THURSDAY'S Tattersalls Ireland May Sale of point-to-pointers and horses-in-training resulted in a clearance rate of 73%, a respectable level, considering the median price was €30,000.

This was only the second year of this sale and the catalogue, stretching to 109 horses, was far bigger than last year.

British-based buyers such as Noel Fehily and David Crosse, A.J. O'Neill, Tom Malone, Dan Astbury and Sandy Thompson and Lucinda Russell played very important roles in boosting trade.

One of the highlights of the sale was the dispersal from owners Robcour of some graded level chasers.

Grade 2 chase winner Journey With Me went for €55,000 and joined point-to-point handler David Christie.

Scottish-based owner Jimmy Fyffe picked up dual Grade 2 winner Aspire Tower for €44,000, and Eric McNamara is the new trainer of seven-time winner French Dynamite, who changed hands for €40,000.

Joining Willie Mullins

Two lots shared top billing at €150,000 each, both of them four-year-old geldings with point-to-point form.

Willie Mullins will train Bentraghhill, who finished third on his only start in a point-to-point at Fairyhouse. The runner-up that day, Lazare De Star, was subsequently sold for €190,000.

A half-brother to the classy mare Party Central, he was bought today by agent Harold Kirk, who said: "He is a gorgeous horse, and we have bought so many Grade 1 winners from Wilson Dennison, at least eight or nine individual horses.

"This horse ran fantastically well for a big horse on his first run; he was only beaten three lengths. He has a lot of filling out to do, he has a good pedigree and is a beautiful model. He will go to grass now; he needs time as he is a big horse."

The other joint sale-topper was Jewel Hope, a son of Masar with a most unusual background. He cost Godolphin 350,000gns as a yearling but never raced on the flat and was picked up by point-to-point handler Cormac Doyle for 25,000gns at the 2024 July Sale in Newmarket. He subsequently won a point-to-point at Ballindenisk.

He was bought today by agent Hamish Macauley who could not name his client.

Cormac Doyle also sold Ballingarry point-to-point winner Krystal Sky for €80,000 to Joe Cassidy, and Tattersalls point-to-point winner Timmys Jet Away for €70,000 to Dan Astbury and Mason Lampton.

Astbury also bought Michael Goff's Bartlemy runner-up Berkie for €60,000 and (with Robbie Llewellyn) paid the same amount for Sean McParland’s Perth bumper winner Not For Passin.

Tom Malone active

The four-year-old filly Ellie Marie fetched €110,000 when sold by Andy Slattery's Meadowview Stables to agent Tom Malone. The daughter of Walk In The Park finished second on her sole start in point-to-points last month and the winner that day, Cheers To You, was sold for €140,000 and has joined Noel Meade.

Malone said: “Willie Slattery called her a good filly three months ago, and even though she was beaten she hit the line hard. I would say it will stand up as a good maiden in time, so I am happy to get her. She will come home to me now and we will get her sold.”

Malone paid €85,000 for the Sam Curling-trained Inishbofin, a recent winner at Dawstown.

Malone said: “He is a lovely horse. He was fourth at Dromahane [on his debut] in a very good maiden, Tom Keating’s horse [Ballycommon Boy] won it, and he is one of the horses of the year. I am annoyed I was not a little bit sharper. [Inishbofin] duly went and won next time out at Dawstown, and Sam has liked him along the way. A big, strong horse who has probably taken a bit of time to get fit, I like him and am happy to get him. His destination is my place, Webb Hill Farm, for now until we get him sold over the summer. Horses like him are easy to sell.”

Fehily and Crosse

Syndicate bosses Noel Fehily and David Crosse have been busy buying new stock of late and their latest acquisition is Recite A Poem, an €80,000 filly by Poet's Word. She was unlucky to be brought down on her debut at Fairyhouse and won next time out at Bartlemy.

Fehily said: "She's a really racy filly and I liked her when I saw her this morning. The stallion [Poet's Word] can't do wrong at the moment, and she is the first we have had by him. She'll come back to my farm, have a good summer break, and we get her going in the autumn, start her off in a bumper and see where we will go from there."

Fehily and Crosse also spent €80,000 to buy Tom Keating's Bartlemy runner-up Out In The Wild.

The four-year-old Crystal Du Berlais is heading to America, having been sold for €75,000 to bloodstock agent Hamish Macauley. A recent winner at Loughrea for Robert Tector, she is set to be trained by Leslie Young in the US.

Agent Bobby O'Ryan was acting for Scottish trainer Sandy Thompson when he bought Frank Motherway's Tattersalls point-to-point winner Eagle Warrior for €60,000 and Inchydoney winner Fiyero for €50,000.

A.J. O’Neill paid €62,000 for last weekend’s 13-length Ballingarry winner Seaniecon and, again acting through Matt Coleman, he picked up Colin Bowe's Ballingarry winner Belle Star Outlaw.

Two Ballinrobe bumper winners from earlier this week failed to find buyers. Mags Mullins was forced to buy back her Walk In The Park filly A Snow White Park for €70,000, and bidding on Una Corcoran's Caman Hill stopped at €115,000.

"Solid interest"

At the sale's conclusion, Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins said: “This was only the second edition of the May Point-to-Point and Horses in Training Sale, and it was good to see solid interest for the four-year-old winners and the Robcour horses within the Horses in Training section. It was obviously pleasing to see the turnover and average grow significantly on last year.

"We welcomed a strong contingent of UK-based buyers, which continues to underline the appeal of Irish point-to-pointers on both sides of the Irish sea.

"This sale after two years is now a viable alternative for vendors, with the added advantage of selling in Ireland and removing additional travel costs. It would however be remiss not to acknowledge the selective nature of the trade and the clearance rate of 73% (whilst an improvement 2024) underlines this.

"I’d like to acknowledge the hard work of the bloodstock team in assembling a quality catalogue and supporting both vendors and purchasers throughout the sale."