Dwan Hails ‘Relentless’ Trade At Record-Breaking Tattersalls Ireland Yearling Sale

[Wandering Eyes]

FAIRYHOUSE, IRELAND – Bill Dwan, one of the biggest names in the bloodstock industry, hailed the September Yearling Sale at Tattersalls Ireland a roaring success after supplying some of the most expensive horses sold through the ring in a week when the previous best record aggregate wasn't just beaten, it was smashed.  

Summing up the trade at Fairyhouse, Dwan said the action in the ring was “relentless” across the past two days, and wished trainer George Scott continued luck from this sale after the Newmarket-based handler swooped for the €200,000 top lot by Starspangledbanner from the Castlebridge Consignment. 

Scott has been one of the biggest supporters of this sale in recent years and sourced Command The Stars (Sea The Stars), a Listed winner on his most recent start, from the Castlebridge Consignment here 12 months ago. The Starspangledbanner colt was purchased on behalf of the same owner, Gary White, alongside bloodstock agent Billy Jackson-Stops. 

Scott said, “Gary was here looking at the horses but had to jump on a plane just there – but we took him around to see 10 horses and this was the horse he really wanted. He was quite an obvious one, and I guess he has been brought here to stand out, and he certainly did that to us. He is a big horse, by an excellent stallion and out of a Galileo mare and from a really good consignor. Gary wanted to see if lightning could strike twice.”

We all know that trainers are creatures of habit and be it a stallion, a racetrack or even a sales house that they have had luck at previously, it can be hard to keep them away. And Scott was the first to admit that the positive experiences he has had at Fairyhouse will keep him coming back.

Scott said, “All credit goes to the sales company. They have got some really good stock here and it has been a really successful sale. The team deserves these results. We could have bought lots of nice horses this week – we have bought a few but could have bought a lot more.”

He added, “We bought Caballo De Mar here and he won the German St Leger while Command The Stars is a Stakes winner. Everyone takes this sale very seriously, as they should, given it produced three Group 1 winners at the Royal meeting. It is no surprise to see the median up.”

Dwan always places a couple of horses in this sale that will stand out. However, this year's performance, with 37 yearlings selling for €1,933,000, beat all.

Dwan commented, “It's been a superb sale. From the first day we started showing, we were so, so busy. It has carried right through to the end. Like, we're here late this evening and it's still exceptionally strong. We sold three horses for over €150,000 today so you'd have to be over the moon. We always try to bring a few nice horses here and have been lucky here down through the years. We brought a nice Sea The Stars horse here last year and he's won a Listed race for George so hopefully the Starspangledbanner will do the same. It's relentless. Now, the one thing I will say is that there is definitely a better standard of horse here this year compared to previous years – everyone has upped their game. Between Tattersalls Ireland and Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, everyone has done a great job to get the buyers here.” 

All told, the €8,887,000 aggregate was up 51% on last year's €5,869,500 while the median climbed a massive 59% to €35,000 and the average by 49% to €41,723. Not only that, but the clearance rate climbed by 14% to 91%. Absolutely phenomenal stuff. 

Rabbah Spends Close To Two Million

David Ryan, who manages Jaber Abdullah's stock at Kilfrush Stud, spoke about the appeal of sourcing 'hard and early' runners at this sale on Tuesday. They don't come more obvious than lot 443, a Blue Point filly consigned by Monksland Stables, who fetched €190,000 to the Rabbah Bloodstock buying bench deep into the Thursday trade.

All told, Rabbah Bloodstock accounted for €1,978,000 of the entire aggregate for 27 yearlings purchased across the two days. The Blue Point filly was the most expensive horse that Rabbah Bloodstock purchased at the sale and Ryan commented, “She's an absolute queen. She was high on the list. The boss has an affinity with Blue Point and she was the only one by the sire in the catalogue – she had it all to herself. He's a very good sire and she comes from a very good breeder. Tom Hassett and his wife, Clodagh, do a very good job.”

He added, “She's out of a Galileo mare, so it's a lovely cross and a brilliant pedigree. Like all of them, she'll come back to Kilfrush and we'll have a look at them we'll see how they're going before we decide on a trainer.”

The Blue Point filly was bred and consigned by Hassett's Monksland Stables. His daughter Orla commented, “That has blown our expectations out of the water, as has this week. Dad bred this filly, and he decided to come here – and he eats, sleeps and lives horses.”

