Yearlings consigned by Ballylinch Stud filled two of the top three positions on the final day of Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, with their LOPE DE VEGA filly topping proceedings at 650,000 guineas, the second highest price for a filly at this sale.
The final session once again saw double digit increases in turnover and average taking the three-day sale turnover above 60,000,000 guineas for the first time whilst new benchmarks were also set for the average and median.
Godolphin Buy Lope De Vega Filly for 650,000 Guineas
The top price during the final session of October Book 2 and the second highest ever for a filly at this fixture was 650,000 guineas for the LOPE DE VEGA filly out of the GALILEO mare GALLITEA consigned by Ballylinch Stud. Agent Will Douglass, standing alongside trainer Charlie Fellowes, made much of the early running as did eventual underbidder Tom Goff but it was Stroud Coleman Bloodstock’s Anthony Stroud who prevailed.
The filly had received a major catalogue update when GALLITEA’s first foal OVIEDO, her full-brother, finished third in the Group 3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes behind subsequent Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes winner CHALDEAN.
Successful purchaser Stroud commented: "It is very exciting. She is very nice, very athletic and it was a good update in the pedigree. She is very light on her feet and is for Godolphin."
Ballylinch Stud’s managing director John O'Connor was naturally ecstatic: "I knew she'd sell well, I did not expect that, but when you get a clash between two very interested buyers these things can happen. There were lots of people on her too. This is a family we have been associated with for a long time. I originally bought Ingabelle from Tom Lacy, Tony Lacy's father, and we have bred most of the blacktype on this page."
That blacktype includes GALLITEA’s half-sister CHRISELLIAM, who won the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile and Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, and the three-time Group 2 winner and Group 1 Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes second VERY SPECIAL.
O'Connor continued: "Lope de Vega's stock appeals to so many people, he is such a good sire - we have been blessed to have him. It is wonderful when things go your way, it is almost a surreal feeling."
Ballyvolane’s Starspangledbanner Colt Sells for 600,000 Guineas
Late in the evening Ballyvolane Stud’s STARSPANGLEDBANNER colt lit up the ring when selling for 600,000 guineas to agent Richard Knight after a protracted bidding duel with Amanda Skiffington. It is the farm's best ever result at Tattersalls, beating the 400,000 guineas for their TIME TEST colt at last year’s sale.
The colt is out of the DANDY MAN mare GREAT DAME who won the Lily Agnes Stakes, and Ballyvolane’s John Foley was naturally delighted: "She is owned by myself and good friend Jason Kelly, who is David O'Meara's assistant, and he liked the mare. We bought the syndicate out at the sale and bred her, and this is her first foal.
"I am delighted, he is a lovely, lovely horse and has always been a mighty sort. He has great action and some of the most respected judges here liked him."
Foley particularly wanted to praise Ballyvolane’s staff: "I have very good staff, a great team both here and at home. They put in a huge effort, they are here at 5am in the morning and selling in the evening at 8pm."
The colt’s dam GREAT DAME is a half-sister to the Group 2 winner DONNERSCHLAG and the Listed winner IZZY BIZU, and successful purchaser Richard Knight commented: "He was the only one we picked out in this sale, I thought he was a lovely individual. He is by Starspangledbanner who I am a big fan of having had The Wow Signal. I like the fact that the mare was a useful two-year-old herself and he looks like he will be sharp. We felt he will be a great addition to the horses we have already bought. He is a horse who should not take a huge amount of time, is very athletic and vetted very well."
Peter Harris Secures New Bay Colt for 425,000 Guineas
The second highest priced colt on the third and final day of Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale was the NEW BAY colt from Ballylinch Stud who was knocked down to Anthony Stroud for 425,000 guineas on behalf of owner and former racehorse trainer Peter Harris.
Stroud commented: “New Bay is obviously a very good stallion and he came from a very good hotel in Ballylinch Stud. He moves very well and is very light on his feet, and is a lovely horse. He’ll go and be trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam.
