At the conclusion of the 2020 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented;

“If ever there were any doubt as to the unique status of Newmarket as the hub of European racing and breeding it has been dispelled over the past two weeks of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. The heritage of Newmarket is a priceless commodity and has without doubt played a huge part in the strength of the market over the past two weeks.

“This town has an infrastructure and workforce dedicated to the thoroughbred industry and as such is uniquely placed to cope with the obstacles and challenges thrown at us all by the global COVID pandemic. Ever since the lockdown in March, the industry and the town have worked together in full compliance with all the prevailing rules and regulations to ensure that horses could be cared for at the same time as ensuring safe working environments for everyone at all times.

"Those same principles have been applied at all 11 sales which have taken place at Tattersalls since the end of June and yet again we would like to express our gratitude to every individual who has participated at any of these sales. It has not been easy at times and selling rates have regrettably, but inevitably, been slowed by the new bidding arrangements we have had to introduce, but everybody has shown incredible resolve and they have been rewarded with a market which has displayed remarkable resilience and continued to demonstrate a sustained appetite for the cream of European yearlings in all sectors of the market.

“Similar to Books 1 and 2, Book 3 of the October Yearling Sale has seen a healthy mixture of domestic and overseas competition, albeit at a lower level and we continue to admire the determination of buyers in the face of unprecedented difficulties.

"The live internet bidding platform has again been invaluable and will no doubt be even more extensively used at the forthcoming Autumn Horses in Training Sale, while buyers in attendance have also worked incredibly hard to assist many of those unable to attend.

"The spirit of industry-wide co-operation has been outstanding and will continue to serve us well as we endeavour to provide as vibrant a market as possible at both the forthcoming Autumn Horses in Training Sale and the December Sales which will bring an extraordinary Tattersalls sales season to a close." ()

Lot 2017: trainer Francisco Castr spends 10,000gns on the colt by Poet's Voice out of Sensible (Almutawakel) from Houghton Bloodstock. The filly is a full-sister to Stricker, who was trained in Sweden, won four races and was placed 12 times. He also travelled to Dubai where he was placed in a handicap on the Dirt.

"He is for the same owners who had Stricker," said Castr, "and he goes to Sweden."

Castr also bought the Helmet half-brother in 2016 for £20,000. He was called Couples and was also a four-time winner in Sweden and stakes placed.

The pair are two winners from four winners from four runners for the mare. (12:10)

Lot 2007: "She has been bought with Nick Bradley Racing, we have been looking for fillies," said George Boughey after spending 11,000gns on this daughter of Equiano sold by Llety Farms.

"She is a nice physical, has a good walk, she is bonus qualified. Her half-brother Ataser looks a good horse and has chances of becoming a stakes horse. She is sharp early two-year-old and could be one to go on to the US," added Boughley.

Ataser, a winner of a nursery at York, has run five times and won again since the catalogue was published. A son of Sayif he is BHA rated 90.

See Lot 1807 (Time Test filly) to read Nick Bradley's explanation as to why he has concentrated on buying fillies this autumn. (11:36)

Book 3 sale statistics (+/- % compared with 2019)

Lots catalogued: 602 (605)

Lots offered: 538 (545)

Lots sold: 459 (434)

Aggregate: 7,367,200gns (+5%)

Median: 11,000gns (+10%)

Average: 16,051gns (-1%)

% clearance: 85%

Four top lots: all sold for 130,000gns: Lot 1447, Lot 1367, Lot 1564, Lot 1428

Leading purchasers (by aggregate, cumulative): 1. Blandford Bloodstock, 2. Rabbah Bloodstock, 3.Joe Foley

Leading consignors (by aggregate, cumulative): 1. The National Stud, 2. The Castlebridge Consignment, 3. Keith Harte

Leading sires (any aggregate,, cumulative): 1. Havana Gold, 2. Time Test, 3. Bated Breath

Leading sires (by average, two or more sold): 1. Mehmas, 2. Churchill, 3. Farm (23:50)

Lot 1923: the Authorized colt from The Castlebridge Consignment tops Day 2 of Book 3 selling for 90,000gns. He was bought by Alex Elliott with trainer Jedd O'Keeffe underbidder. Mark Johnson, Highflyer and James Tate were also involved in the bidding on this Rabbah Bloodstock-bred May-born colt.

