A €50,000 yearling son of Blue Bresil, who was bred by Robert Waley-Cohen, headed the opening day of the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale which began its six-day run on Saturday.

The number of yearlings on offer dropped by just under 50% from 2021 which meant that the auction got off to a relatively low-key beginning.

The smaller numbers boosted the average and median but activity at the head of the market couldn’t match last year when seven yearlings made €50,000 as opposed to just one this time around.

At the conclusion of the session the aggregate came in at €725,150 which was a decrease of 54% on last year. The average of €16,114 was up 21% and the median grew by 60% to €14,000 but the clearance rate fell from 69% to 48%.

While this represented a quiet start to the sale trade can be expected to improve dramatically from Sunday morning onwards when the foal section of the sale, which spans four and a half days, gets underway.

Blue Bresil yearling

The day’s top lot was sold by Mill House Stud and he was bought by point-to-point man Michael Murphy of Redbridge Stables after his bid of €52,000 proved sufficient to see off Johnny Collins for the son of Constitution Hill’s sire.

This gelding is out of a winning Kayf Tara mare whose dam is the Cheltenham Festival heroine Liberthine and the latter is a half-sister to the Waley-Cohen-owned Gold Cup hero Long Run.

Ian Ferguson often contends for many of the top lots at this sale and he made an early impression when forking out €40,000 for a Soldier Of Fortune half-brother to the high class Mouse Morris-trained handicap chaser Foxy Jacks.

A return to the sales ring is the plan for a son of Gentlewave from Mill House for whom Timmy Hillman had to give €37,000. This gelding is the first produce of a dual winner and listed-placed French jumper. Further back this is the family of Smad Place.

“He’s a lovely horse from a nice jumping family and he’ll be back for sale as a three-year-old. He’s a very good moving sort and you could see him making up into a lovely three-year-old,” reported Hillman.

A Poet’s Word gelding from Longview Stud also caught Hillman’s eye and he too fetched €37,000. This grandson of Poet’s Voice is out of an own-sister to the Cheltenham winner Ballynagour.

Minton busy

David Minton was busy securing a number of the day’s most popular yearlings and these were headed by a €32,000 son of the Dubawi horse Dartmouth who was offered from Ballincurrig House Stud. Minton also spent €31,000 on a Walk In The Park filly related to Clondaw Warrior and he gave €28,000 for a son of Crystal Ocean.

A Milan half-brother to the Grade 1-winning Slade House cost Springhill Stud €32,000 and this price was matched by S J Bloodstock for a son of Crystal Ocean whose first crop of foals proved to be such a sought-after commodity at this sale last year.

COMPARATIVE FIGURES

YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGGREGATE AVERAGE MEDIAN

2022 113 93 45 €725,150 €16,114 €14,000

2021 202 174 120 €1,598,850 €13,324 €8,750

2020 44 28 14 €128,600 €9,186 €3,600

2019 107 85 41 €535,200 €13,054 €9,000

2018 153 124 63 €772,300 €12,259 €8,000