THE store sale season drew to a close on Thursday evening at Fairyhouse when the last lot in the two-day Tattersalls Ireland July Sale sold. With two in every five lots returning to their home, many vendors were left disappointed.

A softening in the market did not deter bidders when it came to demand for the better quality lots on offer and, as the sale entered its final few hours, there even felt like there was a pent-up need to buy.

Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins acknowledged the reality of the trading conditions when he said: “We recognise the current selective nature of the National Hunt market, in particular over the last two days.

This selectiveness has presented challenges, particularly at the lower end of the market. However, it is very encouraging to see that purchasers in Ireland and the UK retain faith in Irish stores.”

Marcus Collie, a purchaser of one of the top lots on the second day, summed it up when he commented: “The ones that stand out, there are people to buy them, which is good.”

Many of the top lots sold were wildcard entries, mainly comprising lots that had failed to make it to some of the previous store sales. This year’s sale had a changed format, with all lots and the wildcards catalogued alphabetically over the two days. Consequently, the sales company did not issue comparative figures.

Record price

Matty Flynn O’Connor, fresh from his wedding on Saturday, stole the show on the second day when he bought the top lot for €65,000. This equalled the previous best for the sale which was achieved two years ago. Originally catalogued in the Goffs Arkle Sale, Mount Eaton Stud’s three-year-old Order Of St George gelding instead made his way to Fairyhouse where he was a clear best.

A €23,000 foal purchase by Tom Hore, the gelding is a half-brother to two winners. His dam Miss Cilla, an unraced daughter of Shernazar, is a half-sister to Grade 1 Cheltenham Festival winner Peddlers Cross whose 10 career victories also included the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle.

Bidding opened at €20,000, and became a match between Flynn O’Connor and Rob James.

“He was our pick over the two days, and it seems a lot of others thought so too!” said O’Connor.

“He is a big, scopey stamp of a horse. I have not had any by the sire before, but have three for this season.

“All in all, I shall have about 50 or 60 pointers for next season, with around 15 for the autumn.”

“QUALITY” was the one-word description offered by Steven Crawford when asked to describe a son of Wings Of Eagles after he paid €45,000 for the gelding from Ed Magnier’s Cooladurragh House.

He added: “The gelding is quality through and through; you would probably prefer another inch on him, but he would have been more expensive then! I like his page and we have had a bit of luck with the sire. He is a new sire to us, but all the ones I have seen by him have been athletic. This horse is athletic, he has quality, and conformationally he is correct. Conformation is important to us.”

Last year it was Ross Crawford who enjoyed the ‘bit of luck’ with a Wings Of Eagles, bought at this sale for just €1,250. Named Marlacoo, he went on to win a Down Royal bumper, and was sold at the Tattersalls Cheltenham May Sale for £85,000. The latest purchase is a half-brother to a point-to-point winner, and their unraced dam is a half-sister to the dam of Bravemansgame, a multiple Grade 1 winner over hurdles and fences, notably capturing the Challow Hurdle and the King George VI Chase.

Another leading purchase heading north was one of the early lots on the second day. From Ballynahinch, Terence Thomas Steele went head-to-head with bloodstock agent Tom Malone for Ballincurrig House Stud’s Telescope gelding out of the very good racemare, Indian Stream.

The gelding was sold at Tattersalls Ireland as a yearling by Bryan Mayoh for €14,000 to Ruth Brown and John O’Loughlin. Steele said: “He’s a racehorse, I hope. We’ll take him home and see how he goes. We might start in point-to-points, but I don’t know. He has to be paid for first! I paid more than I expected. We will decide on a trainer later.”

A DAY after the breeders of Banbridge, the McSorley team of Dan and Danielle, won a Connolly’s Red Mills/The Irish Field breeder of the month award for the gelding, a close relation to that chaser made headlines on the first day of the July Store Sale, selling to trainer Cian Collins for €36,000.

Consigned by A.C. Bloodstock, the three-year-old gelding by Valirann is the second foal out of the Brian Boru mare Blanaid Of Ossory. She is a half-sister to Major Malarkey (Supreme Leader), a seven-time winner and runner-up in the Midlands National, and to the dam of the two-time Grade 1-winning chaser Banbridge.

“For us, he is the nicest horse here today, and we were not leaving without him,” said Collins. “He has the physique and the pedigree, and Banbridge is a good horse. He has been bought for an owner in the yard, and we will get him home, break him in and see then where we might head with him – either go pointing or look at the bumper route. I have had a couple by the sire, but this is by far the nicest.”

West Country trainer Jeremy Scott made a significant purchase on each of the two days. On Thursday he added a €28,000 son of Getaway from Moanmore Stables to the lot he bought on the previous afternoon. On Wednesday he paid €32,000 for a son of Malinas from Chris Jones’ Killeen Glebe.

Scott explained: “I have not had an order all year for a three-year-old store, but as I got here someone phoned me and said she was interested in getting a horse. She had retired a horse last year and wanted a replacement. This a lovely-looking horse and he has a good, consistent pedigree.” The gelding is a half-brother to the Grade 2 Punchestown Festival winning chaser Brideswell Lad and the Newbury Grade 3 chase winner Cloth Cap.