A RESPECTABLE first edition of the July Store Sale provided a solid middle leg to this week’s three one-day sales at Tattersalls Ireland with the auction producing a top price of €50,000 and steady trade for large parts of the day.

While the preceding May Store Sale actually benefitted from its later slot in the calendar, conclusions about this auction will have to wait until 2022 when it gets to take place on its intended slot several weeks after the company’s Derby Sale. This week wouldn’t provide the ideal forum with which to make a definitive judgement about the introduction of this sale, but trade was of a reasonable and solid nature and surely there is better to come from this auction in course.

At its conclusion on Wednesday the sale took in just under €1.5 million for an average of €10,433 and a median price of €8,000, while the clearance rate came in at 68%. Those figures were some way of those from the previous evening but unlike the May Store Sale there was no significant wildcard catalogue to bolster proceedings and such comparisons between sales would be wide of the mark.

“It was a shame that the new July Store Sale didn’t get to take place on its original date, but we are very pleased with the trade that has been achieved throughout the day and we would like to thank all vendors and purchasers for their participation,” commented Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins.

“It has been encouraging to see so many people descend on Fairyhouse and to see strong demand. We firmly believe that this sale has a big future, and we look forward to following our graduates on the track as they fly the flag for the July Store Sale.”

A €50,000 daughter of the retired Flemensfirth held sway when selling to Michael Tobin.

The latter was acting on behalf of the Flynn family who have campaigned many high-class mares in recent decades with pride of place going to Colreevy who won the first running of the Mares’ Chase at Cheltenham earlier this year, either side of Grade 1 triumphs on home soil.

This filly was sold by Sunnyhill Stud, she is an own-sister to a listed-placed bumper runner and also a half-sister to the promising Barry Connell-trained novice hurdler Enniskerry. Further back this is the family of Voler La Vedette and Shishkin.

AMONG the busiest purchasers in attendance on Wednesday was English agent Matt Coleman and his spending was headed by a €45,000 daughter of the elite French sire Saint Des Saints.

This Springhill Stud offering is out of a half-sister to the dual Grade 1 winner Identity Thief. Coleman reported that he acting for a North of England-based client who will race and breed from this well-bred filly.

Coleman’s other spending took in a €21,000 daughter of Soldier Of Fortune who was bought for Noel Williams, and he was acting for Jonjo O’Neill when giving €20,000 for a son of Mahler related to that trainer’s top-class novice hurdler Black Jack Ketchum.

AS the sire of Buveur D’Air and Canardier, the late Crillon enjoyed notable success from limited opportunities in these parts and buyers were understandably keen to get their hands on a gelding by the Saumarez horse offered by Boardsmill Stud.

Bobby O’Ryan and Gordon Elliott tried hard to secure the grey but they came up short when leading point-to-point trainer Colin Bowe brought the price to €43,000.

One of the day’s more popular geldings was a €28,000 son of the Irish St Leger winner Sans Frontieres who was snapped up by agent Hamish Macauley. This gelding is out of a half-sister to the Stayers’ Hurdle second Time For Rupert but, more significantly, he is an own-brother to the very useful-looking English-based three-time winner Easy As That.

Towards the end of the session Aidan O’Ryan spent €26,000 on a son of the unraced Martaline horse from Railstown Stud. This half-brother to a blacktype-placed runner in France will carry the increasingly familiar colours of Pioneer Racing when he makes it to the track.

A THEME of the day was the demand for fillies and another popular one came in the shape of a €32,000 daughter of Mount Nelson who was consigned by The Paddocks on behalf of Sean Murphy.

English-based jockey and agent Jeremiah McGrath signed for this filly who is out of a mare who won seven times in France. She will go into training in England.

The late Mount Nelson supplied another taking filly from Rathturtin Stud and she fetched €31,000 when she was knocked down to point-to-point trainer Denis Murphy. Her family goes back to the Ladbroke Hurdle and Irish Arkle winner Atone.

The last of the six horses to reach the €30,000 mark on Wednesday was a Westerner gelding from Clononeen Stud who was snapped up by Largy Bloodstock. The son of the veteran Danehill horse is a half-brother to a pair of useful winners and Largy Debut who showed lots of promise to be placed in a Navan bumper back in March 2020.