"Peter very much has his own system and we work together and he’s actually my oldest client, I’ve worked with him for over 40 years. He loved the horse and obviously the success that Jane has had with New Bays, she was very keen to get one."
The NEW BAYs that Stroud was referring to are dual Group 1 winner SAFFRON BEACH and CLAYMORE, winner of the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot this year. The colt, out of the Listed placed LOPE DE VEGA mare FACT OR FOLKLORE, also enjoyed a major pedigree update in the last month when his half-sister STATEMENT won the Group 3 Concorde Stakes and Listed Navigation Stakes on consecutive starts.
Ballylinch Stud consigned the colt and stand his sire NEW BAY, and managing director John O’Connor commented: "This horse was a beautiful horse, free-moving, well-balanced, and he took everything really well. There were a few who kicked off in the pre-parade ring and he handled it very well. He has got a racehorse mind I think.
"The trainers really like the New Bays, and with the kind of mares he is covering now he has the opportunity to step to a higher level again. Every horse has to take that opportunity, but we believe he can. The major players are still here and they are still anxious to buy nice horses. There were plenty of bids coming for him from all over the sale ring."
Church Farm & Horse Park Stud Enjoy Pinhook Triumph
The Church Farm & Horse Park Stud team celebrated one of the outstanding pinhooking results at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale when selling the NO NAY NEVER colt out of the GALILEO mare BRIGHT SAPPHIRE for 360,000 guineas to M V Magnier. The colt is a half-brother to the Group placed WALL OF FIRE out of a daughter of the Group 2 Cherry Hinton Stakes winner JEWEL IN THE SAND, and was purchased at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale for 110,000 guineas.
John Cullinan, who was standing with Roger Marley in the gangway to watch the colt sell, said: "It was great! We are having an up and down week so that was a good result. He is a lovely horse. We loved him here in December. He is a young May foal but is by No Nay Never out of a Galileo mare. He is a fantastic walker, has a great attitude and the sire has had an amazing year. The whole way through the year, I always thought he was our banker."
The Coolmore-based NO NAY NEVER has indeed had an amazing year with five Group winning two-year-olds in 2022 including the Group 1 winners BLACKBEARD and LITTLE BIG BEAR whilst the evergreen four-year-old filly ALCOHOL FREE won her fourth race at the highest level when saluting in the July Cup.
Chairman’s Statement
At the conclusion of Book 2 of the 2022 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented;
“Three extraordinary record breaking days at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale have been followed by a second consecutive record breaking renewal of Book 2.
“The word most commonly used to describe the trade we have experienced throughout this week has been ‘unrelenting’. There have been records established in pretty well every conceivable category. Turnover, average and median have all reached unprecedented levels and yet again Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale has been the second highest grossing yearling sale in Europe, second only to Book 1. The number of yearlings selling for 200,000 guineas or more is a wide margin record as is the number selling for 300,000 guineas or more and never before have seven yearlings at Book 2 of the October Yearling Sale broken the 500,000 guineas mark.
“Following on from Book 1, buyers from America, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, and throughout the Gulf region have all continued to make significant contributions over the past three days. European buyers have also been conspicuous at all levels of the market while the domestic British and Irish demand continues to be the bedrock of Europe’s largest yearling sale which annually showcases so many of the best commercial yearlings to be found and consistently produces top class horses like this year’s outstanding unbeaten Derby winner DESERT CROWN.
“The support we receive from so many breeders and consignors from Britain, Ireland and further afield is the key to the enduring popularity of the October Yearling Sales at Tattersalls and is hugely appreciated. There is quality to be found at every level and next up is Book 3 of the October Yearling Sale which has produced two of this year's top European two year olds; LEZOO, recent winner of the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes and CRYPTO FORCE, the impressive winner of the Group 2 Beresford Stakes.”
Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale starts at 9.30am on Thursday, 13th October with 642 yearlings catalogued in the two-day sale.
