NEWMARKET, UK – A record 75,166,000 gns changed hands at Book 2 this week, with the concluding Wednesday session topped by Paul McCartan's homebred €460,000 Showcasing colt, who was knocked down to the resurgent Shadwell operation. Only McCartan could produce a result like that. Even Angus Gold, Shadwell's racing manager, joked that the master behind Ballyphillip Stud must have been born “under a lucky star.” Unlike the momentum in Book 2, though, stars burn out. And this was a rip-roaring sale from start to finish with the 114,757 gns average up by 7% and the median up 12% to 85,000 gns. The clearance rate was down by just 1% to 89%.. Of course, there was a certain amount of poetry surrounding the top lot, given Shadwell was returning to the source of crack sprinter Battaash. On top of that, the operation has a certain affinity to the stallion, given Alkumait, Mohaather and Tasleet are all sons of Showcasing who achieved a lot for Shadwell on the racecourse. Gold commented, “From what I saw, he was the best horse here today. Only Paul McCartan could get a Showcasing looking as beautiful as that. He was born under a lucky star, that man! “I thought he was a lovely, lovely horse. We've had luck with Showcasing before with horses like Mohaather and Tasleet, who were smaller, neater types as yearlings; this is a much scopier individual. To my eye he didn't look anything like most Showcasings. He had a lot of class and moved beautifully for a big horse.” All told, Shadwell spent 1,815,000 gns of seven yearlings in Book 2, and Gold added, “We had [fourth dam] Arjuzah, who bred us a Group 1 winner. Malhub couldn't breathe, but he still won us a Golden Jubilee Stakes.”The Showcasing colt is the first foal out of the winning No Nay Never mare Accept The Outcome, who McCartain paid 90,000gns for here at the December Mares Sale in 2023. She is a sister to black-type performers Sigh No More, Neptune Rock and Unreasonable. McCartan commented, “I bought that mare here – I absolutely loved her then and I still love her now! I can still see her when I stood her up in the Terrace Yard and said, 'you're coming home with me!' Sigh No More [US Grade 3 winner] has come up in the pedigree and it is a great family down the line with the Group 3 winner Yellow Rosebud. I took great heart from the fact that Sonia Rogers bought a filly foal by Chaldean from the family, too. It was all lucky, but I really love No Nay Never as a broodmare sire – he's a broodmare sire of last week's Dewhurst winner [Darkness Falls (Camelot)].”He added, “She has a Too Darn Hot colt foal and she's in-foal to Mehmas. I decided on Showcasing as a first cover because I have a share in him. I thought he'd be a good physical match and that he'd be a good one to get the mare going. I am disappointed for the underbidder Conor Quirke because I know he loved the colt and he's a very good judge. He was all over Fairy Godmother when we brought her here to sell as a yearling and he missed her as well.”Prior Hails Record Trade Tattersalls managing director Matthew Prior hailed Book 2 a roaring success after a strong international buying bench contributed to the record-breaking trade. He commented, “Following an outstanding renewal of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, it has been particularly encouraging to see the sustained demand for quality yearlings continue throughout October Book 2.“Records have been established across the board, with combined turnover for Books 1 and 2 exceeding 200 million guineas for the first time. Turnover in excess 75 million guineas represents a new record for Book 2, once again reaffirming its position as Europe's second highest-grossing yearling sale behind only October Book 1. The sale of 100 yearlings for 200,000 guineas or more is a remarkable achievement which, coupled with the record average and median, both higher than those achieved at any other yearling sale in Britain or Ireland outside October Book 1, further underlines the unrivalled strength and depth of demand at Park Paddocks.”Prior added, “A notable feature of October Book 1 was the depth of American participation at Park Paddocks, with buyers from the United States purchasing more than 50 yearlings. That momentum has continued into Book 2, with new arrivals joining those who remained from Book 1 to account for a further 24 purchases totalling over 4 million guineas. We have made a concerted effort in recent years to attract buyers from North America, and it is particularly gratifying to see that commitment rewarded with such a strong presence at Tattersalls, drawn by the cream of the European yearling crop and the warm welcome and hospitality for which Tattersalls is renowned.