THE top price from last year may have been out of reach but otherwise the Tattersalls Ireland May Store Sale made good gains on last year’s figures to consolidate its position in the calendar as the first store sale of the summer.

On a day when the shock news concerning Gigginstown House Stud broke, the market readily outperformed last year’s inaugural sale. At the close of proceedings the aggregate was up by 14% to in excess of €2.5m, the median increased by 15% as it went from €13,000 to €15,000 and the average of €17,677 represented a progression of some 16 points. From an identical number of horses offered the clearance dropped marginally but still came in at a very respectable 74%.

SOLID START

In all this represented a solid start to the store sales season and the top of the market at this year’s sale looked appreciably stronger than was the case 12 months ago. At last year’s sale there were six horses who made at least €40,000, that number grew to 10 this time and this represented a positive renewal of this sale which looks to have cemented its position in mid-May.

Tuesday’s sale marked the beginning of the pivotal six weeks swing in the store sales season which reaches its climax with the Goffs Land Rover and Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale.

It is at these two auctions where the absence of the buying power of Gigginstown will be felt most acutely and definitive assessments on the state of the National Hunt market will have to wait until then.

In his statement Tattersalls Ireland CEO Matt Mitchell commented: “This is the second year of the Tattersalls Ireland May Store Sale and in a short period the sale has established itself successfully in the store sale calendar. Vendors who recognised the sale’s potential were rewarded with a strong trade where the market was prepared to pay for a quality individual.

“The large presence of UK and domestic purchasers is testament to the market responding to the improved offering. We look forward to the market leading Derby Sale and a catalogue which reflects depth in both pedigrees and individuals at all levels of the market,” added Mitchell.

GETAWAY TOPS

A €58,000 son of Getaway emerged as the star turn of this year’s sale when falling to Gearoid Costello.

This Bay View Cottage offering was picked up for just €5,000 as a foal but in the intervening period Getaway’s initial National Hunt crops have made quite an impression on the track which meant that a fine dividend awaited connections of this gelding.

Costello reported that his purchase will head to Britain for a point-to-point career.

Costello was one of the busiest purchases through the first half of the day and he also spent €46,000 on a son of Califet from Liss House whose dam was placed a stakes level on the flat. Furthermore Costello forked out €33,000 for a Mahler own-brother to the capable jumper Mahlervous.

Gavarlink from Lakefield Farm sold to Harley Dunne for €55,000

Photo Healy Racing

RECENT LINK

As the sale neared an end there were still a host of would be purchasers looking to secure a three-year-old son of Rail Link who boasted a useful recent update.

The Liss House-consigned grandson of Dansili is a half-brother to Gordon Elliott’s Fakiera who made a debut of considerable promise to reach the frame in last month’s George Mernagh Memorial Sales Bumper.

Harley Dunne and James Doyle combined to secure this gelding for €55,000 and he will start off in the point-to-point field next year.

A good day for Liss House was rounded off by the €41,000 sale of a son of Famous Name to Pat Macken. This three-year-old was picked up for just €6,000 as a foal.

DIRECT STRIKE

Fergal O’Neill of Direct Bloodstock struck for one of the stars of the day when going to €50,000 for a son of Shantou from the noted nursery that is John Dwan’s Ballyreddin Stud.

The half-brother to a winner will be joining Sam Curling’s team for next season. Earlier in the session Direct Bloodstock had gone to €34,000 to secure a son of Born To Sea offered by Brook Lodge Farm.

COLEMAN BACK

English agent Matt Coleman picked up a number of choice stores for client Clive Boultbee-Brooks at last year’s store sales and the pair were again to the fore on Tuesday.

They gave €50,000 for a son of Don Cossack’s sire, Sholokhov. Coleman outlasted compatriot Lucy Wadham for Rathbarry Stud’s €20,000 purchase who is a half-brother to the smart Gordon Elliott inmate Doctor Phoenix. The gelding will now head to Boultbee-Brooks’ farm before going into training in Britain.

VINNY’S FAMILY

A family that has previously served Willie Mullins well caught the attention of agent Harold Kirk and, acting for the champion trainer, Kirk forked out €45,000 for the son of the Group 3-winning Cape Cross horse Jet Away whose first crop are three-year-olds. This gelding is out of a half-sister to the Mullins-trained Cousin Vinny who became the first horse to complete the Cheltenham-Punchestown bumper double in 2008.

Another €45,000 transaction came when Newmarket trainer Lucy Wadham secured a prized daughter of the much missed Fame And Glory. This filly is the first produce of the winning Hawk Wing mare Jeunopse and was sold by Tom and Katie Rudd’s Busherstown operation.

MONTMARTRE GELDING

Noel Meade was already contemplating a crack at next year’s €100,000 George Mernagh Memorial Sales Bumper after signing for a €40,000 son of Montmartre. This forward looking gelding, who shares his sire with the likes of Labaik, was sold by Glebe House Stud and he is out of a mare whose seven runners have all won with this septet headed by the French Grade 3 scorer Sarisland.

MARIAS DREAM PRODUCT

Among the other horses to reach the €40,000 was a Shantou gelding from Rahinstown Stud who was snapped up by Kevin Ross.

The agent was acting on behalf of an English client when signing for the fourth produce of the very useful Marias Dream.

Also making €40,000 was a son of Westerner related to the useful Dix Villez whom Tom Malone purchased on behalf of leading point-to-point handler Donnchadh Doyle.