A landmark week at Tattersalls Ireland ended on a high this evening as Part II of the company’s September Yearling Sale posted a vastly improved set of results in all key areas.
This year the finale to the company’s flagship flat sale was cut back from two days to one and the day’s trade was vastly better than was the case 12 months ago.
Indeed, the much smaller catalogue produced an improved turnover of almost €2.1m as against the near €1.9m that was taken in over two days last year.
A clearance rate of 86% was in some contrast to the 65% from 2016, while the median jumped from €5,000 to €8,000. In addition, the average for the day progressed from last year’s overall figure of €6,998 to €10,115.
Last year the top price for this sale came in at €46,000 but that mark was bettered on three occasions with the star of the day a €60,000 son of Rock Of Gibraltar who fell to agent Patrick Moyles.
The Knockatrina House Stud offering is a half-brother to two winners from a family that goes back to the dual Derby hero Shahrastani.
“He’s been bought for an existing client and will race in Ireland. He’s a fine, big, athletic colt with a good step to him and he was our pick today. We had to pay a bit more than expected but hopefully he’ll be lucky,” said Moyles.
FIRST CROP
Much earlier in the day, breeze-up man Willie Browne had to go to €58,000 for a colt from the first crop of Xtension, who won at Group 2 level for Clive Cox before registering a top-level success in Hong Kong. Cox, who was acting through Merrick Francis, had to settle for the role of underbidder on the Rathbarry Stud-consigned colt.
“He was expensive but that’s nearly always the case for the ones that you want. He’s a great walker, a real athlete and he looks a real two-year-old. He’ll be back for the breeze-up sales in the spring,” commented Browne.
The top-priced filly was a €50,000 daughter of Dandy Man who was providing her connections with a stunning return on the €5,500 that she cost as a foal last November. Eddie Lynam tried hard to secure the half-sister to a French two-year-old winner but it was Irish Cambridgeshire-winning trainer Takashi Kodama who signed for the filly.
“She’s a very nice individual which is the most important thing for me. I worked for Con Collins when Dandy Man and his dam Lady Alexander were there so I’ve always been keen on Dandy Man,” stated Kodama.
A €42,000 son of Zoffany was bought to join Newmarket trainer David Simcock after he was knocked down to Tom Biggs of Blandford Bloodstock. The relation to the Irish Champion Stakes second Dazzling Park is out of a Green Desert mare whose two-year-old son, Fennann, runs at Newbury on Saturday.
Elsewhere, next year’s breeze-ups beckon for a €35,000 filly from the first crop of the outstanding juvenile War Command who was knocked down to Katie Walsh.
This sale was a very poignant one as the filly had been pinhooked for €9,000 by Ballylinch Stud’s Mark Byrne and his great friend Jonathan Fitzpatrick who sadly passed away last month.
Fitzpatrick also bred Coeur D’Amour, who won a two-year-old maiden at Galway on Tuesday.
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Part II
YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AV Med
2017 271 242 207 2,093,800 10,115 8,000
2016 463 410 267 1,868,400 6,998 5,000
2015 235 212 182 1,636,200 8,990 7,000