"Long day waiting for this chap, but worth waiting for him!" exclaimed Alex Ellitt. "He is going to go to Ireland for a client, he has got lots of options. He is by a sire that we love, they don't make them in Europe anyway as Authorized is in Turkey. This colt could run next year on the Flat – he is brother to 106-rated filly – or we can keep him and we can go the NH route.

"He is a beautiful horse, had a great outlook, vetted out good. He has also got French premiums so the list of options are endless. I thought that he would top the sale. "

Elliott added that his client was looking for a dual-purpose type. "He is a horse that will end up jumping, he could be a Flat horse that will go jumping, but he won't end up in Australia. Hopefully, he ends up at Cheltenham, but it won't be Melbourne!"

His half-sister is the Listed winner Scentasia (Cape Cross) and although his own dam Sweet Rose (New Approach) was unraced, his second dam White Rose and third dam Wild Romance were both champion two-year-old fillies in Germany.

Of the week's sale, Elliott reflected: "Book 2 was a bit like Brexit - no one expected Brexit! For me it was hard, but I had some good clients and we bought some good staying horses. Book 3 is my favourite, you can really trawl through the catalogue and find the pedigrees.

"Book 3 is just a great sale," he continued. "I bought Dave Dexter here, he was a Listed winner, it is a fun sale because it gives you a chance to find a few sleepers!"

Dave Dexter (Stimulation) was a 32,000gns purchase in 2017 for trainer Ralph Becket. He won the Harry Rosebery Stakes (L) in 2018. He has now run 17 times, collected four wins and was third in a 5f handicap at Leicester at the beginning of October off a mark 87. (19:23)

Lot 1860: the son of Al Kazeem sold by Oakgrove Stud, the Chepstow-based farm which stands the 12-year-old son of Dubawi, sells for 35,000gns bought by Troy Steve for Highbury Stud.

Al Kazeem's best performer to date is Preis von Europa (G1) winner Aspetar, who is out of a mare by Dansili. This filly is bred on similar lines to Aspetar – she is out of Pointer, a mare by Bated Breath, a son of Dansili.

Unraced Pointer is a daughter of the Group 2 winner Daring Miss, from the Juddmonte family of Enable, Flintshire, Dance Routine and Spanish Moon. (18:01)

Lot 1839: the Night Of Thunder colt takes himself to the top of the day's proceedings when selling for 46,000gns to trainer James Tate.

"Obviously Night Of Thunder has done incredibly well so we were looking for his stock," said Tate. "We thought he was a really lovely example of the stallion and really liked the way he walked around the ring. Fingers crossed he will be a good horse."

Sean Gollogly with his son, also Sean, bred the April-born first foal out of Moonstone Rock (Rock Of Gibraltar) sold by Eric Cantillon of Plumton Hall Stud.

"I am delighted for the Golloglys,"said Cantillon. "It is a great price. We have had the horse since January when he was weaned and he has always been a nice horse, but the price has surprised us. The stallion has been doing very well and perhaps it was good to be a big fish in a small pond.

"They are small breeders near Epsom and it is great for them; the Golloglys are very good friends."

It is not the first sale success the team have had together – Cantillion sold the sale-topping Gollogly-bred Group 2 Norfolk Stakes runner-up Reignier, a Kheleyf half-brother to Moonstone Rock, for £25,000 in 2008.

Moonstone Rock produce a full-sister this spring. (16:40)

Lot 1807: Nick Bradley of syndicate Nick Bradley Racing puts his faith into Time Test and buys this daughter of The National Stud sire for 45,000gns, the session's top lot so far.

She is out of an unraced Canford Cliffs mare Leap Of Joy, from the family of Coronation Stakes (G1) winner Maids Causeway. She was sold by The Castlebridge Consignment for breeder Lady Richard Wellesley.

"She had a Book 1 physical to my mind,"said Bradley, adding: "The 45,000gns was more than I wanted to spend and Federico [Barberini, underbidder] is a fair judge, and generally if I am on one, then he is on one, and he made me pay! She is a belting physical, she will join Richard Fahey."

Of Time Test, Bradley said: "Of the first-crop sires I really like are Time Test and Churchill."

In total this yearling sale season Bradley has bought "20-something" yearlings. "I have sold nearly all of them already. Everything I bought in Book 2 has sold out," he added.

"I own 22 fillies and not one colt. My theory is that if I won the Dewhurst, it would have to be by a fashionable stallion then I would want to be selling the horse on and then the owners say 'why are you trying to sell it on?'

"If we won the Cheveley Park or the Fillies' Mile the value will be there all the time, then I won't be in a rush to sell them and the owners can live out their dreams. The GB bonus helps as well - we complain about prize-money but there is 20 grand there for winning a race."

