Considerable increases across the board at Derby Sale Part II
After a record-breaking Derby Sale staged earlier this week, Part II more than held its own with its own best-ever set of returns.
The sale achieved its own record average of €16,338, while the median matched its previous best at €14,000. Both were increases of 32% and 33% on 2016's figures.
The aggregate of €2,042,200 is a record for the sale and a significant improvement of 41%.
There was a particularly strong clearance rate of 84% and 14 horses sold for in excess of €30,000 compared to four in 2016.
Honours were shared at the top between a Westerner gelding (Lot 529), bought by Aiden Murphy, and a gelding by Millinery (Lot 618) purchased by trainer Francis Flood. Both fetched €46,000
Murphy delayed his return to Britain to buy the Rathbritt Stud-consigned gelding, the only lot offered by the farm this week.
"He is a very nice individual who wouldn't have looked out of place here yesterday," said Murphy. "I was going home until I saw him, but I stayed to buy him. He is by a good sire and has a nice page, his full-brother was fifth in the champion bumper for Philip Hobbs in 2016."
That full-brother is Westend Story, who was sold at the Derby Sale in 2014.
Flood was delighted with his purchase. The Millinary gelding is out of Dogansfirth, a Flemensfirth half-sister to the 2017 Grade 1 winner and 2011 Derby Sale graduate, Sizing Granite.
"He is for existing owners and he will stay racing in Ireland," said Flood. "He's a lovely horse, has a great walk, let's hope we've bought a good one!"
The third lot to top the €40,000 mark was a son of Oscar (Lot 572) bought by Joey Logan Bloodstock for €42,000 from Bishopstown Lodge Stud.
The gelding is out of an Anshan half-sister to Grade 3 winner Foxtail Hill, and from the further family of Champion Bumper (Grade 1) and Tote Gold Trophy (Grade 3) winner Spirit Leader (Supreme Leader).
The same pedigree also produced the top-priced filly of the day, a daughter of Yeats out of an unraced sister to the Spirit Leader consigned by Mount Brown Farm (Lot 559).
She was purchased by trainer Ian Ferguson on behalf of owner Caroline McCaldin.
"Caroline who is looking for a nice filly to race and breed from," said Ferguson after buying three-year-old filly for €37,000.
"We bought five earlier this week, it was tough to buy, but a strong market it's great for the business."
At the conclusion of Part II of the Derby Sale, Tattersalls Ireland Managing Director Roger Casey commented;
"After a staggeringly impressive renewal of the Derby Sale which produced the best set of returns on record for a store sale, it is extremely gratifying to also record such positive results and witness such vibrant trade for Part II which has concluded with increases in average, median and aggregate of €16,338 (+32%), €14,000 (+33%) and €2,042,200 (+41%) respectively and finished with a healthy clearance rate of 84% contributing to a turnover just shy of €20 million for the combined three days of the Derby Sale. Vendors have again been very supportive of this section of the sale and we would like to extend our gratitude to them along with our loyal purchasers who continued to remain active throughout the entire sale. 2018 will see the Derby Sale revert back to its original two-day format and will continue to offer unrivalled quality in abundance as we endeavour to further improve on what has been the best ever edition of the Derby Sale. Our attention now turns to the August National Hunt Sale on 16 - 17 August with entries for the sale closing early next week."