On a day that began with the shock news that Gigginstown House Stud are to wind down on a scaled basis over the next few years, the Tattersalls Ireland May Store Sale concluded with a set of returns that showed an upswing on those from twelve months ago.
The first edition of this auction, which is the opening store sale of the summer months, produced a top price of €65,000 twelve months ago and while that mark was out of reach there were encouraging signs from other key indicators. The aggregate of over €2.5m was up 14 percent, the median grew by 15 percent to €15,000 while the average of €17,677 was up by 16 percent.
The star turn at this year’s sale was a €58,000 son of Getaway who was bought by Gearoid Costello. The exploits of the gelding’s sire meant that this €5,000 foal purchase was always likely to reward his connections with a notable dividend and he duly did so after Costello fended off various rivals.
“He’s a lovely horse by a high class stallion. He’s a good moving, good walking sort and the plan is for him to go point-to-point in the U.K.,” reported Costello who also forked out €45,000 on a son of Califet and €33,000 on a Mahler gelding through the first half of the day.
As the sale neared its conclusion Harley Dunne and James Doyle teamed up to give €55,000 for a son of Rail Link from Lakefield Farm who was the recipient of a useful update last month. This gelding is a half-brother to the Gordon Elliott-trained Fakiera who got his career off to a bright start with a fourth in last month’s George Mernagh Memorial Sales Bumper.
“He is a big, imposing type. We'll get him home, break him in and he'll be going point-to-pointing with a view for resale next year,” reported Dunne.
Earlier agent Matt Coleman went to €50,000 to secure a son of Sholokhov who was showing a good return on the €20,000 he cost as foal. The gelding is a half-brother to the Dan Moore Chase winner Doctor Phoenix.
“I’ve bought him for Clive Boultbee-Brooks who I bought some stores for last year. He will go back to Clive’s farm and than a decision on where he will go into training will be made in due course,” commented Coleman. “I thought that he was a beautiful horse and a super mover with a great attitude and he’s out of a mare who has already produced a high class horse.”
The €50,000 mark was also reached by Fergal O’Neill of Direct Bloodstock when he secured a Shantou gelding from John Dwan’s Ballyreddin Stud.
“He’s a lovely horse by a good, fashionable sire. He’ll be going into training with Sam Curling,” reported O’Neill who also spent €34,000 on a son of Born To Sea.
Newmarket trainer Lucy Wadham, who was underbidder on the €50,000 Sholokhov, spent €45,000 on a popular daughter of Fame And Glory and this price was matched by Harold Kirk when he signed for a gelding from the first crop of the Group 3-winning Cape Cross horse Jet Away.
“He’s a gorgeous looking horse and obviously it’s a family that has already been lucky for Willie with the dam being a half-sister to Cousin Vinny,” commented Kirk. “I would like what I’ve seen from the sire so far and he is a Cape Cross horse so that should put some speed into his mares which will make him an exciting stallion.”
Elsewhere Noel Meade spent €40,000 on a gelding by Montmartre whose dam has produced seven winners from as many runners.
“He’s a lovely, lovely model and he looks a readymade type for four-year-old bumpers next season. Hopefully he might be one for the €100,000 George Mernagh Memorial Sales Bumper next Easter,” reported Meade. “The mare has produced seven winners from as many runners and both Mags (O’Toole) and Nina (Carberry) said that we had to have him.”
YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AV Med
2019 230 196 145 2,563,200 17,677 15,000
2018 221 196 148 2,246,600 15,180 13,000
Ends
LOTS SOLD: 145
TOTAL SALES: €2,563,200
AVERAGE: €17,677
MEDIAN: €15,000
TOP PRICE: €58,000