Strong Start To Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale

Strong trade on Day 1 of the 2016 Tattersalls Ireland September Sale produced five lots which sold for over €100,000. At this stage of the sale, we have witnessed the second highest number of six-figure lots since 2006 when eight horse sold for €100,000 or more. 

The day also posted the best overall set of returns for the opening day of the September Sale since 2007 with an aggregate of €5,510,500, an average price of €26,240 and a median of €20,000. The clearance rate was 84%.

The top price of €150,000, the highest price given at the September Sale since 2013 and the joint fourth-best ever, was given by Amanda Skiffington for an Epaulette filly sold by Rathasker Stud (Lot 222). The agent was with owner Chris Humber and trainer Hugo Palmer, and the trio is hoping for a case of deja vu – they purchased the German 1,000 Guineas winner Hawksmoor here in 2014.

"This filly is very classy, a great walker," said Skiffington. "I liked the Epaulettes as foals and this filly comes from a very good farm."

Humber added: "This group has worked well here before, why change a winning combination?"

Palmer’s goal is for next year’s catalogue to feature a cover photo of the filly winning in Humber’s colours – unfortunately the owner sold Hawksmoor this spring before her German Classic success, the photo printed on this year’s catalogue.

Maintaining the sense of deja vu, as with Hawksmoor, this year’s filly purchase will go from here to Skiffington's farm for some "Nottinghamshire grass" before heading to Palmer's yard in Newmarket.

Of course, this year’s leading 2,000 Guineas, St James’s Palace winner and Tattersalls September graduate Galileo Gold was purchased by Skiffington here in 2014 and is also trained by Palmer.

The day’s second-best price was shared between two horses: an Oasis Dream colt out of the Listed-placed mare Harmonic Note sold by The Castlebridge Consignment (Lot 77), and a Dark Angel colt from Ballyhimikin Stud (Lot 170).

Kevin Prendergast, trainer of this year’s Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Awtaad, was the successful purchaser of the Oasis Dream colt.

"This is a lovely individual, he looks the part," said Prendergast. "He is a nice horse, and will come straight back to us. This has been a lucky sale in the past for us."

The colt, offered by The Castlebridge Consignment, is the first foal out of the Listed-placed Nayef mare Harmonic Note.

Ed Sackville bought the Dark Angel colt on behalf of owner Michael Owen and trainer Tom Dascombe’s Manor House Stables.

"The colt comes from a good nursery and I thought he was the nicest horse here today," said Sackville. "Dark Angel has had a brilliant year and I love buying at this sale.”

Underbidder was trainer Joseph O'Brien.

Aiden Murphy spent €135,000 on a Mount Coote-offered Sea The Stars colt (Lot 118) who traces to the brilliant mare Height Of Fashion.

"He looks like a back-end two-year-old and three-year-old type. He has been bought for a syndicate, we have not yet got a trainer in mind yet,” said Murphy.

The colt is the fourth foal out of the Monsun mare Jumooh, and his juvenile own-brother Raheen House finished second in last week's Hayes, Hanson & Clark Conditions Stakes at Newbury, beaten just a neck. He holds an entry in the Racing Post Trophy (G1).

The second top-priced filly and fifth lot to achieve a six-figure sum on Day 1 has a date at the breeze-ups ahead – the daughter of Dark Angel was bought by leading two-year-old consignor Willie Browne for €120,000 from Yeomanstown Stud.

“She looks fast,” said Browne, adding: “Let’s hope she is!”