Three months later than scheduled the Tattersalls Ireland May Store Sale finally took place on Tuesday and, after a trying time of things in 2020, the auction bounced back with quite a strong set of results headed by a record priced top lot of €115,000.

For the second year in succession this sale, initially due to be the first of the summer’s store sales, was delayed by a number of months due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. However, this year’s edition took place against a somewhat more positive backdrop than was the case 12 months ago and it was also substantially bolstered by a strong wildcard catalogue that produced a number of the day’s highest priced lots.

The six-figure mark had never come under threat during the previous three renewals of this sale but it was all change today as a much sought after Blue Bresil half-brother to the Welsh National second The Two Amigos sold to agent Aiden Murphy for €115,000. The Rathbarry Stud offering – a £26,000 purchase at the 2019 Yorton Sale – will carry the colours of Grahame and Diana Whateley, who have previously campaigned the likes of Captain Chris and Menorah, and he will be trained by Olly Murphy.

“He is the one I really wanted today. He is a lovely horse and has a pedigree and is just a great advertisement for the sire, he is for Diana and Grahame Whateley and Olly will train him,” confirmed Murphy whose purchase also comes from the family of the smart Sizing Pottsie.

In 2020 a price of €40,000 was good enough to top this sale but that mark was bettered on a number of occasions and another to surpass that mark was a €50,000 daughter of Soldier Of Fortune who was knocked down to Harold Kirk. This filly is out of a winning half-sister to the very smart chaser Gold Present.

“She has been bought on behalf of Ross and Peter Doyle. She is for a new client of the Doyles but may well end up in training with Willie Mullins. She has size and scope and is the nicest filly here today,” commented Kirk.

As well as signing for the day’s top lot Aiden Murphy made a number of other notable contributions to the session as he picked up a couple of taking sorts for his son Olly. These included a €48,0000 son of Kayf Tara and a €40,000 daughter of Walk In The Park, both of whom were bought on spec.

Trainer John Joseph Murphy has had plenty of quality jumpers through his hands in the past, such as Classified and Take Control, and he was busy securing future talent with his spending taking in a €46,000 son of Al Namix, a €45,000 Soldier Of Fortune gelding and a €40,000 son of Yeats. The trainer indicated that his purchases could initially begin their career in the point-to-point field.

The day finished on quite a high when a son of the late Adlerflug, the sire of last year’s Arc de Triomphe second In Swoop and this season’s high class three-year-old Alenquer, fetched €72,000 when knocked down to Tom Malone. From Elms Bloodstock and the last lot into the ring, this gelding is out of a half-sister to the German Group 2 winner Itobo.

Figures

YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AV Med

2021 262 211 164 2,851,200 17,385 15,000

2020 234 170 99 1,200,900 12,130 9,000

2019 230 196 145 2,563,200 17,677 15,000

2018 221 196 148 2,246,600 15,180 13,000