Vibrant trade at a bustling Fairyhouse resulted in record-breaking prices on the opening day of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale on Tuesday, as two colts sold for €200,000 or more, a feat that had not been seen in the sale's history.
Ballyphilip Stud in County Limerick is enjoying a stellar season thanks to the exploits of graduate Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), successful in both the G1 Darley July Cup and the G1 32red Sprint Cup at Haydock. Along with another son of Dark Angel bred by the McCartan family, the 3-year-old Battaash (Ire), who was fourth in the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. at York in August, Ballyphilip's stock has never been higher. So when a colt by Showcasing (GB) bred by the family and selling as lot 219 strode into the sales ring, every available vantage point was taken with the big players in the market all determined to be the ones to get their hands on the latest potential star from the home of G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine Tiggy Wiggy.
Michael O'Hagan was in the thick of the fray from the start, first duelling with trainer Michael O'Callaghan, but when O'Callaghan had to surrender, Matt Coleman of Stroud Coleman Bloodstock and Ballyhane Stud owner Joe Foley joined battle with O'Hagan. The atmosphere electrified as the bids crept over €200,000.
It was O'Hagan who made the record-breaking bid of €230,000 for the colt out of the Invincible Spirit (Ire) mare Starfly (Ire), a winner at two and the dam of a winner from her lone runner.
“This is a farm that has been lucky for me in the past and for me, this colt is one of the nicest horses in the sale,” said O'Hagan. “We picked him out and separately Clive Cox chose him too, and he will train him for an existing client of mine. He is a real athlete and looks a very exciting prospect.”
Cox trains Harry Angel–who he bought from the McCartans as a yearling–for Godolphin, which purchased the 3-year-old after his success in the G2 Sandy Lane S. at Haydock in May.
The record-priced Showcasing colt contributed to gains across all sectors on Tuesday, resulting in what the sale company described as “the best set of returns ever for day one of the September Sale.” A total of 195 yearlings were sold for €5,624,500, compared to 121 sold for €5,529,500 on the same day last year. The buyback rate was 10% compared to 15.5% last year.
The average rose 11% to €28,844, while the median was up 20% to €24,000.
Godolphin appeared on the buyers list at the September Yearling sale for the first time in its own right, purchasing a colt by Kodiac (GB) for €200,000. Consigned by John Foley's Ballyvolane Stud, lot 152 is out of Queen Wasp (Ire), a mare bred by Darley by its leading sire Shamardal (Ire). She is a half-sister to Naheef (Ire) (Marju {Ire}), victorious in the G3 Champagne Lanson S. at Glorious Goodwood and second in the G1 National S. at The Curragh.
Anthony Stroud, who was marking his return to the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale after a considerable absence, did the bidding on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed.
“This is a lovely, athletic horse by a wonderful stallion,” said Stroud.
The sale was highly significant for John Foley, who is consigning under his own brand of Ballyvolane Farm for the first time, having previously sold as Gortskagh House. He sold the colt, a half-brother to Rusumaat, a four-times winner by Arcano (Ire) for Mark Johnston and Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Stud, on behalf of his breeders Kilminfoyle House Stud.
“It is a great result for all the team who have put in such a big effort,” said the consignor. “It is great for the farm to have a result like this in our first year too. The stallion and the pedigree are a really big help–his half-brother is rated 109 and what else can you say about Kodiac? I have sold Kodiac's stock since the start of his career and he is an incredible stallion.”
Trainer of the moment Karl Burke returned to this sale buoyed by the success of G1 Prix Morny hero Unfortunately (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}). The trainer picked up that colt, who also won the G2 Prix Robert Papin, at this venue last year for what now looks the bargain price of €24,000 from Tally-Ho Stud, and he returned to the well to replenish his string for next season.
Burke was a busy bidder during Tuesday's sales, buying four yearlings on his own and another in partnership with Middleham Park Racing. He teamed up with the successful syndicator to purchase a colt from the first crop of The National Stud and Rathasker Stud's sire Gregorian (Ire) consigned by Ullardbeg Stables (lot 116). A half-brother to four winners, the colt is related to Classic winner and Group 1 sire Footstepsinthesand (GB); Pedro The Great, winner of the Group 1 Phoenix S.; G1 Irish 2000 Guineas victor and young sire Power (GB); and Curvy (GB), successful in the Grade I EP Taylor S. for David Wachman.
