Full car park points to busy days ahead at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale

Tattersalls Ireland passed the car park test with honours on Monday morning. Spaces were at a premium as vehicles of varying sizes – parked with equally varied levels of competence – filled the rows closest to the entrance.

The whinnying of excited yearlings and the chatter of voices, a cacophony of languages that could have transported the listener to the chambers of the United Nations General Assembly, filled the air around the ground. Another positive sign ahead of the three-day sale which begins on Tuesday.

Is that the Royal Ascot effect? 

Three Group 1 winners at the royal meeting in June were sourced at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale: Docklands, whose Queen Anne triumph was the second win at Royal Ascot for Harry Eustace and OTI Racing's five-year-old entire; Coronation Stakes winner Cercene, who sparked emotional celebrations for the Murphy family; and Time For Sandals, who brought up a remarkable Group 1 double for Eustace and thrilled owners David and Lorrie Bevan by landing the Commonwealth Cup.

Charles O'Neill, chief executive of Irish Thoroughbred Marketing (ITM), is adamant the effect is real, especially on the other side of the Atlantic.

Charles O'Neill of ITMCredit: ITM Alex Cairns

"There definitely has been [a Royal Ascot effect]," he said. "This is the first year we've seen American buyers coming over for the sale in numbers; we've four or five on the ground, which is great. 

"Irish horses are doing really well over there, so they're starting to take notice of this sale, and that can only help. The Royal Ascot success can only be good for the sale, it's definitely been a factor."

It's not only car parking spaces that are at a premium. The client relations team at Tattersalls Ireland, in tandem with ITM, has been scrambling to find accommodation for all those who have confirmed their attendance, and more than 500 beds have been booked locally as visitors from the Middle East and the United States add to the sizable European contingent.

"People know that you can come here and buy racehorses who will win Group 1s and Classics all over the world, so the sale has a very strong appeal internationally," said O'Neill.

"We've a strong contingent from Qatar this year and there are a lot of Spanish, Italian, Polish and Czech buyers here too. We're very happy with the diversity of the buying bench assembled for this sale."

Two years ago, Italian buyers contributed a seven-figure spend to the turnover of Part One of the sale and continued their support into Part Two. In 2024, they were active again, and at the upper echelons of the market too, with Razza Latina's most expensive purchase being a €110,000 Invincible Spirit colt from the Irish National Stud.

War Socks in the Tattersalls Ireland sales ringCredit: JASON BAX / EQUUIS

Sustained success with the horses Italian trainers and agents have found at the September Yearling Sale from all points across the spectrum have encouraged repeat business.

"The Italians love this sale and have done very well out of it over the years," said O'Neill. "Folgaria, who was Italian champion two-year-old filly in 2023, was bought here and she went on to win the Fred Darling last season. Already from last year's Italian purchases there has been Listed winner Queen Martina."

This year's Norwegian Derby winner War Socks, who had finished third in the Listed UAE 2,000 Guineas, was another six-figure sale from the 2023 edition. The first-crop son of Kameko was bought by Edgar Byrne for €115,000 from Clenagh Castle Stud, also the vendors of Docklands.

On Sunday, Caballo De Mar gave George Scott successive winners of the Group 3 German St Leger and the Phoenix Of Spain colt was bought by his trainer and Billy Jackson-Stops for €33,000 at the sale in 2022.

Classic winners dotted across the map of Europe serve only to enhance the attraction for buyers.

"Victorious Racing had the German St Leger winner on Sunday, bought out of this sale," said O'Neill. "All that helps as people know you can come here and get good horses and good value. You'll get winners and that's what people want, the chance to buy winners."

There are plenty of winners to be found at the September Yearling Sale, so there might be a traffic jam on the Ratoath road on Tuesday morning. My advice? Come early. 

The sale begins at 10am.

Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale factfile

Where Tattersalls Ireland sales complex, Ratoath

When Two-day Part One section begins on Tuesday, with both sessions starting at 10am; Part Two starts at 10am on Thursday

Last year's stats (Part One) From 513 offered, 432 were sold (84 per cent) for turnover of €12,433,500 (down one per cent year-on-year), an average price of €28,781 (down seven per cent) and a median of €24,000 (down 14 per cent)

Notable graduates Docklands (sold by Clenagh Castle Stud, bought by Blandford Bloodstock for £16,000); Cercene (sold by Baroda Stud, bought by Crampscastle Bloodstock for €50,000); Time For Sandals (sold by Rathbride, bought by Harry Eustace and DPA for €35,000); Caballo De Mar (sold by Acorn Stud, bought by J S Bloodstock and George Scott Racing for €33,000); Cheshire Dancer (sold by Ballintry Stud, bought by Sackville Donald for €36,000); Copacabana Sands (sold by Springfort Park Stud, bought by DNA Equine for €7,000)

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Lots to watch as the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale takes centre stage 

'If you find a good one, it won't have cost you a lot of money' - Harry Eustace back on the hunt at Tattersalls Ireland after Royal Ascot double 

'Moments like that are what it's all about' - Royal Ascot star Cercene a boost for Baroda's September draft