The final two days of store sales in Ireland for 2022 got underway on Wednesday with the first session of Tattersalls Ireland July Store Sale which returned a respectable level of trade, headed by a pair of €65,000 lots.

The first edition of this sale took place last year in mid-August when it found itself shoehorned into a week that also featured the May and August Sales.

Thus comparisons with the one-day 2021 renewal aren’t all that instructive but it was clear from the activity over the course of the day that trade was stronger than it was last year.

By way of example just three horses made €40,000 or more last year but that number grew to 11 this time around and that cohort played their part in returning an aggregate of over €2.8m which was almost double last year’s figure.

The average progressed by 43% to €14,953 while the median of €11,750 grew by a similar amount when compared to the figures from last year’s one day sale.

Joining Paul Nicholls

The first of the day’s top lots was actually the second lot into the ring and came in the shape of a €65,000 son of Blue Bresil and the Grade 2-winning hurdler Jessber’s Dream who will be joining top trainer Paul Nicholls.

“He’s a beautiful horse and I think he was due to go to one of the earlier store sales but he missed that engagement due to a pulled muscle,” commented Malone.

“I said to Paul that I felt he was worth taking a chance on and he’s out of a very good West Country mare who we know well. We all know what the sire can do and he looks a nice addition to the team,” reflected Malone.

The agent also made his presence felt when going to €42,000 for a daughter of Highland Reel who was responsible for a one-two-three in a juvenile hurdle at Tipperary a couple of weeks ago. This Clononeen Stud offering is out of a half-sister to the Ascot Gold Cup winner Big Orange.

“She is a lovely filly and I fell in love with her when I saw her. I have been involved with a few Highland Reels and they seem to be putting their best foot forward now and starting to roll. I have a couple of youngsters at home, fillies too, that I really like,” stated Malone. "This is fine big filly and is out of an Authorized mare which helps and she will be for sale once I get her home.”

Nicky Richards buys

The other €65,000 transaction came at the very end of the marathon session when Nicky Richards signed for a son of Buck’s Boum from Niall Bleahen’s Liss House.

This gelding, who shares his sire with Al Boum Photo, is out of a three-times winner in France. Earlier in the day Richards also spent €40,000 on a Milan filly from a strong staying family.

Point-to-pointing

In the closing stages of the session Hugo Merienne had to go to €60,000 for a son of Network offered from Wood Hall Stables. This grandson of Monsun is the first produce of a winning Poliglote mare.

A career in the point-to-point field is the plan for a son of Walk In The Park and the smart mare La Sarrazine who cost Sam Curling €55,000.

“He’s just a lovely horse by a very popular sire and we were very keen to get him. He will go down the point-to-point route next year,” commented Curling.

A similar route beckons for a son of Affinisea who was snapped up by Johnny Hurley for €46,000. This gelding, whose sire has made a bright start at stud, comes from a superb Ken Parkhill family which has produced the likes of the Cheltenham winner City Island and the high class Fury Road.

“He is a really nice horse, we saw him yesterday and thought he was the nicest horse in the sale, he is a cracker. He has a great pedigree and he goes point-to-pointing. We have not had one by the sire but he has been doing very well,” stated Hurley.

Towards the end of the day the English point-to-point duo of Charlie and Francesca Poste forked out €42,000 for a three-year-old son of the French Group 2 winner Manatee who was showing a nice return on the €5,500 he cost as a yearling.

Browns buying again

Leading owners Andrew and Gemma Brown also made their presence felt when, acting through Joey Logan, they forked out €40,000 for a daughter of Leading Light. This filly is a half-sister to the very smart Minella Awards while she is an own-sister to the Brown-owned Jaycean who made a winning debut for Gordon Elliott in a Navan maiden hurdle last winter.

Part 2 of the sale takes place on Thursday.

COMPARATIVE FIGURES FOR DAY 1

YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGGREGATE AVERAGE MEDIAN

2022 324 270 190 €2,841,100 €14,953 €11,750

2021 255 209 143 €1,491,500 €10,433 €8,000