The National Stud's Tim Lane, busy with the farm's own draft, is delighted with the continuing progress made by the stallion.

"It is all testament to everyone who used Time Test," said Lane. "We all know what can happen in the spring and coming through to the autumn. He stamps them, they have got the Dubawi middle, great action and very good minds." (15:39)

Lot 1765: the only lot by Coulsty offered in Book 3 is bought by Dave Loughnane Racing for 18,000gns from Rathasker Stud.

The filly is out of Generous Heart (Sakhee's Secret), a half-sister to Leitrim House (Cadeaux Genereux), a four-time winner and winner of the Tetrarch Stakes (G3), and Place In My Heart (Compton Place), a dual winner (including at Listed level) and Group 3 placed. She is dam of the Queen Mary Stakes (G2) and Flying Childers Stakes (G2) winner Heartache.

First-season sire Coulsty is sire of seven winners from 21 runners, a 33.33 per cent strike-rate.

He has had one Group 3 winner – Santosha (out of a Zoffany mare), winner of the Princess Margaret Stakes (G3) and third in Duchess of Cambridge Stakes (G2). He has also had the Listed winner Suicide Squad (out of Dutch Art mare) in Italy and Coulthard (out of a Dark Angel mare), who finished third in Round Tower Stakes (G3). (14:24)

Lot 1751: The National Stud sells this colt by Time Test to Heels Bloodstock for 40,000gns.

The colt is out of the Exceed And Excel mare Excello, who was third in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes (L) and is now dam of four winners from four runners and five foals.

Of Time Test's first yearling sales crop, The National Stud's Tim Lane said: "Amazing! At the end of Book 2, his average was 90,600gns [five sold], we were delighted. A good stallion has to stamp his stock and he has, and they have great minds. They’ve got a bit of swagger. He’s fully booked in New Zealand, he’s got 135 mares and might cover a few more than that." (13:09)

Lot 1744: "The mare seems to be very good, she has had two black-type runners both rated over 100, Montatham recently second in a Listed, I am hoping it is going to be a very good buy! " said Oliver Cole outside the sale ring after buying this Barton Stud-consigned Havana Gold colt for 38,000gns for the training partnership with his father Paul Cole.

Eastern Destiny was a good performer herself – she was rated 89, won four times and was fourth in the Hoppings Stakes (L) – while her second foal Troubador was a runner-up in the Redcar Two Year Old Trophy (L). (12:57)

Lot 1723: Trickledown Stud sells trainer Hugo Palmer a son of Hot Streak for 25,000gns. She is a half-sister to Golden Spell (Al Kazeem), winner of three races and placed 10 times, including six times in Listed races and once at Group 3 level.

Dam Cross Patteee is by Oasis Dream and from the Hascombe And Valiant Studs family of Bronze Cannon, winner of the Hardwicke Stakes (G2) and the Jockey Club Stakes (G2), to Across The Stars (Sea The Stars), winner of the King Edward Stakes (G2), and to Valiant Girl, a Grade 3 winner in the US.

It is the further family of Prize Giving, a Grade 2 winner and Grade 1 placed. (12:33)

Lot 1720: Rathbarry Stud sells a scopey colt by the Speightstown stallion Central Banker for 17,000gns, Eddie Ahern the purchaser.

The US stallion Central Banker stands at McMahon Thoroughbreds, Saratoga. As a three-year-old he finished second in the 7f Malibu Stakes (G1) and third in the 7f King's Bishop Stakes (G1). At four he won the 7f Churchill Downs Stakes (G2).

This yearling colt is out of the Raven's Pass mare Cravin Raven, a winner in the US and dam of a winner. She is from the European family of Broome and her third dam Galaxie Dust is ancestress of the likes of Spotlight, Rostropovich, Zoffany and Cassydora. (12:11)

Lot 1696: Ballylinch Stud sire New Bay has had a smashing year on the track, and his stock have been really popular at the October Sale. This last chance to buy a yearling by the son of Dubawi produced a battle through to 42,000gns, won by Rabbah Bloodstock. The filly was sold by The National Stud.

Jonno Mills of Rabbah said: “She was a nice filly, by a very exciting stallion by Dubawi, who looks like he’s turning into a fabulous sire of sires. She’s very nice and we’re very glad we got her.”

