Bonanza at Tattersalls Ireland as breeze-up sale shatters €10,000,000 mark for the first time

Kilminfoyle House Stud's Street Sense filly came to Tattersalls Ireland as just the second two-year-old by the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup winner to ever come under the hammer at the company's breeze-up sale but she left the ring as the fourth-most expensive horse to sell at the auction, where the insatiable demand for horses that has characterised this spring's circuit remained unsated.

By close of play on Friday night, she had slipped to sixth on the all-time list as Anthony Stroud and KHK Racing's seven-figure spend included a record-breaking purchase. That demonstrated the strength of the market which recorded its best ever aggregate, average and median figures.

For the first time in its history the sale broke into eight-figure territory with turnover reaching a staggering €11,658,300 during more than ten hours of frenetic trading on at Fairyhouse on Friday.

That figure was generated by the sale of 212 lots for a clearance rate that Tattersalls Ireland will be delighted by - 88 per cent of the 237 horses offered were sold. The average price of €54,992 was up a massive 26 per cent on the 2024 average of €43,634 which itself was a highpoint for the sale while the median, at €32,000, grew by 14 per cent year-on-year and was seven points higher than sale record median of €30,000, set in 2023.

During Friday's action, 17 juveniles made a minimum of €150,000 with the total number of six-figure transactions coming in at 30 which equated to 15 per cent of the horses sold.

Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock fended off all-comers on Friday morning at €340,000 for the half-sister to stakes-placed Beef Winslow, who was knocked down to A Albert Bloodstock for $40,000 at Keeneland last September.

Speaking afterwards Brown said, "Physically she is a bit of a stand-out today; she is a gorgeous, big, scopey filly. She did a lovely breeze, not lightning quick in any way, but the style of the breeze and the way she galloped out were impressive. She is a back-end filly, she will go into a field now for three weeks and we will bring her back late summer."

Now 21, Street Sense is the sire of 13 individual Grade 1 winners with the most recent of them coming in the Ashland Stakes last month when La Cara was successful for Mark Casse and owner-breeder Tracy Farmer.

"The stallion has done very well, and she is from a very good hotel – Michael sold the Group 1 winner Believing, and we bought a nice horse off him last year," Brown added.

That horse is Electrolyte, winner of the Group 3 Prix Eclipse last season and runner-up to Rashabar in the Coventry for Wathnan Racing with the son of Hello Youmzain costing £220,000 at Goffs UK.

Bred in Kentucky by Westbury Stables, who also consigned her as a yearling, she has a pedigree replete with international bold black type. Her Candy Ride dam Conquest Sweetride is a half-sister to Princess Rooney and Chilukki Stakes winner Spelling Again and to Listed winner Sky Willow, dam of Grade 3 Ladies Turf Stakes winner Regal Realm.

Second dam Spelling is by Alphabet Soup and is a half-sister to Port Bayou, winner of the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial, and Lethal Agenda, successful in the Listed Loughbrown Stakes for their owner-breeders, Kenneth and the late Sarah Ramsey of Kitten's Joy fame. 

Richard Brown was the successful bidder on the Street Sense filly from Kiminfoyle House StudCredit: www.healyracing.ie

The Ramseys also bred Listed winners Talent Search and Kera's Kitten out of Mrs K, the third dam of this Street Sense filly, and the Dixieland Band mare is also the second dam of Chilean 2,000 Guineas winner and sire Admiral and third dam of two Chilean Group 1 winners in Lukka and First Constitution.

Despite that cosmopolitan family, it is the perfection of her form that Fitzpatrick was taken with.

Fitzpatrick, talking back at the filly's stable, said: "She's a very sweet filly, and has been a pleasure to do anything with. She's a scopey sort, she was accepted at all sales and I brought her here because she is a scopey type and they tend to sell better a bit later on in the season.

"She breezed a bit better than I had thought she might; she has thrived in the last month. She is a very classy individual – over the last three weeks, I've been telling everyone at home to study her, as she is such a well-put together sort."

