Starman Filly Tops Opening Day of Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale

A filly from the first crop of Group 1 July Cup winner STARMAN topped the opening session of the two-day Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale at 100,000 guineas. Turnover on the opening day topped 4,000,000 guineas for the 161 yearlings sold. 

Teme Valley Secure Starman Filly for 100,000 Guineas  

Bloodstock agent Richard Ryan, buying on behalf of Teme Valley Racing, went to 100,000 guineas to secure the well-related STARMAN filly out of the MAKFI mare GET UP AND DANCE, consigned by Tally-Ho Stud.    

"She is a lovely filly, the mare is proven and she will be the first Teme Valley horse with Karl Burke," said Ryan. "I have been looking for a nice horse for Karl for some time and she fits all the criteria - she is out of a proven mare and is a half-sister to a Palace House winner. Karl trained the half-sister Boogie Time and felt this was a step up as an individual, she has a great mind and a lot to like with a fabulous walk. I like the sire and I quite like them as a bunch, and I think he has got every chance."  

Ryan continued: "A good model and a half-sister to a Stakes winner is going to cost this sort of money, I was hoping for a bit less! We will race her and she might be in the shop window in the future, but she has a great residual value which helps."  

As well as being the dam of the Group 3 Palace House Stakes winner SEVEN QUESTIONS, GET UP AND DANCE is also a half-sister to the Group 2 Temple Stakes winner and Group 1 placed PEARL SECRET from the family of dual Group 1 winning two-year-old DUTCH ART. 

Clive Cox Secures Sands Of Mali Colt for 85,000 Guineas  

SANDS OF MALI has had an exciting start to his stallion career with three blacktype performers so far this year from his first crop including the Group 2 Lowther Stakes second TIME FOR SANDALS and the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes winner AIN’T NOBODY. His son out of the KODIAC mare ISLAND DRIVE was the highest priced colt on the first day of the Somerville Yearling Sale when selling to Clive Cox for 85,000 guineas. 

"I liked him when I saw him and I liked him even more when he came into the ring, he showed himself off really well," said Cox after buying the Barton Stud consigned colt.  

"He is out of a Kodiac mare and although I have not yet had any by the sire, I remember him running well and often against Harry Angel. He has been bought for an owner, which needs a call to confirm!" said Cox. "There is plenty of stock around, and it is being able to pick and buy the ones you are pleased to take home, and this fella certainly fits the bill."  

The March-foaled colt’s dam is out of the dual Group 3 winner REDSTONE DANCER from the family of RAINBOW QUEST. 

Dark Angel Filly Provides Dream Pinhook for Sixteen-Year-Old Kilmartin  

Sixteen-year-old Ruairi Kilmartin enjoyed a dream start to his career as a pinhooker after selling his DARK ANGEL filly out of the EXCELEBRATION mare GLOBAL LIGHT for 70,000 guineas to Paul Corrigan, having bought her for just €7,000 last November when signing as RK Bloodstock.  

"It is unbelievable. When I bought her as foal I thought I might be able to double my money, I never thought she would make that today, I am over the moon," Kilmartin said of his first foray into the world of buying and selling horses.  

Going on to explain why the filly had appealed to him, Kilmartin revealed: "She is by Dark Angel, her dam is a half-sister to Mehmas so it is all speed, and she is a bulky sort, I thought she looked like she would be able to run fast. Her full-sister had been placed in a Listed race and we hoped she would go on to get some more blacktype, and luckily she did. It is the stuff of dreams really."  

Coming to Tattersalls with his father Dermot to sell under the family's Kildallan Farm banner, the young man kept his hopes in the "realistic" category.  

"Our expectations were high, but they were low at the same time - you never know in this game what is going to happen. To be honest it was emotional watching her sell, and I am just so happy," he said, remembering, like all successful consignors, to acknowledge both the purchaser and bidders: "I want to thank buyer Paul Corrigan and the underbidder Roger O'Callaghan, without Roger it wouldn't have happened, we got lucky."  

It could be a successful few days for Kildallan Farm who will offer the INNS OF COURT half-brother to the Group 2 winner and recent Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes runner up BELIEVING on the second day of the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale, who Kilmartin reported was "going down very well" with viewers.

The Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale continues at 10am on Tuesday, 3rd September.