TWO days of strong trade that were driven by, at times, frenetic activity at the head of the market, enabled the latest renewal of the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale to post a substantially improved set of final figures on Thursday evening.
A turnover of almost €14.3m represented a 14% progression on the 2015 edition of the sale while the €47,535 average represented a new high in Derby Sale history. The median came in at a record equalling €36,000 while the clearance rate did drop from 85 to 82%.
Twelve months ago the sale produced 16 six figure transactions but that number jumped to 32 this time around, which enabled the sale to surpass the previous high of 30 that was set in 2007. Furthermore, the number of horses to make at least €50,000 jumped from 80 to 109.
Admittedly trade was selective further down the scale as evidenced by a drop in the clearance rate but this cannot detract from a sale that broke new ground in several key areas.
The top five store prices anywhere in 2016 and the dazzling set of sales statistics from this week's edition of the sale certainly speak for themselves and emphatically accentuate the accepted position of the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale as a National Hunt institution and the undisputed venue of choice for those selling select stores, commented Tattersalls Ireland Managing Director Roger Casey.
REMARKABLE
The voracious demand for horses from the start of the sale on Wednesday morning right through to Thursday evening has been remarkable and we must sincerely thank both our ever loyal vendors who continue to send their best stock to the Derby Sale on an annual basis and the industrious broad bench of purchasers from right across Ireland and the UK, with UK purchasers again accounting for more than a third of the overall turnover.
I would like to thank the ITM team and our diligent marketing and bloodstock teams for their combined efforts in promoting the sale to purchasers far and wide in recent months with the €100,000 George Mernagh Memorial Sales Bumper also continuing to be a very attractive incentive," he added.
Final hour of frenetic sales
WEDNESDAY
An opening session that witnessed tremendous trade at the head of the market produced some 15 six figure transactions and, for the first time in six years, the sale saw three lots make over
€200,000 in one day.
The star of the opening day was a €255,000 son of the late French-based sire Saddler Maker, who has made such an impact in these parts with the likes of Apple's Jade and Alpha Des Obeaux. The three-year-old was sold by the Bleahen family's Lakefield Farm, who supplied the €320,000 sale topper from 12 months ago, and he was bought by Harold Kirk.
Colm Murphy and Aiden Murphy both made a strong challenge for the half-brother to the Game Spirit Chase second Upsilon Bleu but Kirk, acting for Apple's Jade's trainer Willie Mullins, would not be denied.
The last hour of the session witnessed some frenetic activity, which included Mouse Morris, who bought Rule The World for €90,000 here in 2010, forking out €250,000 for a Robin Des Champs gelding from Tom and Katie Rudd's Busherstown.
From the family of Rhinestone Cowboy, the gelding was showing a superb return on the €34,000 he cost as a foal. Morris also spent €105,000 on a Stowaway own-brother to Champagne Fever.
Gordon Elliott had to go to €235,000 for a half-brother to last season?s promising novice hurdler Bello Conti. The Walshtown Stables offering is from the second crop of the Grade 2-winning Monsun horse Lauro, who stands in France.
Fascinatingly the bidding for the gelding was opened at €100,000 by Tom Malone.
STRIKING SON
M.V. Magnier picked up a trio of six figure lots and these were headed by a striking son of Douvan's sire, Walk In The Park, who cost €160,000. The grey comes from the family of Ramruma. Magnier also spent €115,000 on sons of Flemensfirth and Court Cave.
Aiden Murphy had to settle for the role of underbidder on the day's three top lots but he still secured several of the best horses on offer.
These included a €155,000 son of Flemensfirth out of a half-sister to J'y Vole. Earlier the agent picked up a €110,000 son of Shantou who was providing his connections with a fine return on the €26,000 he cost as a foal.
Both of those purchases will be going into training in Britain, while Murphy added to his haul with the €100,000 acquisition of a Robin Des Champs gelding from Goldford Stud.
FLEMENSFIRTH FOUR
Impressively, Flemensfirth accounted for four of the session's six figure lots and his other progeny featured a €155,000 own-brother to the Punchestown Grade 1 scorer One Track Mind. Colm Murphy bought the gelding on behalf of Alan and Ann Potts.
Barry Connell will race a €120,000 son of Milan after he was knocked down to Gerry Hogan. The €16,500 foal purchase, who was sold by Norman and Janet Williamson's Oak Tree Farm, shares his sire with Connell's Martello Tower.
Elsewhere Joseph O'Brien gave €115,000 for son of Kapgarde and €100,000 for a Flemensfirth three-year-old. Also coming in at €100,000 was a Shantou half-brother to Kicking King who was snapped up by Anna Ross, acting for an Irish client.
Joseph O'Brien secures top lots
THURSDAY
The second session couldn't quite match the top prices that were achieved on Wednesday but this was still an especially strong day's trade.
Joseph O'Brien, who made 11 purchases over the two days, secured the top-priced lot, which came in the shape of a €185,000 son of Presenting from Rathbarry Stud. The gelding is out of a half-sister to Rocky Creek and Tell Massini.
