Blackbeard Colt Tops First Day Of Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale

A colt from the first crop of Cartier champion 2YO Blackbeard topped the opening day of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale on Tuesday when selling to Ted Durcan for €165,000.

Durcan said: “He’s a lovely horse, we absolutely loved him. He’s been bought for an existing client who has horses in training with Richard Hughes. He’s just a beautiful big stamp of an animal who vetted really well and is by an exciting young sire.

“We knew he’d make money but we were hoping to get him for less than that. The way the market is, it’s so strong and healthy, we had to push the boat out. My owner is very happy to have him.”

Consignor Peter Nolan added: “He was bred at home and we offered him as a foal, he was a vendor buy-back for €60,000 – we thought he was better than that and, thankfully, we have been proved right."

The colt is out of Spirit Bear, a daughter of Smart Strike and the Group-winning Galileo mare Wonderfully. The Silver Flash Stakes winner is a sister to Group 2 Superlative Stakes victor and Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes runner-up Gustav Klimt.

It is the further family of influential Prix de Diane heroine Rafha and her sons Invincible Spirit and Kodiac.

Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes winner Blackbeard covered a first book of 194 mares and his first crop of yearlings have proven popular to date.