THIS year’s edition of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale had a hard act to follow with records having fallen by the wayside in 2018. As it happened last year’s figures proved to be out of reach, but this was still an excellent sale.
In 2018, Book 1 played host to an unprecendented 14 seven-figure transactions. That number fell to a still excellent 10 this time and it was notable that over the three days the number of six-figure transactions held steady at 278.
The importance of the input of the Maktoum family remains colossal and they accounted for a quarter of the sale’s turnover.
Another hugely important aspect of this sale and one of potentially profound importance to the yearling market in Ireland and England is the input of American-based buyers. Each year that passes brings with it increased American expenditure and, at a time where the growth of owners in Ireland and England is a point of huge concern, this input from across the Atlantic is of ever-increasing importance.
This year’s top lot was a Dubawi half-brother to the St James’s Palace Stakes hero Barney Roy who cost Godolphin 3.6 million guineas. 
Shadwell’s support incalculable
BOOK Two was a robust and strong sale which saw a marked increase in six-figure activity with the number of lots making at least 100,000gns increasing from 144 to a very impressive 171.
Over the course of the three days, Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Estates and Rabbah Bloodstock signed for a remarkable 93 lots. Shadwell’s expenditure was in excess of 8 million guineas and represents close to 20% of the sale’s turnover, and all bar three of their purcases came in at 100,000gns and above. The value of the operation’s unwavering support of one of the pivotal yearling sales of the year is close to incalculable.
Appropriately, Shadwell secured the sale-topper when giving 1,050,000gns for a Dark Angel filly who is a granddaughter of the top sprinter Cassandra Go. This filly was consigned by James Hanly’s Ballyhimikin Stud on behalf of Trevor Stewart.
A CONDENSED Goffs Orby Sale catalogue was the catalyst for some sweeping gains at this sale last year so a 16% expansion in the number of horses coming under the hammer was always likely to put the retuns from 2018 out of reach. As it happened there were slight drops in the number of lots making at least €100,000 and €200,000, while the number of €400,000-plus transactions held steady at 16. Interestingly, the market witnessed an upswing in the number of buyers whose expenditure reached €1 million and beyond with that number increasing to 11 from eight. This includes several very notable new players at the top of the market in Georg von Opel’s Westerberg and the Australian-based Aquis Farm. Goffs showed again that standout individuals sell as well at Kildare Paddocks as they do anywhere else with this year’s Orby producing four lots that made at least €1 million. This year’s sale was headed by a Galileo own-sister to the 2018 Oaks winner Forever Together who made €3 million. She was bought by M.V. Magnier and Westerberg. The filly is out of Vimal and Gillian Khosla’s outstanding producer Green Room. The Galileo - Green Room filly sold for €3,000,000 at Goffs Orby Sale carolinenorris.ie A MARKED expansion in last year’s Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale led to across the board declines so the sensible decision to tighten up numbers saw the clearance rate shoot up from 78 to 86%. Otherwise this was a relatively low-key edition of this sale where the top of the market was far quieter than it was in 2018. Twelve months previously, this sale produced 10 six-figure transactions including a €275,000 top lot, but this time around that number fell to just two and the sale had quite a muted feel to it. Michael Kinane, who was acting on behalf of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, held sway when spending €165,000 on a son of No Nay Never and €100,000 on a Holy Roman Emperor colt. Shadwell significant spending again A LOOK at the figures for the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, the first major yearling sale in either England or Ireland, revealed a trade that was very similar to last year although a slightly smaller offering of horses should have had the potential for the figures to creep forward in several areas. There was a minor drop of just two (35) in the number of six-figure transactions while the all important input of Shadwell Estates was felt keenly once again as they signed for 15 of the lots that made €100,000 or more. Shadwell’s spending accounted for just over 10% of the sale’s aggregate and this was the operation’s most significant input at this auction for three years. 
