The first foal to be offered at public auction by Tally-Ho Stud's Persian Force (Ire) led the way at the Tattersalls Ireland Sapphire Sale when selling to Nigel O'Hare for €50,000 on Thursday. However, a 44% clearance rate spoke to the struggles facing smaller breeders and consignors at present.
Albeit the Sapphire Sale offering was down by 42% compared to 12 months ago, the majority of the key figures also fell, including the median, which was down by 31% to €2,750 and the average by 3% to €6,567. Understandably, the aggregate fell by 41% to €315,200.
And while the majority of vendors struggled, there was still space for foals by the younger brigade of stallions to capture the imagination. Along with the Persian Force colt going the way of O'Hare for €50,000, Steve Parkin paid €43,000 for a colt by his own stallion Space Traveller (GB).
Consigned by Kildallan Farm, the Persian Force was snapped up by the owner who is perhaps best known for his association with the Ado McGuinness-trained dual Group 1-winning sprinter A Case Of You (Ire).
O'Hare, who also bought a Time Test (GB) filly on the day for just €2,500, commented on the top lot, “He will go to County Armagh and he will run alongside another colt. He has a lovely walk, he is strong boned, he has come well recommended and has a bit of size about him. We generally like to race all our horses and it is difficult to buy them as yearlings. We have horses with Natalia Lupini, Gavin Cromwell and Ado McGuinness.”
Amo Racing recently announced King Of Steel, Bucanero Fuerte (GB) and Go Bears Go (Ire) would be taking up stallion duties in the new year and it was Persian Force who became the first horse owned by that powerful operation to join the stallion ranks.
A speedy and precocious son of Mehmas (Ire), Persian Force won the G2 July Stakes at Newmarket before chasing home Little Big Bear (Ire) and Blackbeard (Ire) respectively in a pair of Group 1s. All told, he placed three times at the highest level and wasn't beaten far when a rattling-home fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland.
Meanwhile, the colt foal by a young sire Space Traveller met the requirements in the ring when selling to Micheál Orlandi of Compas Stallions on behalf of Parkin's Clipper Logistics. Space Traveller, winner of the Jersey and Boomerang Stakes, was famously moved to Orlandi's County Westmeath farm after Parkin split with long-time advisor Joe Foley last year.
💬 Michael Orlandi speaks to Robert Hall having purchased the first ever Space Traveller foal to go through the sales ring on behalf of owner Steve Parkin.
Out of a Frankel mare, the colt was consigned by @Castledillon4.#SapphireSale pic.twitter.com/lgZJRer8mf
— Tattersalls Ireland (@Tattersalls_ie) November 14, 2024
Orlandi was on hand to secure the first foal to go under the hammer by the stallion on behalf of the owner, and said, “Steve is keen to support the stallion, as he has always done with his stallions. The foal will go to Rathbride Stud and then possibly on to Branton Court Stud. Steve is hoping to buy a number by the sire this winter and I came here looking for the best of them–and this is it. He is out of a Frankel (GB) mare from a fast pedigree and comes from Castledillon Stud, Timmy Hillman's good nursery, and the mare is back in foal to the stallion.”
Orlandi added, “The reports are very positive about the foals. We are looking forward to buying some more. He will probably be kept to race, at the end of the day, Steve is an end user. He is definitely going to have a number of the Space babies in training.”
It wasn't just the progeny of young stallions that caught the imagination at Tattersalls Ireland on Thursday as Katie Walsh was busy getting some last-minute shopping done in time for the upcoming breeze-up season.
The leading handler in that sphere, who operates under the banner of Greenhills Farm, admitted to finding the going tough at many of the European yearling sales this season and described herself as happy to have added a filly and a colt by Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) and Bungle Inthejungle (GB) respectively for a combined €38,000.
Walsh said, “Every breeze-up handler seems to be down on numbers and I was lacking one or two so I said I'd come to this sale and see if I could get something. I came last year but didn't buy anything. I bought a nice filly [for €20,000] off Denise [O'Brien, of Clonbunny Stud], who works the sales with me. She's a lovely individual and I was happy to chance her. I bought a fine Bungle Inthejungle colt off Rathasker Stud [€18,000] out of a mare who won a Listed race while the half-brother [Aleezdancer (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire})] is rated 91. I thought he was a nice fit to come back to the Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-Up Sale next year. Bungle Inthejungle can get them and he's having a good time of it. I haven't had one for a long time but he looks to be a bull of the colt and, at that money, he fits the bill.”
Looking back on the yearling sales as a whole, Walsh said, “We've 12 or 15 bought and I will go over to Newmarket for the December Yearling Sale to see if I can get my hands on something over there as well. I am very happy with the ones we do have. I'd love a few more but I think we shopped well overall. It was a very tough market and I was just conscious that we bought what we wanted. It was a difficult year all-round for breeze-up consignors but I am happy with the bunch that we have so far, so hopefully. Hindsight is a great thing and maybe we should have shopped harder at some of the earlier sales. But on the other hand, I am glad we didn't panic and start buying horses for the sake of it. I'm very happy with the horses that we have and that's what's most important.”
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