By Brian Sheerin
Jaber Abdullah marked his trip to this year's September Yearling Sale at Tattersalls Ireland by spending €586,000 on 10 horses, including €180,000 and €120,000 on fillies by Mehmas (Ire) and Starman (GB) respectively.
The Rabbah Bloodstock investment played an important role in the sale achieving turnover of €12,433,500, which was down 1% on last year's trade despite the bigger offering of horses, while the clearance rate stood at 84%–also down 1% on last year. The average fell by 7% to €28,781 and the median by 14% to €24,000.
The Rabbah colours have already been carried by a talented filly by the Tally-Ho Stud-based stallion, the 97-rated Listed winner Star Of Mehmas (Ire), and connections were visibly delighted to have secured the most expensive yearling of the sale.
Offered by Castledillon Stud, the Mehmas filly [lot 321] hails from the Showcasing (GB) mare Show Me Off (GB), herself a proven producer with American Lady (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) achieving black-type for trainer Fozzy Stack.
David Ryan, manager of Abdullah's Kilfrush Stud, commented, “Mr Abdullah has a lovely Mehmas filly called Star Of Mehmas, who broke the track record when winning the Harry Rosebery Stakes at Ayr. She is a super filly and we have great plans for her.”
He added, “This is one of the nicest fillies in the sale and we have been lucky with Mehmas. Mr Abdullah has bought fillies and colts–we are not only looking for fillies. If a horse is nice and looks like a racing prospect, it does not matter as we want to have some fun on the racecourse.”
Meanwhile, lot 381, the Starman half-sister to Group 3-placed Perotto (GB) (New Bay {GB}), was sold by Baroda Stud. Mohamad Al Kaabi did the bidding on behalf of the Rabbah team.
He said, “We like the pedigree, she is a nice individual, vetted well and is by Starman, whose stock looks very promising. The mare's first foal Perotto is a six-time winner and is Listed-placed and her two-year-old by Australia (GB) is a winner.”
Tattersalls Ireland boss Simon Kerins praised ITM's efforts in attracting the foreign buyers to the sale and stated that such a healthy level of trade had not been posted at any other yearling sale in Europe this year.
He said, “The trade at the September Yearling Sale over the last two days has been excellent, reflected in a strong clearance rate of 84% and an impressive turnover of €12,433,500-the third best in the sale's history. This sale has once again proven itself as a progressive and popular sale, with buyers at every level engaging in competition not witnessed anywhere else this year.
“The profile of the September Yearling Sale has grown significantly in recent years, with graduates making their mark on the track which has further strengthened buyer confidence. This year's key indicators remain strong, nine lots sold for six figures, and a record number of lots sold for over €60,000 highlights the remarkable strength of the middle market. Surpassing the strong 2023 figures is a real achievement for us.”
He added, “We've welcomed clients from all over the world and to witness the footfall on site this week has been phenomenal to say the least. The level of competition from our UK, Irish and European buyers has been tremendous and there has been a real positive feel to this sale from the weekend through to the sale. Flat racing is a sport of international appeal, and seeing significant sums spent on yearlings destined for top European jurisdictions speaks volumes. Credit must go to the team at Tattersalls Ireland, our overseas agents and to Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, whose efforts have been essential to the success of this sale.
“I would like to extend my thanks to the vendors, and without their support it would not have been possible to compile a catalogue of such depth and quality. Their confidence has been key to the success of this sale.”
Brother To Spirit d'Or Doesn't Disappoint
The Irish National Stud-drafted brother to the Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes winner Spirit d'Or (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) was billed as one of the highlights this week and he didn't disappoint when knocked down to Joey Logan along with Alan and Roderick Harte for €100,000.
Spirit D'Or made light work of her rivals at the Curragh 10 days ago and looks capable of mixing it in black-type races. She was sourced by Colin and Ausra Bargary of Drummona House for €55,000 at this sale 12 months ago before turning a tidy profit when selling to her current connections for €145,000 at the breeze-ups.
What path her little brother goes down remains somewhat undecided, according to Logan, who has been busy at Tattersalls Ireland this week having added “seven or eight” horses to his haul.
Speaking about lot 417, Logan said, “He is by the right sire and his full-sister was very good at the Curragh. I thought she was very impressive. He is a beautiful, attractive colt, very well prepared by the Irish National Stud and with the big update. If he is as good as his sister we will be happy. It is a lovely family. No trainer is planned for him yet.”
He added, “I have bought seven or eight so far. The stock is fantastic and it is very hard to buy the nice horse as there are so many people here from all around the world. In fairness to ITM and Tattersalls, they have done a great job getting people here. The stock is good but the people are here, too–the numbers following in a nice horse are unbelievable.”
King Con Too Hot To Handle
Few people are as infectiously positive as Con Marnane and, after enduring a frustrating time of it in filling the role as underbidder more times than he'd have liked to, the Bansha boss finally got one of his big picks over the line when going to €115,000 to secure a Too Darn Hot (GB) colt from Limekiln Stud.
“I'm a big fan of the sire but sure everybody else is as well,” Marnane said shortly after the hammer dropped. “It's incredible what Too Darn Hot is doing. To me, this colt was the nicest horse in the sale and he looks as though he'll make up into a cracking two-year-old, which is exactly what I want. Every time I looked at him, he put his head down and walked and really wanted to please everyone.”
