Kodiac Colt On Top at Tatts Ireland

Kodiac (GB) (Danehill), the half-brother to Invincible Spirit (Ire) who is the sire of such standouts this season as Besharah (Ire), Kodi Bear (Ire) and Bear Cheek (Ire), once again had his name in the headlines when siring the top-priced lot during Tuesday’s opening session of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale. That colt, lot 164, was purchased by agent Amanda Skiffington for €130,000 from Tally-Ho Stud, which stands Kodiac. The March foal is out of Fee Eria (Fr) (Always Fair {GB}), a half-sister to GI Hollywood Derby winner Super Quercus (Fr) (Hero’s Honor).

Skiffington, who signed the ticket on behalf of owner Kevin Bailey and trainer Hugo Palmer, said, “He is a lovely horse and by a hot sire. I have been lucky at this sale before and bought They Seek Him There and Galileo Gold here last year.”

Kodiac was also the sire of a colt picked up by Con Marnane for €82,000 late in the session (lot 234 from Knockatrina House) as well as the day’s most expensive filly, lot 9, who cost trainer Eddie Lynam €68,000 from Tally-Ho.

Overall trade was buoyant, with gains across the board. A total of 205 yearlings changed hands Tuesday for €5,075,500, compared to 196 sold last year for €3,827,500. It was the first time the aggregate has breached €5 million since 2007. The average climbed 27% to €24,759, while the median was up 33% to €20,000. Neither the average nor the median at this sale has exceeded €20,000 since 2007. The buyback rate dropped two points to 5.9%.

First-season sire Harbour Watch (Ire) got his name on the board Tuesday when a colt by the G2 Richmond S. winner and one-time G1 2000 Guineas favorite was knocked down to agent Stephen Hill and trainer Joseph Tuite, working on behalf of Tony Byrne, for €120,000. That team had to see off an almost-equally determined Ger Lyons for the bay.

“Tony saw the horse yesterday and really loved him,” said Tuite. “He is by a sire yet to have runners, but he is a gorgeous horse with a smashing walk. He’ll go to be broken in and will come to me in November.”

Lot 119 is the first foal out of the listed-placed Dam Beautiful (GB) (Sleeping Indian {Ire}), who produced a Lope De Vega (Ire) colt this year. The second dam, Nellie Melba (GB) (Hurricane Sky {Aus}), has produced the stakes-placed Major Crispies (GB) (Pastoral Pursuits {GB}) in addition to Dam Beautiful, and she has a yearling filly by another exciting young sire in Dream Ahead. The Harbour Watch colt was consigned by Grove Stud.

The third and final lot of the day to cross the six-figure threshold was lot 177, a son of Footstepsinthesand (GB) from Coole House Farm. That colt was picked up by Peter and Ross Doyle for €110,000 and will go to trainer Richard Hannon. The bay is the fourth foal from the unraced Fotini (Ire) (King’s Best), a half-sister to the G2 Italian 2000 Guineas scorer Spirit of Desert (Ire) (Desert Prince {Ire}). The third dam produced three stakes winners, including the G1 Gran Premio d’Italia victor Posidonas (GB) (Slip Anchor {GB}).

“He’s just a gorgeous individual,” said Ross Doyle. “Every time we went to see him, we liked him more. He was very well prepared by Coole House Farm.”

French agent Bertrand le Metayar went to €80,000 to secure one of his own–that is, a French-bred colt by Wootton Basset (GB)–when securing lot 133. The April foal is a grandson of Style Of Life (The Minstrel), who is herself the dam of Grey Swallow (Ire), an Irish champion juvenile and dual Classic winner who also took the GI Manhattan H. stateside.

“He has the walk and attitude,” said le Metayer of the colt from Clonbonny Stud. “He is a big, striking individual. He has a very good pedigree and will probably be broken in and will then go to be trained in the UK.”

About an hour later, another colt matched that €80,000 price tag when Emma Armstrong of Highfield Farm won the bidding battle for lot 151, a son of Avonbridge (GB) from Grove Stud who is from the family of triple Grade I winner Wandesta (GB) (Nashwan). The colt was bought by Grove Stud for 13,000gns as a foal.

“He is a good-looking horse and has a great walk,” said Armstrong. “He will come back to us for a couple of months and get some Lancashire air and then go to Richard Fahey.”

Session two of Part I of the September Yearling Sale takes place Wednesday, with Part II wrapping up proceedings Thursday.