Elzaam Colt For Jet Setting Connections

Jet Setting (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) propelled John Kilbride and Adrian Keatley into the stratosphere with her G1 Irish 1000 Guineas win earlier this year, and a portion of her earnings were reinvested in the top lot on the second day of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, an Elzaam (Aus) colt purchased for €95,000.

The conclusion of Wednesday's session marked the end of the two-day Part 1 of the sale, which cumulatively posted a gross, average and median slightly up on last year. The gross, at €10,209,700 for 409 sold, surpassed the €10-million mark for just the second time in the sale's history and the first time since 2006, when the sale was held over three days. The average rose 3.6% from last year to €24,963, while the median climbed 5.6% to €19,000. The buyback rate climbed slightly from the opening session to finish at 18.4%.

The second session saw trade slow down a notch from opening day, but the session-on-session statistics show it was on par with last year. Wednesday's average was up 1.4% from last year at €23,757, while the median, at €17,000, was unchanged. Wednesday's buyback rate rose to 21.2% from 16.3% on Tuesday. A total of 197 yearlings changed hands on Wednesday.

Kilbride and Keatley pulled off one of the shocks of the flat racing season when Jet Setting, their cheap purchase at the 2015 Newmarket Horses In Training Sale, defeated multiple Group 1 winner Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Tattersalls Ireland 1000 Guineas in May. Now they are back on the hunt for another potential Classic winner, and Kilbride, who flew in from Keeneland on Tuesday night, had eyes only for one horse in Fairyhouse–lot 482.

A flurry of frenzied bids electrified the sales ring, packed not only by those seeking shelter from the rain that fell outside. Kevin Prendergast, who trained this year's G1 Tattersalls Ireland 2000 Guineas winner Awtaad (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and Richard Fahey were among those fighting for the son of Elzaam (Aus), but it was Kilbride and Keatley who held sway.

“He was the standout of the sale I thought,” said a delighted and relieved Kilbride. “He is the picture of his dad and there is a lot of Redoute's Choice (Aus) [sire of Elzaam] in him too. He has a bit more substance and depth to him than Elzaam, I think. I am delighted to get him as I thought he would go for a six-figure sum.”

The striking colt is out of the Intikhab (Ire) mare Betty Swift (Ire), an unraced sister to three black-type winners. She hails from the family of G1 Racing Post Trophy winner Seattle Rhyme and Eagle Way (Aus), successful in the G1 Queensland Derby.

Kilbride said he thinks the stamina in the family will allow the colt to stay further than the six furlongs Elzaam excelled at.

“His pedigree might see him go over a bit further, maybe he might get a mile,” he said. Smiling, Keatley chimed in: “We would like a go at winning the 2000 Guineas now.”

Kilbride is in the process of putting a syndicate of owners together for his sole purchase of the sale. The selling price was a massive return on the €3,500 covering fee which breeder John Davison of Killarkin Stud paid to send Betty Swift to the resident of Joe Foley's Ballyhane Stud.

Big Day For Ballyhane Sires…

Joe Foley's stallions advertised themselves particularly well during Part 1 of the sale, with first-crop sire Red Jazz proving popular with buyers. The son of Johannesburg has been a hit all week and he saved the best for almost last as Clive Cox went to €65,000 for lot 496, the highest-priced yearling to sell by Red Jazz at Fairyhouse.

A bay colt out of Bulrushes (GB), both his half-siblings have won. Three-year-old Ross Castle (Ire) (Bushranger {Ire}) is the winner of this year's G3 Prix Texanita and the year-older Dancewithastranger (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) has four victories to her name. Bulrushes is a half-sister to G2 Betfair Cup Lennox S. winner Tariq (GB) (Kyllachy GB}) from the family of Wi Dud (GB), who won the G2 Persimmon Flying Childers S. and was runner-up in the G1 Shadwell Stud Middle Park S.

Red Jazz was the second-most popular sire at the sale, responsible for 18 yearlings who changed hands for an average of €26,556. His first crop was conceived from a fee of just €4,500.

Kodiac Filly For Gittins Program…

Kodiac (GB) ruled the roost once again, hitting the top of the sire's chart with 22 of his progeny selling over the two days. A filly by the Tally Ho Stud kingpin was the most expensive filly sold on day two, and for a long time she was the top lot. The daughter of Kodiac was the most expensive yearling of the entire sale by her sire, falling to Mark Gittins for €88,000. Lot 379 is a daughter of the multiple group-winning mare Tropical Lady (Ire) (Sri Pekan) who has transferred her racing ability to her progeny.

The April 2015 filly is a half-sister to two winners and a placed filly from her three siblings to race, and Gittins confirmed it was a combination of the yearling's presence and her dam's ability that caught his eye.

“Tropical Lady was a very good race mare who is passing on to her foals plenty of ability. This filly is by the right sire who is very popular this week. I thought that was about what it would take to purchase her, as you have to spend to get progeny by the stallion. We will bring her home and break her ourselves. There has been no decision about who will train her.”

Gittins and his wife Aisling bred last season's champion 2-year-old Shalaa (Ire), and the couple is building a broodmare band on their new farm in County Kildare. Gittins said they hope this filly will eventually retire to Castlefarm Stud for her second career.

“We are trying to buy a few well-bred fillies as we build up the farm,” Gittins added.

