2014 ENDS ON A HIGH FOR TATTERSALLS IRELAND
“We have just experienced a fantastic year in the sales ring and the highlight of the 2014 sales season for Tattersalls Ireland has been the renewed level of confidence in an industry which seven years ago was experiencing the full impact of the economic downturn but which continues to prove itself to be as resilient as any. Every sale this year has experienced strong growth compared to the previous year and the annual turnover of €42,866,010 is up 30% on 2013. A European record for a store of €220,000 was again achieved at our flagship Derby Sale in June where we also saw 28 lots make €100,000 or more and 111 lots or a staggering one third of the catalogue make €50,000 or more. Our August Sale featuring a strong group of Horses in Training for the first time proved immensely popular with vendors and purchasers alike and we look forward next year to building on the progress made in 2014. The September Yearling Sale has now established itself as one of the premier yearling sales in Ireland and Great Britain and purchasers again flocked to the sale, with 15 countries represented and growth in all major indicators for the 6th consecutive year, including the highest clearance rate since 2000 of 91%. Our recent November National Hunt Sale also witnessed an exceptional level of trade as reflected in the average, median and aggregate and a record breaking clearance rate for foals.
Derby Sale Top Lot, Yeats ex Jolivia from Mount Eaton Stud sells to MV Magnier for €220,000
On the race track our graduates continued to provide the best form of promotion possible and were ably led by September Yearling Sale graduate THE WOW SIGNAL, the only yearling sold in Ireland to win at Royal Ascot in 2014, who also claimed the Group 1 Prix Morny, while we also cheered on National Hunt graduate LORD WINDERMERE to win the highest accolade in National Hunt racing; The Cheltenham Gold Cup, the eight time that the Cheltenham Gold Cup was won by a graduate of Tattersalls Ireland since 2000.
The Wow Signal
We have experienced extraordinary and fierce competition for horses across all of our sales in 2014 and as ever we owe a huge debt of gratitude to our supportive and loyal group of vendors and purchasers alike. We would also like to extend a big Thank You to the team at Irish Thoroughbred Marketing for their assistance throughout the year, and a special note of thanks must go to the entire team here at Tattersalls Ireland and the wider overseas Tattersalls network. Their efforts have in no small part contributed to the outstanding year. The Tattersalls Ireland team will continue to explore domestic and overseas markets and make every effort in the year ahead to ensure the continued success of Tattersalls Ireland in 2015 and beyond.”