THE first store sale of the year takes place on Tuesday, May 16th, when Tattersalls Ireland stages its May Store Sale.

Last year’s edition returned a top price of €50,000 and an average of €16,390 (median €13,000). A year earlier, when the sale was staged in August, the top price was €115,000 and the average was €17,385 (median €15,000).

There are 282 stores in the sale and they include a Harzand gelding out of Grade 3 winner Mae’s Choice, a Soldier Of Fortune filly out of a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Paisley Park, an Elusive Pimpernel half-sister to Grade 1 hurdler Flooring Porter, a Getaway half-sister to Simonsig, a Gatewood half-brother to Third Time Lucki, a Mahler gelding out of an own-sister to Aintree Hurdle winner Black Jack Ketchum, a Mount Nelson filly out of a half-sister to Castlegrace Paddy, and an Elusive Pimpernel half-sister to Sporting John.

We spoke to some leading vendors about their consignments.

Tom Meagher, Monanore Stables

Q: Tell us about your consignment.

Lot 146: 3yo Milan filly out of Jolly Affair

She’s a homebred. She is a fine big filly, good walker and good and forward. We are very happy with her.

Lot 188: 3yo Mahler filly out of Miss Crick

I have been lucky with Mahler down the years. We bred Presenting Mahler and Fairyhill Run. Presenting Mahler won eight and Fairyhill Run has five won. The dam of this filly won six herself.

Lot 282: 3yo Elusive Pimpernel gelding out of Sweet Little Lies

I bought him, I just loved the look of him at the November NH Sale as a foal. I thought ‘there is a foal who is going to turn into a gorgeous horse’, and he has done. He is a very good-looking horse with a good walk. He turned into what I thought he would, and the sire is going well.

Q: Who are the other members of the team helping you at this sale?

It’s a family affair. My wife Siobhán, my two daughters and son, Mary, Emily and Kieran. They all help out at home.

Q: What is the best result you have had from the sale in the past?

We have the best bumper horse in Ireland sold out of the May Store Sale – Blizzard Of Oz. He was second in the Grade 2 Aintree Bumper. We sold him to Harley Dunne and David Mullins. He was a gorgeous horse on the day, and everybody recognised that. He looks like one of the best horses we have ever sold. He is going that direction. His bumper form is very good.

Jordan Cummins, Rathurtin Stud

Q: Tell us about your consignment.

Lot 257: 3yo Soldier Of Fortune filly out of Salou Blues

She is out of a half-sister to Paisley Park. Dad (Denis Cummins) bought her at the November NH Sale in 2020 as a foal. She is a lovely, big filly and she will be ideal to go point-to-pointing. She has a great walk and is big. Dad really likes her. She has been aimed at the May Store Sale because she looks an early type and will suit the point-to-point lads down to the ground.

Lot 252: Rose Boum, 3yo Buck’s Boum filly out of Rose Queen

We bought her in France. She is out of a winning Great Pretender mare. She is very racy and an early type. She looks like a bumper filly.

Lot 28: Marcel 3yo filly out of Youmeetmehalfway

I bought her at the November NH Sale as a yearling. She is out of a sister to Its’afreebee. She has a great walk and super action. She is a big brown filly, and she is very strong. She has definitely been aimed at the May Store Sale because, physically, she looks very early and is so strong.

Lot 217: Sainte Pakoonah, 3yo Storm The Stars filly out of Pakoonah

She is out of a three-time winning Poliglote mare. She is quite racy. She has a strong pedigree and is a half-sister to two winners who won six races between them.

Lot 186: Snow Sky 3yo gelding out of Minnie Maguire

The Snow Sky gelding is from the family of Strong Platinum, which Dad would know very well. He’s a nice horse and, again, an early type so has been targeted at this sale.

Lot 52: Casamento 3yo gelding out of Bengali

He is a big chesnut horse out of a winning Beneficial mare. Again, he is a nice, big rangy horse and has been aimed at this sale, looking like an early type.

Q: What is the best result you have had from the sale in the past?

We got on well last year, we got a nice price for a Blue Bresil filly who had only cost €2,500 as a foal. She is in training with Matthew Flynn O’Connor, goes really well and will run before the season is out.

Q: Who are the other members of the team helping you at this sale?

My sister Kara is back home from Australia, she is doing a lot at home with Dad. Amhairghean Kennedy he also helps us out at home and the sales. It’s a big family outfit and we all chip in.

James Sheehan, Clonmult Farm

Q: Tell us about your consignment.

Lot 9: Wings Of Eagles 3yo filly out of Tornic Arc

She is a nice filly, an early type, very good-walking filly, good-looking filly. She is like a filly that will turn into a four-year-old. She is quite a sharp looking type; she is well grown and has plenty of options.

Lot 86: Wings Of Eagles 3yo gelding out of Dalwhinnie

He is interesting. He’s a big, solid horse out of a Teofilo mare. A flat pedigree but there is plenty of jumpers coming up in the pedigree. He is 16.2hh and will suit the point-to-point guys. He will make a four-year-old, he is a nice horse with big movement.

Lot 92: Sandmason 3yo gelding out of Definite Row

The Sandmason is a very good-looking horse, a really good mover, great movement. He is a 16.2hh good-walking horse. He is out of a bumper-winning mare and his half-brother has won four point-to-points. The second dam has bred six winners from seven runners.

Lot 118: Mahler 3yo gelding out of Final Boru

The dam is a half-sister to Last Instalment. He will be an ideal horse to start his career point-to-pointing. He is 16.1hh, a nice horse.

Lot 238: Ocovango 3yo gelding out of Queen’s Forest

Ocovango has been doing very well this year. This horse is a good, straight-moving, big horse.

The bunch are five, nice correct horses. The Wings Of Eagles filly, the Mahler, the Sandmason and the Ocovango are homebred. The Wings Of Eagles gelding was bought privately.

Q: Who are the other members of the team helping you at this sale?

I have great staff at the sales - Beth Whelan and Ted Stanners. I am very lucky with the staff I have at the sales. Two top class, natural horse people. They make things very easy on the horses and they make things very easy for the people viewing the horses.

Q: What is the best result you have had from the sale in the past?

I had only two last year and a couple before – Clonmult Farm consignment is only going the last three years. We are getting bigger into it now. We had two nice horses there last year and they made their value. We were very happy with the footfall, there was plenty of buyers for the right horse, as long as you had a horse big enough. It’s a very good sale.

Sale info

Sale: Tattersalls Ireland May Store Sale

Date/time: Tuesday, May 16th (10am)

Lots: 282

Tel: 01-8864300

Email: info@tattersalls.ie

Web: tattersalls.ie