Unprecedented Renewal of the September Yearling Sale

New heights were scaled at this year's September Yearling Sale, which saw five new sale records created over two days of strong and determined bidding.

The aggregate of €11,451,000, the average of €28,556 and median of €23,000 are all easily best-ever results and represent increases of 12 per cent, 14 per cent and 21 per cent compared with 2016.

The sale-topping Showcasing colt (Lot 219) was sold for a sale record of €230,000, while Day 2's top lot, the filly by Society Rock (Lot 385) bought by Joe Foley for €160,000, matches the best price ever given for a filly at the September Sale.Her sale was a very successful pin-hook from last year's inaugural Tattersalls Ireland Flat Foal and Breeding Stock Sale.  Yearling consignor Tally-Ho Stud bought her then for €14,500, her price a year later an 11-time return on the investment.

"She is an exquisite filly," said successful buyer Foley, purchasing on behalf of Clipper Logistics. "We were keen to buy her - she is out of a tough mare and her grand-dam was a tough racemare too."

Dam Coolminx was a five-time winner and Listed placed, while grand-dam Greta D'Argent was a four-time winner.

Her late sire Society Rock has enjoyed a wonderful season with his first crop of runners, headlined by his Group 1 Prix Morny winner Unfortunately, a €24,000 September Sale graduate who has recently been purchased by Cheveley Park Stud as a future stallion prospect. 

Late in the Day 2 session, trainer Ger Lyons went to €110,000 for a Kodiac colt (Lot 464) sold by Ballyhimikin Stud and out of a Namid half-sister to Doc Holiday, who finished third in the Middle Park Stakes.

"There was something different about him, I liked him," said Lyons. "With one or two things with some of the others on the list, he ended up making his way to the top.

"I am not sure which client he is for - I have couple in mind - the important thing is that he's on the team!"

Two further lots made six-figure sums, both selling for €100,000 - a colt by first-crop sire Garswood, also sold by Tally-Ho Stud (Lot 287), and bought by Gill Richardson Bloodstock, and a Footstepsinthesand colt (Lot 256). He was sold by Ashwood Stud and was another purchase by Foley.

At the conclusion of the September Yearling Sale on Wednesday evening, Managing Director Roger Casey said: "Strong, frenetic and vibrant are just some of the terms that begin to encapsulate the description of the trade witnessed here at Tattersalls Ireland over the last two days and there has been an array of positives to acknowledge at what is the continuously progressive September Yearling Sale; the highest price for a yearling on record at Tattersalls Ireland of €230,000, major increases in the aggregate 12 per cent, median 21 per cent and average 14 per cent and an impressive clearance rate of 90 per cent. This year's catalogue, despite a decrease in the number of lots, has produced the highest turnover on record and likewise the highest average and median on record. Results speak for themselves and up to last weekend, the September Yearling Sale was the only sale to have produced a Group 1 winning two-year-old, in Prix Morny winner; Unfortunately, not to mention the ever-increasing and unparalleled number of two-year-olds winning on the track.

These winners have driven the continuous growth in standard and profile of this sale and it has now experienced a staggering eight years of consecutive growth reflecting its status as Europe's most progressive yearling Sale.There was a huge diversity of buyers at all levels and a stronger panel of UK and international buyers than ever before. Special thanks must go to our own industrious Tattersalls Ireland team and to the outstanding efforts of Irish Thoroughbred Marketing. It was also very encouraging to see graduates of our fledgling November Flat Foal and Breeding Stock Sale achieve such positive returns in the sales ring this week."

A quality selection of yearlings is again on offer in tomorrow's condensed Part II of the September Yearling Sale starting at 10.00am. All yearlings catalogued tomorrow and over the past two days are eligible for the €300,000 Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sale Stakes held on Longines Irish Champions Weekend - this year won by the Clive Cox trained Snazzy Jazzy.