“The Americans were joined by a strong contingent of Australian buyers, led by John Foote, who made seven purchases in his fiftieth year of coming to Tattersalls. Buyers from across the Gulf also made their presence felt, whilst we welcomed purchasers from throughout Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Turkey, alongside a competitive domestic buying bench. We must also recognise the tremendous support we continue to receive from so many Irish stud farms and consignors, alongside the very best of British breeders. Their enduring commitment to the October Yearling Sale remains a cornerstone of its success, and we are enormously grateful for their continued support.“We now look forward to Books 3 & 4 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale with optimism, as we welcome buyers from across Europe to Park Paddocks and bring to a close what has already been an outstanding renewal of the most important fortnight in the European bloodstock auction calendar.”SubplotsLittle Big Bear roars: One of the most fascinating subplots to Book 2 has been the market's reaction to Little Big Bear, with nine selling for 215,667 gns – pretty remarkable for a crop that was conceived on a €27,500 stud fee. Ballyhimikin Stud's outstanding model by the stallion, whose pedigree has been nurtured by the Hanly family for four generations, was sold to Amanda Skiffington on behalf of Coolmore for 350,000gns. Ballyhimikin's Jack Hanly commented, “Little Big Bear was very fast and precocious – he's a champion two-year-old. He's also a beautiful-looking horse, and he produces some really good stock. Hopefully that translates onto the racetrack next year. I'd say we'll be going back to him, but that'll be for the geniuses to decide! The lads at home have done a super job with this colt. It's a family we've had all the way down the page – one we've had for four generations.” The Little Big Bear colt is a brother to the classy Group 3-placed sprinter Ano Syra (Kodiac) and the family can be traced right back to top-class sprinter Balidar, bred by Hanly's grandmother Maura.Watership Down Invests: Coventry Stakes runner-up Adaay Of Scarlett (Mehmas) is one of the highly-rated two-year-olds in training and Watership Down Stud stretched to 400,000gns to secure a full-sister to that talented performer from Tally-Ho Stud. Watership Down Stud's Simon Marsh commented, “We've been looking for something that could be a two-year-old, and hopefully she can follow in the footsteps of her brother.”Sea The Stars filly flies: Watership Down Stud was responsible for one of the nicest fillies on Wednesday – by Sea The Stars, she didn't go unnoticed and Blandford Bloodstock's Richard Brown admitted that it didn't take long to realise that lot 1212 was one he wanted to come home with. And at 385,000gns, she was his. The agent said, “She was one of those where she came up, stood up and walked up and down and I think I only looked at her for a couple of seconds and went, 'yet, you're the one.' Luckily, I had a client who was willing to back my judgment and one who was particularly keen on her. She has great strength – great width of hip and a big hind end on her. I would see her as a summer two-year-old and beyond.” Speaking about this week's trade, Brown added, “Book 2 has been extremely strong. My market predictions are usually woeful and they've been woeful again because I thought it might be difficult. It's never straightforward but, considering everything that's going on in the world, it's been tremendous. From Book 1 right up until today, it's been very strong.”Buys of the dayA hard paragraph to fill given horses generally made their money and, from talking to a number of trainers and breeze-up handlers, more people than ever before came home from Book 2 empty-handed. That's not to say there wasn't good business done at the right digits. Because there was. For starters, the Yeomanstown Stud team were quick off the mark to buy Hillwood Stud's Blue Point who failed to sell in the ring early in the session. That team secured a deal at 110,000gns privately and that could look value if he breezes smartly in the Craven, for example, next spring. A very nice horse to have on the team for that assignment. Then there was the fast-looking Little Big Bear colt from Houghton Bloodstock, who looks well bought at 76,000gns to Johnny McKeever and Charlie Hills.Thought for the dayNobody's complaining, but it has been a bit of a strange yearling sale season. It's hard to deny that Donny and the Somerville lacked a small bit of atmosphere. But from the September Yearling Sale at Tattersalls Ireland onwards, the whole thing has just taken off. Anyone who got on the scoresheet early must be feeling fairly pleased with themselves. A lot of buyers still have orders to fill and there aren't many sales left. The post Record 75 Million Gns Changes Hands At Memorable Tattersalls Book 2 Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.