Altior’s half-sister a triumph for Behan family

FROM the moment the catalogue for this year’s sale was released, a Walk In The Park half-sister to the brilliant quadruple Cheltenham Festival hero Altior appealed as a likely sale-topper and that view was borne out in resounding fashion as this most coveted filly fetched €300,000.

This price couldn’t quite match the €350,000 which was paid for the highest priced filly in Derby Sale history back in 2004 but she is the most expensive one to come under the hammer at this auction since then.

Offered on behalf of her breeder, Paddy Behan junior, she entered the sales ring just nine months after her now yearling half-brother by Camelot fetched €155,000 at the November Sale.

Ian Ferguson and then Peter Molony made a strong challenge for this filly but at €300,000 the winning bid was struck by Gordon Elliott and Aidan O’Ryan. The sale-topper, who is out of a Grade 3 winner in Monte Solaro, and is a half-sister to the Grade 2 scorer Princess Leya along with a €365,000 son of Milan who came under the hammer at this sale two years ago, was bought on behalf of KTDA Racing.

Owners David Page and Dave Rabson operate under that banner and have previously had the likes of the smart mare Mount Ida with Gordon Elliott.

MAKING his way to Willie Mullins is A Walk In The Park half-brother to last season’s class bumper horse Eskylane after he was knocked down to Russell McNabb for €195,000. This three-year-old was offered by Jimmy Murphy’s Redpender Stud and that timely pedigree boost provided by Eskylane last season helped to ensure that he showed a tremendous return on the €47,000 he cost as a foal.

This gelding, whose other relations include the high-class chaser Cane Brake, was bought on behalf of owner Pat Gallagher who also picked up one of the top lots at Goffs last week.

TIMMY Hillman’s Castledillon Stud supplied several of the outstanding lots this week and foremost among these was a Milan half-brother to the ill-fated Cheltenham Bumper star Fayonagh.

This €78,000 foal purchase will be joining leading trainer Gordon Elliott after he and Aidan O’Ryan saw off a host of challengers for this gelding whose dam is a half-sister to the brilliant Solerina.

Hillman then worked the oracle the following day when a Getaway gelding, who he picked up for €30,000 as a foal, was snapped up by Kevin Ross for €170,000. This relation to Egypt Mill Prince, whose sire posted an impressive €68,125 average from his eight lots over the two days, will also join the Elliott team after Ross purchased him for a long established client.

The previous day Ross was acting for English agent Matt Coleman when going to €78,000 for a Flemensfirth filly whose siblings include My Whirlwind, a £400,000 purchase at last year’s Cheltenham Festival sale following her successful point-to-point debut.

SEVERAL of the best stores on offer this week will carry the colours of Sue Magnier and one of these is a €155,000 daughter of the retired Flemensfirth who was knocked down to Gerry Aherne after he got the better of a prolonged battle with Bobby O’Ryan. This filly is a half-sister to the Coral Cup runner-up Black Tears and they are out of the multiple blacktype winner Our Girl Salley.

The previous afternoon M.V. Magnier forked out €90,000 for a Walk In The Park gelding out of a sister to the Champion Hurdle second Arctic Fire.

Flemensfirth was also responsible for a €150,000 gelding from Carrigerry Farm and he was snapped up by Ronnie O’Leary who secured a number of high-profile stores last summer. This son of the Grade 2-winning Shadow Eile was showing a good return on the €46,000 he cost as a foal.

TOP agent Margaret O’Toole picked up a host of choice lots for various parties over the two days. She signed for one of the standout fillies on offer at the auction when going to €110,000 for a daughter of Walk In The Park from the Bleahen family’s Liss House who was showing a great return on the €20,000 she cost as a foal. This filly was bought on behalf of Tom Malone and she is a half-sister to the Irish Grand National winner Rogue Angel.

The agent also signed for an €88,000 son of Fame And Glory from Ken Parkhill’s Castletown Quarry Stud. This half-brother to the exciting Gowran Park bumper winner Bob Olinger was bought for a client to go into training in Ireland.

Another to fall the way of O’Toole was a €75,000 daughter of Walk In The Park who had previously fetched €22,000 when sold as a foal.

AMONG the other high-profile stores who will be joining Gordon Elliott’s string are a €160,000 Kayf Tara gelding from Glenwood Stud and a €105,000 son of Getaway hailing from Sluggara Farm. The Kayf Tara was sold by Dick Frisby having cost €55,000 as a foal and both were bought by Joey Logan on behalf of British-based owners Andrew and Gemma Brown.

THERE was just one son of Authorized on offer at this year’s sale and he was snapped up by Stuart Crawford, who was acting for Highflyer Bloodstock, for €105,000. This €63,000 yearling purchase was sold by Peter Vaughan’s Moanmore Stables and is out of a mare who won three times in France. This gelding is likely to begin his career with Crawford.

Grand National-winning trainer Jimmy Mangan also weighed in with a major purchase when forking out €100,000 for a Flemensfirth gelding whose dam is a half-sister to the Cheltenham Festival hero City Island. This son of the veteran sire was offered by Martin Cullinane’s Mount Brown Farm having been acquired for €30,000 as a foal.

Selected lots

Lot 62 (f) Westerner - Blazing Moon

Vendor: Galbertstown Stables

Purchaser: Charles Shanahan

Price: €56,000

As ever this sale contained some outstanding fillies and one of the most impressive was this daughter of Westerner who was making her first visit to the sales ring. She is the first produce of a Presenting mare, she is a granddaughter of the Grade 2-placed Another Dollar and her family contains a number of high-class staying chasers. She appealed as a fine jumping prospect for the coming seasons.

Lot 113 (g) Getaway - Dancingonthemoon

Vendor: Brown Island Stables

Purchaser: Michael Shefflin/Paul Holden

Price: €62,000

A son of the increasingly popular and successful Getaway, this gelding more than looked the part among some of the stars of this year’s sale and showed a decent return on the €32,000 he cost as a foal when falling to Michael Shefflin and Paul Holden. He is out of an unraced Milan mare who numbers the Gold Cup winner Lord Windermere and the multiple graded winner Sub Lieutenant among her siblings.

Lot 316 (g) Kayf Tara - Nova Cyngi

Vendor: Coolruss Stud

Purchaser: Ronnie O’Leary

Price: €75,000

Over the last couple of years, Ronnie O’Leary has acquired a number of much-sought-after stores and before giving €150,000 for a son of Flemensfirth, he picked up a very well-bred sort in this gelding. A son of the recently retired and hugely successful Kayf Tara, this three-year-old is out of a Kris S mare whose seven winning progeny are headed by the teak-tough Champion Chase hero Dodging Bullets.

What they said

“I think when you take into account all that is happening in the world, trade is holding up well as it did last week. This is an amazingly resilient business which is great to see and full credit to Tattersalls Ireland for putting on a good show in a very safe environment” – Ross Doyle.

“I would say that trade has been remarkable, all things considered. Our draft wouldn’t have been as strong as previous years but there was still trade there for horses and the demand for quality stock held firm.

“I’d also say the programme for fillies and mares is so attractive that a good filly is now worth as much as a good gelding” – Michael Moore, Ballincurrig House Stud.

“If you miss the top lists it can be tough going. The good horses are still selling away very well but in the middle to lower end of things it’s tougher. You would miss the Englishman being on the ground and just taking a liking to a horse that might have missed other lists” – Peter Nolan.