“We have a good week, the trade is amazing. Long may it last!,"laughed Tim Lane of the National Stud. "It's the biggest draft of yearlings we’ve sold in a long time and we’ve been very lucky. This is a lovely filly and New Bay is flying.It is a very active page and she is from a Juddmonte family."

New Bay's Book 2: average 160,143gns, 7 sold (11:26)

Lot 1662: Keith Harte enjoyed a great day yesterday selling one of the Book 3 first session four joint-top price lots for 130,000gns (Lot 1564, by Churchill) and today enjoyed another good sale, this time courtesy of the Fast Company colt out of the Harbour Watch mare Yogi's Girl who fetched 40,000gns.

Harte with Howson & Houldsworth BS pinhooked the yearling last February for €27,000 from breeder Ms Ciara Doyle, Barrettstown Farm House.

"The mare was rated over 90, he is a straightforward colt, very racy, a two-year-old type and he was very popular in the pre-sale ring," said Harte. "I was not expecting that, the market is strong – everyone tells me a nice horse won't be missed here at all, there is plenty of demand for a horse like this."

Buyer trainer Jane Chapple Hyam said: "He is a nice colt, looks racy, and he is for a Hong Kong client who has been with me for 20 years, Mr Gordon Li. The colt will start off racing here and then hopefully finish his career in Hong Kong, you have to get them high enough rated to get them into Hong Kong –I will do my best!"

Of her Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes-winning filly Saffron Beach (New Bay), Chapple-Hyam reported: "She is very well, we are wrapping her up now. We will be looking to the Nell Gwyn, we've an exciting winter ahead." (10:49)

Day 1 session statistics (+/- % compared with 2019)

Lots catalogued: 306 (307)

Lots offered: 254 (279)

Lots sold: 237 (239)

Aggregate: 5,092,700gns (-2%)

Median: 16,000gns (0%)

Average: 21,488gns (-1%)

% clearance: 88%

Four top lots: all sold for 130,000gns: Lot 1447, Lot 1367, Lot 1564, Lot 1428

Leading purchasers (by aggregate): 1. Blandford Bloodstock, 2. Joe Foley, 3. Grove Stud

Leading consignors (by aggregate): 1. Whatton Manor Stud, 2. Hazelwood Bloodstock, 3. Keith Harte

Leading sires (any aggregate): 1. Havana Gold, 2. Farhh, 3. Profitable

Leading sires (by average, two or more sold): 1. Mehmas, 2. Churchill, 3. Night Of Thunder (21:09)

Lot 1564: the Churchill filly bred by Max Ervine out of his Orientate mare Purple Glow, dam of the Listed winner Main Desire (High Chaparral), joins three others at the day's top price of 130,000gns. The filly was bought by Joe Foley for Clipper Logistics and it is a family that Foley knows well having bought Main Desire for €40,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Sale in 2016.

"The filly is lovely, she looks very fast, the mare was very fast," said Foley. "We bought Main Desire at Fairyhouse and she was very fast. She was second favourite for the Queen Mary but broke her canon bone and had a good character to come back from that and win the Listed Westow Stakes on her next start.

"The mare comes from a high-class US tap root family and, though she has gone to 'distancey' stallions, she has bred very fast horses by the likes of High Chaparral, New Approach and Mastercraftsman. We have followed them all and they have all been big, rangy horses.

"We love Main Desire, she is one of our favourites. She has got a Frankel foal and is in-foal to Churchill. We were very interested to see this filly this morning, and we loved her, she looks like a speedball and has a lot of Churchill quality about her."

While also trying to sell Ervine a nomination to Dandy Man, Foley added: "We bought Main Desire from Max 'cheaply' so it is nice to give him a proper price!"

"Purple Glow is in-foal to Magna Grecia," updated the County Down-based Ervine. "I bought her off Jim Bolger when she was in-foal to New Approach. She is difficult to get in-foal, but I think we have got the measure of her now, fingers crossed."

The filly was consigned by Keith Harte, who in the last year has bought a farm near Finchingfield, North Essex. Harte has been selling horses for Ervine for "at least 15 years".

"This is the best yearling result we have had so far from the new farm, which is around 25 miles from here," said Harte. "Max has been selling with us for years, he is great breeder. We sold Wichita for him."

The son of No Nay Never was sold by the duo for 140,000gns and he went on to be a subsequent 2,000 Guineas (G1) runner-up, St James's Palace Stakes (G1) and Dewhurst Stakes (G1) third, and recently won the 7f Park Stakes (G2).

