A LOW-KEY final session brought the curtain down on this year’s Tattersalls Ireland August National Hunt Sale earlier today with the three-day auction concluding with a set of figures that were unable to match the gains recorded 12 months ago.
Trade was especially quiet on Thursday, as illustrated by a clearance rate of just 61%, and this meant that the returns for the last store sale of the summer dropped off the pace of last year.
A bigger catalogue saw the aggregate progress by five points to just under €4 million. The median dropped from €6,500 to €5,500, which represented a drop of 15%, while the average of €9,395 fell by five points. The overall clearance rate came in at 68% having been 70% in 2017.
Over the course of the three days, the sale witnessed good competition for the better lots and trade at the head of the market was appreciably better than it was 12 months ago. However, demand was stretched beyond capacity during the final session, which offered a telling reminder that the industry will not be well served by any further increase in foal-crop sizes.
TOP LOTS
The final session was headed by a €28,000 son of Rule Of Law who was bought by Gerry Griffin to join Nicky Richards. The Joseph Lalor-owned gelding is a half-brother to one of last season’s top bumper horses in the Willie Mullins-trained Carefully Selected who was placed in the championship bumpers at Cheltenham and Punchestown.
“He’s been bought for Nicky Richards. He’s a nice horse and I’m pleased to have gotten him, possibly he would have made more earlier in the week. Obviously he’s a half-brother to a very good horse and let’s hope that he can run,” said Griffin.
The day’s top-priced filly was a well related daughter of Arcadio who was sold to Harry Fowler, acting for Highflyer Bloodstock’s David Minton, for €20,000. The filly is the first produce of a winning own-sister to Outlander, Western Leader and Ice Cold Soul.
“She is for a British-based client as a long term broodmare prospect and will go to Phil Rowley from here to be broken in. She could then do anything - run under Rules or go point-to-pointing," stated Fowler.
For a period the pace was set by a son of Court Cave from Clonaltra Stables who was knocked down to Brandon View Stables for €18,000. The gelding is out of a half-sister to Tony Martin’s Grade 2 winner Noble Emperor.
VALUE
A busy Gordon Elliott headed his final day spending with the €16,000 purchase of a Yeats three-year-old out of a placed Cape Cross mare. This family goes back to the Grand National winner Auroras Encore and the Champion Hurdle second Peddlers Cross.
“He’s a grand, big horse and I thought that there was plenty to like about him,” reflected Elliott. “Yeats has been lucky for us before through the likes of Shattered Love and this horse looks a nice chasing type for down the road. There’s a bit of speed up towards the top of the pedigree which should be a help too.”
Dot Love’s assistant Ciaran Murphy looked to pick up some value as he secured a four-year-old daughter of Getaway belonging to Martin Murphy for €15,000. This filly is a half-sister to the hugely promising five-time winner If The Cap Fits.
Another €15,000 filly was a daughter of Fame And Glory out of a half-sister to the Troytown Chase winner Royal County Star. She was bought by point-to-point trainer Tom Keating.
Day 3
YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AV Med
2018 249 178 109 562,550 5,161 3,800
Entire Sale
YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AV Med
2018 791 620 422 3,964,600 9,395 5,500
2017 672 545 383 3,768,300 9,839 6,500
2016 663 545 365 3,026,200 8,291 5,000
2015 770 586 402 3,698,900 9,201 5,600