Best set of returns ever recorded for the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale
The emphatic trade seen on Day 1 of the Derby Sale 2017 continued right through to the conclusion of Day 2.
The day's average and median continued to exceed the positive growth trends set on the opening day, increasing on 2016 by 4% and 14% to €49,884 and €42,000. The day's aggregate of €7,981,500 was an increase of 13% on 2016
The clearance rate remained above 80% all day, concluding at an impressive 82%. By the end of the Day 2 trade 33 horses had sold for over €100,000 over the two days.
Bryan Murphy of the Dunraven Arms, signing under Bottle Hill Stud, bought the day's top lot paying €145,000 for a son of Milan (Lot 318), offered by Loughmore Stables.
The gelding is the first foal out of the Aon Chase (Grade 1) runner-up Belle Brook, and from the talented family of Boston Bob, winner of the Navan Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) and three times successful in Grade 1 chases, victories including the Melling Chase at Aintree.
"He is a lovely horse with a fabulous page," said Murphy. "He'll come back to us and we'd be looking for a bumper in the spring."
Consignor Kitty Cowhey of Loughmore said: "He's been a smashing horse bred by Roland Crellin, the breeder of Cue Card.
"The gelding has been very straight-forward all the way through, he is very athletic - everything added up. He is ready to go, he won't take too long."
Briar Hill, a Grade 1-winning bumper horse and hurdler, as well as the good horses Danny Harold and Glazeaway are also on the gelding's page.
It was a four-way tie for second-best honours at €125,000 - with two of the lots being sons of the late Fame And Glory, while geldings by Oscar and Presenting were bought by Highflyer Bloodstock.
The Presenting gelding sold by Peter Nolan Bloodstock to Highflyer Bloodstock is a son of the Grade 3 Hurdle winner Supreme Serenade (Lot 233), while Lot 307, by Oscar, is out of Back To Loughadera. He was sold by Kilminfoyle House Stud having been pinhooked, originally bought here at the November NH Sale in 2014 by JC Bloodstock for €23,000.
David Minton bought both horses on behalf of the three-time Grand National-winning owner Trevor Hemmings.
Over the two days Highflyer Bloodstock bought 30 lots (just behind the busiest purchaser Monbeg Stable's 33), and Tessa Greatrex of Highflyer said: "It has been a fantastic two days' trade, with a large number of quality horses. It is very positive for the NH bloodstock and racing, it's great to see."
Mount Eaton Stud consigned the Fame And Glory gelding out of Coolnacarriga (Lot 373) bought by trainer Gordon Elliott. It was a significant pinhook success for the stud, which bought the horse at the November NH Sale for €33,000.
Since purchase the gelding's two-year-older half-brother named Cool Getaway has won his only outing in a point-to-point. He was subsequently sold at the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham December Sale, purchased for £305,000 by Mags O'Toole.
"It is such a shame Fame And Glory has gone as we think he would have been very good," said Tom Hore of Mount Eaton. "This horse has done very well since he had been with us, he has a big walk, and, of course, the point-to-pointer did us a favour. We wish the best of luck to the new owners."
MV Magnier bought the Fame And Glory gelding (Lot 263) consigned by Castletown Quarry Stud. He is out of Victorine (Un Desparado), a half-sister to the champion hurdlers Morley Street and Granville Again.
It was a second success at this year's Derby Sale for the family - on Day 1 Victorine's daughter Molly Duffy outpointed her dam with her three-year-old by Stowaway fetching €205,000, bought by Elliott.
At the conclusion of the record shattering Derby Sale, Tattersalls Ireland Managing Director Roger Casey commented;
"A top price of €220,000 and a record number of 33 lots selling for €100,000 or more only begins to paint the picture of two days' trade that ultimately produced the best set of returns ever recorded for the Derby Sale. From the outset of the sale on Wednesday morning right through to the fall of the hammer this evening, the ravenous demand for horses has resulted in the highest aggregate of €17,665,500(+24%), highest average of €51,654 (+9%) and highest median of €42,500 (+18%) ever recorded at the sale since its inception in 1975. The insatiable appetite observed over the last two days for quality National Hunt potential truly emphasises the Derby Sale's position as the undisputed venue of choice for selling select stores.
"We are indebted to our loyal and supportive vendors, who, year after year, continue to send us their best stock and have again been rewarded handsomely. We are also sincerely grateful to the broad bench of industrious purchasers from all sectors of the Irish industry and of course the many UK purchasers for their continued support this week, with the UK accounting for over 40% of the overall turnover generated, and contributing to an overall clearance rate of 84%. The Derby Sale has been the leading source of Grade 1 winners, four-year-old winners and Festival winners over many years and we look forward enthusiastically to seeing the graduates of this sale continuing this long-established trend in the coming seasons. I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing team and to every member of our own diligent team here at Tattersalls Ireland for their efforts in ensuring that the 2017 Derby Sale was a resounding success and indeed the strongest edition of the sale on record.
"We look forward to trying to improve these results even further in 2018 and our attention now turns to Derby Sale Part II which starts at 10.30am tomorrow morning, Friday 30 June with more quality National Hunt horses on offer and which also has the attractive incentive of eligibility for the €100,000 Tattersalls Ireland George Mernagh Memorial Sales Bumper at Fairyhouse Racecourse in 2018."