A LANDMARK edition of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale Part 1 concluded with an impressive set of returns on Wednesday evening that produced record tallies in several key areas.

This was the sixth consecutive year of growth for the sale but trade moved on to an entirely different level this year following two days of excellent trade.

There was strong demand and competition at all levels of the market and a 93% clearance rate is testament to what was a most complete sale.

At the end of the two days turnover came in at just short of €10m, which was the highest figure recorded in this category for nine years. The €24,093 average was a record and so was the €18,000 median.

After making good progress in recent years the sale was performing at an altogether higher level this year. By way of example the number of lots to make €50,000 improved from 12 to 38 and the number of yearlings to make at least €30,000 jumped from 67 to 112.

As ever the auction benefitted from a major input by British purchasers, but there was also a tremendous international turnout which played a pivotal role in the success of the sale.

“This sale has continued to go from strength to strength in recent times and this burgeoning reputation has been emphatically underscored by the set of results achieved in the sales ring over the last two days,” commented managing director Roger Casey. “The level of trade witnessed has been frenetic from the very first lot on Tuesday morning and we are thrilled to have substantially surpassed last year’s turnover from a similar sized catalogue.”

“Our graduates clearly continue to be the best form of promotion possible for this sale and they have performed at the very highest level this year, with no less than three individual group-winning two-year-olds from last year’s sale being the highlight.

“In addition, the combined and industrious efforts of the Tattersalls Ireland team in Ireland and the UK, the network of Tattersalls overseas representatives and Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, has resulted in a truly extraordinary number of purchasers being with us since early Sunday morning and the broad diversity and volume of these purchasers translated into 14 countries being represented overall, including the largest number of individual buyers from the UK on record,” added Casey.

PART 2

The week at Tattersalls Ireland drew to a satisfactory close with the one day Part 2 of the September Sale which made advances on last year’s totals.

As expected trade was operating at a lower level to the preceding days but it was still running some way ahead of 2014 as evidenced by an aggregate of over €1.6m which grew by 29%. The average of €8,990 was up by 22% and the €7,000 median was a progression of 40%. Furthermore the clearance rate came in at 86%.

TUESDAY

A sparkling opening session was headed by a trio of six figure lots and this was the first time in six years that the September Sale saw three yearlings reach the €100,000 mark.

The sale topper was a €130,000 son of Kodiac from Tally-Ho Stud and he was knocked down to Amanda Skiffington. The agent, who purchased the likes of Galileo Gold and Hawksmoor at this sale last year, reported that the relation to the Hollywood Derby winner Super Quercus would be joining Hugo Palmer for owner Kevin Bailey. The latter has previously been involved with the likes of the high-class international campaigner Presvis.

Trainer Joe Tuite and owner Tony Byrne, who combined to land last month’s Ebor Handicap with Litigant, earlier spent €120,000 on a colt from the first crop of Harbour Watch. The Grove Stud offering, for whom Ger Lyons was under bidder, is the first produce of a listed-placed two-year-old.

The other lot to reach six figures was a €110,000 son of Footstepsinthesand and he will be joining the Richard Hannon team after Ross Doyle saw off the challenge of Pat Flynn. From Coole House Farm, the colt is related to the Italian 2000 Guineas winner Spirit Of Desert.

Following another superb season for the Danehill horse, Kodiac’s progeny continue to be in some demand and the Tally-Ho Stud resident supplied a colt from Knockatrina House who cost Con Marnane €82,000.

At the very outset of the day Eddie Lynam forked out €68,000 for a Kodiac filly out of a dual two-year-old winner.

The only Wootton Bassett yearling on offer was very popular and he eventually came to agent Bertrand Le Metayer for €80,000. The Clonbony Stud-consigned colt is out of a half-sister to Grey Swallow. This sale capped a good day for Clonbonny who earlier received €35,000 for a filly from the first crop of Elzaam who cost just €3,000 as a foal.

Another €80,000 colt came in the shape of an Avonbridge from Grove Stud who will be joining Richard Fahey after he was knocked down to Highfield Farm’s Emma Armstrong.

The colt made 13,000gns on his previous visit to the sales ring last November. Earlier Ger Lyons bested Fahey for a €70,000 Dream Ahead colt out of a useful four-time winner. The relation to Anthem Alexander was bought on behalf of Lyons’ long-time patron Vincent Gaul.

Tom Dascombe will take charge of a €68,000 Teofilo colt whose dam has already produced the Racing Post Trophy third Altruistic, while Willie Browne spent €55,000 on a colt hailing from the first crop of the Irish 2000 Guineas winner Power.

