Records Broken At Tattersalls Ireland
Part I of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale drew to a close Wednesday with figures revealing strong trade. The cumulative average (€24,093, up 29%) and median (€18,000, up 20%) were both records for the sale, and the aggregate of €9,878,000 was the sale’s second-best ever, behind only 2006 when the sale was staged over three days. The buyback rate was 6.8%.
The second-day statistics were similarly impressive. With the same number of horses offered and three more sold, the day two aggregate climbed to €4,777,500 from €3,559,500 at a buyback rate of 8.1%. The average was up 31% to €23,419, while the median climbed 21 points to €17,000.
“This sale has continued to go from strength-to- strength in recent times, and this burgeoning reputation has been emphatically underscored by the set of results achieved in the sales ring over the last two days,” said Tattersalls Ireland Managing Director Roger Casey. “The level of trade witnessed has been frenetic from the very first lot on Tuesday morning, and we are thrilled to have substantially surpassed last year’s turnover from a similar-sized catalogue; to have experienced the best- ever average and median, the second best turnover since 2006 when it was a three day sale, a clearance rate of 93%, the best since 2000, and to have had four lots achieving six figures and over 38 lots making €50,000.”
Wednesday’s trade was topped by lot 427, a colt by Elusive Pimpernel who was knocked down to Bertrand le Metayer for €120,000. From Danesrath Stud, the April-born bay is a full-brother to They Seek Him Here (Ire), one of the standouts of Elusive Pimpernel’s first crop of 2-year-olds this year. They Seek Him Here was a first-out maiden winner at Kempton in June and has since finished fourth in the G2 Superlative S. and G3 Solario S. Elusive Pimpernel, himself the winner of the G3 Acomb S. and G3 Craven S., stands at the Irish National Stud for €1,000 and has had three winners. Le Metayer, who had to see off trainer Charlie Fellowes to secure the colt, said, “He is a lovely horse, and there is a lot of [damsire] Invincible Spirit about him. He is, of course, a brother to a very talented horse, but we liked this horse a lot–he has some quality about him. We thought he’d make this sort of money. He will go into pre-training and will be assessed before we decide on plans.”
The first progeny of Australian sprint champion Sepoy (Aus) have thus far been well received in the sales rings, and Ballyhane Stud’s Joe Foley went to €90,000 late in the session to secure lot 448, a filly by that Darley sire and the most expensive filly of the sale. Offered by The Castlebridge Consignment, the chestnut is from the family of GIII Miesque S. winner More Than Love (More Than Ready).
Tally-Ho Stud’s Kodiac (GB) proved popular during Tuesday’s opening session of the sale, and he once again played a leading role Wednesday when his colt out of Sweet’n Sassy (Ire) (Grand Lodge) from Tally-Ho notched the third-highest price of the session, €88,000, from JC Bloodstock. That organization’s representative Michael Fitzpatrick said, “I thought he was one of the nicest horses here. He has been bought to breeze and will hopefully go to the Craven Sale.”
Peter and Ross Doyle ended the sale as leading buyers, and one of their purchases was lot 455, a colt from the first crop of Group 2-winning juvenile Sir Prancealot (Ire). After signing for the Gortskagh House Stud-consigned chestnut for €82,000, Ross Doyle said, “He is a very nice, racey colt. We bought Sir Prancealot as a yearling and this horse is very much like his Dad–very athletic. He is for Jim Boyle and then possibly will go to Hong Kong.”
Sir Prancealot also had a filly sell for €72,000 to trainer Eddie Lynam during the session.
The single-session Part II of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale takes place Thursday.