A damp start to the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale on Wednesday had little effect on action in the sales ring as the appetite for top quality young National Hunt prospects remained strong.

However, despite a top lot of €250,000 and 12 horses making six-figure sums there was drop in the figures from the corresponding session last year. The clearance rate dipped 14 points to 79% while the average of €52,058 and the median of €40,000 were down 5% and 17% respectively.

A Doctor Dino half-brother to superstars Douvan and Jonbon certainly had the page to light up the bid board and, with a physical presence to match his illustrious pedigree, it was no surprise that it took a bid of €250,000 from Aiden and Olly Murphy to eventually secure the Coolmara Stables consigned son of Star Face.

The Murphys fought off plenty of challengers for the top lot, including underbidder Henry de Bromhead. Aiden Murphy said: “He’s for Olly to train for an existing client. He is a lovely horse, his pedigree needs no introduction and he seems to have a lovely temperament. Every time I saw him over the past two days he showed himself perfectly. Let’s hope he is lucky and can live up to his family.”

Murphy had opened the bidding at €100,000 and explained his bold tactic, saying: "He was always going to make more, and we were in a bit of a hurry!”

For vendor Coolmara Stables it was a great result and the Cork farm’s Cathal Mariga said: "We were hoping for that sort of figure. He is a gorgeous horse. We bought him as a foal privately from Ennel Bloodstock in Westmeath and before Jonbon came out. He already had Douvan in his pedigree and to get another Grade 1 winner, it was a nice update to get. He has been a great horse to work with at home, he did everything right and never put a foot wrong."

Saint Des Saints gelding

Aiden Murphy has been a pillar of the Derby Sale for many years now and he also struck for the second top lot when getting the better of Mags O’Toole a €200,000 son of Saint Des Saints.

Sold by Peter Vaughan’s Moanmore Stables and already named Karonacho, he is a half-brother to one of the best four-year-olds in France, Juntos Ganamos, who won a Grade 1 chase at Auteuil in May. This horse will also be trained by Murphy’s son Olly who said: "He is a very athletic horse, one we can look forward to getting back to the yard. It is nice to be buying these top-end stores. The yard is trying to go from strength to strength and to do it we need to be buying the best horses."

Nicholls strikes

Paul Nicholls and Tom Malone made their presence felt when going to €205,000 for a Walk In The Park gelding offered by Peter Nolan. The bay is a half-brother to two smart performers in Maria’s Benefit and Howyabud, from the family of Aintree National winner Papillon.

“He is a beautiful horse, we waited for him." said Malone. "There were a few others before him and I said we needed to sit tight for him. He has a lot of presence, he has a lot of pedigree, a beautiful animal and we’re delighted to get him. He’s just a quality Walk In The Park and hopefully he’s as good as the rest of the pedigree."

Malone and Nicholls had earlier combined to buy the first horse to make six figures when a son of Getaway was knocked down to the team for €100,000. Offered by Castledillon Stud the gelding is a half-brother to the Grade 3 winning chaser Kildisart and a full-brother to two other blacktype performers in The Big Breakaway and Say Goodbye.

Hamish Macauley made a brave effort to secure the son of Princess Mairead from the family of Rathvinden but, after Macauley bid €97,000 for the brown gelding, Malone - standing alongside Paul Nicholls - entered the fray and swiftly closed the gap. “He is a lovely loose-moving type, just the sort of horse Paul likes,” Malone said. “We were under-bidder on The Big Breakaway when he sold from the pointing field and we obviously know him and his form well,” he added.

Costello family

The Costello family has enjoyed a great store season so far and it was the turn of John Costello of Fenloe House to reap rewards when he sold his Doctor Dino gelding to Fergal O’Brien for €170,000.

Named Soldino, he is out of the French jumps winner Solvalla who has bred two winners from three runners so far, with her third runner Soir De Gala showing plenty of promise on his sole bumper start for Paul Nicholls and J.P. McManus in April.

