THE Irish yearling sales season got off to a positive start when this week’s two-day Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale produced a solid set of returns.

A broad cross-section of domestic and European trainers, owners, agents and breeze-up specialists contributed to an aggregate of €12,522,000, a fractional increase on 2022. Both the average of €30,995 and the median of €28,000 also showed small gains on last year. However, the clearance rate dipped slightly from 90% in 2022 to 85%.

Last year’s top price was comfortably eclipsed when a Lope De Vega filly sold for €190,000, but the number of horses to sell for €100,000 or more fell from six last year to four this week.

Noting that total spending was the second highest ever recorded for this sale, Tattersalls Ireland boss Simon Kerins said: “It was immensely satisfying to see advancements in most key indicators, with this year’s catalogue producing a record median and the second highest average for the two days. There was also a record number of lots making over €40,000, a testament to the solid trade.”

British and Italian buyers dominated. Highflyer were the biggest spenders, giving €444,000 for eight horses. Italian buyers Razza Latina, associated with the Endo Botti/Cristiana Brivio stable, spent €334,000 on 11 horses, while Hugo Palmer and Michael Owen of Manor House Stables in Chester teamed up with the SackvilleDonald agency for seven purchases, worth a total of €319,000.

Con Marnane (eight) and Johnston Racing (six) also made a significant number of acquistions.

Pedigree update

The sale-topper had plenty to recommend her on paper as a daughter of Lope De Vega out of the stakes-winner Drumfad Bay and her pedigree got a further significant boost five days before the sale when the dam’s two-year-old Blue Point filly, listed as ‘in training’ in the catalogue but since named Bluedrum, made an impressive winning debut at Naas for trainer Jessica Harrington and owner Stonethorn Stud Farms.

The Castlebridge-consigned filly caught the attention of plenty of bidders and it was Conor Quirke who had the final say when the gavel fell at €190,000. Quirke’s profile as a talent scout has been raised this year through the exploits of the ultra-fast juvenile Big Evs and it was that colt’s owners RP Racing for whom Quirke was acting on behalf of.

“She was a standout filly today and, like Big Evs, she will be trained by Mick Appleby,” Quirke said. “She was hard to fault and she has plenty of residual value. The Blue Point filly that won last week encouraged me to go that bit further to get her. We like the sire too and it all made sense.”

This year’s Windsor Castle, Molecomb and Flying Childers winner Big Evs was bought privately before he ran by Quirke and, along with connections, Quirke has enjoyed being part of that journey this summer. “I’ve bought for RP for the last five years or so. We’ve danced all the big dances this year and we want to get back to it again next year! This filly is more of a long-term prospect and I am excited by what she can do in her three-year-old year.”

Last year’s top price of €115,000 was matched early in the sale when a son of first-crop sire Kameko was knocked down to Edgar Byrne. Offered by Adrian Costello’s Clenagh Castle Stud, the chesnut colt is a half-brother to 97-rated Zoulu Chief who won a competitive nursery at York in good style last month.

Byrne was bidding alongside Norwegian trainer Niels Petersen who will take charge of the colt and who said: “He is a lovely horse. We saw him yesterday and he was one of our top picks, so we are looking forward to taking him back to Norway. For Scandinavia you tend to look for a well-balanced horse as our tracks are a little sharper than here. We also have both dirt and turf tracks and he might be one that could suit either surface. He fits what we are after.”

The horse will carry the colours of the JC Organization who were purchasing at Tattersalls Ireland for the first time. Byrne explained: “The group is a big client of Niels’ and he has trained a Derby winner for the syndicate. We did have to push to buy him, but you usually do for the right horse and for the good ones.”

It was a great piece of business for Adrian Costello who purchased the colt as a foal for just 11,000gns and saw his investment increase 10-fold. “He was a lovely foal who turned into a lovely yearling, and Zoulu Chief coming along really made a big difference,” Costello said.