Burke's faith in first-crop sire Society Rock has been handsomely rewarded and he was willing to put his trust in three of this year's class. From Unfortunately's breeders Tally-Ho Stud, Burke paid €15,000 for lot 82, a colt by Morpheus (GB), an Oasis Dream (GB) half-brother to Frankel (GB) and Noble Mission (GB) who stands at the O'Callaghan's farm in County Westmeath.
On a day that saw the median and average prices increase yet again from last year's impressive returns, a colt from Rathbarry Stud made the early running as the first horse to break the six-figure barrier. By Rathberry's own sire Acclamation (GB), the grey is a full-brother to four winners out of New Deal (GB), a winning daughter of Rainbow Quest. He will go into training with Karl Burke for Mark and Aisling Gittins, who purchased lot 104 for €110,000.
“He was the standout yearling for us today,” revealed Gittins, who bred dual Group 1-winning juvenile Shalaa (Ire) with his wife from their Castlefarm Stud. “Acclamation is a very good sire who is having a great year and we are happy to have been able to get this colt.”
Tattersalls Ireland cast its net far and wide for international buyers and reeled in a group that encompassed more countries than ever before. Hong Kong, America, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Spain as well as Ireland, France and the UK are among the final destinations for the yearlings who changed hands on Tuesday.
For the first time, Hong Kong Jockey Club's representatives made the trip to Tattersalls Ireland. The Club's agents made their presence felt in the sales ring, claiming the spoils in a tug of war between three different buyers for a son of second season sire Requinto (Ire).
Hong Kong's team were forced to go to €85,000 to secure lot 66, who is the first foal of the unraced mare Maraglen (Ire), a daughter of Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) from the family of GI Yellow Ribbon H. winner Super Staff.
The sale represented a handsome profit for Jonathan and Mary Hillman's Danesrath Farm, which purchased the colt at last year's inaugural Tattersalls Ireland Flat Foal and Breeding Stock Sale for just €11,000.
Godolphin's dual hemisphere sire Exceed And Excel was represented by a single yearling in the catalogue on Tuesday and lot 208 fell just short of the six-figure mark, selling to Con Marnane for €90,000. The colt boasts an impressive pedigree, with his dam So Secret (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}) being a half-sister to Tarfsha (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), runner-up in the G1 Oaks for Dermot Weld and Sheikh Hamdan and a three-parts sister to Saddler's Rock (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), winner of both the G2 Doncaster and Goodwood Cups and third in the G1 Ascot Gold Cup. It is the further family of Ballymacoll Stud's G1 Grand Prix de Saint Cloud hero Gamut (Ire).
Renowned pinhooker Marnane celebrated the G3 Albany S. win of Different League (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) with his family at Royal Ascot this year, and he said he thinks this colt could be a star for that meeting next year.
“Exceed And Excel is a sire I have been lucky with over the years and this is a really athletic colt, a proper runner,” said the proprietor of Bansha House Stables. “To me this is a Royal Ascot 2-year-old and I could bring him to the Craven Breeze-Up Sales, but that decision will be made down the line.”
Two sires with their first yearlings made an impact during Tuesday's opening session, with Gale Force Ten (GB) responsible for the most expensive yearling sold by a first-crop sire. His colt out of Paris Glory, consigned by Bill Dwan's Castlebridge Consignment, sold to Armando Duarte for €65,000 and could be headed for next year's breeze up sales. The colt by the Irish National Stud's young sire was catalogued as lot 122 and is a half-brother to four winners out of an unraced half-sister to G1 Prix Morny winner and sire Elusive City from the further family of current Canadian star turf performer Lukes Alley, winner of the GI Gulfstream Park Turf H.
“I know the mare quite well,” Duarte said. “I bought his half-sister Vale Of Paris (Ire) as a yearling but that didn't work out as well as I had hoped. He comes from a very good farm in Mattock Stud and I think I might prepare and sell him for the breeze ups myself.”
The sale was the highlight of a good day's trading for progeny of Gale Force Ten, who won the G3 Jersey S at Royal Ascot. He stands for a fee of €5,000 at the Irish National Stud and on Tuesday four lots by him sold for an average price of €32,000.
Godolphin's first-crop sire Slade Power (Ire) was the sire of Tuesday's most expensive filly, a good-walking daughter of Slope (GB) (Acclamation {GB}), who was third in the G3 Grangecon Stud Balanchine S. at The Curragh. Selling from Loughmore Stables as lot 205, the filly is the second foal of her dam and was bought by Daniel Creighton and Josh Schwartz for €60,000.
Three offspring of the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. and G1 July Cup winner sold on Tuesday for an average price of €40,667, just over double his 2015 covering fee of €20,000.
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