O’Brien, bidding alongside former jockey and trainer Mark Pitman, was acting on behalf of owner Stewart Andrew who was also present.

“We paid a bit more than we thought we’d have to but we all loved him so we decided to do our best to get him," O'Brien said. "He is a beautiful horse with lots of quality and is a lovely mover. Ballyhome, who Stewart has with us, is being retired and Stewart wanted to replace him and Mark selected this horse. We will get him broken in and see how we go.

"There is no rush with the horse, Stewart has been in the game a long time now, and time is what we have got. We are lucky to get his lad today and we are delighted,” the trainer added.

Mark Pitman trained Ever Blessed to win the former Hennessy Gold Cup for Stewart Andrew in 1999 and he commented: "What we set out to get was quality and, whichever way you look at it, he is quality. You couldn’t fault him. He is beautifully proportioned, he moves, he’s got scope and he has a pedigree. If you are looking to buy a horse to go to Cheltenham, he is it! Please God, he is lucky and he has got a great trainer too.”

Like so many store horses that shined in the ring this summer Soldino was bought as a youngster in France and, recalling the circumstances of his purchase, his vendor John Costello said: "I hadn't been buying any French horses, but my son Conor was in Chantilly working for the summer. I went to visit and he said he wanted to take me to a farm to see a few horses and I bought a couple. The man on that farm said there is a Doctor Dino horse down the road on another farm. He took me to see him and I adored him so I bought him as a yearling. It was a week after the Derby Sale two years ago.”

Mullins purchase

Doctor Dino fever continued when Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins combined to purchase the only filly by the sire of State Man and Sharjah in the sale. The powerful buying axis went to €150,000 to secure the half-sister to listed hurdle winner Valenteen who was consigned by Walter Connors’ Sluggara Farm.

Further residual value is offered by the fact the stakes-winning dam Turteene is a half-sister to triple Grade 1 winner Greaneteen.

Mullins and Kirk had earlier paid €95,000 for a Doctor Dino gelding from the same vendor and Kirk said: “Doctor Dino is the best sire at the moment in France and we’ve been very lucky with him. I love this filly, she ticks every box. You don't have to make her pedigree; it’s there on the page. Hopefully she will be a racemare and then a broodmare.”

Holden aces

Paul Holden continues to assemble a powerful squad for his daughter Ellmarie to train and among his purchases was a well-related son of Muhtathir who went Holden’s way for €120,000.

Named Cocktail De Cerisy and offered by Peter Nolan, the gelding is out of the Grade 3 winner Suzuka who has the distinction of already breeding two blacktype winners.

Jukebox Jury’s progeny sold very well at the Arkle Sale and the Burgage Stud resident continued where he left off on Wednesday when one of his sons was knocked down to Eamon Doyle of Monbeg Stables for €105,000.

From Norman Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm, he is the third produce out of the Flemensfirth mare Siberian Vixen and the chesnut comes from the family of Mattock Ranger and Siberian Gale.

“I sold a good Jukebox Jury to Tom Malone last year and I thought this was the nicest by the sire here and he will be going point-to-pointing,” Doyle said afterwards.

Denis Hogan will take charge of a Walk In The Park gelding who was knocked down to the Tipperary trainer for €115,000.

A half-brother to six-time winner Shearer from the prolific family of Rose Of Inchiquin and Boreen Belle, the Glenvale Stud offering was bought for resale.

“He is just a noble horse, a lovely mover and has a pedigree to go with it," Hogan said. "He looks an athlete and I loved him, I saw him a while ago and I liked him every bit as much today. Possibly, we will go the point-to-point route, but we will get him home and we will see how he goes. He will be for resale."

Another Walk In The Park to sell well was the gelding consigned by Peter Nolan out of the high class race-mare Askanna. The dam has produced the Grade 1 winner Minella Cocooner since going to stud, and this gelding was bought by Matt Coleman and Jonjo O’Neill for €120,000.

The sale concludes on Thursday.

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