Sapphire Sale Topped by €50,000 Persian Force Colt
Foals by young sires led proceedings at the Tattersalls Ireland Sapphire Sale, the one-day Flat sale topped by a colt from the first-crop of the Tally-Ho Stud-based and Amo Racing-owned stallion Persian Force (Lot 976).
The first foal through the sales ring by the Group 2 July Stakes-winning son of Mehmas was bought by Nigel O'Hare as a potential racing prospect for €50,000, with Amo Racing’s Ryan McElligott the underbidder.
"He will go to County Armagh and he will run alongside another colt," said O'Hare, who also bought a filly by Time Test (Lot 913A). "He has a lovely walk, he is strong boned, he has come well-recommended and has a bit of size about him. We generally race all our horses, and it is difficult to buy them as yearlings hence we have bought as a foal here.”
The colt is out of a two-time winner Ray Of Light (Canford Cliffs), a half-sister to the Listed winner and Group 1 Irish Oaks third-placed Cairde Go Deo.
The progeny of Space Traveller were also first-timers in the sales ring, and the first foal by the three-time Group 1-placed and Group 3 Jersey Stakes winner to sell at public auction made €43,000 (Lot 955). The colt was bought by Michael Orlandi on behalf of the stallion’s owner Steve Parkin, and the docket was signed under the Compas Stallions / Dullingham Park Stud banners.
Orlandi, who stands the stallion at his farm, said: "Steve is keen to support Space Travellers, as he has done with all 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 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."
Of Space Traveller, Orlandi updated: "The reports are very positive about the foals, we are looking forward to buying some more.”
The colt is a first foal out of Frankelstein (Frankel) who is a daughter of the Group 3 Curragh Stakes runner-up Mur Hiba. She is a half-sister to the Listed winner Riskit Fora Biskit, dam of the Listed-placed Silver Surfer.
The opening yearling session was topped by a son of Gleneagles sold by Kilmacoliver Stud to agent J D Moore who was acting for Donnacha O'Brien (Lot 900).
"It is a Book 1 page," said Moore, who had to see off a persistent online buyer in order to seal the deal. "I thought we would have to get to that sort of figure. Gleneagles has had a good year, for a June foal this colt has plenty of size and he goes to trainer Donnacha O'Brien, who has purchased him on spec and is delighted to get a horse with a pedigree of this quality."
Katie Walsh’s Greenhills Farm bought two yearlings as breeze-up prospects – a colt by Bungle Inthejungle from Rathasker Stud (Lot 948) for €18,000 and a filly by Lope Y Fernandez from Clonbonny Stud (Lot 919), who cost €20,000.
"They are both to breeze and will come back to the sale here," she said. "Bungle Inthejungle is a decent sire, this is a good fast pedigree, the colt is out of a black-type dam and he is a half to two multiple winners, including Aleezdancer, who is BHA rated 91. The filly is a sweet filly by Lope Y Fernandez and has been well-produced.”
Trainer Gavin Cromwell bought three yearlings today, the most expensive being the €20,000 he spent on a colt from the first-crop of the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes winner A’Ali, the wildcard entry consigned by Nenthorne Farm (Lot 907A).
This year’s 101 lot smaller catalogue produced a turnover of €315,200 from 48 lots sold at an average price of €6,567 and a median price of €2,750.