TOP LOTS

The star turn of the highest grossing day in the history of the sale was a €325,000 son of Flemensfirth from Ballincurrig House Stud who was knocked down to Paul Nicholls. The three-year-old represented the boldest of pinhooks as he was the top priced foal at the 2015 Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale when selling to Armagh-based Patrick McCann for €110,000.

After he had seen off Aiden Murphy, Nicholls reported that he had bought the relation to Master Minded for Denamn’s part-owner Paul Barber and Paul Vogt who has previously had the likes of Zubayr in training at Ditcheat.

Earlier in the session Nicholls and Tom Malone splashed out €150,000 on a son of Presenting whose siblings include the smart novice hurdler El Bandit. He was bought for owner Colm Donlon.

OAK TREE HEADLINES

Norman and Janet Williamson achieved their best result to date in this ring when a son of Saddler Maker fell to Henry de Bromhead for €235,000. The relation to the Racing Post Chase winner Innox, who was bought privately in France as a foal, shares his sire with horses such as Apple’s Jade and Bristol De Mai.

HURRICANE FLY LEGACY

For a brief period a three-year-old son of Camelot, who has the incomparable Hurricane Fly among his siblings, had the distinction of being the highest priced lot in Land Rover history when he cost Anthony Bromley €230,000. Also a close relation of this year’s high-class bumper horse Tornado Watch, the gelding was offered by his breeder Frank Motherway’s Yellowford Farm. Back in 2009 Yellowford picked up the dam for €63,000 and the intervening period saw Hurricane Fly embark on his extraordinary Grade 1-winning spree which yielded 22 top-level victories.

GLENWOOD COUP

Dick Frisby is no stranger to pinhooking triumphs at the store sales and another one came in the shape of a €210,000 Kayf Tara gelding who cost £29,000 as a yearling. Aiden Murphy signed for the brother to the Grade 2-winning novice hurdler Constantine Bay who will be trained by his son Olly.

Another notable purchase by Murphy came in the shape of a €140,000 son of Flemensfirth from Ciaran Conroy’s Glenvale Stud.

This €37,000 foal purchase is a half-brother to the Cheltenham Festival scorer Black Hercules.

HEMMINGS’ PURCHASES

Over the course of the opening day leading owner Trevor Hemmings picked up a number of choice lots and these were headed by a €190,000 son of Jeremy out of an own-sister to the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Kicking King. The gelding was sold by Peter Molony’s Rathmore Stud on behalf of Dan Melody who paid €33,000 for the grandson of Danehill Dancer as a foal.

Much earlier in the day Hemmings, acting through David Minton, forked out €115,000 for a gelding by the late Fame And Glory. This Pine Tree Stud offering was showing a fine return on the €24,000 he cost as a foal and he is out of an own-sister to the blacktype winners Supreme Prince and Supreme Serenade.

MANISTER HOUSE

Since the late Frank Barry and his wife Liz established Manister House Stud in 1978, the Limerick farm has become a nursery of considerable renown. This year the stud offered a Beat Hollow own-brother to the exciting Hollowgraphic and the €24,000 foal eventually fell to Gordon Elliott and Aidan O’Ryan for €170,000.

Later in the opening session O’Ryan forked out €120,000 for an impressive son of Stowaway from Michael and Ciara Carty’s Kilmoney Cottage Stud who have previously sold the likes of Altior at this sale.

The €120,000 mark was also reached by Gerry Hogan, acting for Emma Lavelle and owner Nick Mustoe, when he secured a Shantou gelding from Kitty Cowhey’s Loughmore Stables.