The sales year at Tattersalls Ireland drew to a rather quiet close on Saturday with the latest staging of the rebranded Sapphire Sale which produced a set of a results that fell short of those from last year.

This year’s sale generated an aggregate of just under €600,000 which represented a near 6% increase on last year.

The average dropped by 13% to €6,041 while the median of €4,000 dropped by 27%. Meanwhile the clearance rate dropped from 58% to 54%.

The day’s top price came from the foal section when Micheal Orlandi, acting for Paul and Marie McCartan’s Ballyphilip Stud, outlasted Sophie Buckley for a €38,000 son of Advertise. This colt was consigned by Olive O’Connor Bloodstock and he is out of a half-sister to the classic-winning Misty For Me who has gone on to breed the top class duo of Roly Poly and U S Navy Flag.

“I had seen some of the sire's stock through the autumn at the yearling sales and liked them. I like the fact that he was a Group 1-winning juvenile and then went onto win the Commonwealth Cup. I saw this colt yesterday and this morning, he has a fine pedigree and has four champion two-year-olds on his page,” stated Paul McCartan.

Shaman colt

The Advertise colt was preceded into the ring by a colt from the first crop of the Yeomanstown Stud resident Shaman who proved himself a top-class runner in his native France with a string of fine efforts at the top level.

The first colt into the ring by the Shamardal horse was a son of the Rockfel Stakes second Cochabamba and the relation to the recent Oh So Sharp Stakes third Small Oasis colt Sophie Buckley €22,000.

“The mare was rated 100, she has produced one horse that was rated 92 and two more over 80. He is a lovely colt with a good page and he will be back for sale next year,” reported Sophie Buckley.

First crop son

Invincible Army’s first crop of yearlings found plenty of favour in the sales ring this autumn and he supplied one of the day’s most taking foals which came in the shape of an Oliver O’Connor-consigned colt who cost Michael Fitzpatrick’s JC Bloodstock €23,000.

This colt is a half-brother to Hodd’s Girl who made it six career wins at Dundalk on Friday night while they are out of a granddaughter of the high class Flanders.

Breeding stock

The breeding stock section of the sale was headed by the winning Pivotal filly Super Proud who cost the BBA Ireland €35,000. The four-year-old was consigned by Rockview Stables and she is out of a half-sister to the Australian Group 1 winner Beaten Up.

The pick of the yearling section was a €30,000 daughter of Calyx who was knocked down to Con Marnane and his daughter Amy. This filly is a half-sister to the dual listed winner and Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes second Easton Angel.

“We'll take her home and prepare her for the breeze-ups next spring,” declared Con Marnane. “She has a gorgeous pedigree with blacktype under every dam on the page. Calyx was unbelievable the day he won at Royal Ascot and we supported him with our own mares. We sold a colt by him out of Mia Divina to Andrew Balding at Book 2 for 145,000gns.”

Earlier Italian purchaser Valfredo Valiani forked out €25,000 for Egmont Stud’s Acclamation colt who is out of a half-sister to a pair of listed winners.

YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGGREGATE AVERAGE MEDIAN

2022 209 184 99 €598,100 €6,041 €4,000

2021 159 141 82 €567,000 €6,915 €5,500

2020 190 137 72 €439,700 €6,107 €3,000

2019 189 154 85 €547,600 €6,442 €3,000

2018 229 195 97 €599,100 €6,176 €3,000