THE Tattersalls Ireland Winter Flat and National Hunt Sale provided a quiet start to the Irish sales season on Tuesday, producing a set of figures that were some way off those recorded a year ago.

While the median was up, the disappointing clearance rate of 53% reflected the lack of demand for horses at the middle to lower tiers.

There was a healthy competition for the better offerings, and eight of the 13 weanlings that sold for €20,000 or more were fillies. Even at this level, most of these would not have left their breeders with much profit. Most were purchased with resale in mind as stores in 2027, buyers investing with hope of an improvement in trade and a real possibility of making profit.

Tattersalls Ireland chief executive Simon Kerins acknowledged the less than satisfactory trading conditions, saying that “the trade was somewhat challenging and highlights the selective nature of the National Hunt market, sustained demand for those that hit the mark and less so for those horses that didn’t, a trend that has been consistent across all National Hunt sales over the past 12 months.”

Leading sire

Six lots at the sale by Walk In The Park sold, and all realised €20,000 or more. Leading the way, and the day’s trade at €50,000, was The Beeches Stud’s colt out of a half-sister to the outstanding Envoi Allen.

Coolmore’s Gerry Aherne signed for the colt, his only purchase on the day, and said: “The sire continues to break records and this is a very well-bred horse who comes from a great nursery. He was the one we really wanted today, and we are delighted to get him.

“Plans for him are fluid; we could bring him back for resale or keep him to race, there’s plenty of time for him. He was a standout on looks and pedigree today.”

Hillview Farm took a son and daughter of Walk In The Park and sold both, for €38,000 and €26,000.

The colt sold to Kieran Shields and the filly to Kieran Cotter.

Shields is bringing his purchase back for resale in two years’ time. His acquisition is out of the winning Danehill Dancer mare Pushkar who has produced two winners with her first three runners, both successful over hurdles.

The purchaser said: “He is a young foal, but he has a nice outlook, and he is obviously by a top sire. He has good use of himself, and an attractive foal who I hope will make up into a smart three-year-old.”

Rathbarry sire

Two weanlings by Blue Bresil were among the top five lots sold, Walshtown Stables’ colt selling for €40,000 to Anthony Cahill and Martin Dowd, while Rathbarry’s Paul Cashman spent €36,000 on a daughter of their National Hunt sire from Galbertstown Stables.

The colt’s breeder Edmond Coleman was quickly up to wish Cahill well with purchase out of an unraced full-sister to the dual Grade1 Cheltenham Festival winner Lord Windermere, whose greatest win was gained in the Gold Cup.

“He will come back for the Derby Sale,” said Cahill. “There are a few of us who buy together and my son was on the phone to me driving me on!”

Galbertstown stock proves popular and all three were among the top lots

PA Doyle’s Galbertstown Stables offered four lots, and sold three for a total of €97,000, tying for the honour of being leading vendor with Clonmult Farm who sold eight lots. All three Galbertstown lots were among the day’s best.

Cashman was delighted with his purchase. “She is typical of Blue Bresil, a lovely sweet athletic filly with a great page and out of a Presenting mare,” he said.

“The grandam Glen Empress has been a very good mare, and there are two good Presenting horses on the page with Shirley Casper and Thunder And Roses.

“The dam Regal Empress has also bred a good filly in Knockanard Lady. She comes from a good family and from a good home. She will probably be for resale, but she could be raced. We will see how she goes on, but she will have lovely broodmare potential in time.”

Consigning on behalf of John McGarry, Galbertstown sold the French-bred weanling Qualite Des Beaux, a daughter of Karaktar out of a Saint Des Saints mare.

Temple Bloodstock’s Aubrey McMahon parted with €35,000 for the filly, the third offspring of a half-sister to the dual Grade 3 chase winner Cap Du Nord and the Grade 3 Cheltenham juvenile hurdle winner Qualando.

Best filly

Richard Rohan was the sale’s leading buyer, securing four lots for €92,750.

The dearest of his buys was Ballincurrig House Stud’s Affinisea own-sister to the four-time winner Hollygrove Cha Cha, and she cost €38,000.

One just her fifth and most recent start, the Jamie Snowden-trained Hollygrove Cha Cha was runner-up in a listed hurdle race at the end of December.

“I bought her for my client, Will Smith, who is based in England. Her future is undecided as yet; she might be kept to race or could be returned to be resold,” said Rohan.

“We absolutely loved the filly since she arrived at the sale. Will has been building up a nice stock of young horses. He is a good client and a good man and so I hope he is lucky. Not only did I like this filly as an individual, but everything is hot in this pedigree, what with Gowel Road and being by Affinisea too. I really like him as a sire.”

The unraced Hollygrove Rumba, the filly’s dam, is a half-sister to Grade 1 Challow Hurdle winner Captain Cutter, and to Gowel Road who days earlier has been a good winner of the Grade 2 Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham.