'It's probably one of the best foal sales we've had' - Blue Bresils lead the way for Walshtown Stables at Tattersalls Ireland

The Murphy family of Walshtown Stables topped the charts at the Tattersalls Ireland February National Hunt Sale, with their Blue Bresil colts attracting all the attention, and the big bids, during the opening salvo of the Irish sales season on Tuesday.

They brought six foals to Fairyhouse from their Cork base and sold four for an average of €31,000, which was the best result of any consignor with more than one young horse to sell. That figure was achieved mainly through their Blue Bresil colts, who were the two most expensive sales of the day and the only horses to make at least €50,000.

It is the second year in a row that the family have been responsible for the sale-topper at this event, but this year's exploits outshone those of 2023.

"It's been brilliant," said Laura Murphy, "probably one of the best foal sales we've had. The Blue Bresils were going to make plenty of money but it has been a good sale in general. 

"They were very busy from when we started showing, and of course with their pedigrees and being by a popular sire they were always going to be in demand. It's great for their breeders that they have sold so well and we're delighted for them."

Laura, her sister Emma and father Donie, along with Clare Watts form the sales team for Walshtown Stables and she said that a combination of hard work and the ability to have fun were key elements in creating a successful environment at the sales.

The pedigrees they offered at Tattersalls Ireland included Grade 1 winners close up on the page and it was the foal out of Maryota, a Martaline half-sister to Yanworth who drew the largest bid. Charles Shanahan, on behalf of Glenvale Stud, went to €62,000 to secure the late April foal.

He confirmed that plans for the colt will be to return for the Derby Sale in 2026.

"This chap has the pedigree and the physical," he said. "We are very happy that he is coming home with us.

"He is our highlight of the day, since we got here he stood out to us, and by the price he made he stood out to everyone else, too! He is very well bred and from a great family; the mare has produced a good horse and Martaline seems to be a good broodmare sire."

That good horse produced by Maryota is Mr Glass, who was third to none other than Constitution Hill in the Tolworth Hurdle for Paul Nicholls. The son of Sholokhov is one of four winners from five runners for Maryota, who was placed at three. 

Maryota's half-brother, Yanworth, was trained by Alan King to win the Liverpool Hurdle and Christmas Hurdle for JP McManus. Their dam Yota is a half-sister to the Auteuil black-type winners Juntico and Azulejo. Junta Marvel, who won the Grade 3 Liss A Paoraigh Mares' Bumper at Punchestown last season for Willie Mullins, is out of another half-sister in Junta Des Champs.

Laura Murphy with the Blue Bresil half-brother to Feronily who made €50,000 at Tattersalls IrelandCredit: www.healyracing.ie

Sire power was an important factor for Shanahan when considering his purchase.

"Blue Bresil is flying, he is having winners every day, he had a very good bumper winner the other day for Ben Pauling and obviously Constitution Hill keeps doing it, too – we just need to find another like him and we will be okay," he said.

Donie Murphy pronounced himself pleased with how well the foal had acquitted himself throughout the sales process.

"He was a very nice colt and his dam has produced a good winner, a black-type horse," he said. "We are very happy. It is a good pedigree. He is a real nice foal, he has gone down well and is as good a walking foal as we have seen. The right people all liked him."

Familiar factors at play

Similar comments could apply to the other Blue Bresil colt that the Murphy family produced for Tuesday's sale, as he is a half-brother to last season's Punchestown Grade 1 Champion Novice Chase winner Feronily, from a family that boasts its own fair share of bold black type.

Niall Bleahen was the buyer of the dark bay colt for 50,000gns and had no need to study the catalogue page, as he had purchased Feronily as a foal at the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale before selling him as a store to Michael Shefflin and Paul Holden.

Bleahen, who has previously sold seven Blue Bresil offspring, all of whom have gone on to win, immediately identified similarities between this foal and his talented older brother.

"I had Feronily," he stated. "He was a lovely horse to work with straight from the word go. We broke him ourselves through Covid and he showed fairly early on that he was going to be something special. 

"This fella has the same temperament, he has a lot of growing to do as he was a very late foal, but he is very athletic and like his older half-brother."

That June birthday is not something which unduly concerns Bleahen, with the land on his Galway farm ideally suited to producing young horses at their best.

"It is no negative, our land is good to grow horses and he will get all that he needs," he said. "He should make up into a nice horse."

Niall Bleahen struck the winning bid on Walshtown Stables' Blue Bresil colt at Tattersalls IrelandCredit: PAT HEALY

By the time the store sales come around in 2026, there could be more black type on the page as his Malinas half-brother, sold as a store by Walshtown Stables for Tom O'Brien, who also bred Feronily and this colt, is held in high regard. There is also a three-year-old half-sister by Shirocco and a full-sister to this colt to come.

Out of Vickeeto, an Old Vic half-sister to Noel Meade's Drinmore Novice Chase winner Watson Lake, who also claimed victory in four Grade 2 chases, the foal comes from a family that includes Powers Gold Cup and Punchestown Chase winner Garamycin.

Laura Murphy, who led the foal up, had nothing but praise for the professionalism he had shown, which clearly impressed buyers.

