Market Holds Up At Tattersalls Ireland

Fledgling consignor Clare Manning of Boherguy Stud stole all the headlines during the opening session of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale on Monday when selling her grandfather Jim Bolger's Teofilo colt (lot 165) for a sale record price of £325,000, and it was more of the same on Tuesday when Manning sold Bolger's New Approach (Ire) colt out of the dual Group 3 winner Maoineach (Congaree) (lot 260) for a session-topping £190,000 to Robson Aguiar acting on behalf of Amo Racing and trainer Roger Varian.

Like the Teofilo colt 24 hours earlier, the New Approach colt had been the beneficiary of a major update since the printing of the catalogue. His 2-year-old full-brother New Treasure (Ire), unraced at the time of catalogue printing, broke his maiden in the G3 Round Tower S. on Aug. 28 and was second in the Listed Blenheim S. on Sept. 21 for Bolger.

Amo Racing has burst onto the scene this season with flagbearers like Listed Marygate Fillies' S. scorer Sardinia Sunset (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) and G3 Albany S. second Setarhe (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) with Varian, and it looks as if they will have another quality runner to go to battle with next year. After outbidding the likes of Dwayne Woods and Matt Coleman, Aguiar deflected credit for the find, saying, “Roger [Varian] really liked this horse, I am just helping. The colt has everything there; he is a nice horse and has a nice pedigree.”

Clare Manning reflected on her successful week, saying, “I knew the two of them were lovely individuals. Although they're quite different types they're both extremely nice individuals in their own ways, and the updates were obviously big boosts. I thought they'd be popular but they've both completely exceeded expectations. They've both really pulled it out of the bag.

“It couldn't have gone any better really. To get one touch like that is unbelievable, never mind two. There was a bit of apprehension coming to sale as we knew we had nice individuals but you're just not sure how deep people are going to be willing to put their hands into their pockets.”

Considering global economic unrest and complications of travel, figures held up remarkably well over the two-day sale. From 396 offered during Part I, 333 yearlings were sold for €8,009,140 at a clearance rate of 84%; it was 86% last year. The average was on par at €24,051, while the median dipped 12% to €17,582. The sale was conducted in pounds sterling but statistics converted to Euros for ease of comparison.

Another Thunder For Hannon

Few people would know Night Of Thunder (Ire) better than Richard Hannon, the trainer having guided the rising star sire through a three-year racing career including victories in the G1 2000 Guineas and G1 Lockinge S. Hannon will take charge of Night Of Thunder's lone offering at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, with Ross Doyle having outbid trainer Stuart Williams at £155,000 for lot 421 from Grove Stud.

“He is a very nice individual,” said Doyle. “I took Richard Hannon to see him yesterday and he said that this horse reminds him of his sire Night Of Thunder, whom he trained. This colt looks a 2-year-old type, he walks well, he is from a good farm in Grove Stud and, of course, Night Of Thunder is doing so well, he has some fantastic stats–gives you great chances of getting a good racehorse.”

The chestnut is the first foal out of Tuolumne Meadows (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}), a half-sister to G3 Prix Thomas Byron victor Circumvent (GB) (Tobougg {Ire}) and three other stakes-placed winners. He represented a good pinhooking score for Holland, who paid 30,000gns for him at Tattersalls December last year.

Another excellent pinhook result was achieved by Timmy Hillman and Phil Hoare, whose Starspangledbanner (Aus) filly (lot 414) blossomed from a 2,500gns foal to a £42,000 yearling yesterday when bought by Hubie de Burgh and trainer Fozzy Stack. The filly's dam, The Last Sister (Ire) (Lord Shanakill), is a half-sister to Group 3 winner and producer Lady Springbank (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}), and the third dam is the good German producer Santina (Ger).

Hillman recalled from last year's Tattersalls December Sale, “We were sat on the seats here and watching her go around and not making a lot. We had not seen her beforehand, but said, 'let's stick in a grand each.' So we did and bought her for 2,500gns.

“She has been a very simple filly to do, and has been busy since she has been here.”

DeBurgh added, “We love Starspangledbanner–we bought Aloha Star here last year. We have been very lucky with him. This is a beautiful filly, and has a great page, too.”

Dandy Man Colt Lauded By Sackville

Ed Sackville went to €46,000 at this sale last year to secure an Acclamation (GB) colt who is the first foal out of the stakes-placed 2-year-old Thatsallimsaying (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}). That colt, now named Lauded (GB), won on debut at Haydock on June 8 by 4 1/2 lengths for Manor House Racing, prompting Al Shaqab to buy into him. He was subsequently third in the G2 Richmond S. Sackville clearly has a high opinion of Lauded, having gone to £70,000 to secure his close relative on Tuesday. Ballyhane Stud's Dandy Man (Ire) colt (lot 276) is a full-brother to Lauded's dam Thatsallimsaying.

Of his most expensive of nine purchases during Part I of the sale, Sackville said, “This colt is by a stallion that we love, and this is a family that we know well–we had Lauded and Julius Geezer [under the second dam]. This colt looks fast, a real sharp-looking 2-year-old type. He is a fairly similar type to Lauded.”

Champers Team Back For More

Johnny Murtagh and Eddie Linehan selected none other than Champers Elysees (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) for €28,000 at this sale two years ago, and she went on to provide her trainer with a first Group 1 win in that realm in the Matron S. earlier this month. Murtagh and Linehan were back out in force in Newmarket, signing jointly for seven lots during Part I of the sale, with another three credited to Linehan.

