THE top lot on the opening day of Tattersalls October Book 3 came well into Thursday evening with a fierce bidding duel for Hazelwood Bloodstock’s Too Darn Hot colt between George Murphy, assistant trainer to his father John Joseph Murphy, and bloodstock agent Ted Durcan, ending with a successful bid of 130,000gns from the latter.

Ted Durcan purchased the colt on behalf of trainer Richard Hughes and commented: "Richard and team had seen the horse this afternoon, as I had, and we all loved him - he is a smashing big horse and the sire is red hot. I know the family extremely well from my time in the Middle East, which helped - Mike de Kock and Sheikh Khalifa had the whole family.

"Richard was adamant that we were not to leave the sale without him, we spent plenty on him but he was a horse that Richard really wanted. I respect Adrian O'Brien, he is a great producer and has a marvellous nursery, he was adamant that this is a horse we should have. We are over the moon to have him and there is no owner for the horse as yet."

The colt is the first foal out of Moohareeba, a winning daughter of Invincible Spirit and champion South African two-year-old filly Mahbooba, winner of Group 2 Balanchine Stakes and Listed UAE 1000 Guineas in Dubai. Mahbooba is the dam of group winners Dubai Warrior and Mootasadir.

Joseph O'Brien

The highest priced filly on the first day of Book 3 was paid for the imposing daughter of Invincible Spirit consigned by Q-Cross Stables who made 115,000gns to the bid of Olivia Perkins-Mackey, buying on behalf of trainer Joseph O'Brien and Justin Casse.

"I saw her this morning and loved her and sent her details on to Joseph and he loved her too," said Perkins-Mackey, who has been left in charge of proceedings at Tattersalls following Casse’s departure. "She has a beautiful walk, there is nothing to knock about her - she is a May foal so there is plenty of room for improvement. The consignor has done a great job. I had no idea what she'd go for - I spotted the athlete and sent on the details."

Clearly a little emotional after the bidding had concluded, she laughed: "I get so nervous!"

The sale was a successful pinhook for Q-Cross Stables’ Luke Coen who bought the filly as a foal for €23,000. Her dam Mardie Gras is a daughter of Galileo and the dual Group 1 placed Midnight Angel from the family of Japanese dual Group 1 winner Eishin Flash.

"It is a brilliant result," said Coen. "A couple of months ago when I knew she was coming here I called her 'the Queen of Book 3'. It was a bold statement to make, but she definitely is the queen now!

"She was a €23,000 purchase and I came out from buying her and could not believe that I had. I usually get beaten in the ring, but this time it worked out. As horses go you could not dream of a much better run. For a May foal to be as mature in the mind as she is, it is something to recommend her, and she made my job look very easy today."

Coen, still emotional after the successful sale, said: "It is a bit breathtaking, my family is very horsey but I do this on my own and when you get a touch like this .... I have been doing this under my own banner for two years but I have had a few there with Francis Quinn, who has helped me an awful long way, and Anthony Ryan at home - two very good local fellas. Without them I probably wouldn't be here."

Tally-Ho strike

Tally-Ho Stud was the leading consignor at Book 2 but appeared on the opposite side of the buyers’ sheet on the first day of Book 3 when securing the Earthlight colt consigned by Ballyshannon Stud on behalf of breeder Con Harrington’s Ridge Manor Stables for 95,000gns.

Tony O’Callaghan indicated that this colt was likely to make a swift reappearance for Tally-Ho at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale.

"We’ll get him home and see how he performs before we make a plan, but he’ll probably come back here in April,” said O’Callaghan. “We liked him from the word go; sharp, a good walker, nicely balanced. We’ve sold one by Earthlight that went quite well and he’s getting nice stock, they look racy and behave well. This colt is from a good family too and Con Harrington is a good breeder."

Nunthorpe winner's relation

Hegarty Bloodstock’s Elzaam filly enjoyed a dream pedigree update when her half-brother Live In The Dream won the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes and she made an excellent return for her co-pinhookers David Hegarty and Sam Hoskins when selling for 80,000gns to the bid of Chasemore Farm’s stud manager Jack Conroy.

"She has been bought for a client who boards a few broodmares with us," revealed Conroy, who signed for the lot as J.P. Bloodstock. "We liked this filly, she has a lot of residual value and we think Live In The Dream has every chance of going on to win the Breeders' Cup. Hopefully this filly will be as sharp as her half-brother.

"The mare has done it more than once and our vet Pat Sells helps with Live In The Dream so knows him well, which is helpful. This filly is a late April foal so she should grow, and Pat is sure she will develop and get to be bigger than Live In The Dream. At that money she makes sense and has a chance."

A delighted Sam Hoskins commented: "I am a terrible vendor! I get very nervous but I think she is a racehorse for the future, and good luck to the new owners. David has done a wonderful job with her, he has done all the hard work."

Of the decision to purchase her as a foal he said: "I really liked her as a filly - she is athletic, she has a good mind and we did think that Live In The Dream might be one of those three-year-olds who would get better this year at four. We were very aware of him but never thought that he would win a Nunthorpe! At the least we thought that the mare had had two 100+ rated horses from four winners and four runners - I love that ratio of good horses, she is clearly a very good mare."

Book 3 continues on Friday, before and after racing at Newmarket.