A son of Footstepsinthesand (GB) threatened to steal the limelight from her as his asking price crept ever higher but Peter and Ross Doyle managed to clinch lot 384 for €85,000.

“We thought he was the best colt in the sale so we are delighted to get him,” Ross Doyle commented. “He is a big, strong, scopey sort, a real mid-season type. He comes from a very good home and was well-produced as all Kitty's [Cowhey, Loughmore Farm] horses are. We bought a nice Footsteps here this time last year, too.”

That colt is Larchmont Lad, who cost €110,000 at the 2015 renewal of this sale. He won his maiden and was third in the Listed Flying Scotsman S. on his most recent run. Larchmont Lad is entered in Thursday's G3 Tattersalls S. at Newmarket for trainer Richard Hannon, who will also train this son of the 2000 Guineas winner.

The Doyle and Hannon team had a busy half an hour as Ross Doyle signed for lot 395 the second-most expensive yearling by Acclamation (GB) catalogued in the sale.

Out of Violet Ballerina (Ire) Namid {GB}), Doyle went to €68,000 to secure the half-sister to four winners from the family of Balidar and Balliol.

Lot 515 made a late play for top-lot status, lighting up the final stages of the sale as darkness deepened outside. A son of Acclamation (GB), his dam is a half-sister to the dam of G1 Vodafone Nassau S. winner Favourable Terms (GB). All three of his half-siblings who have stepped onto the race track have been successful, and John Cullinane outlasted the opposition, sealing his purchase with a final bid of €80,000.

Epaulette In Demand Again…

Early exchanges on the second morning of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale told a similar tale to Tuesday morning, with the first horse in the ring, lot 268, making an early splash. The son of Epaulette (Aus)–the sire of Tuesday's top lot–was knocked down to Oliver St Lawrence Bloodstock on behalf of trainer George Peckham and Bahraini owner-trainer Fawzi Nass for €65,000.

The team sprung into action just 20 lots later to buy the early session pace-setter, lot 288–another daughter of Kodiac (GB), this one from the family of Frankel (GB). Consigned by Torard House Stud, she cost €80,000.

Her second dam is a half-sister to Rockfest (Stage Door Johnny), who in turn is the granddam of Kind (Ire) (Danehill), who has produced world champion and flying first-season sire Frankel and his full-brother and triple Group 1 winner Noble Mission (GB) among her five black-type foals.

It is one of the deepest pages in the book and one of the most successful Juddmonte families, but this descendant will have to prove herself on the track before she will be considered as a broodmare prospect by her new connections.

“She is the pick of the fillies here today but we were not looking specifically for fillies, we were in search of racehorses,” said Peckham, who was working with Will Douglass as his temporary advisor. “This filly is not your typical Kodiac, she has a lot of substance about her and her back pedigree is excellent. She has been bought to race and the option for her to join Fawzi's broodmare band is always there if she proves herself good enough on the track.”

Casamento Colt A Danesrath Homerun…

Blandford Bloodstock shelled out €65,000 for lot 279, an Iffraaj (GB) colt out G3 Laundry Cottage Firth of Clyde S. winner Roger Sez (IRE) (Red Clubs {Ire}). One of the standout offerings from the draft of the Premier Consignment, he is the second foal out of his stakes winning dam, and his Pivotal (GB) half-sister Brogan (GB) placed on all three of her starts so far for trainer Tom Dascombe.

As the sale wound its way into evening, Blandford was in the thick of the action once again buying the joint-third most expensive yearling of the day. Archie Watson, for Blandford, went to €85,000 for lot 468, a colt by Casamento (Ire) out of Balamiyda (Ire) (Ashkalani {Ire}).

Balamiyda is a half-sister to G2 King Edward VII S winner Balakheri (Ire) (Theatrical {Ire}) and to Baliyana (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) who won the G3 Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial. Her daughter, Balansiya (Ire) (Shamardal), was second in the same race. Lot 468 is a half-brother to a couple of winners in the listed-placed Escalada (Fr) (American Post {GB}) and Pearl Music (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}). He represented a very successful pinhook for vendors Danesrath Stud, who purchased him for only €11,000 at last year's Goffs November Foal Sale.

Dawn Approaches On The Horizon…

First-season sire Dawn Approach (Ire) had just three yearlings catalogued in the sale with only one of them, lot 455, on the second day, but he proved one of the stars of the evening session. The first foal out of Arbaah (Invasor {Arg}), he sparked a bidding war which was eventually won by Eamonn Reilly of BBA Ireland who had to pay €75,000 to secure the colt. He is from the family of the brilliant racemare and producer Shadayid, and his dam is a winning half-sister to Haatheq, Farhaan and Wid, out of a listed-winning daughter of the great Shadayid.

“This horse has a very good pedigree and he is going to a client of Karl Burke,” Reilly revealed. “I was a big fan of the sire, I really liked Dawn Approach as a racehorse and I like the yearlings I have seen by him. I really liked this colt and I think he has a good chance. Likewise, I think Dawn Approach has a very good chance of making it as a stallion.”

BBA Ireland signed for 10 yearlings and Reilly said, “it has been a very selective sale.”

Trainer Clive Cox went to €55,000 for the most expensive yearling sold at Tattersalls Ireland from the first crop of Tweenhills Farm and Stud's Havana Gold (lot 370). Peter Doyle claimed the second-highest lot by Havana Gold, paying €50,000 for lot 363.

Part II of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale commences Thursday and runs through Friday.