THE Tattersalls Ireland February Sale takes place next week and a recent high-class runner to emerge from the sale is last weekend’s Ascot Grade 3 Matchbook Holloway’s Hurdle winner Ballymoy. Bought for €15,500 by Ian Ferguson from breeder Emlyn Patterson, Ballymoy ran twice for the handler and finished third and fourth in point-to-points. He was then sent to the Goffs UK Spring Sale and snapped up by Nigel Twiston-Davies for £75,000.

Third on his racecourse debut in a bumper, Ballymoy then had his attention turned to hurdling. He has won six of his eight starts in that code, being beaten only on his debut when fifth to Kalashnikov and when fourth, five lengths behind Global Citizen, is a listed race at Newbury. He has more than rewarded connections for their investment, banking more than £125,000 to date.

Ballymoy is the best of the pair of winners produced by John’s Eliza (Dr Massini). She was trained for John Patterson by Jessica Harrington and she won a bumper at Kilbeggan and a maiden hurdle at Gowran Park. The first winner for John’s Eliza was Sierra Oscar (Robin Des Champs) and last year that gelding’s full-brother sold at the Goffs Land Rover Sale to Gerry Hogan for €70,000.

Ballymoy’s grandam Clashwilliam Girl (Seymour Hicks) was bred by Airlie Stud and she was a very sound racemare, facing the starter no fewer than 38 times. She won a bumper and three hurdle races and was placed 18 times but this was back in the nineties and all her efforts then resulted in prizemoney of just £22,000. At stud she had eight foals, half of which ran. Just two won and the other successful runner was Invictus, like Ballymoy a son of Flemensfirth (Alleged).

Invictus sold as a foal in 2006 for €24,000 when the eldest crop by his sire were seven. By that time his winners already included the likes of Total Enjoyment, Joe Lively and Ponmeoath. After winning a point-to-point as a four-year-old Invictus was purchased for £162,000 at the Ascot Cheltenham Sale in April by Highflyer Bloodstock, going on to win over hurdles and three times over fences, notably landing the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novice Chase at Ascot.

Breeders, stallion masters and readers are invited to contact Leo Powell at leopowell@theirishfield.ie with news and updates for the column, and to visit our website www.theirishfield.ie for daily breeding news