Rhythm Queen topped the Tattersalls February Sale at Newmarket on Thursday when she was purchased by Brook Stud owner Dwayne Woods for 55,000gns (AUD 104,100).

Rhythm Queen (Danehill Dancer) is a half-sister to French Derby runner-up Best Name and was originally a 700,000gns (AUD 1.32 million) buy at the Tattersalls yearling sale in October 2007.  

She was unplaced in two starts for David Wachman and will now join the broodmare band being developed by Eddie Stobart chief executive Andrew Tinkler.

“Andrew’s getting together a few decent broodmares and keeping them with me at Brook Stud,” said Woods.  “I can see why she cost what she did as a yearling, her conformation is as good as it can get although she wasn’t much of a racehorse.

“She’s out of an Old Vic mare and the obvious stallion would be Monsun, but that might be a bit rich for her just at the moment.”

Chrisalice, a six-year-old half-sister to 2009 Prix de l’Abbaye (G1) winner Total Gallery (Namid), was purchased by agent John O’Byrne for 50,000gns (AUD 94,625).

“With her pedigree she could go to any of the stallions at Coolmore,” said O’Byrne, whose main opponent was Total Gallery’s joint owner-breeder Seamus Kennedy.

Dr Marwan Koukash bought the expected sale-topper Pipedreamer privately before the sale and he has acquired another potentially useful prospect for this season in Prince Apollo, a five-year-old who has won three times in France for his owner-breeder Khalid Abdulla.

Trainer Ian Williams bid 46,000gns (AUD 87,050) for the Dansili entire.  “I’ve got eight for the doctor and this is a good one to add to his string,” Williams said.  “The horse has needed some time off but he’s good looking and has decent form in France.”

The one-day February sale averaged 6,745gns (AUD 12,800) which was up 3% from last year.  “This was not a vintage February Sale catalogue,” Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony said.  “The market remains selective which serves as a reminder that we still face testing times.”