Mitchell Optimistic Progress Can Be Maintained

Tattersalls Ireland reported recently about the massive number of applications it received for the 845 slots available for this week's September Yearling Sale including Part II, with the auction house forced to turn down twice as many horses as catalogued. While on one hand such a scenario suggests there will be a lot of yearlings struggling to find new homes this year it also implies that Tattersalls Ireland should have been able to put together a catalogue as high on quality as it has ever done so. That theory is endorsed by the company's new CEO Matt Mitchell, who took over the running of Tattersalls Ireland in July. Despite facing into his first Irish flat yearling sale with the company Mitchell is far from a stranger to such a prospect having headed up both Goffs and Brightwells in the past and he is hopeful of building on the impressive gains the sale has posted the last eight years.

“We have to be optimistic,” Mitchell said. “Certainly the feeling so far from speaking to people about the catalogue is that it has improved each year and this year is no different. The sale has transformed in the last five years and purchasers have become aware that winners and good winners are coming out of this sale. The bigger catalogue this year will present a challenge as there are more horses to sell but we think we will have a sufficiency of buyers here to offset the rise in numbers.”

Mitchell had been sitting on the board of Tattersalls Ireland since the company took over the bloodstock division of Brightwells in 2015, so he very much landed running when elevated to the position of CEO a couple of months ago.

“I'd like to think my knowledge of the business before I came on board was substantial,” he said. “Though obviously there is no substitute for being on the ground and seeing how things work and I'm fortunate that the team here has vast experience of both the market and how to operate each individual sale. It's more a case of continuing the great work that goes on rather than making drastic changes.”

Mitchell is keen to focus on the positive aspects of the bloodstock market rather than talking in glass half empty terms and he is hoping that the domestic market will provide plenty of competition for the international buyers who have historically been so strong at this sale.

“I am hoping Irish trainers and owners will be a bit more active than they have been in the past,” Mitchell said. “Syndicate ownership is definitely making a comeback and we are embracing this concept by working with the ownership department in HRI to invite syndicate members to the sale to give them a clearer insight to what goes on here. We can guide them around the complex and explain how the system works. For many this is where the ownership dream starts so we want to open it up so people can get involved right from the beginning.”

2017 saw the September Yearling Sale register an eight-figure aggregate for the second year in a row and with an extra 73 lots catalogued on Tuesday and Wednesday, there must be a strong chance that last year's total of just under €11.5 million will be eclipsed. The beefed up catalogue will however put the clearance rate to the test and a repeat of last year's impressive 89% of yearlings sold will be a hard act to follow. The 2017 average of €28,556 and median of €23,000 were also significantly up on the corresponding figures a year earlier and they set a high barometer. Last year a Ballyphilip Stud consigned son of Showcasing (GB) topped the sale when purchased by Grovendale Advisory Services for €230,000 and there are a number of yearlings catalogued over the next two days that have the pedigrees and sire power to match or surpass that figure.

A son of Gleneagles (Ire) has already topped a European yearling sale this year and Ballylinch Stud offer a colt from the first crop of the Coolmore sire as lot 17. The March-born bay is the first foal out of the speedy One Chance (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) who won twice and was third in the G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot.

Lot 115 is the only yearling by Golden Horn (GB) catalogued and this filly from Simmonstown Stud is out of the stakes placed Simonetta (Ire) (Lil's Boy) from the family of Intense Focus (Giant's Causeway) and Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy). An hour later Paul and Marie McCartan's Ballyphilip Stud offer a half-brother to last year's sale topper who is now called Venture (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) and who was recently entered to make his debut for trainer Clive Cox and owner Malih Al Basti. Lot 142 is by Juddmonte stallion Bated Breath (GB).

Bear Cheek (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) was a speedy type for Qatar Racing a few years ago, winning the G3 Curragh S. and Yeomanstown Stud offer her first produce by the stud's Dark Angel (Ire) as lot 257. The same stallion crops up soon after as sire of lot 270 from The Castlebridge Consignment. This bay colt is out of the three time winner Blockade (Ire) (Kheleyf) who was also second in the G2 Rockfel S.

No Nay Never is leading first-season sire in Ireland and Britain by all metrics and those breeders who were shrewd enough to support him in his second season will be feeling good about themselves this sales season. Among the 15 catalogued by No Nay Never is lot 330 from Manister House Stud. The filly is out of the stakes winner Crystal Crossing (Ire) (Royal Academy), best known as the dam of champion stayer and G1 St Leger winner Rule Of Law (Kingmambo).

Irish nurseries don't come any more famed than the Burns family's Lodge Park Stud and lot 400 from the Kilkenny farm is a New Approach (Ire) colt out of Flashing Green (GB) (Green Desert). The mare has produced three stakes performers including this colt's full-brother Tha'Ir (Ire) while the yearling's full-sister Emerald Approach (Ire) looks smart having broken her maiden at the second attempt for Clive Cox at Goodwood last month.

Dandy Man (Ire) is a stallion whose stock continues to rise fast and lot 403, a colt by the Ballyhane sire offered by Owenstown Stud should be popular. The dam Fly By Magic (Ire) (Indian Rocket {GB}) has already produced the stakes winner Lily's Rainbow (Ire) (Intikhab}) and the 93-rated Julia's Magic (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) from three runners and the pedigree also features Peniaphobia (Ire), a Group 1 winner for Dandy Man in Hong Kong.

Expert Eye (GB) has been a top performer for Rathbarry Stud stalwart Acclamation (GB) this year and the stud offer an interesting colt by the stallion as lot 454. The colt is the second produce out of the stakes placed mare Irish Cliff (Ire) (Marju {Ire}) who is a half-sister to two stakes winners in Sandiva (Ire) Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and Wentworth (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}). Shortly before that Baroda & Colbinstown's lot 418, also by Acclamation, is certainly bred to be a racehorse. The dam Golden Shadow (Ire) (Selkirk) has been a prolific producer with eight winners from eight runners including two black-type performers.

A couple of lots have received some major updates since the catalogue went to print. Lot 475 from Loughmore Stables is a colt by Excelebration (Ire) and his year older half-sister Lady Kaya (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) has broken her maiden and finished second in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. in the last five weeks. Meanwhile, lot 502, a filly by Hallowed Crown (Aus) offered by Railstown Stud, can boast of an even more significant pedigree update as her half-sister La Pelosa (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), the mare's first foal and only runner, won the GI Natalma S. at Woodbine for Godolphin. The yearling was purchased by Tim Bourke for €7,000 as a foal last year in Goffs and she should be worth quite a bit more this time around.

The sale kicks off at 10 a.m. each day and every lot catalogued over the three days is eligible for the Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales S. run at The Curragh next September.