Fillies by Dawn Approach, Belardo Top Tattersalls Sale

It was all about the girls at the one-day Tattersalls Ireland Flat Foal and Breeding Sale Dec. 16 with fillies from the newly added yearling section leading the way.

A daughter of Belardo, who has made such a sparkling start to his stud career, was one star who lit up a stormy winter Wednesday when selling to Patrick Cooper of BBA Ireland.

Cooper went to €33,000 (US$40,102) to secure Lot 1004 from Paddy Kelly's nearby Ballybin Stud and revealed that the easy-moving filly will be trained by Jessica Harrington for the It's All About The Girls syndicate run by Elaine 'Legs' Lawlor and Anna Seitz Cianello.

"She is a replacement for the filly that the syndicate had in training with Jessica this year who they unfortunately lost, so hopefully this filly will have much better luck for them," Cooper said.

"She's a beautiful-looking filly by one of the best first-season sires this year and is bred on a variation of the cross of Lope de Vega and Cape Cross, which Jessica has been very successful with this year, training the group 1 Phoenix Stakes winner Lucky Vega, who is by Belardo's sire, Lope de Vega, and out of Queen of Carthage, by Cape Cross." 

The team of Cooper, Harrington, and It's All About The Girls had a fantastic start to the Irish expansion of the global racing syndicate for women with Sparkle'n'joy.

The Sepoy filly was one of two yearlings Cooper bought with Lawlor and Seitz Cianello in 2017 when they decided to have fillies in training in Ireland, and she went on to win the listed Ballylinch Stud Irish E.B.F. Ingabelle Stakes on Irish Champions' Weekend when trained by Harrington.

Belardo has one of the best stakes-winning percentages of the European first-season sires with five stakes scorers so far. His daughters include Shadwell Rockfel Stakes (G2) and Ladbrokes Prestige Stakes (G3) winner Isabella Giles and group 3 winners Elysium and Lullaby Moon, who also won the listed William Hill Two Year Old Trophy.

The other big-achieving yearling was the Boherguy Stud-consigned Dawn Approach filly (Lot 925) out of My Fere Lady who was knocked down to Clongan House for a session-topping €45,000 ($54,685).

Darley Prix Morny (G1) winner Unfortunately went through the Tattersalls Ireland sales ring as a yearling where he was bought by trainer Karl Burke from breeders Tally Ho Stud, so it was appropriate that the first progeny by the Prix Robert Papin (G2) winner to sell in the same venue topped the foal section of the sale at €25,000 ($30,380).

Consigned by Kilmore Stud on behalf of Audrey Thompson, Lot 1046 was an attractive chestnut half brother to six winners out of a winning Oasis Dream daughter of Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) winner Lochangel, a half sister to the champion Lochsong.

The son of Unfortunately, who stands at Linda and Reddy Coffey's Oak Lodge Stud, has a pedigree that screams speed and precocity.

Buyer Ivor Andray Bloodstock hopes his classy pedigree coupled with his sire's own juvenile record will attract buyers when it offers the colt for resale in the future.

Final Standings

The sale managed to hold its own despite the difficulties of the year, compounded when Irish sales had to be postponed by a month because of government-imposed COVID-19 restrictions in November.

The median figure of €3,000 ($3,646) was the same as that recorded in 2019, and the average dipped 6% to €6,045 ($7,346) from €6,442 last year.

Overall, the clearance rate of 53% was down just two points on the 2019 sale, and turnover of €441,300 ($536,274) showed a year-on-year decline from the previous year's figure of €547,600, which came from a larger catalog.

The sale brought the Tattersalls Ireland calendar to a conclusion, and CEO Matt Mitchell said in his statement: "Reflecting on the year, 2020 has been one of the most challenging to date for all of us. That said, we have been able to conclude a successful season working closely with our colleagues at Park Paddocks and in tandem with (Horse Racing Ireland), (Irish Thoroughbred Marketing), and Goffs.

"A heartfelt thank you must go to our loyal clients, when even in the most uncertain times continued their commitment to Tattersalls Ireland, and for that we are extremely grateful.

"The year may have been testing, but the resilience of the bloodstock market is a testament to the industry. The market-leading Derby Sale produced the second-highest-priced filly for the sale on record when the half sister to Altior was sold for €300,000 ($357,928) to Gordon Elliott and Aidan O'Ryan.

"The September Yearling Sale saw a record price of £325,000 ($420,089), as well as the Goresbridge Breeze Up Sale seeing a 9% increase in average and a median price of €21,978, an increase of 22%. The November National Hunt Sale achieved its own records with the highest average on record and a record price for a mare when Laurina was sold for €290,000. 

"This year, we also saw the implementation of live online bidding, which is a perfect example of how the industry is evolving and has adapted to circumstances."