Harte added: "I am delighted that Joe has bought the filly, he has made the family. The filly came to us a couple of weeks ago from Max's farm and she has been straightforward and easy to do. Everyone who has seen her has loved her and she looks a two-year-old, just like her sister. She has a big back-end on her, has a good attitude but wants to get on with the job, I am sure she'll want to run. The mare has only had the one filly and she was a stakes horse." (18:13)

Lot 1514: from Norelands Stud, the Irish farm that has such a good October Sale, and sold to bloodstock agent Federico Barberini, this colt by Acclamation and out of Music And Dance makes 45,000gns.

The Galileo mare is a half-sister to Bowerman (Dutch Art), winner of over £100,000 in prize-money and placed twice at Listed level and once in the Group 3 Desmond Stakes. Music And Dance had a colt foal by Harry Angel this spring and was covered by Ten Sovereigns.

The family stretches to Juddmonte's blue hen Hasili and Music And Dance was bought here in 2016 by Charlie Gordon-Watson for 60,000gns. (16:55)

Lot 1489: the Farhh colt out of the Lancashire Oaks (G2) runner-up Local Spirit (Lion Cavern) sold by Shanaville Stables, makes 35,000gns. The sale provides another commercial result for Darley's son of Pivotal and a good pinhook return for foal buyer Reamonn O'Connor, who spent 10,000gns on the colt here last December.

The colt was bred by Elusive Bloodstock off a fee of £10,000, and is from the Classic family of the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Crimplene.

Farhh has had one Group 1 winner – King Of Change, who was successful in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot last year. (15:07)

Lot 1454: this week's popular sire Bated Breath gets another good ring result and this colt, pinhooked at the December Foal Sale by McKeever for just 9,000gns, makes 62,000gns bought by Barry Lynch.

It was another successful sale this week for Ballyhimikin Stud, which consigned the Book 2 Day 3 session topper - the homebred colt, Lot 1323 by Starspangledbanner, fetching 320,000gns.

Together Ballyhimikin Stud and McKeever have also enjoyed success earlier this week – the pair pinhooked Lot 783 by Holy Roman Emperor for €30,000 and sold the colt through the Book 2 Day 1 session for 235,000gns.

Lot 1460, also by Bated Breath, makes 58,000gns sold by Whatton Manor Stud to Margaret O'Toole / Oak Tree Bloodstock. (14:06)

Lot 1447: the Farhh colt from Car Colston Hall Stud's leading pedigree featuring the Group 1 winners Crowded House, Ticket Tape, Reckless Abandon and Brando was rightly appreciated by the Tattersalls bidding audience and this Farhh colt, a first foal out the unraced Fair Daughter (Nathaniel), makes 130,000gns.

The February colt was bought by Stroud Coleman's Matt Coleman to race in France.

"It is a wonderful family, Car Colston is a fantastic breeder and a stakes horse seems to pops up on this page every year, we are delighted to get him and he has been bought for a client to race in France," said Coleman. "He is just a lovely moving horse, and obviously Farhh's statistics are incredible. He is lovely staying prospect and will be more three-year-old than two-year-old, but we were looking for a really nice middle-distance type."

Stud manager Jonathon Smithers was all smiles.

"We are delighted, it is a first foal out of the mare, the penultimate daughter out of the foundation mare Weiner Wald," he said. "It is a fantastic chance to get the mare off and running. Farhh's page is fantastic and wish the colt's new owners the best of luck

And Coleman was correct as there was a new stakes winner for the pedigree just last week – the two-year-old colt Erasmo (Oasis Dream) out of Santa Elena, a grand-daughter of Weiner Wald, won a Listed race at Chantilly on just his third start. He is owned by Godolphin and is trained by Andre Fabre and was purchased here in Book 2 by Rabbah Bloodstock for 140,000gns.

"He is a big strong foal, just glad he made that. He showed himself really well here," added Smithers. (13:54)

Lot 1428: the first in through Book 3 by Night Of Thunder rewards his connections - consignor Hazelwood Bloodstock and pinhook purchaser Troy Steve, who bought this colt for 20,000gns and sold him today for 130,000gns.

Grove Stud's Brendan Holland said of the Brookside Stud-bred March-born colt: "He has been bought to breeze, he is by a leading sire, he is a good type. I have been lucky with the sire This is a lovely clean-limbed horse with plenty of scope. I think he would have matched up with the horses sold earlier this week.

"The strong market gives everyone confidence for the foal market and for the spring too, this has helped."

