PART 2 of the Tattersalls Ireland September Sale in 2025 was topped by a Starman filly out of Bella Caelia at €105,000. She reappeared at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale in May and sold to Paddy Twomey for €320,000.

This year’s larger catalogue did not contain a star lot like last year, but it did create its own headline, being just the second time that the €2 million turnover mark was breached. The catalogue this time numbered 220 lots, while the previous best aggregate came about with a catalogue more than twice the size. The aggregate of €2,039,100 is an increase of 9% on 2025.

The honour of being top lot on Thursday fell to a son of the international sire, Ballylinch Stud’s Lope De Vega, offered from Bill Dwan’s The Castlebridge Consignment. He was bred by the late Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum who died in December.

Tracing back to the Juddmonte family of Enable, the colt cost bloodstock agent Valfredo Valiani €52,000. He will join the leading Italian trainer Stefano Botti, and was one of 10 yearlings purchased by the agent. Valiani said: “I thought he was a lovely horse and a very nice mover. There were nice horses here and they were selling for the right money.”

For most of the day the lead position was held by one of the earliest lots in the Part 2 catalogue, a filly by Darley stallion Space Blues from Tina Dargan’s Noralla Stud Farm.

The half-sister to two winners cost €50,000 and sold to the publicity-shy Timerland Bloodstock. Dargan said she believes the filly will be heading to Marco Botti. She added: “We wanted to come here with her; we have always been lucky here with homebreds and pinhooks, and we are delighted with that price”.

It was another by Space Blues who was the third-best price on the day. Ballygallon Stud sold this colt to Anderson Bloodstock for €40,000, and trainer Robson Aguiar was the successful bidder. He will be back in a sale next spring to breeze. Ballygallon’s manager James Byrne was happy. “It was more than we expected, but he deserved it as he is a fine, well-grown colt. He is going to good connections”.

The colt is a half-brother to the six-time winner Siren, and their dam is a Siyouni full-sister to the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes runner-up Walk In Marrakesh.

Excellent trade

Simon Kerins issued a statement at the close of business on Thursday. He said: “The excellent trade witnessed across the last two days continued into Part 2, which saw consistent demand from the opening lot through to the finish, with turnover surpassing €2 million.

“Given the strength of the market on Tuesday and Wednesday, quite a few purchasers still had orders to fill, and a clearance rate of 85% highlights the strong demand that was existent throughout the day.

“A particular mention must go to our international clients who were present across all levels of the market today and played a big part in the success of the sale.

“We saw buyers from Poland, the Czech Republic and Italy featuring prominently on the leading buyers table, having had outstanding success with their previous purchases at this sale it was pleasing to see so many return to buy.

“Pinhookers were also busy ahead of the 2027 breeze-up sales, and earlier this year we saw a number of Part 2 graduates hitting the headlights in the sales ring. We look forward to seeing some of today’s yearlings back here at our record-breaking Breeze Up Sale next May. The final flat sale of 2026 will be the Sapphire Sale, taking place on Tuesday, December 15th.

“Purchasers are reminded that incentives are in place ahead of the 2027 yearling sales, with much sought after places guaranteed in yearling sales once the foals reach a specified price in the Sapphire Sale.”