Irish Lights Colt Makes $230,000 on Day 1 at Keeneland

Mark Smith - Monday September 14

Some Aussie interest on day one of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale with a half-brother to Group II Silver Shadow Stakes winner and Group 1 Golden Rose runner-up Omei Sword (High Chaparral) making $US230,000.

Consigned by Eaton Sales, the son former Coolmore shuttler Uncle Mo was knocked down to de Meric Sales.

The bay colt is out of Fastnet Rock’s Group 1 MRC One Thousand Guineas heroine Irish Lights.

A 2yo full brother to the yearling colt named Lipizzaner finished fourth in the Group II Norfolk Stakes at Ascot in June before breaking his maiden at Navan on September 5 defeating Coulthard who was coming off a Group III placing at the Curragh.

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Purchased by Demi O’Byrne for $230,000 at the 2008 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Irish Lights proved to be a real heartbreak in seven seasons at stud in Australia leaving just two live foals and one of those, Serious (Pierro) died before his first race start.

Some better news for her daughter Omei Sword.

The daughter of High Chaparral (IRE) went through the 2018 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale where she was purchased by Dean Hawthorne B/stock (BAFNZ)/Freyer B/stock for $1.7 million.

She made the trip to Japan in July 2018 to visit Deep Impact (JPN) and returned in foal fourth months later. She produced a colt foal last spring before a date with I Am Invincible. That union produced a filly that was born on August 23.

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