Cover image courtesy of Tattersalls Ireland

Courtesy of TDN Europe

The comparative statistics have been converted from GBP to Euro, as the sale is typically held in Ireland.

At A Glance

>> In the unfamiliar setting of Newmarket instead of Fairyhouse, the uprooted Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale broke another barrier with a Teofilo (Ire) colt selling for a record £325,000 (AU$576,423) to the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

>> The clearance rate dropped four points, but was still a respectable 83 per cent with 172 of the 206 horses to pass through the ring finding a buyer.

>> The average figure of €25,706 (AU$41,853) was fractionally up on last year, while the median was down by only three per cent at €20,330 (AU$33,111).

>> The first day’s aggregate was €4,421,441 (AU$7.2 million), down from €5,084,500 (AU$8.2 million) on the corresponding day last year .

>> Hong Kong Jockey Club representative Mick Kinane signed for the session-topper when securing a Teofilo (Ire) colt, Lot 165, for £325,000 (AU$576,423) from Boherguy Stud’s draft .

>> Lot 222 proved to be the pinhook result of the session when the Mehmas (Ire) colt offered by Beechvale Stud sold to Ballyhane Stud’s Joe Foley for £190,000 (AU$309,383). The youngster was a €19,000 (AU$30,900) purchase as a foal .

HKJC buys session-topper

In the unfamiliar setting of Newmarket instead of Fairyhouse, the uprooted Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale broke another barrier with a Teofilo colt selling for a record £325,000 (AU$576,423) to the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

The fact that transactions are being made in pounds rather than euros is another anomaly in this strange year, but the name in the buyer’s slot alongside the market leader was the same as last year: Hong Kong Jockey Club.

For Clare Manning, of Boherguy Stud, this too was a breakthrough, but in the weeks since the session-topping Teofilo colt was consigned to the sale, two of his brothers have provided significant updates.

The 3-year-old Assurance (Ire) is now a winner for Manning’s grandfather and the colt’s breeder Jim Bolger and, better still, the 2-year-old Gear Up (Ire), is unbeaten in two starts, including the G3 Tattersalls Acomb S.

The affinity for the Toccet (USA) mare Gearanai (USA) with Teofilo had already been indicated by her 4-year-old son Guaranteed (Ire), who won the G3 Eyrefield S. as a juvenile and garnered more black type last year in the Listed TRI Equestrian Silver S.

Repeated matings with the Bolger-bred and trained stallion, who is now one of the stalwarts of Kildangan Stud, has certainly reaped rewards, both on the track and in the ring.

“He has been a superstar since he has been here. He has the pedigree and the physique, he was busy and had a number of vettings, but it was difficult in this climate to gauge how much people had in their pockets,” Manning said of Lot 165.

“He is a lovely horse and we didn’t think we’d be pushed that hard. He was a stand-out, he could have been sold here in a few weeks at the October Sale,” said Mick Kinane, acting on behalf of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mick Kinane. “Hopefully, he can run like his brother,”

Kinane also signed for Lot 63, Croom House Stud’s colt by Mastercraftsman (Ire) out of Barzilian Samba (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}) at £55,000 (AU$97,550).

The mare has already produced the Hong Kong Group 2 winner Endowing (Ire) by Mastercraftsman’s sire Danehill Dancer (Ire) and she is herself a half-sister to Group 3-winning sprinter Brazilian Bride (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}).

With the day’s final statistics converted into euros for the sake of comparison, the first session of the Sale must be considered to be the most successful yearling sale in this difficult season so far.

The clearance rate dropped four points, but was still a respectable 83 per cent with 172 of the 206 horses to pass through the ring finding a buyer.

The average figure of €25,706 (AU$41,853) was fractionally up on last year, while the median was down by only three per cent at €20,330 (AU$33,111). The first day’s aggregate was €4,421,441 (AU$7.2 million), down from €5,084,500 (AU$8.2 million) on the corresponding day last year.

Double bonus for Beechvale

The double whammy of a Group 1 update and having a yearling by a desirable young stallion turned a 10-time profit for Beechvale Stud, who bought the half-brother to Champers Elysees (Ire) (Elzaam) for €19,000 (AU$30,900) as a foal.

Ten months later the colt’s sire Mehmas (Ire) is romping away with the first-season sires’ championship, while his half-sister is now the winner of the G1 Matron S. for Johnny Murtagh.

Joe Foley, who stands the sire of Champers Elysees at his Ballyhane Stud, went to £190,000 (AU$309,383) to secure Lot 222 on behalf of Clipper Logistics.

“He is a particularly nice colt,” he said. “The mare is good, and has actually bred two good Elzaams. Obviously Champers Elysees is there, but even without her he was a lovely colt and the sire has done very well so I’m pleased to get him.”

The dam in question, La Cuvee (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}), was a non-winner, but has already bred another two multiple winners from her three runners to date along with her star daughter, who was a €28,000 (AU$45,600) purchase at this sale two years ago.