WEDNESDAY

Another good session was headed by a €120,000 son of Elusive Pimpernel from Jonathan and Mary Hillman’s Danesrath Stud.

The colt enjoyed a timely boost to his pedigree in recent months as he is an own-brother to the smart English-based juvenile They Seek Him Here. French agent Bertrand Le Metayer outlasted Charlie Fellowes and Will Douglass for the colt whose trainer will be decided in due course.

The last few hours of the session produced a flurry of bigger prices and saw a number of first crop sires come to the fore.

Among these was the high class Australian runner Sepoy who was responsible for a filly from The Castlebridge Consignment who cost Joe Foley €90,000.

The Flying Childers Stakes winner Sir Prancealot also had a good day, with his progeny headed by an €82,000 colt from John Foley’s Gortskagh House Stud.

Purchaser Ross Doyle reported that the colt will go into training with Jim Boyle. Earlier Eddie Lynam forked out €72,000 for a Sir Prancealot half-sister to the stakes-winning juvenile Liber.

The popular Kodiac was once again well represented and Michael Fitzpatrick’s J.C. Bloodstock spent €88,000 on a son of the Danehill horse from Tally-Ho Stud.

J.C. Bloodstock also snapped up a fine filly from the first crop of the high-class Requinto for €68,000. The half-sister to the American Grade 3 winner Good Mood was offered by Glenvale Stud.

For a large part of the day Ross Doyle set the pace after giving €78,000 for a son of Sir Percy for whom Paul Moroney was underbidder. The grandson of the King’s Stand Stakes winner Dominica was showing a good return on the 14,000gns he cost as a foal.

Doyle then added to his tally when paying €70,000 for a son of Sakhee’s Secret who will carry the Middleham Park Racing colours. Both horses will be trained by Richard Hannon.

The promising first season sire Canford Cliffs was responsible for a colt from Castletown Stud who cost Amanda Skiffington €78,000, while John Cullinan paid €70,000 to secure the only Dark Angel colt in the sale. The Dark Angel will be reoffered as a breeze-up.

Sheila Lavery spent €72,000 on a son of Dandy Man from the family of Circus Plume. He was offered by Joe Foley’s Ballyhane Stud who had picked up him up for just €8,000 at Goffs in February and the colt shares his sire with Lavery’s first winner as a trainer - Lady Ultra.

Among the most popular fillies on offer was a €67,000 daughter of Royal Applause from Grove Stud who was knocked down to Fozzy Stack. She is out of the Masaka Stakes winner Nasij.

THURSDAY

The week came to a close with Part 2 of the September Sale and trade was of a more low key variety here, but it still took a significant step forward on the corresponding day in 2014.

The session was headed by the very last lot into the ring as Aidan O’Ryan, acting for Rebel Racing, went to €60,000 for a daughter of Cockney Rebel from Castledillon Stud. The filly is a half-sister to seven winners headed by the multiple American Grade 2 winner and dual Grade 1-placed Slim Shadey.

For most of the day the pace was set by a pair of €42,000 lots and the first of these to come under the hammer was an Aughamore Stud-consigned filly from the first crop of Requinto.

The relation to the smart American runner Tamweel will be returning for sale as a breeze-up after being knocked down to the Tally-Ho Stud team.

The €42,000 mark was also reached by Ger Lyons when he secured a son of Thewayyouare from Buckley Bloodstock. This colt’s pedigree has enjoyed a notable boost this season as his dam is closely related to the Epsom Oaks heroine Qualify and the smart Ballydoyle juvenile Shogun.

Another to have enjoyed a timely boost to her pedigree in recent weeks was a €33,000 daughter of Dandy Man whose juvenile own-brother Orvar has shown a good level of form for Richard Hannon and recently won an international two-year-old race in Turkey. She was snapped up by Ahmad Aldowaisan who was seated with trainer David Evans.

On a day when fillies occupied many of the top spots a daughter of Intense Focus from Baroda & Colbinstown Studs cost agent Frederico Barberini €30,000.

Another €30,000 purchase came when a Cockney Rebel filly from the family of Lypharita was knocked down to Phil Cunningham. This price was closely matched by Eddie Lynam when he spent €28,000 on a Champs Elysees colt out of an unraced daughter of Galileo.

The breeze-up sales beckon for a son of Sir Prancealot who came to Katie Walsh for €25,000 and this price was equalled by a daughter of Holy Roman Emperor and a son of Lord Shanakill who was purchased to go abroad.

Agent Bobby O’Ryan, who picked up a remarkable 48 yearlings for a myriad of clients over the three days, made his presence felt when going to €22,000 for a Bushranger colt who was bought for a British-based client.