Strong Italian flavour at Fairyhouse for Part Two of the September Yearling Sale

The demand for yearlings at Tattersalls Ireland this week was insatiable and so powerful was the drive to purchase that the clearance rate for Part Two hovered around the mid-80s throughout the day, indicating how many buyers were still actively shopping even as the sale drew to a close on Thursday night.

Much of that was driven by the strong Italian purchasing presence at Fairyhouse, a venue where agents and trainers from that country have sourced some of their best horses in recent years.

Folgaria, successful in the Group 3 Premio Primi Passi at San Siro and Listed contests at that track and at Capannelle this season, was bought at the 2022 renewal of the September Yearling Sale. Man With The Plan, a Listed winner at Varese in July, is also a graduate of last year's Part Two section.

They are two of the six black type winners from last year's sale and with such a track record from just last year, it is unsurprising Italian buyers were among the busiest at the sale on Thursday, following on from their seven-figure spend at Part One.

Pisa-based trainer Cristiana Brivio was one of the busiest people at the sales complex this week, signing for 11 yearlings during Part One and adding a further three to the list on Thursday. Along with her husband Endo Botti, signing as Razza Latina, she was the biggest spender on Thursday buying three yearlings for a total of €59,000. She was closely followed by Valfredo Valiani who bought eight yearlings during Part Two.

"I'm very happy," said Brivio. "I think I've bought some very nice horses. I think the quality has improved a lot and the prices were fair and that this is a good sale. They're really nice horses, we have clients who wanted to buy and they have been lucky with horses they bought here in the past."

While Italian racing has suffered from fortune's slings and arrows, there are positive and encouraging signs on the horizon, not least the spend by Italian agents and trainers over the three days of the September Yearling Sale.

Brivio added: "The prize-money is not bad at all, something is changing with the problems in payments and there are new owners coming into the racing world. This is very encouraging for us."

Beechlane Far Above the rest

The most expensive of Brivio's buys was a filly from the first crop of the Group 3 Palace House Stakes winner Far Above. Consigned by Conor Walsh of Beechlane Stables, she cost €35,000 and was the second offspring of the son of Farhh, who stands at Starfield Stud, purchased this week by Brivio.

"I like the sire and bought one by him earlier this week [lot 226]. She is quite expensive but has a lot of quality, and is quite a scopey filly," Brivio continued.

Wexford-based Walsh purchased the filly for €4,500 and the return was the best in the embryonic history of Beechlane Stables, which has been in operation for just three years with this only the second season consigning under the name.

Beechlane Stables' Far Above filly turned a nice profit in the ringCredit: Jason Bax/Equuis

The bay is a half-sister to three winners and is out of Lady Vyrnwy, a Bertolini half-sister to the Group 2 Prix de Pomone and Listed Grosser Preis von Rossman winner Star Lahib by Cape Cross.

Walsh had employed careful placement of the filly to maximise her opportunities to shine.

"She has been a very straightforward filly all the way through and prepped well, she is a big, scopey filly," said Walsh. "It is a dream result, job done! We thought if we offered her in Part Two it would mean that she'd stand out a bit."

That proved to be a shrewd bit of judgment on Walsh's part as the filly was the most expensive of the five Far Above offspring sold on Thursday, with the quintet returning an average of €11,500.

Destination Arizona

Coventry Stakes winner Arizona has been making quite the impression this week, with his first crop of yearlings attracting the attention of trainers and breeze-up consignors, although MV Magnier was the ultimate purchaser of his most expensive yearling in Part One of the sale with Gerry Aherne signing at €68,000 for Egmont Stud's colt out of Princess Theodora.

Four further yearlings by Coolmore's most affordable son of No Nay Never were sold during Part Two and they achieved the joint-highest average of any stallion with more than two offspring sold on Thursday, tied alongside Bungle Inthejungle at €17,250.

Top of the charts was the filly from Joe Rogers' Ballintry Stud out of Exploitation who made €22,000 to Eddie Linehan, and she benefited from an update as her three-year-old Sea The Moon half-sister Esmeray, who was placed on debut before the compilation of the catalogue, added another placed effort and then that all-important win prior to the sale. Trained by Ralph Beckett she is the overnight favourite for a fillies' handicap at Newbury (4.45).

Eddie Linehan has added her to the Linehan Bloodstock team for next year's breeze-up sales.

Arizona: The son of No Nay Never has his first yearlings this year

Arizona: The son of No Nay Never was popular with buyers at Tattersalls Ireland this weekCredit: Colin J Kenny Photography

"She's a lovely big filly and a really good mover too. There is loads of size and scope about her and I think she could be one for the breeze-up sale here next May. She reminds of Helens Well, a Kodi Bear filly we bought from Rathbarry, who went on to be Listed-placed in America."

Out of an unraced half-sister to the Group 3 Prix Penelope third Rythmique, her second dam Reclamation is a winning Red Ransom half-sister to Vintage Tipple who won the Irish Oaks for Paddy Mullins and it is the family of American Derby and Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner and sire Overbury and the legendary Vintage Crop, the first European-trained horse to win the Melbourne Cup.

Linehan purchased two fillies on Thursday, to add to the Ten Sovereigns filly (271) bought on Wednesday, and he commented on the strength of trade over the duration of the sale.

"We've had a busy week and have found it hard to buy the nice horses, and we got beat on lots of them. We are happy with the ones we did buy and I think they will turn out to be good value," he added.

