Numbers slide during Tattersalls September

Tattersalls Ireland's September Yearling Sale looks certain to be down on its

2006 equivalent after a disappointing second session on Wednesday that saw the

average plummet 32 percent to 12,227 and the median drop 29 percent to 10,000.

With a clearance rate of only 65 percent for the session, the auction has been

the subject of the first glitch in the 2007 European yearlings sale season. The

overall average is also down, falling 13 percent from 12 months ago.

It was a filly by freshman sire Exceed and Excel who topped the day's trading

when selling to Dermot Farrington for 65,000. Consigned by Tom and Geraldine

Mowlan's Riversfield Stud, Hip No. 361 is out of 2000 Round Tower S. scorer Lady

of Kildare (Mujadil) from the family of Formidable, Ajdal, Arazi and Noverre.

Farrington revealed that the filly will enter training with the Curragh-based

David Myerscough.

"She's a very racy filly out of a smart race mare and she looks an early

type," Myerscough said. "She's the nicest filly by the stallion that we've seen

so far and hopefully she might be back at the Curragh next August for the sales

race."

Four lots earlier, Mark Tompkins secured a colt from the first crop of Irish

Two Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) winner Indian Haven for 54,000. Out of a

half-sister to Flash of Steel, who also won that Curragh Classic in 1986, his

third dam is the top-class performer and producer Sparkalark (Cornish Prince).

"He's a lovely colt," the Newmarket trainer said. "He's a good, hardy color

and looks a real athlete. We always buy one or two nice horses here and it's a

sale that we've done well out of. This colt was the standout today."

Later in the session, David Redvers paid 48,000 for Hip 463, a Bahri colt

from the draft of Brian Grassick's Newtown Stud from the family of Fadeyev and

this year's Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen (German Two Thousand Guineas) (Ger-G2) third

Champery (Bahri).

Alan Swinbank is becoming an established name both at home and overseas

thanks to the exploits of his stable stars Collier Hill (GB) and Turbo Linn

(Turbo Speed), and he was keen to secure a son of leading first-season sire

Acclamation. Consigned by Shinglis Stud, Hip 342 is from the family of Red Lord

and was knocked down to ex-trainer Jeremy Glover acting on behalf of the

Northern-based conditioner for 40,000.

"He's a very good-walking horse and looks quite athletic," Swinbank said.

"This is a sale that's been good to us -- we've got more out of it than we have

put in. I bought Valbenny (Ire) (Val Royal [Ire]) here a couple of years ago and

I also got Theatrical Moment (Royal Anthem), who won four bumpers, out of here,

but you've got to work hard to get them."

Pat Neary paid 36,000 for Mount Eaton Stud's Hip 367, a daughter of Shinko

Forest out of a half to Mac's Fighter.

"I've bought nine fillies here over the last two days," Neary explained. "She

was the most expensive of them, but she's the best of them and in terms of looks

I thought that she was the best filly here today. She's an excellent long-term

prospect. The dam has already bred three winners from three runners and the page

is already in black as her half-brother Fred's Lad (Warningford) was

listed-placed two weeks ago. She's been bought on behalf of Mount Loftus Stud

and she'll be staying in Ireland to be trained."

The final session on Thursday will begin in the morning. Full results are

available at www.tattersalls.ie.