He added: "I wish the new purchaser and owners the best of luck, and I can't thank my staff enough for all their hard work."

No question if he's fastorslow

The dual Punchestown Gold Cup winner Fastorslow is the first horse who leaps to mind when picturing Sean and Bernardine Mulryan's Roscommon-inspired silks but it wasn't that long ago that the Ballymore Group founder's colours were carried to victory in Group 1 contests on the Flat.

Thewayyouare, a Kingmambo half-brother to the brilliant filly Peeping Fawn won the Criterium International for Andre Fabre in 2007, while two years' prior to that Linda's Lad won the other juvenile Group 1 at the Parisian track for Mulryan and Fabre.

Derryconnor Stud's Wootton Bassett colt was the fourth horse to break the €300,000 mark on FridayCredit: www.healyracing.ie

Mulryan and Ger Morrin, along with trainer Richard Hughes, will hope the Wootton Bassett colt the Mulryans splashed out €320,000 to acquire at Fairyhouse will reward their faith with further Group success on the Flat for the Mulryan silks.

Offered by Katie McGivern's Derryconnor Stud, the bay is a half-brother to Listed Garnet Stakes winner Sarrocchi and out of the Oasis Dream mare Thai Haku, who was a stakes winner in France and America.

New connections are thinking of the colt's long-term future.

"We're going to give him some time, he is more of a three-year-old and a big scopey sort, we will look to give him one run at the back end. He's a very well-bred horse, he's by a sire we really love, and unfortunately someone else loved him as well," Morrin said.

Hughes trains Zoffany colt Bracken's Laugh for the Mulryans and he was second in last year's Listed Dee Stakes at Chester for the team. Hughes previously trained Brentford Hope for the couple, with the Camelot colt winning on the Flat before selling to Harry Derham and Ed Bailey for £90,000. He was runner-up to Constitution Hill in the Grade 2 International Hurdle at Cheltenham in January.

Their latest recruit was the fourth horse to make in excess of €300,000 during a frenzied day of trade.

Walking in Memphis' hoofprints

In this ring a year ago, Paddy Twomey teamed up with Avenue Bloodstock to purchase a Sioux Nation filly from Katie Walsh's Greenhills Farm. Their purchasing power and the filly's impressive breeze was enough to ensure that she ended trading as the day's most expensive youngster.

Fast forward 12 months and the filly, now named City Of Memphis, tackles Group 1 company for the first time at the Curragh on Sunday when the Cork maiden winner contests the Irish 1,000 Guineas on just her second start.

Paddy Twomey bought this Sioux Nation filly from Katie Walsh, vendor of his Irish 1,000 Guineas contender City Of MemphisCredit: www.healyracing.ie

She carries the same blue and lilac silks of the Zinlo Syndicate as Purple Lily who finished third to You Got To Me in the Irish Oaks last year for Twomey having been fifth in the Irish 1,000 Guineas. The daughter of Calyx was bought by McStay and Twomey for €155,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-Up Sale of 2023 from Brian O'Connell's Chasefield Stables.

So there will be plenty of expectations surrounding the Sioux Nation filly that Twomey bought from Walsh for €185,000. It was more than double the €74,000 she cost as a yearling at Arqana last year, where she was knocked down to George Mullins.

The half-sister to Belafonte and Extraordinaire, both winners by Le Havre, comes with the added enhancement of French premiums but she could not be more Irish if her passport was stamped with IRE. Or to be more precise, she could be hallmarked made in Coolcullen.

The bay is out of Eiriamach Na Casca, an unraced Intense Focus half-sister to Trading Leather, victorious in the Irish Derby for his breeder and trainer Jim Bolger. By Bolger's homebred champion two-year-old Teofilo, the colt was placed six times at the highest level including in two renewals of the Irish Champion Stakes.

