SIGHS of relief were audible at the conclusion of Part 1 of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale on Wednesday night. A late finish to selling did not impact on demand for lots, with keen demand right up to the end.
Uncertainty pervades all pre-sale build ups, and more so in times such as these. However, the sales company, their agents and Irish Thoroughbred Marketing redoubled their efforts to get buyers to Fairyhouse, and that strategy reaped rewards.
Purchasers adopted a realistic approach to values, especially as buyers had more lots to choose from, and the outcome of two days of selling was that 432 horses changed address, up from 404 a year ago.
This was the largest number of lots sold since 2007, and the fourth year in a row that the sale aggregate surpassed €12 million.
Breeders will tell you that their wish when they go to the sale is to come home to an empty stable, and the clearance rate almost matched that of 12 months ago. Turnover was on a par with 2023, but the average and median declined.
The complex was populated by an enormous team of Italian buyers, who purchased nearly a fifth of the catalogue, and they were joined by a very healthy spread of British trainers and agents, along with purchasers from other parts of Europe.
Irish trainers were active, Andy Oliver making five purchases, while breeze-up consignors stocked up for next spring.
Con Marnane’s purchase of a Too Darn Hot was the most expensive lot of the week with a future earmarked for breezing. Pinhookers found the going tough, though Guy O’Callaghan’s Grangemore Stud had a notable win, and buyers regularly reported that nice horses cost a premium.
”Progressive and popular”
Simon Kerins was upbeat when making his end-of-sale statement. He said: “Trade at the September Yearling Sale over the last two days has been excellent, reflected in a strong clearance rate of 84% and an impressive turnover.
“This sale has once again proven itself as a progressive and popular sale, with buyers at every level engaging in competition not witnessed anywhere else this year. Recording a clearance rate of over 80% is a testament to the quality on offer.
“The profile of the September Yearling Sale has grown significantly in recent years, with graduates making their mark on the track which has further strengthened buyer confidence.
“This year’s key indicators remain strong; nine lots sold for six figures, while a record number of 40 lots sold for over €60,000 highlights the remarkable strength of the middle market. Surpassing the strong 2023 figures is a real achievement for us.
“We’ve welcomed clients from all over the world, and to witness the footfall on site this week has been phenomenal. The level of competition from British, Irish and European purchasers has been tremendous, and there has been a real positive feel to this sale.
“Flat racing is a sport of international appeal, and seeing significant sums spent on yearlings destined for top European jurisdictions speaks volumes. Credit must go to the team at Tattersalls Ireland, our agents and Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, whose efforts have been essential to the success of this sale.”
SPENDING €586,000 on 10 lots catapulted Rabbah Bloodstock to pole position on the leading buyers table, and their purchases ranged from €7,000 to the sale-topper. They particularly made their presence felt on the second day.
Their purchase of Castledillon Stud’s Mehmas filly for €180,000 was the best of the week, and she will race for leading owner Jaber Abdullah, who was present at the sale.
Asked how long he has been an owner, the 82-year-old laughed: “It has been a long time! I think since the early 1980s.” He has raced Group 1 winners Germany, Zafeen, Youmzain, Hello Youmzain, Marhaba Ya Sanafi, Queen’s Logic and Music Show.
Abdullah’s nephew Mohamad Al Kaabi conducted the bidding from an office in the eyeline of the rostrum, where David Ryan, manager of Abdullah’s Kilfrush Stud, and the principal himself were out of sight. The filly’s underbidder was bloodstock agent Amanda Skiffington.
“Mr Abdullah has a lovely Mehmas filly called Star Of Mehmas. She broke the track record when winning the Listed Harry Rosebery Stakes at Ayr. She is a super filly and we have great plans for her,” said Ryan. “This is one of the nicest fillies in the sale. I thought that she would between €120,000 and €150,000, but she stands out here. She vetted well; we knew she was going to make €120,000 plus.”
”She’s a picture”
The filly was sold by Timmy Hillman’s Castledillon Stud. “She’s a picture; she was a standout really,” he said. “She had about nine vets, and all the people you would want to be there. I bought the mare [140,000gns in 2021] and we got 105,000gns for the filly she was carrying last year, and now this. We’re delighted the filly is going to race for such a good owner. The mare is in foal to Shaquille.”