Marnane added of lot 471, “He was getting expensive for me but luckily enough we won three or four of those IRE incentive bonuses this year and we can put that up against the price of him. We have to complement the Irish government in helping the Irish racing industry and that is a fantastic scheme that helps the smaller owner-breeders to go back to the sales.
“There has been an incredible turnout for this sale–a large turnout from English and foreign buyers. When you compare that to the yearling sales so far this year in Britain, where there were not as many buyers, you have to think that Brexit is really, really hurting the British racing industry. That's such a shame.”
The Too Darn Hot colt was pinhooked by Gerry Ross of Limekiln Stud who snapped up the colt out of unraced New Approach (Ire) mare Biblic (Ire) from the family of Group 1 performer Dubawi Gold (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) for 40,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale.
Marnane continued, “I've been the underbidder on five or six horses this week and the ball didn't bounce my way. But I am delighted to get the Too Darn Hot. He'll go back to the Craven and will form part of a small and select team of breeze-up horses for next year. We have consistently produced high-quality breeze-up horses and, just last week, our homebred Powerful Glory (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) won the Mill Reef Stakes and we're very proud of that. Producing good horses is all that we want to do.”
Talking Points
News filtered through to breeze-up vendors this week that the proposed Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale will not be going ahead in 2025. This comes shortly after Goffs firmed up plans for a new sale at Naas next year. There have been many contrasting views about whether two new sales would have saturated an already finite breeze-up market but this week's announcement will have at least provided handlers with some clarity regardless of what side of the fence they sit.
Sioux Nation was the sire of the sale. The Coolmore resident cleared €1 million on 27 yearlings who sold for an average of €41,222. Eight of those sold for €50,000 or more.
Razza Latina has become synonymous with this sale and the Italian buyer featured prominently on the list of buyers' with at least 10 yearlings bought for €372,000.
On a day when Gavin Cromwell's Flooring Porter gave a front-running masterclass to win the Kerry National at Listowel by a street, the multiple Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot-winning handler continued his recruitment drive on the Flat by adding a Mehmas colt for €60,000 (lot 442), a Space Blues (Ire) filly (lot 476) for €45,000 and a Coulsty (Ire) colt (lot 508) for €35,000 to his squad for next year through Kevin and Anna Ross.
Golden Touch
It takes some doing to double or treble your money as a pinhooker, especially in the current climate. But to get 10 times your outlet, now that beats all. Take a bow Kevin Quinn, who turned his €3,000 King Of Change (GB) foal into a €30,000 yearling [lot 375] with Ross Doyle holding off some notable opposition on the big-walking colt.
“I am absolutely over the moon,” the master of Ladytown Stables said, “He was a big foal but he always had a lovely walk. For me, that pendulum movement is what I look for in a horse and he had that. He has impressed us all the time and you could do anything with him. He really has a lovely brain. Because he was a three grand foal, a lot of people thought he would be bought for 10 or 15 grand.”
He added, “There was a good bit of interest but I thought he might even make more. We've sold good horses before and, when you're buying them to pinhook, you can buy what you like. When you breed them, it's just as John Magnier famously said, 'you're given what God gives you'. We've had some good results here and sold Beautiful Aisling (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}) and Dandalla (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) at Tattersalls Ireland. They turned out to be classy fillies on the track but we actually didn't get paid for them. We're thrilled with today.”
Buy of the Day
The King Of Change was a belter and it would be a surprise if he didn't turn out to be value at €30,000 in the long-run. But for the sake of putting forward something at the opposite end of the spectrum, the Coulsty (Ire) colt [lot 530] that Barry Lynch stuck around for could well be a value buy at €36,000. While the King Of Change might only be making his debut this time next year, the Coulsty should be up to making his debut in the early parts of the new season. He is a lovely, precocious type with an exaggerated action. And who knows, if he were to win a maiden before Royal Ascot, the top hats could be needed.
Thought for the Day
It's hard to know what the barometer is when judging whether a sale is a success or not, especially in the current market where the lack of an underbelly has been there for all to see at the yearling sales in France and Britain already this year, but no vendor was heard complaining at Tattersalls Ireland. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Between buyers and vendors, Tattersalls Ireland and ITM were praised for their efforts in getting the international buyers on the sale ground. It was a well-attended sale and that told in what were respectable results in the current climate.
Pinhooking Fortunes On Wednesday
Of the 278 horses catalogued during Wednesday's session, 79 were pinhooks, and after five withdrawals, 74 horses visited the ring. A total of 25 did not meet their reserves and were buy-backs, leaving 49 yearlings marked as sold. Of the latter group, 14 made a profit, and 35 lots lost money.
We have multiplied the price of the foal by 1.1 and added a running cost of €12,000 for keep, feed, veterinary, shoeing, sales prep and sales entry fees. Depending on whether someone has their own farm, or where they choose to board a horse, will obviously mean that costs for each individual can vary significantly.
It is worth noting that sometimes a horse can appear to be bought and sold by different names but have actually not changed ownership at all.
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