NEXT week Tattersalls Ireland will stage the Derby Sale and the May Sale, which have been brought together to make a three-day auction of National Hunt stores. The Derby Sale is on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by the one-day May Sale on Thursday.

This sale normally takes place at the end of June but has been postponed on a couple of occasions, firstly due to Covid-19 restrictions and then a July date was shelved when it became evident that overseas buyers could not easily attend.

Despite those issues still a concern, a stellar line-up of store horses will be offered across the three days.

The Derby Sale starts at 10.30am next Tuesday. There have been over 90 horses withdrawn from the catalogue of 466 horses but some of those were offered for sale already at a special session of the Goffs UK Summer Sale.

This year at the Cheltenham Festival six Derby Sale graduates came out on top. Four of them won Grade 1 races, namely Honeysuckle, Shishkin, Monkfish and Ferny Hollow. Other Grade 1 graduates from the season include the French-bred winner Asterion Forlonge and the Betfair Chase winner Lostintranslation.

Pointing winners

There are 236 stores in the May Store Sale catalogue (29 withdrawn at time of writing). This sale has produced the first four-year-old point-to-point winners for two consecutive years, Telmesomethinggirl in 2019 and Brooksway Fair in 2020.

Star Gate won his four-year-old maiden at Bellharbour by three lengths before being sold for £140,000. The May Store Sale also celebrated its first graded winner with Clondaw Caitlin winning the Gr.2 William Hill Premier Novices Hurdle at Kelso.

This year’s catalogue includes progeny from leading sires Flemensfirth, Fame and Glory, Kayf Tara, Milan, Presenting, Shantou and Westerner.

All horses catalogued for both the Derby Sale and the May Store Sale are eligible for the €100,000 Tattersalls Ireland George Mernagh Memorial Sales Bumper 2021.

Protocol

Tattersalls Ireland has produced a set of safety protocols for all those attending next week’s sales. Access will be limited to key personnel and there will be no access for members of the public. This will be reviewed per sale and it is hoped to increase the number of attendees as soon as it is appropriate to do so.

Those wishing to attend the sales are asked to register their attendance and complete a mandatory Covid-19 medical declaration form well in advance of the sale. When you arrive to Tattersalls Ireland it will be mandatory to complete an on-site temperature check prior to proceeding beyond the main car park or lorry entrance area.

Only authorised personnel are allowed into Tattersalls Ireland and this will be strictly adhered to. An authorised person is one who has notified Tattersalls Ireland of their need to attend the sale and their attendance has been approved by Tattersalls Ireland.

Matt Mitchell said: “The interest of our staff, our clients and our industry are at the centre of everything we do and this is particularly important during these challenging times. We are doing everything we can to ensure the successful staging of the Derby Sale and May Store Sale by taking every precaution to make the sale complex the safest environment possible. We have introduced strict protocols including the mandatory completion of pre-registration and medical declaration forms to ensure that those attending the sales can do so with confidence.”

Live bidding

Tattersalls Ireland has launched a live internet bidding system for next week’s sale. The platform will allow buyers to submit live bids via computer, tablet or mobile phone without having to be on site at the sales grounds.

Purchasers wishing to use the new platform will need to register at least 48 hours prior to the start of the Derby Sale and May Store Sale and will receive account verification from Tattersalls Ireland before the sale begins.

Telephone bidding will also be available at the sale and can be made by contacting Harry Fowler, Kenneth Fenton or Niamh Spiller.

Videos available

The sales company intends to provide a video and photograph of every lot on the tattersalls.ie website.

Standout pedigrees

Lot 85: From Castledillon Stud. 3yo b g by Presenting out of China Sky. Half-brother to Champ.

Lot 116: From Moyneard Stables, property of John P. Quinlan. 3yo b g by Doyen out of Daytona Lily. Own brother to Andy Dufresne.

Lot 123: From Castletown House. 3yo b g by Getaway out of Despute. Half-brother to Burton Port.

Lot 145: From Castledillon Stud. 3yo b g by Milan out of Fair Ina. Half-brother to Fayonagh.

Lot 179: From Peter Nolan Bldst, property of Noel Guiry. 3yo ch g by Mahler out of Glene Beauty. Own brother to Sutton Place.

Lot 286: From Liss House. Mick Blues, 3yo b g by Ballingarry out of Mick Maya. Half-brother to Mick Jazz.

Lot 301: From Coole House Farm, property of Paddy Behan. 3yo b f by Walk In The Park out of Monte Solaro. Half-sister to Altior.

Lot 316: From Coolruss Stud, property of Eclipse Bldst. 3yo b g by Kayf Tara out of Nova Cyngi. Half-brother to Dodging Bullets.

Lot 329: From From Treehouse Stables, property of Whitehall Stud. 3yo b f by Yeats out of Peggy Cullen. Half-brother to Rathvinden.

Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale and May Store Sale

Date: Tuesday, August 18th to Thursday, August 20th (10.30am start each day).

Web: tattersalls.ie

Tel: 01 88 64 300

Email: info@tattersalls.ie