A TOP price of €190,000, a total of 13 six-figure transactions and strong activity from €50,000 onwards ensured that the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale got off to a bright start today even though the figures for the first session couldn’t quite match 2018 in several areas.
At the close of proceedings 172 of the 208 stores offered produced an aggregate of just over €9 million which was an improvement on the €8.8 million taken in 12 months ago.
The average of €52,343 was down by four points and the median dropped from €48,000 to €45,000 but the clearance rate progressed from 82% to 83%.
Today’s session provided further evidence that the store market is in fine shape and the foundations for another highly satisfactory edition of this sale have been laid.
In addition, indications at the halfway stage would suggest that the number of lots to make at least €50,000 and also €100,000 or more should at least come close to matching the returns from 2018.
STAR TURN
Wednesday’s star turn was a €190,000 son of Al Namix whose best representative in these parts is the dual Grade 1 winner Petit Mouchoir. The gelding was consigned by Walter Connors’ Sluggara Farm and he was bought by leading agent Kevin Ross after he saw off the attentions of Tom Malone.
“We had to push the boat out for him but he was one of the picks of the entire sale,” reflected Ross. “The mare’s first foal (Diamond Guy) is quite a decent horse too so that would give you plenty of confidence going forward.
"I’ve bought him for Chris Jones and he will go back to Chris’s Killeen Glebe Farm where Gearoid O’Loughlin will break him and pre-train him before a decision is made on where he will go.”
As ever, the Derby Sale played host to its share of spectacular pinhooking triumphs and foremost among these was a Milan gelding from Barry Fitzgerald’s Roxborough Stud who fetched €180,000 having been picked up for €26,000 as a foal.
After the bidding opened at €100,000, Tom Malone and Tessa Greatrex both made a strong play for this gelding but the hammer eventually came down in favour of agent Margaret O’Toole who was flanked by Henry de Bromhead and Brian Acheson..
“He’s just a very good looking horse by a top sire and he’s from a nice current pedigree. He’ll be going into training with Henry who has already had plenty of luck with the sire,” reported the agent, who also gave €105,000 for a son of Fame And Glory from Baroda Stud.
SPLENDID RUN
Agent Aiden Murphy and his son Olly were particularly active at the head of the market and they struck for a trio of six-figure lots.
The first of these was a €170,000 son of Kayf Tara who was showing a good return on the €65,000 he cost as a foal. This gelding was continuing a splendid run for Norman and Janet Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm who topped the breeze-up sale here last month and saw their former inmate War Of Will land last month’s Preakness Stakes.
“He’s probably the best walking horse here and it’s family I know well already. His half-sister Angel Of Harlem is very tough and if he’s half as tough as she is this horse will be fine. He’s been bought for an existing client and it’s great to get a quality horse like him,” stated Olly Murphy.
The Murphys then picked up two choice sons of Fame And Glory whose untimely demise has meant that his three-year-olds are truly a prized commodity this summer.
Both sons of the Montjeu horse were sold by John Bleahen’s Lakefield Farm and they fetched €165,000 and €125,000 respectively.
The more expensive of the pair cost just €16,000 as a foal and he had since enjoyed a notable pedigree boost as he is a half-brother to the dam of last season’s high-class novice hurdler Birchdale.
There was further joy for Oak Tree Farm when their Martaline gelding, who was picked up for €36,000 as a foal, cost trainer Ronnie O’Leary €160,000. The impressive three-year-old is related to the crack hurdler Geos and the eminent sire Kapgarde.
“He’s a lovely horse. He cost a bit more than I thought but I didn’t want to let him go, he looked one of the prime lots of the day. He’s from a lovely family and hopefully he’ll be lucky. Maybe he’ll start off in a bumper next year,” reported O’Leary.
FINE RETURN
Earlier, Tom Malone weighed in with the €150,000 purchase of a Flemensfirth gelding related to Empire Of Dirt who was providing Peel Bloodstock with a fine return on the €32,000 he cost as a foal.
“I’ve bought him for Paul Nicholls. When I first saw him the other morning I fell in love with him. I thought he was a star and he’s got the pedigree to be a star as well,” reflected Malone.
“I’ve had great luck with Stowaway so I liked the fact that he was out of a Stowaway mare and obviously Flemensfirth speaks for himself. He was a very, very well bought foal by Will Kinsey.”
By far of the most interesting and popular lots of the day was a Walk In The Park half-brother to the brilliant Douvan. The gelding was offered by Tom Whelan’s Church View Stables fetched €140,000 and he was knocked down to Michael Shefflin who was standing with Ellmarie and Paul Holden.
“The mare has only had one runner and that was Douvan so you can’t ask for much more,” commented Shefflin.
Meanwhile, Paul Holden, whose daughter will train this gelding, added: “We’ll get him home first and then see about plans. He could go point-to-pointing or else start out under rules and if all goes well he could be back for resale at some stage”.
Day 1
YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AV Med
2019 223 208 172 9,003,000 52,343 45,000
2018 233 197 161 8,821,500 54,792 48,000
2017 230 210 182 9,684,000 53,209 45,000
2016 213 186 152 7,175,500 47,207 36,000