Group 3 Australian Success for Nellie Leylax

Graduates of the September Yearling Sale continue to make their mark on the global stage. There was stakes success in Australia at the weekend for September Yearling Sale graduate NELLIE LEYLAX who won the $250,000 Group 3 Premier’s Cup at Randwick.

The four-year-old son of Calyx posted five wins when in the care of Tom Dascombe and ownership of Millennial Racing as a two-and-three-year-old. He was unbeaten in two starts last year as a three-year-old, where he climbed to a rating of 92, before being purchased for a career in the Southern Hemisphere.

Now in the care of trainers Annabel and Rob Archibald, Nellie Leylax was ridden prominently throughout the 1m2f contest, where he was sent to join the leader turning for home and asserted for a two-and-a-half-length victory.

He was sold by his breeder Ciaran Conroy’s Glenvale Stud at the 2022 September Yearling Sale, where Tom Dascombe purchased him for €20,000. He’s a half-brother to fellow September Yearling Sale graduate and two-time winner Love Talk.

The Norwegian Derby was the centrepiece event at Øvrevoll, and it was September Yearling Sale graduate WAR SOCKS who landed the valuable prize for trainer Niels Peterson.

September Yearling Sale graduate War Socks landed the Norwegian Derby (Photo Credit Hesteguiden.com).

The three-year-old son of Kameko had run a creditable race in the Golden Gates handicap at Royal Ascot earlier in the season, but back on home soil he proved too strong for his rivals on Sunday.

He was sold by Adrian Costello’s Clenagh Castle Stud at the 2023 September Yearling Sale to Edgar Byrne for €115,000. Clenagh Castle Stud have enjoyed high profile success this season with Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes winner Docklands, and recent Listed Platinum Stakes winner Super Sox.

The catalogue for next month’s September Yearling Sale can be viewed here, with the sale taking place from 23 – 25 September.

There was big race success for Sapphire Sale graduate SIOUX PERFECT in the valuable £100,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

It was a first success for the Archie Watson-trained daughter of Sioux Nation, who had shown promise in maidens earlier in the season, but it was quite the feat to break her maiden in the showpiece event on Newmarket’s card.

She disputed the lead throughout the six furlong contest, and battled on resolutely inside the last furlong to fend off all challengers.

She was sold as a foal at the 2023 Sapphire Sale by her breeder Michael O’Brien’s Jerpoint Stud to David Hegarty for €20,000, and has a possible engagement in the £150,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes over seven furlongs next month.

Entries for the 2025 Sapphire Sale are now open, with the sale scheduled to take place on the new date of December 16th and the foal entry price is just €295.