Ryan was beaming later when Baroda Stud’s Starman filly out of two-year-old winner Tschierschen was knocked down to the Rabbah team for €120,000. The underbidders were trainer Joe Murphy and his son George.
The filly’s sale prospects were boosted when her juvenile Australia half-sister Cercene showed herself to be a filly of some quality when winning at Naas. She is trained by the Murphy father-and-son team, and could well develop into a classic filly in 2025.
“We like the pedigree, she is a nice individual, vetted well and is by Starman whose stock look very promising,” said Mohamad Al Kaabi. “The mare’s first foal Perotto is a six-time winner and listed-placed, and her two-year-old is now a winner.” The latter, who holds an entry in the Group 3 Park Stakes, was bought at this sale last year by Crampscastle Bloodstock for €50,000.
Starman
This was another fine week for first-crop yearlings by Starman, Tally-Ho Stud’s Group 1 July Cup winner. Two of his representatives were among the sale’s nine six-figure yearlings.
On the opening day, Adrian Keatley spent €100,000 for one of his sons. The Tally-Ho homebred is out of an own-sister to Ardad.
“This is the first Starman I have bought,” said the trainer. “I was strong on a couple in Newmarket at the Somerville Sale and did not get them. This is a fine stamp of a horse and he is out of a Kodiac mare, so he should be all speed. We will be hoping for big things from him.”
Another son of Starman to catch the eye on Tuesday was The Castlebridge Consignment’s second foal of the stakes-placed Mistress Of Venice.
The gavel came down in favour of Johnny Murtagh at €80,000. Afterwards, the trainer, acting for Tony Branigan Meats, said: “He came well recommended; we are looking forward to him. His dam got to Royal Ascot; hopefully this lad will get there as well.”
TWO sons of Gilltown Stud’s Sea The Stars were offered this week, both are in the draft from The Castlebridge Consignment. Topping trade at the opening session was a colt from one of the best Ballymacoll Stud families, realising €130,000.
The colt’s dam Narrative is a half-sister to Group 2 Blandford Stakes winner Eleanora Duse, and to the blacktype winner Scottish Stage who ran second in the Group 1 Irish Oaks.
Newmarket bloodstock agent Billy Jackson Stops signed the purchase docket as trainer George Scott revealed that the colt will carry the colours of a new client in his yard.
Scott said: “This colt was obviously brought here to stand out, and he did that! Every time we went to see him, he showed himself better and better; he is a hard stallion to buy and we are really pleased.
“If you get enough of that type of horse into the yard then you so improve the chances of getting a nice one. We did have to stretch to get him.”
Italian purchase
Challenging for first day honours was the Irish National Stud’s Invincible colt, the first foal of an unraced Mastercraftsman mare. He was sold for €110,000 on behalf of breeders Cherryvalley Farms, and bought by Cristiana Brivio of Razza Latina for owner Fabrizio Cameli, whose Goldenas won the Derby Italiano last year. Cameli is hoping to repeat the success.
The purchaser said: “He is a very good model for a first foal. Everything is special and he is our pick of the sale; he stood out yesterday. I have been very lucky with the horses bought from this sale.”
The colt’s breeder, Nicola FitzGerald, was happy and revealed that the dam was originally bought as a jumping prospect. “We are very happy for the mare; it is a beautiful family. We have the full-brother at home and she is in foal to Mehmas,” said FitzGerald.
The Irish National Stud bred the recent Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes winner Spirit D’Or, a daughter of their flagship sire Invincible Spirit. That filly, who resold at Arqana as a breezer, realised €55,000 last September. Her full-brother was among the best of Wednesday’s offerings, selling for €100,000.
Joey Logan
Bids came from all round the ring for the colt, before settling into a battle between Cormac O’Flynn and Joey Logan. The latter shook his head when asked to bid €100,000, but a rethink sealed the deal. Logan made the purchase with brothers Alan and Roderick Harte. Logan told the press: “He is a beautiful, attractive colt, very well prepared by the Irish National Stud, and with the big update. If he is as good as his sister, we will be happy.”
