€250,000 Top Lot kicks off Day 1 of the Derby Sale

The Doctor Dino half-brother to the top-class Grade 1 winning brothers Douvan and Jonbon, who can boast of 12 top level wins between them, was forecast to be a highlight of Day 1 of the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale, and the gelding lived up to expectations (Lot 84).

There was a packed sale ring to see the well-related three-year-old sell, and the father and son team of Olly and Aiden Murphy opened up the bidding at €100,000. The duo maintained a brisk pace and saw off a determined effort by trainer Henry De Bromhead securing their purchase at €250,000.

"I have been down to see this horse time and time again and he has not turned a hair for two days," said Murphy Snr. "He is magnificent, and he is for Olly to train and is for an existing client. He is just a gorgeous horse and we are delighted to get him."

The gelding was sold by the County Cork based Coolmara Stables and Cathal Mariga said: "We were hoping for that sort of figure, he is a gorgeous horse. We bought him as a foal privately from Ennel Bloodstock, and before Jonbon came out.

"Douvan was always in his pedigree, but to get another Grade 1 winner, it was a nice update to get. He has been a great horse to work with at home, and he has been very busy here – he has had around 60 shows over the two days, with a lot of return visitors."

"He was magnificently turned out and looked fantastic, the lads have done a good job. He is for an established client and it looks like he is going to France, the sire has been going well out there."

Team Murphy also went to €200,000 for the Saint des Saints half-brother to the recent French Grade 1 winner Juntos Ganamos (Lot 133).

"He also has a superb pedigree," said Olly Murphy. "He is a very athletic horse, one who we can look forward to getting back to the yard. It is nice to be buying these top end stores, the yard is trying to go from strength to strength and to do it we need to be buying the best horses.”

The gelding, out of the five-time winner and Grade 3-placed Turgeon mare Usted Me Cara, was sold by the session’s leading consignor Moanmore Stables, which offered and sold eight horses for an average price of €86,250 and a turnover of €690,000.

The Irish-bred Walk In The Park half-brother to the Grade 2 winner Maria's Benefit (Beneficial) and the Listed winner Howyabud (Milan) was bought by Tom Malone and Paul Nicholls for €205,000, sold by Peter Nolan Bloodstock (Lot 152).

The successful buyer Tom Malone said: "He is beautiful horse, and we waited for him. There were a few others before him, but I said we needed to sit tight for him. He has a lot of presence, he has a lot of pedigree, he is a beautiful horse and we are delighted to get him, he is just a quality Walk In The Park."

The session’s leading sire Doctor Dino was responsible for three of the top ten lots and a determined quartet of Fergal and Sally O'Brien, former trainer Mark Pitman and owner Stewart Andrew went to €170,000 to secure the already named Soldino. The French-bred is a half-brother to two winners and out of a winning Al Namix half-sister to the Grade 1-placed Solway (Lot 79).

O'Brien said of the Fenloe House-consigned gelding: "Mark used to train for Stewart and won the Hennessy for him with Ever Blessed. Stewart has had Ballyhome in training with me, he is being retired and Mark selected this horse as a replacement. All four of us loved him when we saw him.”

Pitman added: "We set out to get quality and, whichever way you cut it, this horse is quality – you can not fault him, he is beautifully proportioned, he moves, he has got scope, he has got a pedigree. If you were looking to buy a horse to go to Cheltenham, he is it!”

After thanking his buyers, consignor John Costello recalled buying Soldino as a yearling in France: "My son Conor was working at Chantilly and he took me to a farm to see a few horses. The man there Antinon Pelsy said there was a nice Doctor Dino yearling down the road – I adored the horse when I saw him."

The session produced 12 six-figure lots, while 147 horses sold for turnover of €7,652,500, an average price of €52,058 and a median of €40,000.