The first live Irish bloodstock auction of 2023 got off to a satisfactory start as Tuesday’s single session Tattersalls Ireland February NH Sale was topped by a son of Walk In The Park who sold for €49,000.

Trade was tough at the lower levels, however, and that was reflected in the 53% clearance rate.

The sale closed out with an aggregate of €1,643,500, an average of €12,451 and a median of €8,500.

Like many pinhookers Dick Frisby is keen to get his hands on as many youngsters by Walk In The Park as he can and he added the sale topper to his squad for the 2025 summer store sales.

Frisby faced plenty of competition for Liam Flavin’s yearling who was consigned by Walshstown Stables but the gavel eventually fell in Frisby’s favour at €49,000 for the half-brother to three winners.

Out of Be Mine Tonight, the bay colt is from the family of Master Of The Chase and Casey Jones, and his sire has every chance of registering further Grade 1 success at Leopardstown this weekend with the likes of Facile Vega.

“He’s a grand horse,” Frisby said. “The stallion speaks for himself so hopefully this lad goes the right way over the next couple of years.”

Vendor Donie Murphy of Walshstown Stables added: “We always thought he was a nice horse. This is the right sale for him as he was a June foal. The mare is three-from-three and there are a few more to run. We had plenty of interest yesterday and were very busy. We are very happy with that price.”

Knight returns

Henrietta Knight has been a great supporter of Irish bloodstock for several decades now and she went to €42,000 to secure a son of Getaway from Dunahall Stud.

Out of the Robin des Pres mare The Sailors Bonnet, the colt hails from the family of former high-class hurdler Get Me Out Of Here and top-class chaser Harbour Pilot, who finished third to Knight’s brilliant Best Mate in the second of his three Gold Cup victories at Cheltenham 20 years ago.

“I bought him for my nephews William and Arthur Vestey to eventually race,” Knight revealed afterwards. “He is a lovely mover, a great goer and seems to have a lovely attitude. I am fan of Getaway as a sire and he will go back to Michael Moore at Ballincurrig Stud.”

Decent prices

James Sheehan of Clonmult Farm had a productive half hour selling two closely catalogued yearlings for decent prices.

Lot 96 was a filly by Blue Bresil and, apart from being by the sire of Constitution Hill, she is also a daughter of the brilliant racemare Asian Maze, who won four Grade 1 races over hurdles.

As a broodmare she has produced the Grade 3 winner Cup Final and it took a bid of €41,000 from Dromoland Farm’s Gareth Barry to secure the February-born filly.

Barry will keep his options open with his new purchase and said: “She is a fine-walking filly and she has been bought with two options: we could offer her for sale again at some stage or we could also race her and breed from her. We will decide as we go on.”

Not long before that Clonmult Farm had sold a son of Nathaniel to Richard Rohan for €35,000.

Given his prowess as a sire of world-class flat horses, as well as his emergence as an influential sire of jumpers, Nathaniel remains very good value at a covering fee of £15,000 and his stock’s popularity in the sales ring was also evident with this transaction.

The colt out of the French-bred mare Aisance is a half-brother to two promising young recent winners and the dam is a full-sister to Wait For Me who was placed in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham several years ago.

“The mare has done well,” said Sheehan. “She has bred two winners from two runners and she is now in foal to Blue Bresil. Her 2021 foal by Blue Bresil did well at this sale last year when making €48,000.”

Blue Bresil stock

Glenview stallion Blue Bresil is also the sire of a colt who was knocked down to Tom Malone on behalf of Frannie Woods of Abbeylands for €40,000.

The grandson of Ebor winner Sesenta out of Carrigmorna Fame will be offered for re-sale, most likely as a three-year-old.

Sire power really was a feature of the day’s trade and, with the likes of Blue Lord as well as the red-hot Champion Hurdle favourite Constitution Hill advertising his ability, Blue Bresil is a stallion everyone wants a piece of.

Lot 193 from Borris House proved that when selling to Kevin Ross for €44,000. Ross was acting for an existing client for the son of the stakes-placed King’s Theatre mare I’m All You Need who comes from the family of Bilboa and the hitherto unbeaten chaser Impervious.

Of course Constitution Hill is also out of a King’s Theatre mare and this fact wasn’t lost on Ross, who said: "This horse could be resold or he could be kept to race. The cross has certainly been successful already so let’s hope it works again.”

The final yearling by Blue Bresil to enter the ring was a Ballincurrig House Stud offering and he proved just as popular when selling to Kieran Shields for €45,000.

The half-brother to last year’s sale topper Robin De Carlow will aim to return to this sale ring in two and a half years' time.

Not all the leading purchases on Tuesday are destined to return to a sales ring with Lot 134 bought with a racing career in mind.

Gerry Hogan signed the docket for the Yeats colt at €41,000 and he said of the second produce of the unraced Castleknock Lady, a half-sister to Clondaw Castle: “I’ve bought him for a longstanding owner to keep and race. We’re big fans of Yeats. I’ve bought some smashing horses by him over the years and this lad will hopefully do well as he looks the part.”

The Hydes of Camas Park Stud got involved in the sale when Brendan Bashford signed for a son of Walk In The Park for €38,000. The colt out of the Shantou mare China Reel is related to some high-class sorts like Death Duty, Beakstown and Shannon Spray.