Hazelwood Bloodstock has previously sold top lots through Book 1 and Book 2 – it was not the farm's year through the earlier sections of this sale in 2020, but Adrian O'Brien was very pleased with this profitable transaction.

"It is all about Night Of Thunder, he has been sensational on the track this season and we brought this horse here as we thought he'd stand out a bit, he was on the periphery of Book 2," said O'Brien. "We were very happy to have come here, it is a good sale, you get well paid if you bring the right horse." (13:10)

Lot 1389: Hegarty Bloodstock gets a decent return on its pinhook investment – this colt by Havana Gold selling for 55,000gns having been bought for 19,000gns by Stroud Coleman at last year's December sale.

The colt was purchased by Johnny Hassett of The Bloodstock Connection as a breeze-up prospect.

"People say well done when we buy these horses – come back in seven months, then we will know if it's well done!" laughed Hassett, adding: "I am delighted, I loved him, he is lovely horse, I had to get him."

Of his breeze up spring, Hassett reviewed: "It was a good year, it exceeded expectations. I sold some horses privately through lock down, they might have made more money in the breeze-up, but all in all it was a good year." (11:43)

Lot 1367: takes us early doors to a six-figure sale, the filly by this year's first-season sire star Mehmas selling for 130,000gns.

"I saw her in the rain yesterday, again this morning and she is an absolute star. Ed Dunlop rang me early this morning from Warren Hill and asked if anything was in early, these things happen fast. She is a lovely mover, I bought one by the sire on Monday and he is an absolute revelation," said buyer Tom Goff (see Book 2 report, Lot 600).

The chestnut filly was sold by Kitty Fitzgerald (nee Cowhey) from Loughmore Stables.

"She was bought in partnership with Luke [Manister House], we bought for €11,000", said Cowhey. "She is a lovely filly, we are delighted from the day we bought her, obviously Mehmas has done what he has done which is a huge help. She behaved like a Queen and all the right lads were on her.

"I have a mare in-foal to the sire on the back of this filly, so hopefully she is lucky for new connections."

Of coming into this sale, Cowhey added: "Book 2 was very strong, when you see what is going in the world, it was amazing. We have to be grateful that we are here at all trading, long may it last!

"I was always confident there would be twist in her, but I didn't think she'd make that sort of money! I liked her a lot so I am not gobsmacked as I have thought a lot of this filly all the way through. She was a lovely foal, had a big walk, strength always very strong powerful filly."

Explaining how the pinhook buying works with Manister House, she said: "We spilt the foals up 50 /50 with Manister House, and the lads at home have done a great job, it couldn't be done without them."

In Book 2, Mehmas achieved an average price of 120,889gns for nine lots sold. (10:57)

Chairman’s Statement At the conclusion of Book 2 of the 2020 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented;

“At the conclusion of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale last week we expressed our sincere thanks to all those who contributed to a yearling sale which, although conducted amidst a backdrop of global turmoil, performed with remarkable resilience.

"The message at the conclusion of Book 2 of the October Yearling Sale is very similar. We are enormously grateful to every single participant over the past three days, not only for their individual contributions to a sale which has held up remarkably well under the circumstances, but for working with us every step of the way in our efforts to stage the sale in as safe an environment as possible. The COVID pandemic continues to wreak havoc in all walks of life and to have conducted nine sales here at Park Paddocks since the last week of June is a mighty achievement by all concerned and could not have happened without a huge collective effort.

“Newmarket is very much the hub of the European racing and breeding industries and the last few weeks have demonstrated that, despite all the obstacles, business has been able to continue, albeit at lower levels than in recent years. Newmarket has an extraordinary and unique infrastructure and never more has this been apparent than at Books 1 and 2 of the 2020 Tattersalls October Yearling Sales.

“Book 2 has without doubt benefitted from the momentum established at Book 1 and similar to last week, the buyers have consistently remarked on the quality of the stock being offered. As ever the consignors from Britain, Ireland, France and Germany have presented us with a catalogue of genuine quality and the buyers have demonstrated that, even in these challenging times, there is a global appetite for quality bloodstock and the sport of horseracing.

"Participation from throughout the Gulf region continues to be hugely influential and the sustained involvement from American, Australian and Hong Kong interests has also been notable alongside determined domestic involvement. Tomorrow we move on to Book 3 of the October Yearling Sale which is another Tattersalls yearling sale that consistently attracts buyers at all levels of the market and we will conclude the 2020 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale on Saturday with Book 4.” (23:00)