Third dam Moonlight Sail is an Irish River full-sister to champion and Classic winner Hatoof and to Irish Prize, twice a winner of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile. She is also a half-sister to Insijaam, twice a Listed winner and the dam of Group 3 winner Pictavia who Bolger trained to be placed in the Oaks and Moyglare Stud Stakes.

Twomey and Avenue separately were among the buyers of the sale's more expensive lots and the Sioux Nation filly was Twomey's second six-figure purchase of the sale having got the frenzy off to an early start when buying a Havana Grey filly from his former assistant Connor King for €105,000.

Simon Crisford and Jono Mills at Tattersalls IrelandCredit: www.healyracing.ie

King, who was champion apprentice and a successful jockey until he was forced to concede defeat in his battle against nature, is now training Flat and National Hunt horses and turning a successful sideline in consigning breeze-up horses.

This filly, who is a half-sister to four winners and a granddaughter of a full-sister to Oaks-placed Rumoush and a half-sister to Ghanaati, winner of the 1,000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes was purchased by King for 35,000gns at the December Yearling Sale. 

Mark McStay, who was thwarted on the record-breaking lots, managed to secure another of Katie Walsh's top-class offerings, going to €180,000 for the Grade 1-winning jockey's Havana Grey filly out of Misscomplacent, a winning Compton Place full-sister to Hong Kong Listed winner Warden Complex.

Mo money for Peckham

Mohaather's second crop is quietly impressing and Shadwell's Sussex Stakes winner sired a breeze-up star who produced all the right information on Pythia Sports' machine learning model at Fairyhouse.

The colt out of Hyperactive, a Rip Van Winkle half-sister to Group 2 Queen's Vase winner Dashing Willoughby and from the family of Prix de l'Opera winner Speedy Boarding was sold by George Peckham Racing for €180,000 to Sean Quinn and Pythia Sports.

An ecstatic Peckham was overjoyed with the result having purchased the dark brown colt for 27,000gns from Culworth Grounds at Book 3 last October. 

He said: "I'm delighted, delighted. I came here with high expectations, and he didn't let us down. He has been very professional, had eight vets on him, he's hardly been in his box at all and showed brilliantly every time."

The Mohaather colt that ticked the right boxes on Pythia Sports' algorithm at Tattersalls IrelandCredit: www.healyracing.ie

"The team at home has done a great job, and without them we wouldn't be able to do it. I am very happy and delighted he is going to John and Sean Quinn."

Sean Quinn explained: "We bought him with Stephen from Pythia Sports and he was very high on their data model. 

The Quinns have been successful with a first -crop son of Mohaather they found at last year's Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-Up Sale for €95,000.

"We bought another Mohaather colt here last year, Magellan Cloud who is working out very well [winner and placed] and we believe will continue to do so. This horse was one of our picks of the day. Horses are hard to buy – you can see how busy the ring was when this fellow came in."

Magellan Cloud has been more successful on the track than this colt's full-brother Beauhaather who remains a maiden after eight starts at two for Amy Murphy and Solario Racing but their Awtaad half-brother Overactive was twice a winner at three for Ralph Beckett before being sold to continue his career in Australia.

Stormin' Norman

No breeze-up consignor can boast the Classic record of Norman Williamson whose Oak Tree Farm has produced this year's 2,000 Guineas winner Ruling Court - the most expensive breeze-up horse sold in Europe - the 2022 Irish 2,000 Guineas victor Native Trail who was the previous year's European champion two-year-old, Preakness Stakes hero War Of Will and St Leger and Irish St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov.

Anthony Stroud and Norman Williamson in conversation at Tattersalls IrelandCredit: www.healyracing.ie

With such a track record of success, the Oak Tree consignment is one of the first that any serious purchaser will study in a breeze-up sale catalogue and Anthony Stroud returned to mine a seam that has yielded Native Trail and Ruling Court for Godolphin, going to €160,000 to secure Williamson's colt by Tally Ho Stud's exciting first-season sire Starman.

That was four times the price Williamson paid for the half-brother to three winners at the Goffs Autumn Sale last November where the bay was consigned by his breeder, the brilliant Laois footballer Brian 'Beano' McDonald.

