THE 2024 sale year at Tattersalls Ireland ground to a finish on Thursday, with a very low-key edition of their Sapphire Sale. A catalogue that was nearly half the size of last year’s produced another disappointing clearance rate of 44%, and while there were moments of joy, overall it was a bleak day for breeders.
With so many foals yet to come to market, buyers could afford to wait, but there is sure to be tales of value in the future, and some pinhookers will produce outstanding results next year. Five of the seven lots to bring five-figure sums on the day were yearlings, three purchased by trainers and two by Katie Walsh.
JD Moore was acting for Donnacha O’Brien, buying on spec, when he spent €32,000 on Kilmacoliver’s Gleneagles half-brother to Jet Away and to the dam of the Group 1 winner Onesto. The colt’s dam is a half-sister to Hasili, dam of five Group/Grade 1 winners.
Moore said: “It is a Book 1 page. Gleneagles has had a good year; for a June foal he has plenty of size. Donnacha is delighted to get a horse with a pedigree of this quality.
Gavin Cromwell and Katie Walsh each bought a yearling that cost €20,000. The trainer bought a wildcard entry, a first crop son of A’Ali born at the end of January, His placed dam is a half-sister to the Listed Dee Stakes winner Viren’s Army, and this is the family of the recent Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes second, Expanded.
Walsh said of the Lope Y Fernandez filly, again a member of the first crop of her sire, that “she is a sweet filly and has been well produced. Sold by Denise O’Brien through Clonbonny Stud, the filly is the first produce of a winning Cape Cross mare, and from the family of a host of Group 1 winners. Bought as a foal for 5,500gns, the filly has benefited from some extra time, having been unsold for €10,000 in September.
Foals on top
Two colt foals by sires with their first offerings now led the way overall. Persian Force stood his first season at Tally-Ho Stud at €10,000, and the first foal sold by him realised a healthy €50,000. He was bought as a racing prospect by Nigel O’Hare in Co Armagh after he relegated Ryan McElligott, acting for Amo Racing who own the stallion, to the runner-up sport.
"He will run alongside another colt," said O'Hare. "He has a lovely walk, is strong boned, he has come well recommended, and has a bit of size about him. We generally like to race all our horses, and it is difficult to buy them as yearlings. We have horses with Natalia Lupini, Gavin Cromwell and Ado McGuinness."
This was O’Hare’s second purchase on the day. The colt is a half-brother to Musical Touch, the first foal of the dam, who became her first winner a few weeks ago.
This colt is out of a two-time French winner by Canford Cliffs, Ray Of Light, and she is a half-sister to the listed winner and Group 1 Irish Oaks third Cairde Go Deo.
The first foal to go through a sale ring by the three-time Group 1-placed and Group 3 Jersey Stakes winner Space Traveller sold for 43,000 to Micheal Orlandi on behalf of Steve Parkin. Orlandi now stands the stallion at Starfield Stud, and said: "Steve is keen to support Space Traveller, as he has always done with his stallions. The sire has stood his first two seasons at €6,500.