Murtagh makes a splash

While it may be normal for British-based trainers to gather up a number of yearlings every year on spec, it's not the done thing to do in Ireland. However, Johnny Murtagh has been quite active over the past two days, buying eight yearlings for €431,000. That spend was headed by a €150,000 Starspangledbanner colt consigned by Noel O'Callaghan's Mountarmstrong Stud.

Murtagh said, “I was so close yesterday on a few and it's nice to have Starspangledbanner on the top of the list there. The rest of the sale will be quiet for me after that – I am maxed out now. I have no owner for the Starspangledbanner but am hoping that a horse like him will be easy to sell. Yesterday was very competitive. There are lots of nice horses here – you think they are going to make €40,000 and they make €60,000! I just thought last night that I would try to get one we really liked so I hope he is lucky.”

O'Callaghan has been coming to Tattersalls Ireland for longer than most and labelled the trade for this particular sale to be stronger than he'd ever seen before. He also singled out Ted Durcan for sourcing the dam of the Starspangledbanner colt [Batz (Bated Breath)] for €150,000 at Arqana in December 2022.

He said, “Very happy. Ted Durcan bought the mare – he's a good judge and he buys a few mares for me. It's been a good sale. I've been coming here for a long time but this week's sale has been very strong. But, then again, you are never surprised with anything in this industry. This industry is resilient, isn't it?”

Subplots

• Sheila Lavery opened up to TDN Europe in the build-up to this sale about how she was in the middle of a 'rebuilding process' and, in many ways, lot 352 was destined to form part of that recruitment drive. A Yeomanstown Stud-consigned Dark Angel filly out of Belle Image, who Lavery trained so well to finish fourth in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, she was knocked down to the trainer for €62,000. Lavery commented, “I bought the mare here and loved her – this filly just reminded me of Belle Image so much. She has a very good walk for a Dark Angel and came very close to our budget. We're operating at a different level at the moment so I am thrilled to get her. I have put my hand up for one or two but it has been very strong. But I am delighted for the vendors. It's hard to be ballsy in this market because you need to buy on spec and spend €40,000 or more to get something you like.”
• To give you an idea of how strong this year's sale was, it was a minute before 2pm – over six hours before the sale finished – when Tattersalls Ireland informed us that the record aggregate had been surpassed. The previous best aggregate achieved was in 2021, when 489 horses sold for €12,779,580.
• Stephen Thorne launched his training career with the backing of his own Shamrock Thoroughbred Syndicate, which offers the micro-share ownership experience. Off the back of a breakout year, he has generated support from a number of sole owners, notably John Kirkland, who spent €120,000 on a Kodiac colt consigned by Tally-Ho Stud early in the day two session. The Kodiac colt is from a family that Thorne knows well given he trained the half-sister, Mayflower (Ardad), to win a Leopardstown maiden on debut back in July.
• With the strength of this year's sale, it would be easy to forget the role of the Italian buyers, who have played such an integral role here – particularly with regards to the clearance rate – in recent times. It shouldn't be underestimated how strong Razza Latina was this week. The Italian-based agent may not have grabbed any highlights but ended the sale as the third-busiest buyer with 10 horses bought for a combined sum of €442,000.

Buy of the day

How you define value is fairly subjective but, if the bloodstock market continues on this trajectory, the €105,000 that Barry Lynch spent on a Sioux Nation colt [lot 446] on behalf of new client Bill Durkan might look well-bought in a few months' time. Bought from Castledillon Stud, the Sioux Nation colt is out of a Montjeu mare – albeit an old one – but was one of the best-walking horses in the sale and boasted size and scope. He looks like a runner and is one to put in the notebook.

Thought for the day

Have you ever heard the story about the man who was down on his luck and, in one last act of desperation, looked to the skies asking the lord for the numbers to the lottery. The lord looks down and replies, 'will you meet me halfway and buy a ticket for goodness sake?' The moral of the story is that sometimes you can't help those who don't want to be helped. The same applies to any vendor in Part 2 of this sale who decided against uploading a video of their horse. We all know that there has been bustling trade here over the past couple of days and, the early chat is that more people than ever are staying on for Part 2. No amount of coffee and Red Bull would sustain a person to get around to see everything. So why would a vendor fail to provide their horse with the best possible chance of getting sold by uploading a video? It defies logic that a large portion of the Part 2 horses do not have videos up on the Tattersalls website.

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