A colt by Kyllachy and a son of Exceed and Excel topped the opening session of Book 2 of the Tattersalls October yearling sale, each bringing 150,000 guineas ($253,103 in U.S. funds). The market Oct. 15 in England couldn't keep up with last year's pace as the gross declined 20.1%, the average price dropped 8.3%, and the median price fell 3.2%.
Bloodstock agent Charlie Gordon-Watson purchased the Kyllachy yearling from Corduff Stud. Blandford Bloodstock had bought the colt in 2011 for only 20,000 guineas ($32,831) at the Tattersalls December foal sale.
Gordon-Watson bought the bay yearling for Saeed Suhail.
"I'm not sure where the colt will be trained, but he is a lovely 2-year-old type," said Gordon-Watson, who purchased the bay yearling for Saeed Suhail.
The colt is a full brother to the winner Bould Mover, who finished second in the 2009 Polypipe Flying Childers Stakes (Eng-II) and third in the 2010 Coral Charge Sprint Stakes (Eng-III). The yearling also is a half brother to the winners Mac Dalia (by Namid) and Plenty Power (by Acclamation). They are out of the winning Danehill mare Maugwenna.
Peter & Ross Doyle Bloodstock purchased the Exceed and Excel colt. Peter Doyle signed the sale ticket after being directed in his bidding by trainer Amanda Perrett, who was talking on a cell phone and receiving instructions.
"This horse has been bought for John Connolly, a long-standing client of Amanda's," Doyle said. "He had a winner at Goodwood yesterday, Empiricist, who was by bought her last year."
Horse Park Stud, which consigned the colt, acquired him for 75,000 guineas ($123,118) at last year's Tattersalls December foal auction.
The bay yearling is a half brother to the winners Consult (by Dr Fong) and Ominous (by Oasis Dream), who this year has finished second in the Derby du Midi and third in the Prix Frederic de Lagrange in France. Their unraced dam, Merle (by Selkirk), is a half sister to German champion and English group III winner Solo Mio (by Sadler's Wells). Merle also is a half sister to French stakes winner Flanders Moss (by Shareef Dancer).
The session ended with a gross of 6,965,500 guineas ($11,753,280) for the 183 horses that were sold. The average was 38,063 guineas ($64,225), and the median was 30,000 guineas ($50,621).
The clearance rate was 77.9% compared to 84.7% last year, when 210 horses were sold.