The INS chief executive Cathal Beale was on hand to watch the sale, and thank Logan. He said: “We are absolutely delighted. We bought Across The Sea to try the Dubawi/Invincible Spirit cross, and it has worked out well.
“The colt has gone to a very good home, and is going to get every chance to progress the mare. We have a lovely Phoenix Of Spain colt who goes to the Goffs foal sale, and the mare is back in foal to that stallion.”
TWO of the sale’s top 10 lots will make reappearances next spring at breeze-up sales.
Pinhooked from last year’s Tattersalls December Sale for 40,000gns from Newsells Park Stud, a very well-related son of Too Darn Hot sold for €115,000 to Con Marnane.
The Bansha House man, who was with his daughter Amy, said: “We thought he was the nicest horse in the sale, and he will go to the breeze-up sales. If he doesn’t sell, we can always race him.”
Dubawi has worked well with this family, and the colt’s unraced dam is a half-sister to three stakes winners by the Darley stallion. Star of that trio is Group 2 Celebration Stakes winner and dual classic runner-up Dubawi Gold.
Consignor Gerry Ross of Limekiln Stud said: “When we bought him as a foal his walk really attracted us, alongside the pedigree which is all Dubawi. He was straightforward all the way through, and one of those you would not know was on the place. He has gone to a great home.”
Sioux Nation
Missing out by a bid from joining the select group of six-figure lots was the best of the sale by Sioux Nation. Katie Walsh bought the colt, sold by Kilbride House Stud, as a breeze-up prospect for €95,000. “He is a lovely individual, a lovely walking colt. The sire has been good to me over the years and this lad was a bit of a standout today,” said Walsh.
Sioux Nation has certainly been a lucky stallion for her. At the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up Sale last year, Walsh sold a colt by the sire from Greenhills Farm for €240,000 to Avenue Bloodstock. The ill-fated Letsbefrankaboutit won the Group 3 Round Tower Stakes at the Curragh from just two starts. At this year’s Guineas Sale, Avenue Bloodstock, this time in a purchase pairing with Paddy Twomey, paid €370,000 for Walsh’s Sioux Nation filly.
ONE of a pair of colts in the sale by Shaman, Grangemore Stud’s son of the Teofilo mare Periwinkle, traded for €110,000 to bloodstock agent Alex Elliott.
The result gave vendor Guy O’Callaghan a rich pinhooking profit, the farm having paid €16,000 for the colt as a foal.
The pedigree had the most-timely update. On the evening before the sale, the colt’s half-brother Rebel Diamond won the Listed Ballyhane Blenheim Stakes for two-year-olds at Fairyhouse.
Elliott laughed: “The update killed us a little bit; we were hoping to pay a bit less! He was on our radar very early yesterday as he is out of a Teofilo mare, which are like gold dust. It is great for Barry [Lynch, the colt’s breeder] as the first foal out of the mare is now a listed winner.
“This horse has size, scope, strength, great action, comes from a very good home and is a great touch for them, but they kind of deserved it with everything lining up. He is a beautiful horse. This is the only horse I have bid on all day and I am delighted to get him.”
Guy O’Callaghan said: “It is great to see a horse of this calibre sell so well. This colt was a big, strong, man of a horse as a foal, and he has come back a bigger and more powerful version. He got the update and then Shaman has had some nice winners too.”
Footballer buys
The first lot to make it into six-figure territory on Tuesday was a son of Saxon Warrior, sold by Ridge Manor Stud.
He was bought by Daniel Creighton for English professional footballer Ryan Kent. The 27-year-old winger plays for Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe, and is a graduate of the Liverpool academy.
“He will go back to England to be pre-trained and we will decide on a trainer later on,” said Creighton after spending €100,000 on the colt.
“I loved this horse’s pedigree; the Deep Impact influence from Saxon Warrior, and everything the mare has produced has been rated well. She was unlucky not to be blacktype. She is by Dansili who is such a good broodmare sire.”