GERRY Aherne is well acquainted with being in the spotlight at any sale of National Hunt stock, and he was in that position again at this week’s one-day Tattersalls Winter Flat and National Hunt Sale. While he normally occupies that position with a son of Walk In The Park, this time it was with a yearling son of Santiago, signed for in the name of his family’s Prospect Stables.

“He is not for my employers, but for ourselves,” he explained after spending €42,000 on the half-brother to Monday’s DRF Grade 1 runner-up Kazansky. “He will be re-offered as a three-year-old. I really loved him, he has a great pedigree, and he is by a stallion who we think is going to be very exciting.” The Monroe Stables-consigned colt was bred by William O’Gorman.

Aherne continued: “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 The colt was at Tattersalls Ireland in November, but he was injured at the last minute and had to be withdrawn.

“We saw him then and he is a smart, sweet horse,” added Aherne. “Was he a bit of value? We will find out in two and a half years’ time!” The colt’s twice-raced Presenting dam Regal Empress is an own-sister to the Irish Grand National winner Thunder And Roses and Grade 3 hurdle winner and Grade 1 bumper-placed Shirley Casper, and a half-sister to the Kerry National winner Wrath Of Titans and the listed hurdle winner Oligarch Society.

The son of Santiago is a half-brother to two winners, both blacktype performers. His sibling Kazansky, by Milan, won a Grade 2 at Limerick at Christmas before putting in a fine effort on his first foray into Grade 1 company, chasing home a Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale graduate Doctor Steinberg at Leopardstown.

Tough day

Though billed as the Winter Flat and National Hunt Sale, Tuesday’s catalogue at Tattersalls Ireland comprised young stock whose future in life lies over jumps. A smaller catalogue than 12 months ago contained few stars, though the standout lots sold well.

However, 77 horses returned home unsold while just 67 found changed address, and this clearance rate of 47% fell six points from the disappointing figure recorded in 2025. A tough day at the office was acknowledged by the company CEO Simon Kerins, who said: “Trade was selective as was evident with the clearance rate, however there was good demand for particular types. It was pleasing to see some Eastern European presence, purchasing at least six lots, but it would be remiss not to say that it wasn’t challenging at a certain level of the market.”

Sales companies cannot create a demand for horses that the market clearly doesn’t want, and 13 lots on Tuesday failed to sell when they could not attract the minimum bid of €1,000. With the costs involved in sending stock such as these to the sale, perhaps a minimum bid of €2,000 should be considered. Five lots sold for less than that figure, while a further eight were unsold. These 26 lots in total represented nearly a fifth of the total on offer.

PA DOYLE’S Galbertstown Stables had mixed luck on Tuesday. With five lots on offer, the team had to load three of the draft to bring them home, but the two that they sold were the second and third-best prices at the sale.

First up was a son of Glenview Stud’s Jeu St Eloi, an hour into selling, and he held the lead for a couple of hours only. He sold on behalf of breeder Gay O’Gara to Adam Potts of BBA Ireland for €36,000. The colt is out of a winning half-sister to Grade 1 chase winner Galvin, the best horse bred by O’Gara at his Castlefergus Stud.

“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,” said Potts, recently returned from a sales trip to the southern hemisphere.

“I saw all the colts this morning and he was the one who stood out for me and 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.”

The colt’s dam raced for O’Gara and Sean O’Brien, trained by Ciaran Murphy, and won over hurdles at Sligo and Kilbeggan.

Later in the session, Galbertstown supplied the best-priced filly on the day, a daughter of Nirvana Du Berlais who caught the attention of Castledillon Stud’s Timmy Hillman, seated for the bidding exchange. She sold, on behalf of Liz O’Leary, for €30,000, and the French-bred is already name, Luna Of Glain. already named Luna Of Glain, this chestnut filly by Nirvana Du Berlais is bought by Timmy Hillman from Galbertstown Stables for €30,000.

The filly is the second foal out of dual hurdle winner Spirit Of Rome, a daughter of Mastercraftsman who is a half-sister to the Haydock Grade 3 Swinton Hurdle winner Joe Jo Star, and to Venturi, a Group 3 winner at two of the Park Stakes at the Curragh.

“She is by a top stallion, has a pedigree with a bit of class, and she is a good sort,” said Hillman. “She will be reoffered.”

BASED in Boston, owner John Murray owns Cloughmoyle Stud in Shinrone, Co Offaly. He ended up at the leading purchaser at the sale when his outlay of €49,000 secured two yearling colts, sons of Poet’s Word and Jukebox Jury.

Offered from Ballintry Stud as agent, the son of Boardsmill’s Poet’s Word was the more expensive of the pair, bringing €27,000, while the Jukebox Jury sold from The Glebe Farm.

John Crawley bred the Poet’s Word, while Nigel Kirkwood is the registered breeder of the Jukebox Jury.

Murray was accompanied at the sale by Liam Cusack, who did the bidding, and after he purchased the son of Jukebox Jury with a single bid, the trainer explained the rationale behind the purchases. “They are not making Jukebox Jurys anymore. Gavin Cromwell’s Jeremys Flame [Grade 3-winning chaser and Grade 1 runner-up in the Tolworth Hurdle] is there under the second dam. This is a nice individual and we have one or two by the sire we like.

“John is my main client really, and this colt has been bought to race. It is a project but we have a few coming each year, and this is an affordable option. [Racing in Ireland] is premier league stuff and there are a lot of good horses in this country, and this way in suits us. We bought three before Christmas, a Harzand [€62,000], a Poet’s Word [€68,000] and a Tirwanako [€27,000] at the Tattersalls Ireland November Sale. They are all doing very well as sires.”

THIRTEEN lots sold for €20,000 or more at the sale, and four of the five lots by Crystal Ocean sold made it onto that list. Three of the quartet were yearlings, while one was among a small number of two-year-olds in the catalogue.

The first by Crystal Ocean sold was bought by Aubrey McMahon’s Temple Bloodstock for €25,000 from Donie Murphy’s Walshtown Stables, selling on behalf of Tim Townend.

“I bought the half-sister How’s Hannah who won a bumper very impressively for us at Punchestown recently, and she’s by Sans Frontieres,” said McMahon. “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.

“She has been bought for a client who will have the option of reoffering as a three-year-old. By that time, hopefully, 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.” How’s Hannah won a point-to-point for Townend before joining Willie Mullins, for whom his children Paul and Jody ride. How’s Hannah is due to come out shortly over hurdles.”