Storm Cat colt tops Fasig-Tipton Calder sale

A colt by Storm Cat sold for the top price of $2.5 million to Demi O'Byrne at

Tuesday's Fasig-Tipton Selected Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale at Calder Race

Course. O'Byrne usually represents Coolmore Stud managing partners John Magnier,

Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith.

The dark bay previously sold for $1 million at the 2006 Keeneland

September Yearling Sale to Hoby and Layna Kight, who consigned the colt as agent

for Kight, Adams, Mattox, and Raymon. He is the second foal out of Irish Group

3-placed Moon Safari (Mr. Prospector), a full sister to multiple Grade 1 winner

and $727,680-earner Scan. This is the same female family as French champion and

classic winner Caerleon (Nijinsky II), Grade 1 winner Vision (Nijinsky II),

French Group 2 winner Merce Cunningham (Nijinsky II) and the multiple

stakes-winning stakes producer Palmistry (*Forli).

At the first under tack show on February 25, the Kentucky-bred worked a

quarter-mile in :21 2/5.

The sale topper was cataloged as Hip No. 71.

John Ferguson, who usually represents Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum,

paid $1.45 million for Hip 263, a colt by Mr. Greeley. Consigned by Wavertree

Stables (Ciaran Dunne), agent, the chestnut is out of the winning Fred Astaire

mare Dancing Naturally and is a half-brother to stakes winner and Grade 3-placed

Indian War Dance (Cherokee Run). He previously sold for $300,000 at last year's

Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

The Kentucky-bred worked one furlong in :10 2/5 at the first under tack show.

Five youngsters each sold for $1 million: Hip 20, a Street Cry (Ire) filly

out of multiple stakes winner Holiday Runner (Meadowlake); Hip 176, a Forestry colt out of

the unraced Unbridled

Spirit (Unbridled's Song); Hip 211, a Vindication filly out of Canadian champion

and multiple Grade 2 queen Apelia (Cool Victor); Hip 235, a Vindication colt out of

Grade 3 victress Charm a Gendarme (Batonnier); and Hip

247, a Hennessy colt out of the Grade 1-placed Double Park (Fr) (Lycius).

The sales company reported 124 juveniles sold for $43,622,000, a 29.9 percent

decline compared to last year when 154 two-year-olds changed hands for

$62,187,000. The average price dropped 12.9 percent, from $403,812 to $351,790,

while the median price increased 25 percent, from $200,000 to $250,000.

Last year's results included the sale of The Green Monkey (Forestry), who

fetched a world record $16 million from O'Byrne.

For complete results, visit fasigtipton.com.