BRITISH trainer Tom Lacey bought three of the top lots during day one of the Tattersalls Ireland August NH Sale.
By 5.15pm, 112 of the 183 lots offered had been sold. This equates to a clearance rate of over 61% which is ahead of the 60% posted on the corresponding day (in July) last year.
Lacey spent €55,000 on a son of Nirvana Du Berlais from Creighmore Stables. The pedigree benefits from a recent update - his half-sister Alicious (Pastorius) won the fillies' bumper on her career debut at Wexford last Saturday for Willie Mullins.
"We'll get him home and break him in, see how we go," said Lacey. "There's a bit of sorting out to do, but there's every option with him but he will probably be produced for resale, he has been bought for a group of owners.
"I just thought he was a lovely individual by a good sire, and he has that lovely recent pedigree update. I'm very happy to get him and thought he was one of the standout lots here today. We haven't had any by the sire, but he is pretty good, isn't he?"
Lacey will have six in his point-to-point division for the new season, and he shared some thoughts on UK point-to-pointing.
"Hopefully the authorities will have a good sort out now – it is just important that those in power put on the right races at the right time of year and give us a platform to showcase these horses. We do have this GB Bonus Scheme for the four, five and six-year-old maidens, which is obviously a good incentive and it would be good to build on that."
A short time later Lacey spent €45,000 on a three-year-old In Swoop gelding from Moanmore Stables. The dam, a winner over hurdles, has already bred a dual point-to-point winner. Lacey also gave €32,000 for a gelding by Success Days from Coolaught Stud.
Bulgin buys
Toby Bulgin, who trains in Lambourn, spent €50,000 on a gelding by Soldier Of Fortune consigned by Walshtown Stables on behalf of Gavin Coleman.
“I think he is one of the nicest horses of the day, and my heart was set on him," the purchaser reported. "He'll probably run in a bumper at some stage and then we'll look to resell. I don't think he's too backward, it is very hard to know until you get them home and you do something with them.
"I would hope he'd run in the spring before the ground goes off. He’ll do plenty of work and then he'll have a couple of easy gallops around Kempton and we'll take it from there. That's our usual plan."
In 2025 Bulgin sold his Cheltenham bumper winner Poetisa to Gigginstown House Stud for £300,000.
The Soldier Of Fortune gelding bought by Bulgin on Wednesday is from the family of Grade 1 winner Slate House and the brilliant staying hurdler Big Buck's.
McMahon purchase
Aubrey McMahon was delighted to secure a son of Nirvana Du Berlais for €42,000. Already named New Post Karwin, the grey was consigned by Johnny Collins' Brown Island Stables and is related to Yanworth, a dual Grade 1 winner for Alan King.
"I thought he was the nicest horse I’ve seen over the last few days and Plan A was to buy him," McMahon said: "I went to bed last night thinking he was the one I wanted and hoping we could get him. We had competition and I think we were probably at our ceiling, so it’s great to come out on the right side of the battle. I’ve bought him for Kingdom Bloodstock and he will probably go to Pat Doyle.
“He’s the right size, by an exciting sire who has produced two Grade 1 winners from his first crop. If [this one] produces the goods, he’d look well walking around the sale ring at Cheltenham! He’s the first horse I’ve bought from Johnny Collins, who sold plenty of good horses over the years, and hopefully this one will be lucky for us.”
Collins added: "I bought him as a foal in France. He was to come to the Derby Sale, but got a cut in a fetlock so had to miss his date. He is a fine horse and perhaps a bit of a stand out today.”
Crystal Ocean
Cian Collins continues to strengthen his string and his latest acquisition is a son of Crystal Ocean from Cormac Farrell's Copper Beech Stud who cost €40,000. The gelding is related to the Champion Chase winner Sizing Europe.
"He is a lovely horse. For me he is the nicest horse I have seen here today," said Collins. "I have no client at the moment, but I will get him home. He's a lovely horse and I love him. I haven't had one before by Crystal Ocean and it is nice to get one. They certainly done well and we've only heard good news about them. We will keep all options open, but the plan will be to point-to-point and then go for resale. Hopefully we can get to a Cheltenham sale.”
Top price during the morning session was the €38,000 paid by Jerry McGrath (on behalf of Ballyea Farm) for a Jukebox Jury filly.
Consigned by the Russell family's Eli Creek House, the three-year-old is out of a German-bred maiden by Sea The Moon.
McGrath said: "I suppose a Jukebox Jury filly was one of the main characteristics for me. I am a big fan of the sire. I bought Holloway Queen and she won at the Cheltenham Festival for us this year. He passed and is a big loss for the industry. Hopefully this filly is lucky.
"She might head to the racetrack or she might go point-to-pointing first. She could even be for resale at some stage. The new owner is a trader, and she is staying in Ireland for the time being, I think."
Asked if his purchase represented good value, McGrath added: "Yeah, I think she's one of those, you know, if she was in a select sale that she might have made more. The vendor was very keen to give her more time. She's a very racy filly, and a filly we're looking forward to."
As day one came to a close, Eric McNamara and Robert Tyner were also among the day's leading buyers, with three purchases each.