Buoyant Trade as Records Fall at September Yearling Sale

A fabulous day’s trade at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale saw a colt make a top price of €330,000, the second-highest figure ever achieved at the sale, while a new record price for a filly was set at €245,000.

The two lots headlined a superb session in which three horses sold for more than €200,000. Turnover for the day of €9,382,000 was an increase of six per cent on 2025, while the average of €42,072 is the second-best ever achieved in a single September Yearling Sale session.

Over the two-day September Yearling Sale, a record four horses sold for more than €200,000, while a best-ever 33 made €100,000 and above, eight more than in 2025.

The aggregate for the two-day sale of €18,327,500, average of €41,653 and median of €30,000 are the second-best set of returns ever achieved at the sale, only behind last year’s record-breaking renewal.

The sale’s clearance rate of 87 per cent is the best achieved at a major European yearling sale so far in 2026, driven by a vibrant, enthusiastic and cosmopolitan buying bench hailing from 13 different countries.

The September Yearling Sale’s top lot is a colt by Study Of Man, bought online by Paddy Twomey for Bond Thoroughbreds Ltd for €330,000 (Lot 484).

It was only the second time that a horse has sold for more than €/£300,000 at the September Yearling Sale – in 2020, when the sale was moved to Newmarket and was conducted in sterling, a colt by Teofilo fetched £325,000.

Today’s top lot was sold by Forenaughts Stud, and it has been a fabulous week for the Tony Smurfit-owned operation, which also bred Nabati, winner of last weekend’s Mill Reef Stakes (G2).

“I’m a bit shocked! This has been a dream week,” said Forenaughts manager Caoimhe Doherty. “First Nabati won the Mill Reef, and now this. I’m so thrilled.

“Tony and his wife Sharon have been in the game a long time and have worked really hard at this. It’s so good for them that they’re finally being rewarded. I’m thrilled for the farm; we’re only a small team, but everyone works so hard. I am just over the moon and I lost count after we had 200 views! The mare has been good to us, and she has had a recent update with Minkaas’s black-type.”

Of the decision to use Study Of Man, she said: “Tony really wanted to use the stallion. He’s a horse we had followed for a while, and we bought one by him, Mano Chicago, in training a few years ago and had a lot of fun with him. We thought it was a good cross on paper, and it has worked. Then we got the update as well; everything just came together.”

Asked whether she thought the colt would make such a sum, she said: “Absolutely not! I thought he might make €100,000 and a little bit more. It’s so nice when other people like our yearlings, too. I hope he’s a star; I really do.

“This sale has been so good to us, we have been lucky. We are always in a fabulous barn and it is always such fun, it is such a good sale to come to.”

Buyer Paddy Twomey said: “He is a lovely colt and is by Study Of Man. I had Deepone, who won the Beresford Stakes (G2). He was a very good horse.

Twomey added, “Charlie Bond is doing a fantastic job and has great enthusiasm for the game. He has a good colt, City Of Dubai (Mehmas), who could run in the Beresford Stakes, which he sponsors [Churchill Tyres]. We have an aligned vision and Charlie is backing me to try and achieve this.”

Lot 425, a daughter of Sioux Nation bred and consigned by Mountarmstrong Stud, became the most expensive filly ever sold at the September Yearling Sale when fetching €245,000.

Out of the two-year-old-winning Starspangledbanner mare Impeachd Alexander, she is from the farm’s leading “Alexander” family of the Queen Mary Stakes (G2) winner Anthem Alexander and the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes third-placed Dandy Man.

She was purchased by Rabbah Bloodstock, who prevailed after a prolonged bidding battle with bloodstock agent Billy Jackson-Stops, who was standing in the gangway with trainer Archie Watson.

“She is a lovely filly by a very good stallion, and she has been bought for a current member of Rabbah,” said bloodstock manager Jono Mills. “We will ship her to England, and where she goes into training will be decided in the future.

“We’ve had a huge amount of success buying from Mountarmstrong, but we haven’t had anything directly from this family. She’s out of a Starspangledbanner mare and by Sioux Nation, so the cross makes sense. Let’s hope she is the next Sun Goddess!”

He continued: “There’ll always be a little bit of residual value for us as a broodmare in the long term, but let’s hope she can run first. She comes from a great farm, and that’s the most important thing: buying from great consignors and great farms. She just looks like a racehorse, and that is what we are trying to do – buy racehorses.”