Johnny Murtagh and Eddie Linehan who both bought first crop Arizona yearlings at Tattersalls Ireland this weekCredit: Melanie Sauer

Shinnick Brothers Bloodstock went to €20,000 for Cooneen Stud's Arizona half-sister to the Italian Group 3 and Listed-placed Iffraaj colt The Blades. She is the second foal out of Impassioned, a Bahamian Bounty half-sister to the Listed October Stakes winner Eternally. It is the Cheveley Park Stud family of Falmouth winner Veracious and Garswood, victorious in the Prix Maurice de Gheest, who are all under this filly's third dam Polish Romance.

Johnny Murtagh spent the same sum on another daughter of Arizona, whose dam is a half-sister to the dam of European champion two-year-old Dabirsim. Arizona's second dam, Bright Generation, won the Italian Oaks and is a half-sister to Centinela, the second dam of the brilliant Sea Of Class.

Murtagh, along with M and B Racing bought the Arizona filly consigned by Blackwater Stud on behalf of breeder Norman Ormiston. She was bred by Ormiston out of Puttore, a winning daughter of High Chaparral and Group 3 Park Stakes winner Ugo Fire. That Bluebird mare was trained by Kevin Prendergast for Ormiston and was runner-up to Rumplestiltskin in the Moyglare Stud Stakes.

Soldiers lining up for Foley

Ballyhane Stud's first-season sire is punching above his weight in the standings as the multiple Group 1-placed sprinter is second only to Blue Point in the league table on winners. Having recorded his first Group winner last weekend, courtesy of Dawn Charger who is a graduate of the September Yearling Sale, he is in there fighting with sires who retired to stud at fees vastly in excess of his own initial price.

Joe Foley has always believed in Showcasing's Flying Childers winner and has strongly backed his judgment, in the breeding shed and the sales ring. With those efforts being rewarded, the stallion master was doubling down on that support and bought the most expensive yearling sold during Part Two; Ballyknock Stud's daughter of the Prix de l'Abbaye-placed sire.

"I am delighted to have found her, she has a good pedigree; her third dam Ameerat won the 1,000 Guineas and there is loads of page here," he said.

It was the second time this week Foley has bought a Soldier's Call filly with Teofilo as her broodmare sire, having on Tuesday purchased a filly from the family of Embassy, King's Apostle, Atlantic Jewel and Russian Emperor for €57,000 from Ballyhampshire Stud.

Joe Foley will strongly support his successful first season sire Soldier's CallCredit: Laura Green

He continued: "Not only is this a well bred filly, she's a stunning, beautiful filly, too. She looks a really classy type and we really loved her. She will run in the Clipper Logistics colours."

Foley has many reasons to be positive about the future for Soldier's Call, not least because of the quality of unraced juveniles set to carry the Clipper Logistics colours just as Soldier's Call did. Although the ones who have already run have showcased their sire's prowess in spite of the ground difficulties they have encountered.

"The stallion has been very good to us and there is some very nice stock by him still to run," Foley said. "We are delighted with Soldier's Call's progress this summer, and this year did not really suit his stock as they need fast ground. We have some good ones yet to run, and they are not all sprint types."

With two members of his first crop earning official ratings of 100 and higher, there is quality to the runners who have represented him this season.

"He has 15 horses rated over 80, and that is exceptional. He's had a first stakes winner, but he's unlucky not to have had more than one, he has had so many that have just missed," Foley added.

They include Dorothy Lawrence who was a short head second in the Dick Poole Stakes at Salisbury last time out and is one of the leading contenders for Saturday's Group 3 Firth Of Clyde Stakes at Ayr.

"We are going to support him strongly from here, he's a good sire," Foley emphasised.

That will be greeted with delight by breeders and pinhookers who have stock by Soldier's Call still to sell, but as David Laverty, breeder of the sale-topping filly can attest, that support has always been in existence.

"Joe has been great for us, and we have been a big supporter of him. When we have the right one, he is a big supporter of us. We have sent mares to Joe right from day one; his stallions get better and better each year. I can't speak highly enough of him."

The Armagh native snapped up the filly's dam Ebbraam for just 1,000gns online from Godolphin during Covid and sent her to Soldier's Call for her first mating. She has a Gleneagles two-year-old half-brother named Remaadd in training with William Haggas for Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum and he was third in the Listed Ascendant Stakes at Haydock just under a fortnight ago.

"From day one as a foal she has always been in proportion and a great walker," Laverty continued. "She has just been easy to do and was still in the field until four weeks ago, she was thriving outside in the good weather. The team at Ballyknock has done a great job with her prep, it is great to see everyone getting a turn."

Soldier's Call ended Part Two of the September Yearling Sale as the highest-grossing sire with his stock accumulating receipts of €73,000 for six sold on Thursday.

Statistics

The Soldier's Call filly was one of 232 yearlings offered for sale at Tattersalls Ireland on Thursday with 188 of them, or 81 per cent, changing hands. That generated €1,546,100 in turnover. From a catalogue that was much larger than the previous year, the average of €8,244 represented a drop of 21 per cent from 2022's figure of €10,473 while the median declined by 25 per cent year-on-year, from €8,000 to €6,000.

End of sale statement

At the conclusion of Part Two of the September Yearling Sale, Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins commented: "The demand witnessed over the last two days has carried through into today's session, resulting in lively trade and a clearance rate comparable to last year given the increased catalogue. The plethora of both international and domestic buyers throughout the week has significantly contributed to these results.

"We hugely appreciate the support of our loyal vendors who have recognised that Part Two of the sale has established itself as a viable option for selling commercial yearlings.”

Strong Italian flavour at Fairyhouse for Part Two of the September Yearling Sale

Aisling Crowe reports from Part Two of the Tattersalls Ireland sale where the appetite was insatiable