September Yearling Sale Smashes Records on Opening Day

Unprecedented demand through today’s opening session of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale saw records shattered across the board, with figures hitting new heights in a fiercely competitive opening day’s trade.

Buyers from around the world have flocked to Fairyhouse, creating a dynamic vibe, with purchasers eager to buy at the sale that has produced such exceptional results on the track through 2025.

The unrelenting desire to buy through the September Yearling Sale Day 1 session produced outstanding results with the average and median prices increasing to €44,096 and €38,000. The clearance rate was a phenomenal 93 per cent, and the day’s turnover increased by an impressive 50 per cent to €9,833,500.

Eleven lots sold for €100,000 or more, surpassing the previous whole sale record for six-figure lots sold, while a record 29 horses were sold for €75,000 or more.

The session’s top-priced lot was a son of the first-crop sire Blackbeard, sold by Peter Nolan Bloodstock and bought by Durcan Bloodstock for €165,000 (Lot 228). He is a son of an unraced Smart Strike mare Spirit Bear, a daughter of the Group 3 winner Wonderfully, an own-sister to the Group 2 winner Gustav Klimt and a half-sister to the Group 1 winner Nayarra.

“He was bred at home and we offered him as a foal, he was a vendor buy-back for €60,000 – we thought he was better than that and, thankfully, we have been proved right,” said Nolan. “We chose this sale as we wanted to get out early.”

The colt goes into training with Lambourn-based trainer Richard Hughes, and Ted Durcan said: “We loved him, and he is for an existing client and goes to Richard, who also loved the horse.

“He is a beautiful stamp, he vetted really well, I knew he’d make money – we hoped we’d get him for a lot less than that, but in this healthy market you have to push the boat out.”

A colt by the session’s leading stallion Sioux Nation sold by Weir View Stud fetched €150,000 (Lot 120). Alongside Lot 154, sold by Church View Stables, he was one of two six-figure lots by the Coolmore sire bought by Ken Condon, who signed for both as Osborne Lodge Racing and was purchasing on behalf of a US client.

He’ll be broken and started here and then we will make a plan, he might be exported,” explained the purchaser of plans for the Weir View Stud-sold lot, a full-brother to Native American, winner of the 2023 €250,000 Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes, and a subsequent runner-up in the Listed Surrey Stakes.

Condon added: “He is a very nice colt, very well prepared, with a lovely action and disposition. The pedigree is nice, he is out of a young mare and is a full-sibling to a useful horse. It has been strong here today; when you come in through the gates and walk along the entrance, you can see what the sale has produced.”

“It is a fantastic result,” said a delighted Ed Ryan of Weir View Stud, adding: “He has been run off his feet all week and over 200 shows, and he showed himself like a gentleman.”

Ryan, a Godolphin Flying Start graduate, who is back home at the Cashel family farm and developing a consigning business, this year being its debut.

“We have had a fantastic day so far, and the two other good prices have been €70,000 for a Naval Crown filly and €55,000 for St Mark’s Basilica filly; it has been fantastic trade,” he said. “We love this sale, it has been very good to us and we really wanted to build a good consignment this year – this is a great start.”

US agent Justin Casse spent €135,000 on a son of the leading first-season sire Starman, buying for trainer Joseph O’Brien from Lynn Lodge Stud (Lot 244). The colt is out of the winning Dansili mare Swiss Kiss, the dam of four winners, and a half-sister to the Group 3 winners Swiss Spirit and Swiss Diva.

“We have had luck with Starman. This colt is an easy sell, I like that he is out of a Dansili mare, the Mehmas half-brother ran well when fourth in Royal Ascot’s Norfolk Stakes, and this guy looks like he will be early and fast,” said Casse, one of a number of US buyers on-site today.

It was a three-way split for honours for the day’s fourth-best price of €120,000 shared between Lot 194, the only Night Of Thunder filly in the catalogue, bought by Rabbah Bloodstock from The Castlebridge Consignment, another colt by Sioux Nation (Lot 213), sold by Ballyphilip Stud and bought by Richard Hughes and Ted Durcan, and an Invincible Spirit colt (Lot 227) offered by the Irish National Stud.

Lot 227 was bought by Alex Elliott and JS Bloodstock for Valmont and Michael Blencowe, and goes into training with Harry Eustace, trainer of the Royal Ascot Group 1-winning September Yearling Sale graduates – Docklands and Time For Sandals.

Rabbah Bloodstock emerged as the opening day’s leading purchaser, securing 17 lots and an outlay of €1,092,000, the team’s top purchase the Night Of Thunder filly, who goes into training with James Tate.

“I’ve had loads of the sire’s progeny,” said Tate. “They have good minds and a good constitution. She’s got a little bit of growing to do but she looks strong and quick.”

Rabbah Bloodstock also spent €110,000 on two fillies – Lot 66, a Church View Stables-offered Havana Grey full-sister to the Windsor Castle-placed colt Azizam and who goes into training with Jack Channon, as well as a filly by Kodi Bear from Grange Hill Stud (Lot 153). She is another who will be joining Hughes, who has enjoyed such a great year on the track in 2025.

Of the Havana Grey filly, David Ryan, purchasing for Rabbah Bloodstock, said: “She is a lovely filly, a gorgeous model. Jack Channon saw her, he loved her and he is getting her – she is his pick of the day. She will come from here to Kilfrush where she will be broken in.”

The September Yearling Sale continues tomorrow at 10am.