A dedicated two-year-old store section has been included as part of the returning Part II session of the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale in 2025 - moves described as “significant developments” by the Fairyhouse operation.

Not since 2017 has Tattersalls Ireland had a second part to its marquee store offering, and it’s hoped the addition to next year’s sale will “create new opportunities for both vendors and buyers”.

Although two-year-olds have previously been part of the sale, the most recent horse to sell from that age bracket came at the 2019 Derby Sale and there have been few instances of this in recent times.

The topic of starting to break-in and race jump-bred horses earlier in their careers – as they do in France - has been the subject of continued discussion over the past number of seasons, and it was a standout area of debate at a prominent National Hunt seminar held in Leighlinbridge in January.

Leading figures called on the need to change the Irish jump racing programme and encouraged breeders, vendors and trainers to produce store horses who can race over jumps towards the end of their third year, rather than waiting until they have turned four or even five. Horse Racing Ireland said at the time it is prepared to develop a programme of bumpers and hurdles for three-year-old National Hunt horses if that is what the industry wants.

Tattersalls CEO Simon Kerins said of the upcoming changes: “We’re excited to reintroduce Part II to the Derby Sale, and to add a two-year-old store section to the Derby Sale catalogue. These changes reflect our commitment to staying responsive to market trends and providing our clients with a broad range of opportunities. By adopting these updates, we’re ensuring the Derby Sale remains a competitive platform in the store sale industry.”

The Derby Sale will continue in its two-day format, with the two-year-old store section followed by Derby Sale Part II on the third day.

The May Point-to-Point and Horses-in-Training Sale, which was introduced this year, will return during the same period in May 2025. It will not include stores in response to vendor feedback this year.