THE opening session of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale produced an 85% clearance rate, and both the median and average prices jumped by more than 20% on last year.

For the second year running, the 'Fairyhouse' sale is being staged in Newmarket and, while the move has meant more work for Irish-based vendors, it has made it easier for British and continental buyers to attend, as Covid restrictions continue to ease.

Irish-based agents Peter and Ross Doyle were the top spenders on Tuesday, shelling out £466,000 for nine horses. Adam Driver's Global Equine agency spent £240,000 on just two yearlings, while Andrew Balding gave £218,000 for eight new recruits.

The day's top price was £130,000 paid by Global Equine for a chesnut colt by No Nay Never, consigned by Castlehyde Stud. The colt is out of Pink Damsel, whose own dam Riskaverse (by Dynaformer) was a three-time Grade 1 winner, and by Galileo.

"We brought him here to stand out," said Paddy Fleming, Castlehyde manager. "The mare has been good to us – Sarsons Risk [2019, Caravaggio] looks quite promising and was third first time out at Newbury since the catalogue was published. He is due to run at Newmarket on Thursday.

"He is a very straightforward horse, he vetted well. He was born and raised at Castlehyde, born and raised on limestone land, and he has grown into a grand yearling. Numerous people viewed him, and he was an easy sell really.

"The mare has a lovely Ten Sovereigns colt foal, and is in-foal to Wootton Bassett."

CHURCHILL COLT

Global Equine also signed for the day's second highest-priced lot, a colt by Churchill making £110,000. He was bred by Mark Hanly with his mum Stephanie having bought the mare Komedy (by Kodiac) at the 2015 Autumn Horses In Training Sale for 9,000gns.

"He is a very taking individual and I thought to myself that he'd be a stand-out at this sale. He is a magnificent looking animal and, it is early days, but the sire is ticking all the boxes," said Hanly of Grange Hill Stud.

"It is a very nice fast family, and he is out of a Kodiac mare and they are working very very well at the moment on the track. He is just a magnificent colt and a very good sale to have him in.

"Komedy has already bred Internationaldream, who has blacktype, and Jessica Harrington has the full-sister and from what I hear she is promising. The mare is a typical Kodiac and when I first saw Churchill at stud, I absolutely loved him. He has a big physique and would suit a Kodiac mare, and the cross suited, too – Danehill and Galileo. The mare is barren this year, but had an early covering to Saxon Warrior."

Driver of Global Equine said: "I loved this horse. We have two Churchills in training with Tom Clover, both of which are really nice. We like what we have got so far."

GARDA ON PATROL

There was a funny story behind Tuesday's third highest-priced yearling, a son of Ardad sold by Leon Carrick to Amo Racing for £105,000.

Kildare man Leon Carrick is a member of An Garda Siochana and bought the horse as a foal at the Tattersalls December Sale but was at home in bed when he placed the winning bid.

The 27-year-old explained: "I came in after a night shift, loved him when I saw him on the video, how he walked, how he showed himself. So I got a friend of mine who was over here to check him out, lucky enough he got him for 7,500gns. Never in our wildest dreams did we expect to get £105,000 for him today!

"A special thanks goes to my uncle Johnny Collins, he owns him jointly with myself and my girlfriend Michelle Gibbons, and thanks also to trainer Richard Brabazon, he allowed me to use his facilities to prep the horse.

"I worked for Richard when I was younger – from college I'd go down to Dick at the weekends. Thankfully we struck up a nice little relationship whereby he trains me and lets me have use of his facilities, it is definitely special thanks to him."

Carrick added: "We buy a few cheap foals every year, hoping that something like this will happen – this will give us a great boost now. Hopefully, we can go forward now and buy a few more better quality foals. I am delighted, over the moon!

"I've worked on stud farms such as Coolmore, the Aga Khan, and went to New Zealand, and said I'd better go and do it myself! Maybe if we get a few more results like this, we can do this full-time. That might be the plan."

Carrick posted photos last on social media of the colt asleep in his stable in the Solario yard at Tattersalls, quite obviously with a very laid-back attitude to life.

"He is an absolute gent to do anything, he never put a foot wrong all winter. He has his little quirks, and you need to get used to them, but he has a great temperament. I sat besides him last night in the straw box and he put his head across me and fell asleep. The hardest part at the sales has been to get him up after he has been lying down!

"I think Ardad breeds a nice temperament into the horse and he definitely upgrades his mares."

The colt was bought by Robson Aguiar as a racing prospect for Amo Racing.

The sale continues on Wednesday.

DAY ONE STATISTICS

CURRENT YEAR PREVIOUS YEAR CHANGE %

Catalogued 276 224 +23%

Withdrawn 22 18 —

Offered 254 206 —

Unsold 37 31 —

Sold 217 175 —

Aggregate (€) 6,699,353 4,453,309 —

Median (€) 23,496 18,681 +26%

Average (€) 30,873 25,447 +21%

% lots sold 85% 85% —