Strong Demand Continues at October 2 As Pair Top 200,000 Gns

The Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2 continued to bewilder onlookers on the second day with it’s strength with a clearance rate rarely if ever seen at a yearling sale, and thirteen lots breaking the six-figure barrier for the day, taking the total after two days to thirty-two, more than the whole sale registered last year, with a day to go. Father and son team Peter and Ross Doyle bought the two lots to top 200,000 guineas on the day as a total of 219 lots were sold for 8,684,000 guineas, at an average of 39,653 guineas and a median of 30,000 guineas. As was the case yesterday, there were rises across the board with the turnover up 19% compared with 2010, whilst the average and median posted rises of 9% and 13% respectively. The clearance rate saw an unprecedented 88% of lots offered on the second day sold, rising to 92% when private sales are included.

The top lot on the second day was Lot 857, the SHAMARDAL colt out of the MONTJEU mare MELODY FAIR consigned from Pier House Stud, who was knocked down to Ross Doyle for 220,000 guineas after he saw off agent Stephen Hillen and Anthony Stroud.

"He is for a new client," said Doyle, standing alongside Richard Hannon Jnr. "He was the nicest horse here today, and the record of Shamardal speaks for itself. We've been lucky with the horses we've bought off Pier House before."

The sale represented a huge pinhooking result for the Morrins who had purchased the colt for 75,000 guineas at the 2010 Tattersalls December Foal Sale.  

"We are delighted," said Brendan Morrin. "We loved him as a foal, he was a great mover. He was very busy here, was vetted five times and everyone who saw him loved him."

Only 10 lots later another yearling by the hugely popular ACCLAMATION entered the ring and like many of his predecessors this week, there were plenty of potential purchasers willing to try their luck. But as has been the case on numerous occasions this week it was the Doyle/Hannon combination who prevailed – this time the older generation of Peter Doyle and Richard Hannon Snr after they saw off the efforts of agent Bobby O’Ryan who was standing alongside trainer Richard Fahey.

"He is the nicest Acclamation at the sale. If this horse is not a racehorse, Richard will eat one of his hats!" joked Doyle. "Acclamation is a wonderful stallion - we used to be able to buy them for 14,000gns, 15,000gns or 16,000gns - now you've got to pay this much!

"But you just look at what he's done, even going as far back as Full Mandate in 2007. Every year he gets good horses, and they suit Richard. You can get on and train them, you don't have to molly coddle them, they've got a great attitudes."

Sold by Denis McDonnell's Parkway Farm, this colt is out of the MARK OF ESTEEM mare MISS CORINNE, is a half-brother to three winners, a grand-son of the Listed winner PERCY'S GIRL, and from the family of the champion two-year-old of 2005, Derby winner and now first-season sire SIR PERCY.

The day had gotten off to a great start when Mark Richards from the Hong Kong Jockey Club bought Lot 787, the first lot through the ring for 150,000 guineas. By the ill-fated RED CLUBS, whose first two-year-olds have so impressed this year, the colt is a half-brother to the Group winning sprinter DANDY MAN, being out of the Group 3 winning NIGHT SHIFT mare LADY ALEXANDER.

"Phew, it's been such a strong market!" said Mark Richards of the HKJC. "We've been underbidders on so many occasions and we did not think we'd have to pay that much for him.

"This horse has such a right page for Hong Kong, its about speed. Hopefully this horse will be as fast as his page suggests when he gets back to Hong Kong."

Late in the evening Richards struck again, this time for Lot 1048, the DUBAWI colt out of the CAERLEON mare SALEE who was also knocked down for 160,000 guineas. Richards is assisted with selection in England and Ireland by agent Larry Stratton and trainer Nick Littmoden and both colts will now go from Tattersalls to the latters for pre-training, before travelling to Hong Kong in 14 months time for the International Sale next December.

The Tattersalls October Yearling Sale continues at 10am on Thursday, October 13.