Dansili on top as colt sells for £200,000

Trade held up across the two days of the DBS St Leger Yearling Sales when a clearance rate of 79% saw 369 horses sell for a total of £9,609,500 at an average of £26,042. A lively atmosphere was experienced over the two days and purchasers felt that horses were difficult to buy whilst the overwhelming majority of vendors reported that that there had never been more interest in their offerings and there was plenty of competition for the dearer Lots. With the large number of horses that were offered across the two days it was essential for the DBS auctioneers to sell in a rapid fashion and this was achieved when the final hammer came down just after 6.30pm on the final day which resulted in a selling rate of over 28 Lots per hour.

Newsells Park Stud were responsible for the top price on both days of the sale and ended the two days with a £200,000 top price after selling Lot number 337 to M.V. Magnier. The athletic son of Dansili, who is out of the Listed winning Cayman Sunset, attracted many admirers when he came under the hammer but it was Howard Johnson and Shadwell's Angus Gold who were most determined to secure the colt before the hammer came down in favour of Magnier after a protracted bidding dual.

Henry Beeby looks another bid before the Dansili colt sells for £200,000

Xtension provided a timely update for Lot 443 when winning the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at Goodwood and his half brother attracted the second highest price of the sale when selling to Richard O'Gorman for £125,000. Consigned by Ballyphilip Stud, the February born son of Compton Place came from the Grade 1 winning family of Stephen Got Even and it was Xtension's trainer Clive Cox who made a big play for the colt before the final exchanges were made between O'Gorman and Michael Donohoe from BBA Ireland.

The half brother to Xtension sold to Richard O'Gorman for £125,000

Redpender Stud was responsible for the biggest pinhook of the sale when their Medicean colt, who cost just 4,000gns as a foal, sold to Peter Doyle for £120,000. The easy moving March born colt is out of a half sister to the Group 1 winning Echelon and caught the eye of Eamon Reilly from BBA Ireland before the hammer came down in favour of Doyle, who was standing with Richard Hannon and signed for 24 horses over the two day period.

The easy moving Medicean colt sold to Peter Doyle for £120,000

Newsells Park Stud was also responsible for a son of Royal Applause who recorded the highest price of the first day when selling to Eamon Reilly from BBA Ireland. The athletic colt is out of the Group 3 placed Statua and attracted attention from all of the major purchasers but it was Richard O'Gorman who showed most interest in the February born offering before the hammer came down in favour of Reilly at £120,000. He has been bought on behalf of Mark Gittins, who bought the highly regarded Rodrigo de Torres at the same sale last year and it has yet to be decided who will train the colt. Reilly commented after the sales that:

'I think trade's been holding up well and there's a decent standard of horse'

Royal Applause colt ex Statua was bought by BBA Ireland for £120,000

Richard O'Gorman's spending also included an Invincible Spirit filly that was offered by Denis Brosnan's Croom House Stud and realised £100,000. The half sister to the Grade 1 placed Zamba Canuta comes from a good black type family and will be joined by a son of Shamardal who was bought by O'Gorman for £90,000. The Mountain View Stud offering came from the immediate family of Footstepsinthesand and benefited from the performances of Shakespearean, who was a fine advertisement for the first season sire when winning the Group 3 Solario Stakes at Sandown on Saturday. He also showed a healthy pinhook for connections as he made a healthy profit on the 37,000gns that he cost as a foal.

Richard O'Gorman bought an Invincible Spirit filly for £100,000

The breeze-up consignors were out in force and heading those for resale was a Danehill Dancer colt who was knocked down to Mags O'Toole for £95,000. The colt was offered by Brendan Holland's Grove Stud and was bought by Norman Williamson, whilst the same sire was responsible for a colt out of the Listed winning Waterways who was knocked down to M.V. Magnier for £90,000. The April born colt came from the champion's family of Oh So Sharp and was offered by Cooneen Stud.

The pinhookers were active at all levels of the market headed by a £95,000 Danehill Dancer colt

Gill Richardson was another who was active throughout the two days and her spending was topped by an Elusive City colt who was offered by Egmont Stud. The February born colt came from the immediate family of the Grade 1 winning Delighter and cost the agent £90,000, which was a healthy profit on the €16,000 that he cost Paula Flannery as a foal at Goffs in November.

Following the completion of the sale, DBS managing director Henry Beeby said:

'The DBS St Leger Yearling Sales has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the last decade from quite humble beginnings to its current standing as a "Premier League Sale" that is attended by every major buyer and regularly sends out winners of the highest quality.

However it seems nothing is immune from the current financial climate and we have taken a hit over the last two days in terms of statistics although the most pleasing aspect of the sale has been the very respectable 79% clearance rate that reflects a pragmatic approach by our vendors and the hard work of the DBS auctioneers. On that note we contracted the sale to two days with the same numbers at the request of many clients who felt the sale was easily workable over a shorter period given the customer friendly nature of the DBS Sales Complex. The success of that decision was totally reliant on us selling at a really good rate which we have achieved from start to finish selling 28 to the hour and has received many favourable comments.

Yesterday's trade was generally accepted to be strong and the 82% clearance rate backed up that feeling. The Sales Complex was buzzing from lot 1 to 250 with a wide variety of buyers, and vendors reported huge interest. That buzz wasn't so strong today as is always the case when inspections have finished but we have to be satisfied with the level of interest in the sale whilst, of course, a top price of £200,000 was quite special and proves the old maxim "quality sells". However it is simply a harsh fact that people do not currently have as much money to spend on racehorses and there was a strong element of selectivity in the trade. Whether that trend will be replicated throughout the autumn remains to be seen but last year's sale, which seemed slightly disappointing at the time, looked pretty respectable at the end of the season and that may be the case again this year.

What is certain is that DBS yearlings will win and win big next year and I would like to record our thanks to our hugely supportive vendors and our enthusiastic buyers. The statistics may be down but this is still very much a Premier League Sale.'

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