Money Money Money

Got back from Newmarket late last Friday but only now had chance to post an update on here following a weekend away in Newcastle and a business trip down to Berkshire today.

The second week of the bloodstock sales was for broodmares and fillies in and out of training and saw the highest prices of the fortnight - 4,600,000 guineas and 3,000,000 guineas - both horses bought by Lady Serena Rothschild, buying through an agent.

Magical Romance (above) broke the world record for a broodmare when she was was sold for 4.6m guineas ($9.4m) - she won the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes, is a half-sister to the English, Irish and Yorkshire Oaks winner Alexandrova and was offered in foal to Pivotal (the most expensive stallion standing in Britain with an advertised covering fee of £85,000).

We weren't in the sale ring to see the sale topper go through but we did see the second highest price - the 3m for Spinning Queen, who had won the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes by an easy seven lengths at Newmarket on her last racecourse appearance. Her purchase price set a European record for a filly sold at public auction.

We also saw Short Skirt sell for 1,400,000 guineas to Sheikh Mohammed. The filly won two Group 3's in 2006 - the Musidora (beating Alexandrova) and the St Simon Stakes - and finished third in the Oaks at Epsom and second in the Yorkshire Oaks.

All in all an expensive or profitable week for some people - depending on which end of the transaction you were !