THE first graduates of the Tattersalls Ireland July Store Sale are just seven-year-olds, but already, the sale has carved a reputation as a source for value graded performers. Last season was the sale’s best, with graded victories for five graduates that cost a combined €55,000.

The sale takes place on Wednesday, July 23rd and Thursday, July 24th, with proceedings getting underway at 10am each morning.

This year’s Scottish Grand National Festival at Ayr was a terrific advertisement for the sale, with the £200,000 feature and Scottish Champion Hurdle won by horses bought for just €7,500 apiece.

Previously a Grade 2 winner over hurdles, Scottish National victor Captain Cody was bought by Colin McBratney’s Templeburn Stables from Jamie Codd’s Churchlands Stables. Ewan Whillans himself sourced Cracking Rhapsody from Hamford Stud and the six-year-old has since won seven of his 16 starts and amassed over £200,000 in prize money.

The Wallpark looks a graded winner in waiting, too, after his fine third in the Grade 1 Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. The Gordon Elliott-trained son of Ask had finished fourth in the Long Walk Hurdle, while his previous four starts were winning ones, including a valuable listed win at the Galway Festival.

Sold at the inaugural sale by Clonmethan Farm, The Wallpark brought €15,500 from Vincent Ward, for whom he placed twice before reselling for £65,000.

Other July Store Sale graduates to have rewarded connections in the ring include Tip Of The Wings, who was sold by Cabragh Lodge to Inish Stables for €4,000 and, after making a winning debut at Daramona House for Johnny Berry, resold for £95,000 to Gordon Elliott.

In the money

Matthew Flynn O’Connor picked up Max’d Out from the Glen Stables draft last year for €8,000 and resold the Maxios gelding for £65,000 after winning a four-year-old maiden at Loughanmore.

Garrett Murphy achieved an impressive return with his four-year-old winner Only By Night, who he bought from Rathkenty Stud for €13,500. The Affinisea mare resold for £110,000 and has proven progressive over fences, winning her first three chase starts, including at listed and Grade 2 level, and subsequently went close in the Grade 1 Arkle Novice Chase.

Runner-up in the Grade 1 novice chase at the Punchestown Festival, she was one of two July Store Sale graduates to achieve notable success for Gavin Cromwell last season. Stablemate The King of PRS, bought from Whitebarn Stud for €6,500, won a Grade 3 win in January.

Like many bargain buys, some of those listed above are by sires deemed unfashionable in today’s cut-throat market, but that’s not to say that leading sires are not well-represented next week.

The catalogue features the progeny of Blue Bresil, Goliath Du Berlais, Harzand, Masked Marvel, Affinisea, Crystal Ocean, Jukebox Jury, Maxios, Order Of St George, Poet’s Word, Tunis and Walk In The Park, among others.

All catered for

Top-class mares also feature in the 580-lot catalogue, 61 of which are wildcards. They include the first foals out of Grade 1 winner Black Tears (Lot 59, a filly by Mastercraftsman) and Cabaret Queen, winner of the Kerry and Munster Nationals (Lot 79, a filly by Cokoriko).

The Hillstar gelding out of Grade 1 heroine Voler La Vedette (Lot 556) is a half-brother to Show In The Sky, who bolted up by 11 lengths at Tinahely on his sole start to date. Hazarista, a half-sister to Harzand who placed in the Irish and Yorkshire Oaks, has now been switched to the National Hunt and her Malinas gelding features as Lot 225.

Burgage Stud are set to offer 10 lots, including a Jukebox Jury filly out of an own-sister to Briar Hill (Lot 65) and a Poet’s Word half-sister to talented chaser Ben Dundee (Lot 351).

Galbertstown Stables set the tone of the 13-strong consignment with a Maxios half-brother to Grade 3 winner Our Champ (Lot 3), while their later lots include a Sumbal half-sister to three graded performers (Lot 523).

Grange Stables’ draft features an Old Persian half-sister to Grade 1 chaser Mortal, out of dual Grade 2 scorer Pomme Tiepy (Lot 427). Other well-related fillies catalogued include granddaughters of Blazing Liss (Lot 61) and Parisienne (Lot 114), as well as relatives of Harchibald (Lot 223) and Shattered Love (Lot 529).

Highlights of the opposite sex include a Harzand gelding out of a half-sister to Labaik (Lot 4), Affinisea gelding out of a half-sister to Hidden Cyclone (Lot 238), Order Of St George gelding out of a blacktype mare (Lot 306) and a Maxios half-brother to talented dual-purpose performer The Very Man (Lot 341).

While the vast majority of the catalogue are three-year-olds, four are four-year-olds and six are two-year-olds. The number entered is on par with 2024, when the average price was €9,040, median was €6,500 and clearance rate came in at 60%.

Trade was topped by an Order Of St George gelding from Mount Eaton Stud, knocked down to Ballycrystal Stables and Ger O’Connor for €65,000, marking a fine return on his foal price of €23,000.

All horses offered at this week’s sale are eligible for the Tattersalls Ireland MSL Mercedes-Benz Sales Bumper, which will be run at Leopardstown on December 28th, 2026.