Of the September Yearling Sale, he added: “This is a fantastic sale; it’s a sale that has grown. Tattersalls Ireland do a great job of getting the right horses here, and it’s a lovely place to come. There’s a very good draft of horses here, and it’s very competitive when trying to buy the right ones.”

Rob Tierney, manager of Mountarmstrong Stud, was understandably delighted and somewhat surprised by the result.

“We came here expecting to get maybe half of that; our target was €100,000, maybe €120,000. But to get twice that is unbelievable. We had people who just locked horns, which is what we always dream of,” said Tierney.

He added: “We have come here over the years with nice horses and have done well. This filly is a pure queen. She’s so strong and athletic and has a super mind, like all the family. They are all really chilled out and easy to deal with. I’d just like to wish the new owners the best of luck with her.”

Scandinavian champion trainer Niels Petersen, standing on the balcony with agent Edgar Byrne, spent €210,000 on a Lodge Park Stud-bred son of No Nay Never (Lot 359).

Niels Petersen, who trains at Øvrevoll Racecourse, near to Oslo, said: “It is a fair amount of money, but he is a beautiful horse and it is hard to get these horses, and we had the opportunity here.

“He has been bought for Ingermarie Due Nielsen and Thorkild Møller Nielsen, who race under Elkær Stutter. They own Romanov, who is the champion two-year-old in Scandinavia. They are great owners and really enjoy their racing.

Breeder Damien Burns said: “After this sale got so strong last year, we said we’d try and put a better horse in to support the sale. It’s nice to have good sales in Ireland, and that you can sell a good horse in.

“No Nay Never is one of the best stallions, and we were surprised when we opened the catalogue – we thought we were very smart, and that there might only be one by him – there were five of them! But as an individual, this colt stood out. We raced the mother with Clive Cox. She won over 6f at Goodwood. It’s a family that’s bred a Royal Ascot two-year-old.”

Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins commented:

“We have experienced exceptionally strong trade throughout the two-days, further reinforcing the September Yearling Sale’s position as the most progressive yearling sale in the calendar. While last year’s record breaking turnover of €18.7 million represented an outstanding benchmark and was always going to be hard to match, nonetheless we went so close to reaching those heady heights and this year we have seen significant progress across a number of key indicators, underlining the continued growth and stature of this sale.

“33 yearlings realised €100,000 or more, surpassing last year’s record figure of 25. We also achieved a new high for the number of lots selling for €200,000 and above, while a record price for a filly was established when the sale-topping filly realised €245,000 to Rabbah Bloodstock. These figures are a clear reflection of the depth, quality and continued demand for the stock presented at this sale. The clearance rate despite the extra numbers catalogued was impressive, at 87%.

“I was confident that we had assembled our strongest September Yearling Sale catalogue to date and the results over the past two days have more than justified that confidence. The consistent demand for quality yearlings, together with the depth of competition at all levels of the market, demonstrates the strength of both the catalogue and the sale itself.

“The presence of many of Ireland’s leading owners, trainers and bloodstock professionals, alongside buyers from a broad range of international racing jurisdictions, contributed significantly to the exceptional trade. The continued support from UK based agents and trainers was particularly encouraging and further highlights the sale’s growing reputation as a strong source of high-class graduates. Equally encouraging were the strength and diversity of the buying bench. Competition for quality yearlings remained consistent throughout the sale and it is particularly pleasing to see new and returning buyers actively participating across all levels of the market.

“I would like to thank our vendors for their continued confidence and support. Demand for places in the sale was stronger than ever before, reflecting the increasing esteem in which the September Yearling Sale is held. More breeders and consignors are recognising the opportunities it provides and are choosing to offer some of their best stock here and are ultimately being well rewarded.

“I would also like to acknowledge the valuable contribution of the team at Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, whose collaboration with our own marketing department has helped attract a broad buying bench from around the world. Their efforts have played an important role in broadening the international reach of the sale and enhancing competition across the catalogue.”

All lots sold or bought in under the hammer are eligible for the Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes 2027, staged at The Curragh next September. The race carries a minimum prize fund guarantee of €250,000 and offers prize money to tenth place.

Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale Part II concludes tomorrow at 10am.