CONFIDENCE must be high at Tattersalls Ireland ahead of next week’s Derby Sale, held in partnership with MSL Mercedes-Benz, following a fantastic season for graduates and strong trade at the preceding Goffs Arkle Sale.
Headline acts over the past 12 months included Brighterdaysahead, Croke Park, Final Demand, Jonbon, Kopek Des Bordes and Romeo Coolio. Mersey Novices’ Hurdle winner Honesty Policy advertised the value that can be found at the Derby Sale, where he was sourced by Pat Doyle’s Suirview Stables from Glenwood Stud for €35,000.
Another of the 14 Derby Sale graduates to win a Grade 1 during the 2024/2025 season was Lecky Watson, much to the delight of Whytemount Stud, who offer his half-brother by Affinisea next week. The catalogue also features siblings of Bob Olinger, Conflated, Final Demand, Gaelic Warrior, Hello Neighbour and Majborough.
A Doctor Dino brother to Brighterdaysahead topped the 2024 renewal at €350,000, bought by Gordon Elliott, followed by a Harzand gelding knocked down to Tom Malone and Paul Nicholls for €185,000. Fenloe House will be hoping his Yeats half-brother proves as popular next week.
The top price was the highest paid for a store horse in 2024 and the joint second highest-priced store of all time. However, other key statistics declined, with the average price falling 11% to €47,841, while the median dropped to €38,000. The clearance rate fell by two points to 79%.
High point
The point-to-point fraternity proved strong, with Monbeg Stables accumulating the highest spend at €1,264,000, while Colin Bowe’s Milestone Bloodstock finished third with €469,000. Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins (€450,000) and Gordon Elliott (€435,000) were close behind, but the highest spending trainer was Paul Nicholls, who combined with Tom Malone to buy six horses for €740,000.
Eight consignors came away with upwards of €500,000, the table topped by John Bleahen’s Lakefield Farm, who sold 10 lots for €651,000.
Walk In The Park topped the sires’ table 12 months ago and has 33 lots catalogued this year, only bettered in numbers by Blue Bresil at 34. Other sires represented include Cokoriko, Crystal Ocean, Doctor Dino, Harzand, Jukebox Jury, Maxios, Nirvana Du Berlais, No Risk At All, Poet’s Word and Saint Des Saints.
There are 449 lots catalogued for the two-day sale, up from 406 last year. A further 201 lots feature in the Derby Sale Part II, which returns for the first time since 2017, and takes place on Friday, June 27th. Another new development this year is the partnership with MSL Mercedes-Benz, who will present a brand-new Mercedes-Benz GLC to the vendor of the winning horse of the Tattersalls Ireland MSL Mercedes-Benz Sales Bumper. All horses catalogued and offered at the 2025 Derby Sale are eligible for the €100,000 contest, which will be run at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival on December 28th, 2026.
Lot 14: Affinisea half-brother to Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase winner Lecky Watson
Lot 19: Blue Bresil gelding out of multiple Grade 1 winner Asian Maze
Lot 35: Walk In The Park half-sister to Grade 1 winner Slate House
Lot 131: Crystal Ocean half-brother to two blacktype horses, out of a Presenting own-sister to First Lieutenant
Lot 152: Shirocco gelding is a full-brother to Grade 3 performer Global Equity. Also a half-brother to dual Grade 3 winner and Grade 1 performer Search For Glory
Lot 162: Kamsin half-brother to dual Grade 1 winner Home By The Lee
Lot 180: Full-brother to listed winner Getaway Gorgeous and half-brother to dual Grade 3 winner Rock The Kasbah
Lot 184: Crystal Ocean out of a Grade 3-winning Supreme Leader mare
Lot 187: Walzertakt half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Majborough
Lot 189: Walk In The Park half-sister to Grade 1 chaser Lifetime Ambition, out of a listed-winning own-sister to J’y Vole
Lot 241: No Risk At All half-sister to Irish Grand National victor and Grade 1 performer Burrows Saint
Lot 246: Gelding by Golaith Du Berlais (Saint des Saints) is a brother to dual Grade 3 winner Sainte Saone (Saint des Saints)
Lot 256: Jukebox Jury half-sister to three blacktype horses including Grade 1 hurdler Minella Crooner
Lot 257: Crystal Ocean half-sister to two Grade 3 winners, one of which is Grade 1 performer My Mate Mozzie
Lot 310: Crystal Ocean half-sister to a Grade 3 winner, out of a listed-winning half-sister to multiple Grade 1 scorer Bob Olinger
Lot 328: Blue Bresil half-brother to Grade 1 horses Stattler and Might I
Lot 331: Masked Marvel half-brother to four blacktype horses including multiple Grade 1 winner Mauricius
Lot 334: Crystal Ocean gelding out of dual Grade 1 winner Petite Parisienne
Lot 336: Walk In The Park half-sister to Ballycasey, who won a Grade 1 chase and four more graded chases
Lot 338: Walk In The Park gelding out of a three-time listed winner. Sold for €85,000 as a foal, while his full-brother fetched €100,000
Lot 340: Cokoriko half-brother to three blacktype horses led by Grade 1-winning chaser Black Corton
Lot 345: Gelding by Free Eagle (High Chaparral) is half-brother to a listed winner, out of a blacktype half-sister to the top-class Altior (High Chaparral)
Lot 399: Poet’s Word half-sister to Grade 1 Aintree Novices’ Hurdle winner Belfast Banter
Lot 432: Blue Bresil half-brother to Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase victor Handstands
Lot 449: Jet Away half-brother to brilliant novice hurdler Final Demand, out of a mare that won two Grade 3 hurdles and placed in a Grade 1
Lot 451: Poet’s Word half-brother to Grade 2 runner-up Wild Romance
Lot 462: Getaway gelding out of a listed-winning Kayf Tara mare
Lot 465: Mahler gelding is a full-brother to Grade 3-winning chaser Notachance
Lot 482: Blue Bresil gelding out of a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Slate House, from the family of Big Buck’s
Lot 495: Maxios gelding out of a full-sister to a listed winner and Grade 1 performer. Dam is also a half-sister to Master Minded
Lot 500: Poet’s Word filly out of a listed winner who placed at Grade 2 level. Dam is also a full-sister to a Grade 3 winner
Lot 573: Order Of St George gelding out of a Beneficial half-sister to Ferny Hollow and Mirazur West
Lot 576: Snow Sky gelding is a full-brother to talented dual-purpose mare Sixandahalf, who placed in the Irish Cesarewitch and Grade 2 Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival
Lot 605: Yeats gelding out of a half-sister to Lord Windermere (Oscar) and Sub Lieutenant (Brian Boru)
Lot 643: Linda’s Lad half-brother to Generous Risk, who sold for £250,000 after winning his point-to-point impressively
Lot 633: Poet’s Word filly out of a listed-winning hurdler from the family of Marcus Du Berlais