A €230,000 Showcasing colt broke new ground to become the highest priced lot in the sale’s history as he headed the opening session of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale which began its three-day run earlier today.
Following a day that produced two lots that made €200,000 or more, the session posted an improved set of returns. From a smaller number of horses offered the aggregate progressed by two points to just over €5.6m. The clearance rate was an impressive 90%, while the €28,844 average and the €24,000 median showed gains of 11 and 20% respectively.
For 11 years, the long-standing record price for this sale stood at €225,000, which was fetched by a son of High Chaparral, but that mark was finally bettered by the session-topping son of Showcasing after he fell to Michael O’Hagan.
The colt was offered by Paul and Marie McCartan’s Ballyphilip Stud and thus he hailed from the same farm that has produced such luminaries as Tiggy Wiggy and Harry Angel.
Even when the price hit €150,000 Michael O’Callaghan, Matt Coleman and Michael O’Hagan were doing battle and Joe Foley then made a play for the colt. However, it was O’Hagan who carried the day for the relation to this season’s classy juvenile Mythical Magic and the Nell Gwyn Stakes heroine Esentepe.
“He’s an athlete and a standout colt and he’s been bought on behalf of a client to go into training with Clive Cox,” reported O’Hagan, who was acting for Grovendale Advisory Services. “We liked him and Clive liked him and he comes off an excellent farm that we have been lucky with in the past.”
KODIAC
It had earlier appeared as though centre stage would go to an excellent son of Kodiac whom Anthony Stroud, acting for Godolphin, secured with a bid of €200,000 after he outlasted Mick Flanagan.
The colt was sold by John Foley’s Ballyvolan Stud and is out of a mare whose progeny have previously found plenty of favour in the sales ring. Indeed this colt’s elder brother fetched £150,000 as a yearling last autumn, and they hail from the immediate family of the multiple Group 3 winner and Group 1 National Stakes runner-up Naheef.
“He’s just a very nice, athletic type horse and Kodiac is just a wonderful sire who keeps producing good horses,” said Stroud.
The first yearling to reach the six figure mark at this year’s sale was a €110,000 son of Acclamation who went to Mark Gittins. The Rathbarry Stud-consigned relation to the Group 2-placed juvenile Dunloskin is an own-brother to three two-year-old winners.
“He will be going into training with Karl Burke and he looked one of the standout yearlings here today. He’s by a very good sire who is having an excellent year and we were very pleased to get him,” reflected Gittins.
The only son of Exceed And Excel on offer on day one sparked plenty of interest and Con Marnane had to go to €90,000 to fend off the attentions of fellow breeze-up consignor Thomond O’Mara. Marnane’s purchase comes from an excellent family that has produced the likes of the classic-placed duo Tarfasha and Galileo Rock.
“The sire has been very lucky for me before and this colt looks something special. He’s athletic and racy and has Royal Ascot written all over him. It’s quite likely that he will be back at the Craven Breeze-Up Sale next spring,” stated Marnane.
EXCELLENT RETURN
The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s first trip to this sale yielded an €85,000 son of Requinto who was showing an excellent return on the €11,000 he cost in this ring at last year’s Flat Foal And Breeding Stock Sale. He was sold by Mary and Jonathan Hillman’s Danesrath Stud.
Afterwards, the Hong Kong team remarked: “We thought that he was probably the best horse in the sale and that he would suit the type of racing that we have in Hong Kong. He’s got a huge backend and he’s a grandson of Dansili who works so well in Hong Kong.”
Elsewhere, agent Ed Sackville, a long standing supporter of the sale, splashed out €80,000 on a Dark Angel colt whose dam is a half-sister to the Group 3-winning juvenile Alsindi.
Sackville, who was standing with Michael Owen, declared: “He’s a lovely colt and has been bought for Manor House Stables (Tom Dascombe). Dark Angel is a sire that we have enjoyed a lot of luck with for Manor House.
"Last year we bought a very nice Dark Angel called Frozen Angel and he has done us proud all year.”
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Day 1
YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AV Med
2017 244 216 195 5,624,500 28,844 24,000
2016 267 251 212 5,529,500 26,083 20,000