GERRY Aherne is a familiar name at the top of the list of leading buyers at National Hunt sales and he set the early pace once more at Tuesday's Tattersalls Ireland Winter Flat & NH Sale when paying €42,000 for a Santiago half-brother to leading novice hurdler Kazansky.
However, on this occasion Aherne was acting on behalf of his own Prospect Stables rather than for his Coolmore Stud employers.
After signing for the Monroe Stables-consigned yearling, Aherne said: "He will be re-offered as a three-year-old, I really loved him, he has a great pedigree, he is by a stallion who we think is going to be very exciting. Hopefully, when we resell, the pedigree will have done a bit more again and the stallion will have done what we are expecting him to do.
"He comes from good breeders, and we have bought out of the family before and everything is good-looking, it is a family that just keeps coming back."
The yearling and Kazansky are out of the Presenting dam Regal Empress, who is an own-sister to Irish Grand National winner Thunder And Roses, Shirley Casper and a half-sister to Wrath Of Titans and Oligarch Society.
The colt was here in November but he was injured at the last minute and had to be withdrawn.
"We saw him then and is a smart, sweet horse. Was he a bit of value? We will find out in two and a half years' time!" joked the buyer.
Kazansky (by Milan) won the Grade 2 Defender Novice Hurdle Limerick's Christmas Festival and ran a fine race on Monday when second to the impressive Doctor Steinberg.
The start of Tuesday's sale was delayed by an hour due to a motorway accident and it turned out to a quiet day in the ring with just a 46% clearance rate.
National Hunt yearlings dominated the catalogue and provided all the top prices.
Pa Doyle's Galbertstown Stables sold the second and third highest-priced lots.
Acting on behalf of breeder Gay O'Gara, Galbertstown sold a colt by Jeu St Eloi out of Innisfree Beauty (by Yeats) fell to BBA Ireland’s Adam Potts for €36,000. The dam is a dual hurdle winner, and a half-sister to Galvin.
Potts said: "I am not too sure what his plan will be, but if he is going to be reoffered as a store at a sale like the Derby Sale I am sure he would stack up very well. I saw all the colts this morning and he was the one who stood out for me. I thought he was one of the nicest models; he has plenty of size, and is light on his feet. He is a very good mover and he has a good pedigree being out of a half-sister to Galvin and by Jeu St Eloi, who is producing the goods as well. He is the first by the sire that I have bought."
Galbertstown also sold a yearling filly by Nirvana Du Berlais for €30,000 to Timmy Hillman of Castledillon Stud. Bred by Liz O’Leary, the filly is already named Luna Of Glain and is the second foal out of Spirit Of Rome (by Mastercraftsman), from the family of Swinton Handicap Hurdle winner Joe Jo Star and to a Group 3 winner on the flat by Danehill Dancer.
Hillman said: "She is by a top stallion, has a pedigree with a bit of class, and she is a good sort. She is for resale."
Aubrey McMahon of Temple Bloodstock has enjoyed plenty of success on the track recently and he reinvested on Tuesday, buying a Crystal Ocean colt for €25,000 from Donie Murphy's Walshtown Stables.
McMahon revealed he had a bit of inside information. "I bought the half-sister How's Hannah, who won a bumper very impressively for us at Punchestown recently. We are hopeful that she could develop into a blacktype mare. This fellow is by Crystal Ocean, and that's a huge upgrade for the mare compared to the sires she's been getting.
"He has been bought for a client who will have the choice of reoffering as a three-year-old, and hopefully by that time the pedigree will have a big update. He is a good-sized colt - there are going to be no issues on that score. How's Hannah is over 17 hands, and I believe the Mahler [the colt’s half-brother How's Mattie] on the page is going to be a big horse."
McMahon added: "How's Hannah is with Willie Mullins and she is due to come out shortly over hurdles."