The dearest among them was lot 437, Salcey Forest Stud's £70,000 Acclamation (GB) colt out of Voom Voom (Ire) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}), a half-sister to top-class sprinters The Tin Man (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) and Deacon Blues (GB) (Compton Place {GB}). Murtagh revealed that he has the mare's 2-year-old Get Funky (Ire) (Pearl Secret {GB}) in his yard, that one having been bought for £26,000 by SackvilleDonald at Doncaster's Premier yearling sale last year.

“We've waited some time for him today,” Murtagh said. “He looks a ready-made 2-year-old and I have the half-brother, who is a very genuine horse and this colt looks faster than him.”

Others on Murtagh's and Linehan's list on Tuesday included lot 244, a filly by Lope De Vega who was the lone offering by her sire in the sale for £47,000; and lot 314, a Requinto (Ire) colt from Kildaragh Stud for £32,000.

Acclamation's son Mehmas (Ire) was understandably in demand during the session, the Tally-Ho Stud resident doing as well as he is with his first runners this season, and he had a pair of colts sell for £65,000. Tally-Ho offered its homebred colt out of She Bu (Ire) (Bushranger {Ire}) (lot 374), and he was picked up by Kevin and Anna Ross on behalf of Paul and Clare Rooney.

“His sire Mehmas is doing so well,” said Kevin Ross, “He has proved he can get a good horse. This colt looks a hardy 2-year-old type, is from a fast pedigree and he looked to us as though he could be a type for Royal Ascot. He is for Paul and Clare Rooney, and a trainer will be decided upon at a later date.”

The unraced She Bu is a half-sister to listed-winning sprinter Ruby Rocket (Ire) (Indian Rocket {GB}), the dam of G1 Prix de l'Abbaye scorer Maarek (GB), as well as Alexander Alliance (Ire) (Danetime {Ire}), whose current 2-year-old is the dual group-placed Mehmas colt Mystery Smiles (Ire). Another sister produced the G2 Flying Childers S. winner and first-crop yearling sire Ardad (Ire). Overbury Stud resident Ardad himself had a colt (lot 340) sell for £55,000 on Tuesday–“I have been very impressed with the sons of Kodiac that have had runners, and I have liked a lot of the Ardads that I have seen,” said Luke Lillingston after signing for that one for Kennett Valley Thoroughbreds.

Mehmas's lot 265 is one of a large handful of yearlings from this sale headed to Italy, having been bought by Marco Bozzi for £65,000. Breeders Peter and James Jones will have been pleased with their decision to bring him home from last year's Goffs November Foal Sale after he was led out unsold at €20,000.

“He has been bought by Mrs Roveda and he goes into training in Milan with Mr. Biondi,” Bozzi explained. “We have been buying for many years at Tattersalls. We liked this horse a lot, he is very strong and Mehmas has been going very well.”

Mehmas ended the sale as leading sire by average with three or more sold, his 14 averaging €41,429.

Ascot Dreams For Kodiac Filly

Kodiac (GB) had his name in lights at Royal Ascot this year, with Group 2-winning juveniles Campanelle (Ire) and Nando Parrado (Ire) starring alongside G1 Diamond Jubilee winner Hello Youmzain (Ire). The former went on to win the G1 Prix Morny and highlight another excellent season for juveniles for the Tally-Ho sire, one which also includes G2 Flying Childers S. victor Ubettabelieveit (Ire), G3 Firth of Clyde S. winner Umm Kulthum (Ire) and listed winners Frenetic (Ire), Zoetic (Ire) and Bahrain Pride (Ire).

Tim Palin of Middleham Park Racing has his sights firmly set on Royal Ascot after shelling out £68,000 for Croom House Stud's Kodiac daughter of the G2 Debutante S. second Oui Say Oui (Ire) (Royal Applause {GB}) (lot 306).

“A gorgeous filly, probably the nicest filly we saw this week,” said Palin. “Ross [Doyle, who signed the ticket] just used the word 'queen,' and she is. The auctioneer commented about Royal Ascot and you could just see her winging around Chester in the Lily Agnes and going to the Queen Mary or the Albany.”

The family has some scope to it as well; the second dam is the excellent producer Mohican Princess, also responsible for the G3 Ballyroan S. winner Eye of the Storm (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), G3 Sirenia S. and G3 Joel S. scorer Satchem (Ire) (Inchinor {GB}) and Mohican Heights (Ire) (Australia {GB}), winner of last year's Stonehenge S. and third in this season's G2 King Edward VII S.

“It's a fantastic page and she's quite a progressive mare, who is really just getting going,” Palin added. “We might just have had one or two bids too many but we fell in love with her. She's going to Richard Hannon.”

“The venue for the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale was new, but the fundamentals of the sale remained the same,” said Tattersalls Ireland CEO Matt Mitchell. “We had a catalogue of quality yearlings catering for all sectors of the market and the clearance rate of 84% demonstrates the enduring appeal of the sale, even in these challenging times.

“The obvious highlight was the new record top price of £325,000 for Jim Bolger's outstanding Teofilo (Ire) colt consigned by his granddaughter Clare Manning and we are delighted that his support of the September Yearling Sale has been so richly rewarded. The feature of the sale has, however, been the depth to the trade from start to finish. We have had a record number of lots sell for £150,000 or more and buyers from throughout Britain and Ireland have been competing with a strong overseas contingent, most notably from Italy.

“Relocating the sale was not an easy decision and we would like to thank the vendors and purchasers, all of whom have contributed to the success of the past two days. The sale has displayed a remarkable resilience under the circumstances and is a tribute to the professionalism and commitment of all concerned.”