by Carl Evans

George Washington (Ire) was a fascinating two-time champion with a flamboyant streak who suffered a fatal injury in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Monmouth Park in 2007.

He was less dandy, but no less newsworthy in the breeding shed, for his brief flirtation with being a stallion at Coolmore Stud in Ireland proved less than fulfilling. Nicknamed “Gorgeous George,” George Washington was sub-fertile and only managed to produce one known live foal. The result, a bay filly out of the Rainbow Quest mare Flawlessly, came up for auction Wednesday during the second session of Book 1 at the Tattersalls Ltd October yearling sale.

Her price was ultimately anticlimactic—at $563,478 (320,000 guineas) she was sold for less than half the day’s top price—but in terms of public interest she was far and away the star of a busy day.

The George Washington filly is now owned by England-based racehorse owner Julie Wood and will go into training with Richard Hannon. Bloodstock agent Ross Doyle signed the ticket on behalf of her new owner.

“Horses like George Washington become family favorites, so having one special foal and being part of the story is great,” Wood said. “I will be looking at her pedigree very carefully before deciding on a name.”

For vendors Gerry and Patricia Burke of Ireland’s Glidawn Stud, the filly represented a very public assessment of their ability to achieve a pinhooking profit. They bought her for $350,867 (280,000 euros) at the 2008 Goffs November foal sale, and became involved in a media circus that grew as her date with the auctioneer dawned.

Gerry Burke looked relieved at taking a working-man’s profit.

“She was a delight to deal with—the biggest problem was getting the crowds to move to get her into the ring,” he said. “It’s nice to get your chips [investment] back, and that was always the aim.”

George Washington’s only offspring probably would have made more in previous years before the global economic crisis. But turnover was strong on Wednesday, rising 10.5% to $32,199,336 (19,271,000 guineas) compared with the corresponding 2008 session. The median fell 12.8% to $125,315 (75,000 guineas), and the average price was down 3.8% to $190,529 (114,030 guineas), relatively small decreases that gave Tattersalls’ executives reason to smile.

Wednesday’s co-highest price of $1,086,066 (650,000 guineas) was paid for a Galileo (Ire) colt from Bill Dwan’s Castlebridge Consignment and a Pivotal filly from David and Diane Nagle’s Barronstown Stud.

Sir Robert Ogden, bidding in person, saw off John Magnier for the Galileo colt, a full brother to 2006 Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) winner Nightime. He is out of the stakes-winning Indian Ridge mare Caumshinaun.

Angus Gold of Shadwell Estates Co. Ltd. headed Michael Goodbody to buy the Pivotal filly, who was produced by the stakes-winning Sadler’s Wells mare Briolette. Her dam, Cocotte, produced, among others, European champion Pilsudski and Anima, grandam of Group 1 winners Creachadoir and Youmzain, three-time runner-up in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1).

The third and final session of Book 1 will be held on Thursday.

For hip-by-hip results, click here.

Carl Evans is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor