A TOP lot of €320,000, which represented the highest price paid for a National Hunt store in the last four years, and a record median were the highlights of the 40th edition of Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale which couldn’t quite keep pace with last year’s renewal in other key areas.

A steady first day at the country’s leading store sale was followed by an appreciably stronger second session which gave rise to a turnover of just under €12.3m and this year’s smaller catalogue meant that the aggregate dropped by 14% on 2014. However, the €42,893 average finished just a point behind last year while the €36,000 median represented a new high.

The Robin Des Champs gelding who topped the sale has the distinction of being the fourth highest priced lot in Derby Sale history but it just seemed that trade towards the top of the market wasn’t quite at the level it had been at 12 months ago. The number of six figure transaction dropped from 27 to 16 and 80 horses made €50,000 or more as opposed to 104 last year.

Tattersalls Ireland general manager, Roger Casey, expressed satisfaction with the level of trade witnessed over the two days: “In the last 40 years, the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale has become a National Hunt institution and has firmly established itself as the National Hunt venue of choice for those selling select stores.

“This year’s sale again achieved the top priced store anywhere in Britain and Ireland at €320,000 and indeed the highest store price anywhere in the last four years but this sale is about much more than that as evidenced again by the guaranteed level of quality and recurring depth of trade witnessed again in 2015, a diverse bench of purchasers, a record median of €36,000 and the fourth highest average in the history of the sale at €42,893.

“The 2014 Derby Sale returns were the fourth best set of results in the history of the Derby Sale and we are very pleased to have essentially mirrored these results in 2015. We must thank our ever loyal vendors who continue to send their best stock to The Derby Sale on an annual basis.

“Tattersalls Ireland has uniquely served these vendors for the last 40 years and we will continue to do so for many years to come. We must also thank the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing team who provided such firm support to our industrious team in promoting the sale far and wide with the €100,000 George Mernagh Memorial Sales Bumper also continuing to be a very attractive incentive,” he concluded.

Wednesday

Agent Bobby O’Ryan, acting for an established Irish client, struck for the top lot when going to €170,000 for a son of Big Bad Bob from Busherstown who was showing an excellent return on the €20,000 he cost as a foal. David Minton had to settle for the role of underbidder on the half-brother to the Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Johns Spirit and The Game Changer. Interestingly this three-year-old comes from the same family as the €155,000 Arcadio gelding who topped the Goffs Land Rover Sale.

Aiden Murphy picked up a number of the best stores on offer and these included a €160,000 Martaline half-brother to a pair of talented French-based jumpers. The Martaline was bought from Peter Nolan Bloodstock and was showing a fine dividend on the €31,000 he cost as a yearling.

Murphy’s other acquisitions included a €100,000 son of Robin Des Champs and a €95,000 three-year-old hailing from the coveted final crop of the late King’s Theatre. All three of these purchases were bought on behalf of English clients and will return to Murphy’s Stratford base to be broken before they go into training.

Anna Ross was the first purchaser to breach the six-figure barrier at this year’s sale when going to €160,000 for a son of the late Stowaway who had cost €32,000 as a foal. The son of the smart chaser Court Leader was bought on behalf of a client who will put their purchase into training in Ireland.

Mrs Ross’s husband, Kevin, then made a major contribution of his own when forking out €125,000 for a son of Yeats. The Coolnagour House Stud offering is by a sire whose initial National Hunt runners have done well and he was another to show an excellent appreciation on his purchase price having been picked up for €15,500 as a foal. Ross was acting on behalf of English owners Paul and Clare Rooney.

He may have missed out on the session topper but David Minton did secure a €125,000 Presenting half-brother to the Grade 2-placed chaser Coverholder. Nicky Henderson will train the gelding on behalf of Middleham Park Racing. The day’s other six-figure transaction came when Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins spent €105,000 on a half-sister to the champion trainer’s RSA Chase hero Don Poli. The daughter of Kayf Tara, whose brother is among the foremost Gold Cup hopes for next year, was sold by Mill House Stud

A Della Francesca own-brother to the very smart Paul Nicholls charge Cristal Bonus was snapped up by Ballyadam House for €95,000. Meanwhile Henry de Bromhead, acting for Alan Potts, spent €90,000 on a Midnight Legend gelding who share his sire with the trainer’s high class novice hurdler Sizing John.

The first day concluded with a brief horses in training section which was headed by the easy Ballingarry point-to-point winner Elusive Theatre. The daughter of King’s Theatre cost Stuart Crawford €47,000.

Thursday

A prized son of Robin Des Champs emerged as the star turn of this year’s auction when selling to Harold Kirk for €320,000. The sale topper, who played a central role in making it a memorable day for the Bleahen family’s Lakefield Farm, was the subject of an enthralling struggle which involved Kirk, Henry de Bromhead and Aiden Murphy.

Ultimately the battle for the half-brother to the talented Publican came down to the first-named pair and a resilient Kirk carried the day for the gelding who shares his sire with so many Willie Mullins-trained luminaries. In addition the three-year-old is a half-brother to the dam of last week’s Ascot Stakes victor Clondaw Warrior.

Just two lots previously, the Lakefield draft was represented by a Mahler three-year-old for whom Tammy O’Brien, acting for M.V. Magnier, paid €160,000. The grandson of Galileo is a half-brother to the smart Nicky Henderson-trained novice hurdler Different Gravey.

A strong second session produced a flurry of six-figure lots late in the day and foremost among these was a son of Yeats out of an own-sister to Vilaramix for whom Aiden Murphy gave €160,000. Murphy ended the sale as leading buyer having spent over €1.2m on 15 stores and he also signed for Kilminfoyle House Stud’s €130,000 Presenting gelding from a good dual purpose family.

The Kilminfoyle draft also contained a Stowaway three-year-old whose price soared from €18,000 to €100,000 after he came to Kevin Ross who indicated this purchase would be joining Gordon Elliott. Ross went on to purchase the day’s top priced filly when giving €75,000 for a King’s Theatre own-sister to the smart Minella Foru.

Barry Connell’s colours are set to be carried by a Flemensfirth gelding from Rathturtin Stud who was knocked down to Gerry Hogan at €130,000. The relation to the Tolworth Hurdle winner Breedsbreeze is by the same sire as Connell’s Leopardstown Chase winner Foxrock.

Among the notable pinhooking triumphs was a Milan gelding from Castledillon who came to Noel Meade for €115,000 to show a fine profit on the €16,000 he cost as a foal. A couple of minutes later Henry de Bromhead, acting for Alan Potts, gave €100,000 for a Milan half-brother to the classy hurdler Brave Right. He was picked up for €14,000 as a foal.A son of King’s Theatre and the high class Pomme Tiepy, who made €75,000 as a foal, reached six figures on his return to the sales ring when coming to Bobby O’Ryan. The €100,00 gelding will be staying in Ireland but a career across the Irish Sea beckons for a €95,000 Shantou own-brother to Carriganog whom Gerry Griffin bought for Nicky Richards.

Jim Culloty also racked up a couple of significant purchases which included an €86,000 son of Martaline from Peter Vaughan’s Moanmore Stables. Culloty also forked out €72,000 for a Westerner gelding from Galberstown Stud who turned a fine profit on the €6,500 he cost as a foal.

The sale contained just two sons of Shirocco and the second of these to come under the hammer cost Philip Rothwell €78,000. The Elwyn Williams-owned three-year-old is out of a listed bumper winner.

AIDEN MURPHY (right)

There was strong trade, particularly for the quality horse. The standard of horse on offer was good. I bought for a wide range of clients, some to stay in Ireland and many to England also. I was acting for both individuals and partnerships and the strength of sterling was very relevant to people’s enthusiasm. I planned to buy 10 or 12 horses and bought 16 or 17. With form horses commanding lots of money quite a few people are going back to buying store horses again.

JOHN BLEAHEN (right)

This is something you dream about. I had the line-up of a lifetime. I knew he (top lot) was special when he turned a yearling. I bought him from his breeder Jim Hennelly and I also have his yearling half-brother. Trade is very select and the only survivors of the recession in the business are people who know their job inside out. Thankfully I have been associated with some good horses, Sizing John being the latest Grade 1 winner. The horses are running well and they need to for people to keep coming back.

COLIN BOWE

It is not easy to buy horses as you are competing with sterling. Any nice horse is making from €45,000 up. I’ve bought four on first two days and am very happy with them – they are horses with size and scope. It is a very, very good trade but the biggest fuel to the fire is the strength of sterling. The standard is high – good horses are scarce.

MICHAEL MOORE

The top end trade was very god, the middle market was a little more difficult but overall you would have to be pleased. The point-to-point guys were very strong and there is plenty of confidence going forward. While sterling was strong there were not as many horses going to England as you might expect and the Irish boys were strong. The spring private and public market was good and guys were putting the money back in. The fillies’ trade was a lot stronger but you have to have conformation and pedigree. A filly with an average pedigree is still finding it tough.