A colt by Darley shuttler Exceed And Excel shared top spot on the leader-board when Book 2 of Tattersalls October yearling sale began on Monday.

Agent Peter Doyle paid 150,000gns for the colt who was offered by Horse Park Stud.  He is out of Selkirk mare Merle who is an unraced half-sister to Newmarket and Sandown G3 winner Solo Mio.  “He’s a great-moving colt with a bit of size,” Doyle said.  “And the sire is very good.”

Agent Charlie Gordon-Watson bought a Kyllachy – Maugwenna colt that also made 150,000gns for Saeed Suhail.  Blandford Bloodstock had initially bought him for 20,000gns at the 2011 Tattersalls December Foal Sale.

“He’s a lovely horse and a real two-year-old type,” Gordon-Watson said.  “And the Kyllachy over Danehill cross works.”

Gordon-Watson signed for six lots including a Danehill Dancer colt from a half-sister to Californian G1 performer Zarani Sidi Anna.  “I was very happy to get him for 125,000gns,” Gordon-Watson added.  “You can spend that sort of money on a yearling by a first-season sire but he’s by a proven sire out of a Sadler’s Wells mare so it made sense.”

Tattersalls reported 183 lots changed hands for 6.96 million guineas on Day 1 of Book 2.  The average of 38,063gns was down 8% and the median of 30,000gns dropped 3%.  This year’s Book 2 is over four days compared to three in 2011 so the statistics are not strictly comparable.

Cash converter:  1,000 guineas = AUD 1,647