LOOK out for Ross O’Mahony at next week’s Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale.
Ross joined the Tattersalls Ireland Bloodstock team having gained valuable experience with Mount Coote Stud, BuyANom.com, and Castlehyde Stud.
He holds a degree in Equine Science and a diploma in Digital Marketing, both from UCD, and completed the Irish National Stud Course in 2020.
Ross got started in the industry in 2017, doing weekends with Mick Buckley, before heading to Coolmore America in 2018 for the season, as part of his university placement.
Since then, he worked for the Castlemartin division of Ballylinch Stud and worked for a number of sales consignors before starting the Irish National Stud Course.
Q: Where are you from?
A: Dublin.
Q: How did you become involved in the racing industry?
A: I had no family or friends involved growing up, but I always had a love for racing, and never thought I’d have the chance to get involved in the industry until the opportunity for a college placement came up in Kentucky in 2018.
Q: How long are you with Tattersalls Ireland
A: Two and a half years.
Q: What does your job entail?
A: The first half of the year is busy on the road with inspections, and plenty to be done in the office including grading pedigrees, sales reports and stats, and getting our catalogues together. On sales days, I do some time on the rostrum spotting and internet bidding, and I oversee drugs testing, wind testing, et cetera.
Q: What’s your favourite part of your job?
A: I love the buzz of the sales days and find great enjoyment in seeing vendors getting a good result with us.
Q: Tell us some of the challenges you face in your role.
A: The popularity of Tattersalls Ireland Sales across the board is significant, and our flat sales in particular are going from strength to strength, which is fantastic, but unfortunately leaves a number of vendors disappointed if they don’t get into their desired sale, and that bad news is up to us, as inspectors, to deliver, which can be a difficult challenge. Thankfully, Tattersalls Ireland and the wider Tattersalls group offer a huge depth of sales for horses of any type, which gives us plenty of options to give to our vendors and purchasers alike.
Q: What has been the highlight so far of your time at Tattersalls Ireland?
A: Our dispersal sale in February, where we sold Caldwell Potter for €740,000.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
A: High up the ladder here in Tattersalls Ireland, and hopefully running a small breeding and pinhooking operation of my own.
Q: You were recently appointed chair of ITBA Next Generation. What are your goals?
A: To build on the success of the Next Gen since its resurgence two years ago, introduce new members’ benefits to help new young breeders and pinhookers, and make the industry as accessible as possible for those without a connection to it.
Q: Who has influenced your career or who do you admire in the business?
A: Luke Lillingston lent a huge amount of his time to me when I worked for him after the Irish National Stud course, taking me to sales and introducing me to a wide number of industry leaders. My time with him gave me a great steer in the industry. I’ve always admired Cathal Beale as well, and how he’s worked his way to his current roles from not having a family background in the industry. Here in Tattersalls Ireland, Simon Kerins and Orla McKenna have been great mentors to me. They’re hugely respected in the industry and great people to learn from, as well as the massively experienced wider team in Tattersalls Ireland.
Q: What are your hopes for this year’s September Yearling Sale?
A: On the back of the success of this year’s Tattersalls Ireland Breeze Up Sale, I am very optimistic about the September Sale. The depth of buying at our breeze-up sale, and in fact, last year’s September Yearling Sale, had a huge impact on the success of the sale. The sale has had more two-year-old winning graduates than any other Irish yearling sale for the last two years in a row and has produced the Priory Bell Stakes winner A Lilac Rolla and Gimcrack winner Cool Hoof Luke, of late.
Hotel rooms in the area are running thin at the moment, which is always encouraging approaching a sale!