'Great Vibes' as September Yearling Sale Returns to Fairyhouse

TATTERSALLS IRELAND, Fairyhouse–It might be dressed up as a sales complex, but Tattersalls Ireland is much more than that and, on the eve of the September Yearling Sale, chief executive Simon Kerins shared how there are 'great vibes' in the air at Fairyhouse. 

The September Yearling Sale has been held in England for the past two years due to Covid and, on its return to Fairyhouse, a wide breadth of trainers from Britain and Ireland, many of the top agents and breeze-up consignors as well as international clients, crossed paths on what was a helter-skelter day of showing on Monday. 

Almost €13 million was wagered at this sale last year as buyers were able to look past the Covid clouds and see the sun straining through and, with recent Group 3 juvenile winners Sydneyarms Chelsea (Ire) (Sioux Nation) and Lakota Sioux (Ire) (Sioux Nation) flying the flag for that sale, Kerins is expecting the momentum to continue this week. 

He explained, “We have put a lot of work into this sale. Between ourselves and Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, we put a huge amount of work into getting people over here. 

“There is great footfall from trainers in Britain and Ireland, the breeze-up consignors and all of the major agents are here as well, while many foreign buyers have arrived today, too. We have people here from Poland, Italy and Spain, so it's looking good.”

Kerins added, “It's a very important sale and we feel there is room for it to improve. I have always felt that this sale can go up a level. We have improved the facilities here at Tattersalls, so we can get the people here once we have the horses. The vibes are great ahead of tomorrow.”

And why wouldn't they be given the huge demand for horses at the yearling sales at Arqana, Goffs UK and Tattersalls UK already this autumn? Tattersalls Ireland will bid to continue that trend when the two-day sale kicks off on Tuesday, followed by a bigger-and-better Part Two on Thursday, meaning a whopping 582 yearlings will go under the hammer at Fairyhouse this week.

Few will attract as many eyeballs as lot 176, a Footstepsinthesand (GB) half-brother to recent G1 Flying Five S. runner-up Erosandpsyche (Ire) (Sepoy {Aus}), consigned by the talented sprinter's owners, Mark Dreeling and Barbara Fonzo of Coole House Farm. 

In Barbara's own words, Erosandpsyche provided their Footstepsinthesand colt with “the mother of all pedigree updates” on Irish Champions Weekend and, while Erosandpsyche failed to get into a yearling sale and never made it to the Goresbridge Breeze-up Sale here in 2020, you would get big odds on Coole House Farm having to throw a set of silks on lot 176.

Even Paddy Twomey, the trainer of the 110-rated sprinter has been around to see Erosandpsyche's little brother and offered connections his seal of approval as did Derryconnor's Katie McGivern, who joked that she would be there to breeze the colt if the right price wasn't secured in the ring.

Fonzo said, “Erosandpsyche is a horse we couldn't sell because he's by an unfashionable sire. We tried to breeze him but he didn't make it so we had to put him in training. Luckily he's turned out to be a very good horse. 

“A client of ours owned the mare and, when we couldn't get Erosandpsyche into a yearling sale, we said that we'd buy him ourselves. We didn't breed him but he was born at our place. 

“We bought the mare on the strength of Erosandpsyche. She hadn't bred a winner at the time but now she's bred two and this Footstepsinthesand colt is going down quite well.”

She added, “All the right people are looking at him. Even Paddy came to look at him yesterday [Sunday] and he said we'd be fine so we're looking forward to selling him. 

“We have always done very well with Footstepsinthesand. We bred Larcmount Lad (Ire), who won a Group 2 and a Group 3 after selling for €110,000 at this sale in 2015. We also bred Lexington Fury (Ire) who won a race and looked promising before getting injured so the stallion has been good to us.”

Lot 176 is not the only horse in the catalogue to have received a timely boost to his page in recent weeks. Mountarmstrong Stud's Profitable (Ire) colt [lot 127] out of Pilates (Ire) (Shamardal) became a sibling to a Group 2 winner last month when half-sister Swingalong (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) battled to Lowther S. glory at York. 

Sales graduates Bottle Of Bubbles (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), winner of a Group 3 in Italy and Sir Busker (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}), who became a Group 2 winner at York last month, have done their bit in recent weeks to remind customers that the September Yearling Sale continues to churn out the winners. Other notable graduates of this sale includes Layfayette (Ire) (French Navy {GB}), Ponntos (Ire) (Power {GB}), Go Bears Go (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) and Thunder Beauty (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}). 

Put simply, there is something for everybody over the next three days at Fairyhouse, a point that is driven home by Gerry Burke of Gildawn Stud. 

“We're delighted to be here and Tattersalls are a great company to work with. Whether it's the Somerville, here at Fairyhouse or Book 1, 2 or 3, they give us an opportunity to sell our horses and it's always a pleasure to be here.”

He added, “They work hard to get customers in. We've been very busy and it's great to see so many people here. We're delighted to be back at Fairyhouse and I think there's something for every type of buyer here this week. There's great value to be got at this sale and the results are there for everybody to see.”