He is out of Elusive City, an Elusive Gold half-sister to Duntle who was first past the post in the Group 1 Matron Stakes and her only foal is the triple Group 1-winning miler Circus Maximus. Bred and raced by the Niarchos family, the son of Galileo began his stallion career at Coolmore's Fethard headquarters but the nine-year-old made the permanent switch to New Zealand's Windsor Park Stud last year.

Elusive Gold is also a half-sister to Lady Of The Lamp, dam of last season's Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes winner Make You Smile who is trained by Hugo Palmer.

Williamson's Starman colt stopped the clock in one of the fastest times of the morning at Fairyhouse on Thursday and that combination of sire power and performance made the popularity of the bay Starman colt inevitable but Williamson was taken a little by surprise at the interest in the U S Navy Flag colt he offered on behalf of breeders Grenane House Stud earlier in the morning.

The beauty of a breeze-up sale is that performance counts and the colt, who made €130,000 to Jono Mills on behalf of Rabbah Bloodstock certainly put on a show for buyers on Thursday.

Vendor David O'Callaghan wishes buyer Anthony Stroud luck with his record-breaking buyCredit: www.healyracing.ie

Williamson said: "He doodled along up the breeze yesterday like he was doing a hack canter with his two ears pricked, and still finished eleventh on all the clocks. He broke all the rules and looked like he did it really easy, which probably got more people interested in him."

Offered by his breeders at the Goffs November Foal Sale, he was bought back for €9,000 and returned to the auction house a year later where he was consigned by Camas Park Stud at Orby Book 2 but went unsold at €10,000 with U S Navy Flag joining Circus Maximus in southern hemisphere exile.

"He was a lovely big horse who is still owned by the breeders and they sent him to me, I loved him all the way through the winter as he's a big, beautiful and strong colt," Williamson added.

Inbred 3x3 to Galileo, the late April-foaled bay is out of Awesome Kitty who was placed twice at three in Germany and is a daughter of Group 2 Rockfel Stakes winner Kitty Matcham,  a Rock Of Gibraltar full-sister to Irish Champion Stakes third Red Rock Canyon.

Kitty Matcham is also a half-sister to Horatio Nelson and Van Gogh, Group 1-winning juveniles, and Group winners Viscount Nelson and Point Piper. Their dam is the Oaks and Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Imagine who is a Sadler's Wells half-sister to Generous; the flaxen-maned Derby, Irish Derby, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes victor.

Simon Kerins' remarks

“This year’s Tattersalls Ireland Breeze Up Sale has been extraordinary, with all previous records well and truly surpassed," commented Simon Kerins CEO of Tatteralls Ireland. 

"From the outset, we were confident that the catalogue we had assembled – thanks to the support of our vendors – would deliver a strong sale. The positive feedback from purchasers throughout the lead-up only reinforced that belief.

The record-breaking Night Of Thunder colt out of Mambo Light poses after his saleCredit: www.healyracing.ie

“The sale has produced a record turnover, up 21 per cent on 2024, a record average, a record median, a record top price. The clearance rate of 88 per cent is the highest of any European Breeze-Up sale this year, and underscores the demand for horses from this sale.

"Our close collaboration with Irish Thoroughbred Marketing has undoubtedly played a key role in expanding the global appeal of the sale, and it is hugely rewarding to see horses now heading to all corners of the world.

"Coordinating a sale of this type requires a huge amount of work and organisation, as it’s staged across two venues. Ensuring the safety of horse and rider is our main priority, and I would like to thank Peter Roe and his ground staff for producing a perfect surface at Fairyhouse Racecourse.

“I would like to wish all purchasers every success with their new acquisitions, and we look forward to following their progress with interest.”

Full news from Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-Up Sale

Six-figure sales sizzle as KHK Racing smash Irish breeze-up record for Night Of Thunder colt 

Filly's value increases by 13,000 per cent in six months with sensational sale at Tattersalls Ireland