Fame And Glory
progeny in demand
A €65,000 son of the in-demand Fame And Glory emerged as the day’s top lot when selling to Aidan O’Ryan. The sire’s first crop of bumper winners, headed by the exciting Commander Of Fleet, have made quite an impact..
The sale topper, who was showing an excellent return on the €8,500 he cost as a foal, was bought by O’Ryan for a client who is likely to keep their purchase in Ireland. The gelding hails from a decent dual purpose family which includes the classy Michael O’Brien inmate Arctic Weather.
Monbeg on top
Many members of the point-to-point fraternity turned out in to source future talent and the Monbeg Stables team were especially busy. They signed for 13 horses whose cumulative cost came in at just under €330,000.
The most expensive purchase by the Monbeg operation came in the shape of a €42,000 son of Fame And Glory who was offered from Johnny Fogarty’s Gaynestown Stud. This €24,000 foal is out of an own-sister to the Coral Cup victor Ninetieth Minute.
Monbeg also signed for a €40,000 son of the English-based sire Blue Bresil who served notice of his prowess at Cheltenham where he supplied the Grand Annual winner Le Prezien along with the Champion Hurdle third Mick Jazz. The three-year-old is a half-brother to three winners in France.
Aizavoski, who supplied several good point-to-point winners earlier in the year, was responsible for a gelding who cost Monbeg €36,000. This gelding is the first produce of an Urban Ocean mare and he was providing Sean Wickham with a fine return on the €4,000 he cost as a foal.
English buyers
Nick Gifford was among the English trainers buying and, acting through leading agent Kevin Ross, he went to €42,000 for a son of Shirocco and the listed-placed jumper Gli Gli. This was a good return on his foal price of €12,000 on his last visit to the sales.
Ross and Gifford also struck for a €30,000 son of Westerner hailing from the pedigree of the Cheltenham Bumper runner-up Golden Alpha.
Kim Bailey’s spending took in a €40,000 son of Fame And Glory who was knocked down to Aiden Murphy. This gelding was out of a winning Kahyasi mare.
Leading fillies
The top priced filly in the sale was also one of the best pinhooks of the day after leading point-to-point rider Rob James spent €39,000 on a Stowaway half-sister to the Grade 2-placed Mullaghanoe River. She was picked up for just €4,500 as a foal.
Another featured filly was a daughter of Mount Nelson for whom Denis Murphy and Colin Bowe went to €37,000. The Heather Kemp-owned filly, who shares her sire with some high-class flat horses and the Stayers’ Hurdle victor Penhill, is a half-sister to the very smart juvenile hurdler Secret Edge.
High profile lots
Shirocco was responsible for several of the highest priced lots in the sale and, aside from the €42,000 gelding bought for Nick Gifford, the Monsun horse was also responsible for a gelding who cost Paul Cashman €40,000. His family goes back to the likes of Direct Route and Galmoy. Another popular Shirocco was a half-brother to the Cheltenham Festival runner-up African Gold who was snapped up by Monbeg Stables.
The second last lot to sell on Tuesday evening was a son of Arakan and Ray Fitzgerald had to give €32,000 to secure the half-brother to Monbeg Rose.
WHAT THEY SAID
“I’ve been able to buy three and it’s lovely trade. It may be six weeks earlier than Part II of the Derby Sale but the right people are here, they are buying horses and they are looking to get some value early in the season. The main thing is horses are selling and there’s plenty of people here to buy them.” Tom Malone, bloodstock agent
“From what I’ve seen with the horses that we have followed in to try and buy it has been fairly strong trade. You’d have to say it bodes well for the next number of weeks.” Kevin Ross, bloodstock agent
“I bought a Fame And Glory early in the day and then got outbid for the top lot later on. I would say that demand is good and competitive for the right horses.”
Aiden Murphy, bloodstock agent