FOR 12 years the record price for the Derby Sale had stood at €350,000 but it was all change this year as a Milan half-brother to Altior sold to Aiden Murphy, acting for M.V. Magnier, for €365,000. This represented a pinhooking triumph for Ballyreddin Stud’s John Dwan who paid €40,000 for the gelding at the 2015 November National Hunt Sale.
Altior has gone on an unbeaten 14-race streak which has taken in three consecutive victories at the Cheltenham Festival and the chance to buy his sibling made a record price likely.
Murphy’s buys
THE high point of the opening session was provided by a €250,000 Kayf Tara gelding who was knocked down to Aiden Murphy. The €42,000 foal was sold by Norman and Janet Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm and he was bought by Murphy on behalf of Barbara Hester. The agent’s son, Olly, will train the relation to Un Atout, Sir Des Champs and Sous Les Cieux.
The following afternoon Murphy was again acting for a client of his son’s when giving €240,000 for a Martaline gelding out of a listed-placed French jumper. From the sale’s leading consignors Ballincurrig House Stud, this gelding was showing a cracking return on the €45,000 he cost as a foal.
Murphy also forked out €200,000 for a son of No Risk At All, for an English client. The gelding is a half-brother to high-class novice hurdler Vision Des Flos and to the 2017 €175,000 Land Rover Sale-topper Umndeni who won his bumper first time out last season. This grandson of My Risk was consigned by Walter Connors’ Sluggara Farm.
Redpender gold
JIMMY Murphy’s Redpender Stud has enjoyed some memorable Derby Sales in years gone by but few, if any, could match 2018 as the farm’s two-horse draft grossed €390,000. The first Redpender offering was a son of Stowaway and the smart Shop Dj and he was snapped up by leading owner Trevor Hemmings for €190,000, which represented a fine return on the €42,000 he cost as a foal.
Within an hour that price was surpassed by a Presenting gelding from Redpender for whom Gordon Elliott had to go to €200,000. The €40,000 foal is out of a four-times winner and he comes from a family that goes back to Klairon Davis.
Elliott also gave €120,000 for a Court Cave half-brother to his high-profile inmates Prince Of Scar and Folsom Blue and he also signed for a €170,000 son of Vision D’Etat. The latter was bought privately as a foal in France by Johnny Collins and his half-brother Cilaos Emery has since won at Grade 1 level for Willie Mullins.
Malone stocks up
TOM Malone’s spending took in a number of six-figure transactions and these were headed by a €155,000 son of Martaline out of Dermot Weld’s triple stakes winner Reform Act.
Malone was then acting for Paul Nicolls when he gave €105,000 for a Westerner three-year-old related to Swamp Fox and €120,000 for a Shantou half-brother to the talented bumper horse Bordini.
Fame And Fortune
AFTER a superb season with his first National Hunt runners, the late Fame And Glory has been all the rage at this year’s sales and that trend was in evidence throughout the two days. All 22 lots on offer by the sire were sold and they returned an impressive €82,909 average.
His leading representative was a half-brother to the useful Down Ace who was snapped up by Joseph O’Brien for €185,000.
This gelding was offered by Glenvale Stud having been picked up for €40,000 as a foal.
Fame And Glory also supplied the first six-figure transaction of this year’s sale which came when Kevin Ross forked out €160,000 for a relation to the Coral Cup winner Ninetieth Minute. The Manister House Stud offering fetched €46,000 as a foal on his previous visit to the sales ring.
Maker in demand
AS expected, the progeny of the late Saddler Maker were in some demand and foremost among these was a €165,000 gelding from Sluggara Farm.
Henry de Bromhead stuck for the relation to the Hennessy Gold Cup winner Triolo D’Alene.
The following evening de Bromhead went to €135,000 to secure a Milan half-brother to his resurgent dual Grade 1 scorer Identity Thief.
Magnier purchases
AS well as buying the sale-topper, M.V. Magnier picked up a number of other choice offerings, headed by the sale’s top-priced filly which came in the shape of a €140,000 daughter of Flemensfirth. A €21,000 foal purchase by John Bleahen, this filly is out of a listed-placed half-sister to the Irish Grand National winner Thunder And Roses and the Kerry National scorer Wrath Of Titans.
The returns for the various fillies on offer over the two days improved on last year which was another positive to emerge from this week. Among the others bought by Magnier were a €130,000 son of Stowaway hailing from Ken Parkhill’s Castletown Quarry Stud and a €125,000 Kayf Tara gelding out of a half-sister to the Group 2-winning Please Sing.
Last but not least
HER position as the last lot into the ring did nothing to detract from the appeal of a Jeremy filly, belonging to Peter and Maria Byrne, who cost Noel Meade €110,000. She is a half-sister to last season’s Grade 3-winning novice Mystic Theatre and the listed scorer Morello Royale.
Another prized filly was a €90,000 daughter of Doyen who was knocked down to Matt Coleman. She has the very smart Global Citizen amongst her siblings and was bought for that one’s owner Andrew Megson.