THE SUMMERHILL SOLSKJAER CONNECTION

Solskjaer and half brother Yeats
(Photo : Getty Images / Summerhill Stud)

Second crop head and shoulders above his last

As 2010 comes to an end, it marks the start of another Tattersall’s December Mare Sale at Newmarket in England. Listed are 1,097 broodmares, fillies and horses out of training set to go through the ring over the next four days.

Seven of these lots have a Summerhill connection for they are in foal to Solskjaer’s half brother and Coolmore resident, Yeats, who lit up the tracks as a record breaking four time winner of the Grade 1 Ascot Gold Cup, followed by top level victories in the Grade 1 Coronation Cup, Irish St Leger and the Prix Royal Oak. Yeats covered 174 mares in the heart of Tipperary this year including Listed winner Oblique (Giants Causeway x On Call) and dual Listed winner Attila (Tiger Hill x Akasma), both of whom are set to go into the ring.

Rated as the best two year old in the yard by Aidan O’Brien and the Ballydoyle team, Solskjaer has just seen his second crop through the sales rings of South Africa, many of whom earned the plaudits of leading trainers Ormond Ferraris, Herman Brown Senior, Mike Bass, Charles Laird, Barry Irwin and the legend himself, Mike de Kock who believes his second crop is “head and shoulders” above last year. “Burn marks” are still evident on the 2010 Breeze Up track at Summerhill and for us it is only a matter of time before buyers will be rewarded.