Too Darn Hot Colt Tops Opening Day of Tattersalls October Book 3

The opening day of Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale saw robust trade with a colt by TOO DARN HOT heading proceedings at 130,000 guineas and a daughter of INVINCIBLE SPIRIT realising 115,000 guineas.

Hazelwood’s Too Darn Hot Colt to Durcan for 130,000 Guineas

The top lot on the opening day of Tattersalls October Book 3 came well into the evening with a fierce bidding duel for Hazelwood Bloodstock’s TOO DARN HOT colt between George Murphy, assistant trainer to his father John Joseph Murphy, and bloodstock agent Ted Durcan ending with a successful bid of 130,000 guineas from the latter.

Ted Durcan purchased the colt on behalf of trainer Richard Hughes and commented: "Richard and team had seen the horse this afternoon, as I had, and we all loved him - he is a smashing big horse and the sire is red hot. I know the family extremely well from my time in the Middle East, which helped - Mike De Kock and Sheikh Khalifa had the whole family. 

"Richard was adamant that we were not to leave the sale without him, we spent plenty on him but he was a horse that Richard really wanted. I respect Adrian O'Brien, he is a great producer and has a marvellous nursery, he was adamant that this is a horse we should have. We are over the moon to have him and there is no owner for the horse as yet."

The colt is the first foal out of MOOHAREEBA, a winning daughter of INVINCIBLE SPIRIT and Champion South African two-year-old filly MAHBOOBA, winner of Group 2 Balanchine Stakes and Listed UAE 1,000 Guineas in Dubai. MAHBOOBA is the dam of Group winners DUBAI WARRIOR and MOOTASADIR.

O’Brien & Casse Secure Invincible Spirit Filly for 115,000 Guineas

The highest priced filly on the first day of Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale was the imposing daughter of INVINCIBLE SPIRIT consigned by Q-Cross Stables who made 115,000 guineas to the bid of Olivia Perkins-Mackey, buying on behalf of trainer Joseph O'Brien and Justin Casse.

"I saw her this morning and loved her and sent her details on to Joseph and he loved her too," said Perkins-Mackey, who has been left in charge of proceedings at Tattersalls following Casse’s departure. "She has a beautiful walk, there is nothing to knock about her - she is a May foal so there is plenty of room for improvement. The consignor has done a great job. I had no idea what she'd go for - I spotted the athlete and sent on the details." 

Clearly a little emotional after the bidding had concluded, she laughed: "I get so nervous!" 

The sale was a successful pinhook for Q-Cross Stables’ Luke Coen who bought the INVINCIBLE SPIRIT filly as a foal for €23,000. Her dam MARDIE GRAS is a daughter of GALILEO and the dual Group 1 placed MIDNIGHT ANGEL from the family of Japanese dual Group 1 winner EISHIN FLASH.

"It is a brilliant result," said Coen. "A couple of months ago when I knew she was coming here I called her 'the Queen of Book 3'. It was a bold statement to make, but she definitely is the queen now! 

"She was a €23,000 purchase and I came out from buying her and could not believe that I had. I usually get beaten in the ring, but this time it worked out. As horses go you could not dream of a much better run. For a May foal to be as mature in the mind as she is, it is something to recommend her, and she made my job look very easy today."

Coen, still emotional after the successful sale, said: "It is a bit breathtaking, my family is very horsey but I do this on my own and when you get a touch like this.... I have been doing this under my own banner for two years but I have had a few there with Francis Quinn, who has helped me an awful long way, and Anthony Ryan at home - two very good local fellas. Without them I probably wouldn't be here."

Tally-Ho Strike for Earthlight Colt at 95,000 Guineas

Tally-Ho Stud were the leading consignors at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale but appeared on the opposite side of the buyers’ sheet on the first day of Book 3 when securing the EARTHLIGHT colt consigned by Ballyshannon Stud on behalf of breeder Con Harrington’s Ridge Manor Stables for 95,000 guineas.

As a dual Group 1 winning juvenile by SHAMARDAL, EARTHLIGHT’s progeny looked sure to be highly sought after as prospects for next year’s breeze up sales and principal Tony O’Callaghan indicated that this colt was likely to make a swift reappearance for Tally-Ho, leading consignors at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale for the past three years.

"We’ll get him home and see how he performs before we make a plan, but he’ll probably come back here in April,” said O’Callaghan. “We liked him from the word go; sharp, a good walker, nicely balanced. We’ve sold one by Earthlight that went quite well and he’s getting nice stock, they look racy and behave well. This colt is from a good family too and Con Harrington is a good breeder."

The March-foaled colt is out of the Group 3 placed MASTERCRAFTSMAN mare CRAFTY MADAM, a half-sister to Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes winner PROFITABLE and the Group 3 winner RIDGE RANGER.

It has been a successful fortnight at Tattersalls for Tally-Ho Stud with 28 lots sold in Book 2 for a total of 2,628,000 guineas, and 18 lots sold for a total of 3,636,000 guineas in the previous week’s Book 1.

Sister to Live In The Dream Sells for 80,000 Guineas

Hegarty Bloodstock’s ELZAAM filly enjoyed a dream pedigree update when her half-brother LIVE IN THE DREAM won the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes and she made an excellent return for her co-pinhookers David Hegarty and Sam Hoskins when selling for 80,000 guineas to the bid of Chasemore Farm’s stud manager Jack Conroy.

"She has been bought for a client who boards a few broodmares with us," revealed Conroy, who signed for the lot as JP Bloodstock. "We liked this filly, she has a lot of residual value and we think Live In The Dream has every chance of going on to win the Breeders' Cup. Hopefully this filly will be as sharp as her half-brother. 

"The mare has done it more than once and our vet Pat Sells helps with Live In The Dream so knows him well, which is helpful. This filly is a late April foal so she should grow, and Pat is sure she will develop and get to be bigger than Live In The Dream. At that money she makes sense and has a chance."

LIVE IN THE DREAM was a Listed runner up at the time of this filly’s purchase for €27,000 last year and is currently among the favourites for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. The daughter of ELZAAM is also a half-sister to the Listed placed LIVE IN THE MOMENT and they are out of the NEW APPROACH mare APPROACHING AUTUMN, an unraced daughter of Listed winner AUTUMN WEALTH from the family of Derby winner SIR PERCY. 

A delighted Sam Hoskins commented: "I am a terrible vendor! I get very nervous but I think she is a racehorse for the future, and good luck to the new owners. David has done a wonderful job with her, he has done all the hard work." 

Of the decision to purchase her as a foal he said: "I really liked her as a filly - she is athletic, she has a good mind and we did think that Live In The Dream might be one of those three-year-olds who would get better this year at four. We were very aware of him but never thought that he would win a Nunthorpe! At the least we thought that the mare had had two 100+ rated horses from four winners and four runners - I love that ratio of good horses, she is clearly a very good mare."

Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale continues on Friday, 13th October with the first session commencing 9.30am and the second session at 5pm.