O'Brien also gave €120,000 for a Gold Well three-year-old out of a sister to Colonel Yaeger and he matched that price for Kitty Cowhey's Milan own-brother to the Leinster National scorer Miss Xian.
Gordon Elliott was again busy and he fended off Aiden Murphy for a €175,000 son of Robin Des Champs, offered from Lakefield Farm. This gelding hails from the family of Klairon Davis.
HIGHER PRICED
Elliott secured another of the day's higher priced lots when he gave €100,000 for a son of the red-hot Beneficial out of a half-sister to his Grade 1 scorer Mount Benbulben.
A Beneficial half-brother to Muirhead will be going into training in Britain after he was snapped up by Aiden Murphy for €160,000. His vendors, Gatterstown Stud, picked him up for €24,000 as a foal.
Murphy also gave €140,000 for Galbertstown Stud's Milan gelding out of the useful Come In Moscow.
Other notable purchases by the agent included a €105,000 Shantou three-year-old that was pinhooked out of last year's November Sale for €62,000.
A considerable level of anticipation that accompanied a Beneficial half-brother to the top class Cue Card was rewarded when he was knocked down to Anna Ross for €150,000. The three-year-old, who was consigned by Michael and Ciara Carty's Kilmoney Cottage Stud, will remain in Ireland to be trained.
HIGH CLASS STAYERS
Paul Nolan is to take charge of a half-brother to the high-class stayers Closing Ceremony and Highland Lodge, who cost Gerry Hogan €140,000.
This price was closely matched by Tom Malone when he spent €130,000 on a Yeats own-brother to the promising bumper winner Mossback. Malone was acting for owner Gerry McGladery whose acquisition will join the Lucinda Russell team.
Noel Meade signed for a €135,000 son of Martaline who shares his sire with the trainer's Cheltenham winner Very Wood, while the top-priced filly at this year's auction was a €115,000 daughter of Beneficial. She was bought by Jessica Harrington for Alan and Ann Potts.
This is a family the trainer knows especially well as she sent out the dam, Spirit Leader, to record a unique hat-trick of wins the William Hill Handicap Hurdle, the Tote Gold Trophy and the County Hurdle a number of years ago.
Several other Beneficial geldings made a notable impression and these included a pair of €100,000 sons of the Top Ville horse who were knocked down to M.V. Magnier and Kevin Ross.
The penultimate six-figure transaction of the day is another destined to carry the Potts colours after Colm Murphy splashed out €100,000 on a Midnight Legend gelding from Mill House Stud.
O'Ryan takes session topper
FRIDAY
The week at Tattersalls Ireland drew to a rather low key close yesterday with the one day Part II section of the Derby Sale, although the day?s trade was lit up by a €60,000 son of the high class Lando horse Touch Of Land.
The session topper, whose price surpassed last year's top price of €50,000, was picked up for €11,000 as a yearling and from an early stage of the bidding it was clear that his connections were in for a good dividend.
Trainer Martin Brassil and Bobby O'Ryan engaged in a lengthy battle for the half-brother to the smart novice hurdler Too Scoops and the latter carried the day when he brought the price to €60,000.
O'Ryan reported that the Ralahine Stud offering was bought for a client who will put their purchase into training in Ireland.
For most of the day the pace was set by a €38,000 Presenting filly, who was knocked down to Five Star Bloodstock. The filly had plenty to recommend her on pedigree as she is a half-sister to the English-based Grade 3 winner Rock The Kasbah.
She was offered from Ballintry Stud and she too will stay in Ireland with a point-to-point a likely starting point for her career.
Longways Stables man Michael Murphy had to settle for the runner-up spot on the Presenting filly but he did then secure another choicely bred sort in a €31,000 daughter of Flemensfirth belonging to Marilyn Syme.
The filly, who was bought as both racing and breeding prospect, is a half-sister to the listed-winning hurdler Mayfair Music while her other siblings include a pair of graded-placed runners.
MONBEG STABLES
Over the course of the week, the Monbeg Stables team have amassed quite an array of talent for the point-to-point field and they were back in action yesterday for a Denham Red gelding.
A bid of €30,000 from Donnchadh Doyle was good enough to secure the gelding, who shares his sire with Un De Sceaux. Monbeg had made close to 30 purchases over the three days as the sale neared its conclusion.
Among the other popular fillies was a €26,000 daughter of Flemensfirth who came to Andrew Leigh.
The Ballybrennan Stud offering is a half-sister to a winner and comes from the family of the very smart Simply Dashing.
Agent Kevin Ross, who made a number of notable purchases through the week, was again to the fore when giving €25,000 for a Doyen gelding out of a half-sister to the high class Ross Moff. During the formative stages of his career Ross Moff won both a Down Royal bumper and maiden hurdle when ridden by Ross.
Tom Keating was another of the point-to-point fraternity to make an impression when he went to €23,000 for a son of Flying Legend out of a half-sister to the dual Grade 2 scorer Mon Villez.
Just 10 lots previously, Frank Jarvey forked out €22,000 for a son of the Arc winner Marienbard whose grandam is the top notch juvenile hurdler Tropical Lake.