Exceed And Excel's shuttling days may be over but Darley's group 1 winner with a remarkable constitution has left quite a legacy in the Northern Hemisphere and that was clearly evident at Tattersalls Ireland on Nov. 17, with the progeny of his sons topping both the foal and yearling sections of the Sapphire Sale.
It's very much stating the obvious that being a half sibling to a group 1 winner adds a certain cachet to a horse and Archway Stud's Cotai Glory colt definitely had that. His older half sister is the Matron Stakes (G1) winner Champers Elysees, by Elzaam, from another branch of the Danehill line, and that connection brought people to the stable door but the colt himself kept them interested.
Consigned by Railstown Stud, the bay with an active walk is a half brother to four winners and his dam, La Cuvee, is a Mark of Esteem half sister to Premio Bagutta (G3) winner She Bat, herself the dam of three stakes winners and group 2 third She Basic.
John Foley, who has developed an excellent reputation as a pinhooker, was the successful bidder with the hammer coming down at €37,000 (US$40,329, €1=US$1.09).
"He's a lovely foal and a half brother to a group 1 winner," said Foley, who signed as GHS Bloodstock. "Cotai Glory is the sire of a group 1 winner and a commercial stallion.
"We will see how he goes but at this stage he looks like one for the earlier yearling sales, so he could come back here. Hopefully he will be lucky."
Murphy Stocks Up for Next Year
After a lifetime working around the globe, collecting victories and champion trainer titles in Macau and Malaysia, Danny Murphy returned home five years ago. He took up a position with Kieran Cotter, reacquainting himself with racing in the land of his birth and the pair struck up a fruitful relationship.
But the time had come for Murphy to go it alone and he was granted his Irish training license mere weeks ago.
His Irish training career began in a blaze of glory with Dun Na Sead's victory in the Pat Smullen Mercury Stakes (G3) at Dundalk, and the Starspangledbanner filly is one of four individual winners he has sent out from his yard at Rossmore Cottage on the Curragh since going solo.
The desire to keep that momentum going was behind his detour to Tattersalls Ireland on his way to Dundalk, where he saddled a couple of runners under lights on Friday night.
He purchased the most expensive yearling in the sale, a €28,000 son of Bungle Inthejungle, consigned by Rathasker Stud, where the Burns family stand the sire of Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) winner Winter Power.
"We have started off really well, and we wanted an early 2-year-old type and we have had a bit of luck with a Bungle before," said Murphy. "We gave a bit more than planned, I kept walking away but got drawn back in!"
The chestnut is a Rathasker homebred and a half brother of Balthassar, a multiple winner in Italy by Gregorian.
Statistics
The end of sale statistics presented a mixed bag, with the positives being the 13% rise in the average and the median holding steady. The negative was the clearance rate of 42%, with just 79 of the 187 foals, yearlings, and mares who went through the ring actually selling.
The 2023 Sapphire Sale recorded turnover of €533,100 ($581,060), with an average price of €6,748 ($7,355) and a median of €4,000 ($4,360).
