This year’s Group One Sun Chariot Stakes winner fetched a staggering 3,000,000 gns – a figure that is 500,000 gns more than the previous highest, paid for Dance Design in 1997, also at Tattersalls.

The three-year-old daughter of Spinning World, trained in Lambourn by Barry Hills, is to go to stud after a career which saw her triumph four times.

As a packed auditorium at the Newmarket sales’ house looked on, bloodstock agent James Wigan of London Thoroughbred Services was eventually the successful bidder, but he did not disclose the name of the client he was representing.

He said: “She is for an existing client and will go to Waddesdon Stud (in Buckinghamshire) where she will be kept.

“She has got a great pedigree and was very impressive at Newmarket (in the Sun Chariot), beating some of the best fillies around.”

Less than an hour earlier Short Skirt, third in this year’s Oaks and also a dual Group winner, also went under the hammer for 1.4m gns.

John Ferguson, bloodstock advisor to Sheikh Mohammed, signed the successful ticket for the three-year-old Diktat filly and indicated that her future lies with Godolphin.

“It is highly likely that she will race next season and highly likely that it will be in blue colours,” said Ferguson.

Another dual Group-winner La Chunga was knocked down for 485,000 gns and is set to feature in the first book of mares to be covered by George Washington, the brilliant winner of this year’s 2,000 Guineas.

La Cucaracha, the 2005 Nunthorpe Stakes heroine, made 525,000 gns and was signed for by bloodstock agent James Delahooke.

Delahooke said: “She has been bought for an American client who, in the fullness of time, will decide whether he breeds her here or over there.”