A DAY that produced a quintet of six-figure transactions and a top price of €150,000 enabled the enlarged Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale to get off to an encouraging start earlier today.
In 2015 the entire auction saw four horses make at least €100,000 but that number was bettered by one during a session which produced a set of figures that were able to keep pace with those from last year.
Centre stage on the opening day went to a €150,000 filly hailing from the first crop of the Australian Group 1 winner Epaulette. The Rathasker Stud offering was bought by owner Chris Humber and was knocked down to agent Amanda Skiffington, who secured the subsequent Group 2 and Group 3 heroine Hawksmoor for Humber at this sale in 2014.
Appropriately, the filly will be trained by Hawkmoor’s handler Hugo Palmer, whose Guineas hero Galileo Gold adorns the front of the catalogue having also been bought here in 2014. This session-topping sale was also a major triumph for Maurice Burns’ Rathasker Stud, who picked up the mare in foal to Epaulette for €21,000 last February.
Much earlier in the day, Kevin Prendergast splashed out €140,000 to secure the only Oasis Dream yearling on offer this week. The first produce out of the useful dual winner and listed-placed Harmonic Note was bought on spec by this season’s Irish 2000 Guineas-winning trainer. Prendergast’s purchase hailed from The Castlebridge Consignment and passed through the ring as a foal when he was listed as sold for €210,000.
The €140,000 mark was also matched by a son of Dark Angel from James Hanly’s Ballyhimikin Stud and both he and the Oasis Dream have the distinction of being the third-highest priced colts to come under the hammer at this sale in the last nine years. Agent Ed Sackville, acting for Tom Dascombe, outlasted Joseph O’Brien for the €56,000 foal whose immediate family includes the stakes-winning Rose Hip.
As was the case at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale last month, Dark Angel’s progeny were in some demand and the leading sire also supplied a €120,000 filly from Yeomanstown Stud who went to Willie Browne. A return to the ring at next year’s breeze-up sales beckons for the relation to Sovereign Debt for whom Peter Doyle finished as underbidder.
The other six-figure transaction came in the shape of a €135,000 son of Sea The Stars and he went to Aiden Murphy after he outlasted Brendan Holland. Sold by Mount Coote Stud on behalf of his breeder Sunderlands Holding Inc, the colt was bought on behalf of a syndicate. His juvenile own-brother Raheen House has begun his career with a couple of promising runner-up finishes.
Ger Lyons, whose Railway Stakes hero Medicine Jack is another high-profile graduate of this sale, weighed in with a number of purchases and these included a €90,000 Zoffany colt. This €85,000 foal purchase is a grandson of the Queen Mary Stakes third Sharplaw Star.
Another Irish trainer to make his mark was Michael O’Callaghan and he spent €70,000 on a daughter of Dutch Art who hails from the immediate family of the high-class sprinter Easton Angel.
Meanwhile, Tommy Stack will take charge of a €62,000 son of Choisir after he was snapped by up Hubie de Burgh. The colt shares his sire with the high class Stack juvenile Alexios Komnenos, whom de Burgh picked up for €28,000 last autumn.
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Final Figures - Day 1
YEAR......CAT......OFF......SOLD.......AGG...........AV............Med
2016......267.......251........210....5,510,500...26,240.....20,000
2015......235.......218........206....5,100,500...24,760.....20,000