COMPARATIVE FIGURESYR/CAT/OFF/SOLD/AGG/AVG/MED2003/283/258/232/9,380,500/40,433/30,0002002/161/142/130/3,799,000/29,223/24,000
Tattersalls October Yearling Sale (Part One) enjoyed another record-breaking session Thursday with the average price of 40,433gns up by 38% and the median of 30,000gns showing an increase of 25% over a year ago.The aggregate of 9,380,500gns was up a staggering 147%, although this was for 232 lots sold compared to 130 12 months ago.There were about 15 six-figure lots compared to just two on the same day in 2002.The top price of 320,000gns was paid by Coolmore agent Demi O'Byrne for a Giant's Causeway colt out of Steeple (Ire) bred by Lady Bamford and consigned by Anthony Penfold's Bugley Stud. Hamdan Al Maktoum's racing manager Angus Gold was underbidder.United States-based Joe Allbritton of Lazy Lane Farms purchased the second-dearest yearling, a first-crop Diktat (GB) colt consigned for Courtleigh Stud by David and Trish Brown's Furnace Mill Stud.Agent Johnny McKeever, speaking by telephone to Allbritton, signed the buyer's ticket at 310,000gns with Peter Doyle the underbidder."We'd liked him from the moment we saw him on Sunday but I never thought he'd make that money," said McKeever. The colt will be trained by Brian Meehan, who conditioned Allbritton's Prix Morny (Fr-I) winner Bad As I Wanna Be.The sale finishes with a final session Friday beginning at 10 a.m.