The PIVOTAL half-brother to GEORGE WASHINGTON topped proceeding`s at 1,200,000 guineas on the opening day of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Part 1 on a day of solid trade as 107 lots sold for 13,129,000 guineas at an average of 122,701 guineas and a median of 80,000 guineas.

Lot 17, the chesnut colt by PIVOTAL out of the ALYSHEBA mare BORDIGHERA, looked sure to be highly sought after as a half-brother to this year`s 2,000 Guineas winner and 2004 October 1 sale-topper GEORGE WASHINGTON and multiple Group 1 winner GRANDERA. Bidding for the colt opened at 300,000 guineas before rising quickly towards seven figures with bloodstock agent Tony Nerses, standing with trainer Jeremy Noseda going head-to-head with Sheikh Mohammed and his bloodstock advisor John Ferguson. The bidding stopped when Nerses was unwilling to answer Sheikh Mohammed`s bid of 1,200,000 guineas for the colt consigned from Bobby and Honora Donworth`s Round Hill Stud.

Well bred fillies were in strong demand throughout the day and none moreso than lot 87, a filly from the first crop of Prix de l`Arc de Triomphe winner DALAKHANI out of the multiple Group winning BLUEBIRD mare DELILAH. The filly, consigned from Gerard Burke`s Glidawn Stud, was knocked down to London-based bloodstock agent Charlie Gordon-Watson for 600,000 guineas on behalf of Saeed Suhail who was stood beside him and represented a massive pinhooking result for Burke who purchased her for 75,000 guineas at last year`s Tattersalls December Foal Sale. Gordon-Watson, who saw off the efforts of the Aga Khan`s stud manager Georges Rimaud, has had great success buying for Suhail, having purchased Derby winner KRIS KIN and 2,000 Guineas winner KING`S BEST for the Dubai-based businessman.

Gordon-Watson and Suhail struck again later in the day when they secured another yearling representing the first crop of his sire when purchasing lot 140, a colt by OASIS DREAM, Juddmonte Farms` three-time Group 1 winning sprinter. Consigned from Paul Shanahan`s Ashtown House Stud, the colt is out of the Listed winning HIGHEST HONOR mare FIRST, a daughter of the Group 2 winning PUSHY and grand-daughter of the legendary MRS MOSS and was knocked down to Gordon-Watson for 440,000 guineas after he saw off the efforts of trainer Charles Egerton. The sale represented another pinhooking triumph, having been purchased last year at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale for 135,000 guineas by pinhooker Timmy Hyde.