IN order to narrow the gap between fashion and substance, a case could be made to publish ratings on pedigree pages. Blacktype is what catches the eye, but a horse who finishes a well-beaten third in a weak listed event could be rated much lower than another who wins a premier handicap impressively.

Many smaller breeders are struggling despite a proven record of producing sound, useful horses, that can go under the radar if their pages lack a sexy sire or headline horse. The cut-throat nature of the stallion game doesn’t make things any easier, as a stallion’s progeny can be promising or even unbeaten when the mare is covered, only to be written off by the time the resulting foal is presented at auction.

It pays to do your homework and look beyond the obvious highlights in catalogues, particularly at lower-profile sales like the Tattersalls Ireland Sapphire Sale, which may not be known for a fashionable catalogue, but has delivered the goods on the track. The sale of foals, yearlings and broodmares returns on Tuesday, December 16th – the final sale of 2025. The sale starts at noon.

It’s where Aughamore Stud gambled €12,500 on an Elzaam filly back in 2017, presumably focusing on her 80-rated full-sister and blacktype under the second dam.

They got €28,000 for her at the same venue the following year and, named Champers Elysees, she repaid yearling buyer Johnny Murtagh with a Group 1 win in the Matron Stakes.

Success at every step

A year earlier, Pat Donworth of Torard House Stud gave €15,500 for an Equiano colt without blacktype in his first two dams, and was rewarded with €55,000 in the same ring 10 months later. Named Gustavus Weston, the likeable sprinter went on to win three group races.

Group-winning juveniles The Lir Jet (€9,500) and Steel Bull (€5,000) are other leading graduates of the sale, along with dual graded winner Bellabel (€33,000). Red Lion (previously Fiach McHugh) was offered at the 2020 edition but proved his worth in the colours of breeder Pat Harney before selling to the John Size stable, for whom he won the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile earlier this year.

An incentive for foal buyers is that all foals purchased at the 2025 Sapphire Sale are guaranteed a place in at least Part II of the 2026 September Yearling Sale. Yearling buyers may enter their purchases in €250,000 Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes at the Irish Champions Festival.

While some pages in the catalogue may require a little imagination, the 127-lot catalogue does feature sires with obvious appeal, including the likes of Blackbeard, Churchill, Ghaiyyath, Lucky Vega, Mehmas, Minzaal, Persian Force, Sands Of Mali, Sergei Prokofiev and Starman.

Catalogue highlights

Yearlings:

Lot 11: Lucky Vega half-sister to two horses rated over 80, including £360,000 breezer Carrados

Lot 12: Full-sister to recent two-year-old maiden winner Back To Me

Lot 13: Half-brother to 113-rated Sir Maximilian, who earned over £400,000

Lot 21: Space Blues half-brother to top-class hurdler Appreciate It

Lot 22: Minzaal filly out of a full-sister to dual group winner Vintager

Lot 24: Footstepsinthesand half-brother to four horses rated over 90, including Group 3 winner Thunderbear

Lot 29: Churchill half-sister to 95-rated juvenile Eleven A

Lot 30: Half-sister to Group 3 winner Stage Magic and the 91-rated Bystander

Lot 34: Half-sister to three blacktype horses, out of Irish 1000 Guineas runner-up Ardbrae Lady

Lot 35: Nando Parrado half-brother to three blacktype horses, including Group 3 winner Belcarra

Lot 36: Nando Parrado half-brother to Group 3 performer Wise Eagle

Lot 40: Calyx colt is a grandson of Group 1 performer Calyxa

Lot 43: Sottsass half-brother to stakes performer Take Me To Church

Lot 45: Coulsty half-brother to a stakes performer, out of a full-sister to Group 1 performer Poseidon Adventure

Lot 48: Half-sister to two stakes winners, including Prix de la Foret third Kendam

Lot 49: Ten Sovereigns colt out of a 92-rated mare

Lot 52: Calyx half-sister to 92-rated three-year-old Fantazy Man, who sold to Gai Waterhouse for £250,000 this summer

Lot 56: Space Blues half-brother to a stakes horse

Foals:

Lot 60: Earthlight half-sister to blacktype sprinter Mondammej

Lot 66: The Antarctic colt is a grandson of Coronation Stakes heroine Balisada

Lot 67: Calyx filly shares her Group 2-winning granddam with Grade 1 winners Althiqa and Mysterious Night

Lot 70: Persian Force colt is closely related to 85-rated sprinter Musical Touch (Mehmas)

Lot 76: Dubawi Legend colt out of a full-sister to Jersey Stakes second and French 2000 Guineas fourth Muwaary

Lot 77: Full-brother to Group 3 performer Mehmar (Mehmas)

Lot 80: Dubawi Legend half-brother to two blacktype horses

Lot 81: Starman filly from the family of Charyn

Lot 83: Lucky Vega half-sister to group performer Tagline

Lot 84: Make Believe half-brother to the 91-rated Blazing Skies, out of a blacktype mare

Lot 85: Mayson colt out of a half-sister to Group 1 second Eqtiraan

Lot 97: Twilight Son half-sister to the 93-rated Beauty Viva, out of a half-sister to two dams of Group 1 winners

Lot 102: King Of Change colt out of a blacktype mare

Lot 107: Supremacy half-sister to Group/Grade 1 performers El Astronaute and Cathkin Peak

Lot 109: The Antarctic filly out of a full-sister to a Group 3 winner

Lot 111: Shaman filly is a half-sister to Alissam, who made a winning debut last month

Lot 116: Shaquille colt out of a blacktype Raven’s Pass mare

Mares

Lot 123: Rose Et Or is the dam of two stakes horses in France

Lot 125: Listed winner Ighraa is the dam of Grade 2 hurdler Torrent. In foal to King Of Steel