She said: "He is a lovely foal and there are positive reports about his Malinas half-brother. He is said to be a nice horse and should run in a four-year-old point-to-point. 

"We had him for his prep, he has done everything right, he has always been very straightforward to do. He came up here and has not put a foot wrong, he has been 100 per cent."

Having sold a Walk In The Park foal for €49,000 to Richard Frisby last year, they were in a good position to gauge market interest in this colt despite him figuring so early in proceedings, as the fifth lot into the ring.

Murphy added: "He has been very busy here yesterday and this morning. He is by the right sire, they all want them at the moment, and is a nice type; that sort of figure, we were hoping for."

Glenview sires power to the top

It was another hugely successful day at the sales for the stallions stood by the Cashman family at Glenview Stud. Between them Blue Bresil and Jeu St Eloi sired four of the top five lots on the day, with Blue Bresil responsible for three of them.

The third Blue Bresil foal to break into the top five earned the title of the most expensive filly of the day., with the Cashmans going to €40,000 for her. Ballinaroone Stud offered the daughter of Whatzdjazz, who carried the colours of Michael Fennessy and was second in a Listed mares' handicap hurdle at Cheltenham for Dan Skelton. She is a Yeats half-sister to the Grade 1 Punchestown Handicap Chase winner Klepht and the Listed novice hurdle winner Welsh Shadow. 

Catherine Magnier who signed for Galbertstown Stables' Walk In The Park coltCredit: Tattersalls Ireland

Whatzdjazz is also a half-sister to the dam of Skelton's Coral Cup winner Langer Dan. Second dam What A Mewsment is a full-sister to the Aintree Bowl and Hennessy Gold Cup winner Celestial Gold and a half-sister to dual Grade 1-winning hurdler Fiveforthree and to the dam of Gordon Elliott's ill-fated Grade 1 Drinmore and Fort Leney Novice Chase winner No More Heroes, by Presenting, who preceded Blue Bresil as the Glenview powerhouse stallion.

Jeu St Eloi has been impressing visitors to Glenview Stud ahead of his first covering season in Ireland, but there are plenty of people who are not prepared to wait to breed their own foal by him, snapping up the best examples that can be found in France.

Two of them were offered for sale on Tuesday, with Galbertstown Stables' colt out of a mare by another Glenview stallion – Shirocco – making €41,000 to the Rathbarry team.

The handsome bay colt is the third foal out of Modeliste, who was successful over jumps at four in France. Her dam is a Poliglote full-sister to the Listed Prix Richard et Robert Hennessy Chase winner and Grade 1 Prix Maurice Gillois third Lucky To Be. It is the presence of her half-brother, however, that quickens the pulse with memories of his unforgettable 19-length triumph as a five-year-old in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Master Minded, an eight-time Grade 1 winner, will always be a thrilling example of what the thoroughbred can be and, with him on the page, it sprinkles some additional magic.

Future champion for Walk In The Park

Sire power is the key to attaining a good price for a National Hunt foal in this current marketplace and there are two stallions who are turbocharged. One is Blue Bresil and the other is Walk In The Park, who stands under the Coolmore National Hunt banner at Grange Stud. The son of Montjeu and the sire of six individual Grade 1 winners was responsible for the only other lot to make at least €40,000 at Tattersalls Ireland on Tuesday.

On behalf of Garranlea Bloodstock, Francis Quinn's Railstown Stud offered a full-brother to Fleur In The Park, who was second for Andy Slattery in the Listed Future Champions Bumper at Navan prior to Christmas behind another son of Walk In The Park; the Gordon Elliott-trained The Enabler.

Catherine Magnier placed the winning bid of €43,000 on the son of Grade 1 Prix Ferdinand Dufaure Chase winner Fleur D'Ainay. The Poliglote mare has already produced the Auteuil Listed winner Zurekin, by Martaline, and is a half-sister to Alan King's Cleeve Hurdle and Rendlesham Hurdle winner Crystal D'Ainay. She is also a half-sister to Grade 3 Grand Prix de Pau Chase winner Etoile D'Ainay, dam of Auteuil Listed winner Heros D'Ainay, and to Flower Des Champs, who won the Listed Prix Sytaj Mares Chase.

In total, 93 of the 162 lots on offer changed hands, generating €1,039,200 in receipts with the average coming in at €11,174 and the median was €7,000.

Kerins looks forward to Dublin Racing Festival

Tattersalls Ireland’s CEO Simon Kerins said: “The February National Hunt Sale marked a satisfactory start to the trade for the beginning of 2024. We would also like to congratulate Walshtown Stables for yet again bringing a quality draft to market.

“We have an exciting and busy seven days in store for Tattersalls Ireland – nominations for the 50th Derby Sale close on Friday, and we then look forward to this weekend’s Dublin Racing Festival, in particular Sunday’s Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown; a race full of young National Hunt quality and talent.

“The Dublin Festival meeting has rapidly become such an important part of the Irish racing calendar, one that epitomises and showcases the quality of Irish National Hunt horses. We hope to cheer home the many Tattersalls Ireland graduates due to compete over the two-day meeting at what promises to be a thrilling weekend of top-class racing."

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