SENSATIONAL TRADE ON DAY ONE OF SEPTEMBER YEARLING SALE

The day’s average of €19,739 is the first time €19,000 has been topped since 2007 and was a huge 41 per cent increase on 2013, the median of €15,250 showed similar gains being up 27 per cent on last year, while the gross for the day was an improvement of 12.5 per cent to €3,750,500, despite 62 fewer lots catalogued.

The day’s clearance rate was an encouraging 89 per cent and seven lots sold for €50,000 or more, the most since 2007.

British trainers were particularly active, while there were also purchasers from Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Spain, Czech Republic and Italy.

The day’s top lot was a US-bred colt by Twirling Candy (Lot 173), consigned by the day’s leading vendor The Castlebridge Consignment. Bloodstock agent Ross Doyle fought off the determined duo of Sean Quinn and Richard Knight for the colt, prevailing at €115,000.

"I have not seen any by Twirling Candy before," said Doyle, "but if they look like this horse, then he'll be ok. Richard Hannon Snr trained this colt’s dam Blue Angel and she was a 102-rated filly. There looks to be a lot of the dam-sire Oratorio about this horse and we've been lucky with him. This is a very nice individual."

It was a fine pin-hooking result for the vendor - the colt was bought as a foal for $65,000 in the US last autumn.

Just three lots later, bloodstock agent Bobby O’Ryan went to €110,000 for a Dark Angel colt from Baroda & Colbinstown Studs.

“He’s been bought for an owner with Dermot Weld,” said O’Ryan. “He’s a nice horse with a good pedigree.”

Amanda Skiffington and Hugo Palmer had a productive day first going to €50,000 for a colt by young sire Elusive Pimpernel, and then €80,000 for an Azamour filly from Ridge Manor Stud, while Quinn and Knight had better luck with Lot 39, a Zebedee colt also offered by The Castlebridge Consignment secured for €60,000.