“Champers Elysees had finished second in the Birdcatcher [when we bought him] so we were hopeful she would go on. We also thought Mehmas might have big chances to become leading first-season, too. My Dad has looked after him since last year so it is all down to him,” Tara Armstrong, of Beechvale Stud in Northern Ireland, said.

Favourites return

This particular auction has many loyal supporters among the bloodstock community and, despite an absence of buyers from the wider European scene, there was a diverse buying bench throughout the first session.

Clive Cox has been lucky at Tattersalls Ireland in the past, notably buying subsequent Group 1 winners Xtension (Ire) (Xaar {GB}) and Lethal Force (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) at the September Sale for €15,000 (AU$24,428) and €8500 (AU$13,840) respectively.

On Monday, the trainer signed for two yearlings including Lot 72, a full-brother to Group 3 winner Snazzy Jazzy (Ire) (Red Jazz), whom Cox trained for Olive Shaw.

The colt’s dam Bulrushes (GB) (Byron {GB}) has proved her prowess beyond that, however, as he is just one of her four black-type-earning offspring, which include Ross Castle (Ire) (Bushranger {Ire}) and Ten Year Ticket (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}).

After signing the docket at £75,000 (AU$133,000) for the colt, who will be campaigned by Middleham Park Racing, Cox said, “We’re delighted to get the brother of Snazzy Jazzy, who won the sales race and was a prolific earner for us. I loved him when I saw the horse, he is really athletic, and sadly there are not many Red Jazzes around. I’m really thrilled to have an opportunity to train a horse like this.”

Bred by Bluegate Stud, the colt’s dam Bulrushes is a half-sister to G2 Lennox S. winner Tariq (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}), while the family also includes G2 Flying Childers S. winner Wi Dud (GB) (Elnadim {USA}).

Breeze-up buyers back

Following a heavily disrupted 2-year-old sales season, it has been heartening to see breeze-up pinhookers reinvesting since the yearling sales started last month, and Katie Walsh of Greenhills Farm stepped in for one of the best bred fillies in the book on Monday.

Lot 98 was one of just two Kingman (GB) yearlings in the September catalogue and, as a daughter of juvenile winner Continental Drift (Smart Strike {USA}) boasts a deep pedigree with dual Group/Grade 1 winner Intercontinental (GB) (Danehill {USA}) as her grand-dam and Juddmonte’s outstanding broodmare Hasili (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}) as her third dam.

The Juddmonte-bred filly was offered by the Castlebridge Consignment and sold for £70,000 (AU$124,160).

“She has a pedigree to die for and she will always hold her value as a broodmare,” said Walsh after signing for the sister to maiden winner and Group 3-placed juvenile Masen (GB), who is trained by Ger Lyons.

“Hopefully her full-brother will go on next year and do some more. This filly has a lot more positives for me than negatives.”

Another well-bred filly who is likely to reappear at Tattersalls next year is Lot 129, a daughter of Kodiac (GB) consigned by Al Eile Stud. David O’Callaghan of Yeomanstown Stud was the winning bidder at £65,000 (AU$115,290) for the May-foaled filly out of the Group 3 winner Duchess Andorra (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}).

“She’s out of a high-class mare and by a high-class stallion: simple,” he said.

New trainers supported

The Newmarket training ranks will be boosted by at least two new names in the coming weeks and months with Harry Eustace set to take over from his father James and Belgian-born Kevin Philippart having recently left James Fanshawe to set up on his own.

Eustace will be welcoming a daughter of Australia (GB), the sire of three Group winners in the last 10 days, after Hubie de Burgh went to £68,000 (AU$120,634) for Lot 115 from Manister House Stud.

“She is for a new client, new to the industry, and he particularly wanted to send a horse into training with Harry Eustace,” said de Burgh of the first foal of the unraced Dillydallydo (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}).

“She is by a good young stallion, who is proven producer of group performers. She comes from a good family, and if she becomes a stakes performer she will be worth many multiples more.”

Watch: Lot 115 parade

Joseph O’Brien, who rode Australia to victory in the Derby and the G1 Irish Derby, was responsible for the stallion’s first Classic winner the weekend before last when Galileo Chrome (Ire) won the G1 St Leger. The young trainer will take charge of another of his future runners from this sale after Mouse O’Ryan went to £55,000 (AU$97,540) on his behalf for Lot 199.

The colt, consigned by Eddie O’Leary’s Lynn Lodge Stud and bought as a foal for €30,000 (AU$48,839), is the first foal of the dual winner Into The Lane (Ire) (Excelebration {Ire}), a half-sister to G1 Premio Lydia Tesio winner Sound Of Freedom (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}).

Buying in association with agent Philippa Mains, Kevin Philippart picked up a filly from the first crop of Decorated Knight (GB). Sold by the Irish National Stud where the stallion stands, the filly, Lot 171, is a half-sister to Listed-placed Beaute Pour Toi (GB) (Camelot {GB}) and was knocked down at £20,000 (AU$35,466).