Collins Secures Top Lot On The First Day Of The July Store Sale

The Tattersalls Ireland mid-summer Store sales have been a lucky venue for trainer Cian Collins and the County Meath-based handler is hoping the good fortune will continue, after purchasing the opening day top lot, a gelding by Valirann (Lot 118) for €36,000, at the July Store Sale.

Sold by A.C. Bloodstock, the gelding is out of the Brian Boru mare Blanaid Of Ossory, a half-sister to Major Malarkey, a seven-time winner and placed in the Midlands Grand National (G3), and to the dam of the two-time Grade 1-winning chaser Banbridge.

“He was the one we wanted and we were not going home without him,” said Collins, adding: "He has the physique and the pedigree, Banbridge is a good horse. He has been bought for an owner in the yard, and we will get him home, break him in and see then where we might head with him – either go pointing or look at the bumper route.”

At the 2021 August National Hunt Sale, Collins purchased the subsequent four-time hurdle winner Fiveonefive as a three-year-old for just €1,500. The gelding, who has collected prize-money earnings over €68,000, is entered in next week’s Grade 3 Galway Hurdle, one of five entries at the meeting for Collins.

A speculative trip to July Store Sale proved to be a worthwhile mission for British trainer Jeremy Scott.

"I came here not necessarily expecting to buy a horse for an owner," said the West Country-based handler. "I have not had an order all year for a three-year-old store, but as I arrived one of my owners phoned me and said she was interested in getting a horse – she has retired one horse and wants a replacement.

“This is a lovely-looking horse and he has a good consistent pedigree. He will go to Martin Collins to be broken, then possibly back to the owner for a break and then to us for the spring."

The Malinas three-year-old, a wildcard entry catalogued as Lot 154A, is a half-brother to the Grade 3 Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase winner Cloth Cap, from the family of Strath Royal, Niche Market and Artifice. He was sold by Chris Jones' Killeen Glebe and cost his new connections €32,000.

"I have not had anything by Wings Of Eagles before, but I liked what I saw of them running this spring," said Ballyboy Stables’ Denis Murphy after he spent €31,000 on a three-year-old gelding by the 2017 Derby winner and Coolmore sire (Lot 220).

He continued: "This horse is light on his feet, and I only saw him when he came up to the ring. He has a good staying pedigree, and he goes pointing."

His dam Finisk Mist (Mahler) is an own-sister to The Big Dog, winner of the 2022 Munster National, and a half-sister to Saddlers Encore (Presenting), winner of a Grade 3 Handicap Hurdle at Sandown.

Unlike its previous three editions, the catalogue format for this year’s July Store Sale was set alphabetically by dam rather than a select day one, with wildcards placed across both days.

Today’s opening session produced a turnover of €1,204,500 for 144 horses sold at an average price of €8,365 and a median price of €6,000.

All horses catalogued for the July Store Sale are eligible for the €100,000 Tattersalls Ireland George Mernagh Memorial Sales Bumper 2025.