Turbocharged sire power behind Walshtown Stables' draft at Tattersalls Ireland

The calendar is still open on the first page, although it is the Tattersalls Ireland February Sale on Tuesday and for the Murphy family of Walshtown Stables it is a busy time of year, regardless of the date.

For Donie Murphy, who runs the Cork breeding, boarding, consigning, pre-training and training operation with the assistance of daughters Laura and Emma and son James, this in-between season is one that has previously been successful for the family business.

Murphy is joined at the sales by Laura and Emma, along with Clare Wyatt, who travels from Britain to lend a hand at the sales. They consigned the most expensive foal at last year's renewal of the sale, a Walk In The Park colt out of Be Mine Tonight, who made €49,000 to Richard Frisby. 

Sire power is vitally important in the prevailing National Hunt market and this time round the Walshtown Stables consignment is turbocharged with an injection of torque from Blue Bresil.

Two of the six colts they offer are sons of Rathbarry Stud's powerhouse stallion and buyers will need to be fast to secure the first Blue Bresil foal through the ring on Tuesday, as he is certain to be one of the most in-demand models.

Lot 7 is a half-brother to Feronily, who won the Grade 1 Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown last April for Emmet Mullins. The son of Getaway benefited from an eclectic selection of targets set for him by his astute trainer, finishing third in the Grade 2 bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival and winning a maiden hurdle at Limerick before coming second in a Grade 3 chase at Cork and then earning his Grade 1 stripes – all in less than three months.

It's a family Donie Murphy knows very well.

He said: "We're consigning him on behalf of his breeder Tom O'Brien, for whom we sold his Malinas half-brother as a store last year. Peter Flood bought him and he's probably going down the point-to-point road. He was a very active, forward type of horse and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him out this spring."

In addition to Feronily, dam Vickeeto has foaled two winners by Shirocco and the Old Vic mare has more black type to offer than her own offspring's contribution. She is a half-sister to Watson Lake, whose biggest win for Noel Meade came in the Drinmore Novice Chase. Punchestown Chase and Power Gold Cup winner Garamycin is among a plethora of black-type winners on the page, adding heft to her colt. Not that he is lacking an athletic physique.

"He's a fine big foal even though he's a late foal," said Murphy. "He has plenty of size about him and I'm hoping he'll do well. It's very select with sires but he's by the right one.

"This colt sells early on and hopefully he'll kick the sale off well."

Feronily: The Grade 1 winner's half-brother is set to star at Tattersalls IrelandCredit: Patrick McCann

Their second son of Blue Bresil (113) also combines sire power and a pedigree of peak performance. He is a half-brother to Mr Glass, who was placed in the Tolworth Novices' Hurdle behind Blue Bresil's champion son Constitution Hill.

"Again, he's by the right sire in Blue Bresil and another we're hoping will do well," said Murphy. "He's a good foal and a half-brother to Mr Glass, who was third in a Grade 1 for Paul Nicholls."

In common with the first Blue Bresil foal they send through the ring, this one is another whose family is on familiar terms with the Walshtown Stables layout. Four of his older half-siblings have been consigned by the team at sales in the past, including his three-year-old Shirocco half-brother who was sold for €25,000 at the February Sale of 2022.

Murphy said: "Maryota is a Martaline half-sister to Yanworth, who won the Grade 1 Stayers' Hurdle at Aintree and the Christmas Hurdle. We've had a few of her produce through our hands and they've done well. He's a nice foal, big and a good walker."

Whereas Blue Bresil is an established marque in Ireland, brand recognition for Karaktar is somewhat less developed. That is changing with the explosive power of Il Est Francais; his breathtaking victory in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton one of the most incredible spectacles of a Christmas sporting season that was not short on excitement.

Haras de Cercy's son of High Chaparral had a Graded double on December 26, with Kala Conti winning the juvenile hurdle at Leopardstown for Gordon Elliott and Robcour, just to show that Il Est Francais is not a bespoke model. She's among the leading contenders for the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Walshtown Stables offers one of two foals in the sale by Karaktar, sire of Il Est Francais Credit: Mark Cranham

Murphy and his team are in the privileged position of offering one (117) of just two foals in the sale by the dual Group 3 winner.

He said: "Since Il Est Francais won at Kempton, everyone has been talking about the sire so I expect this foal will be busy. He has real quality about him, he's a lovely foal and a very good mover." 

The bay is the first foal out of Miss Coquin, a winner in France and a Prince Gibraltar half-sister to Jazz In Montreux, successful in the Grade 3 Prix Hopper Chase at Compiegne and two Listed contests. She is also a half-sister to Listed Prix Francois de Poncins Hurdle winner Black Luna and the Group 3-placed Rio Perdido.

Murphy said: "The dam is a winner and his second dam was Listed-placed in France and has produced three black-type horses, so it's a very good pedigree. Fingers crossed he'll do well."

His second, third and fourth dams all earned black type and have produced black-type winners, including a Prix Ganay runner-up, so the pedigree runs deep.

Nakiro Chiron, the Buck's Boum colt catalogued as lot 187, has a pedigree with the capability to produce updates in the time between now and the store sales.

"He's a lovely foal, with good size to him and he goes nicely," said Murphy. "The stallion is capable of producing top-class horses, the dam won in France and her first two produce are winners. There's potential for more as he has two half-siblings by Castle Du Berlais to run over the next couple of years."

While the sires of the remaining two colts from the Walshtown Stables' half-dozen are only at the start of their stud careers, and a couple of years off having runners, the dams are proven broodmares.

Donie and James Murphy at Tattersalls IrelandCredit: www.healyracing.ie

First up is a colt (74) out of Glory Queen, a Taipan half-sister to Outlaw Princess. She has four winners in total, including her Getaway daughter who also finished third in a Listed bumper at Sandown last March for Fergal O'Brien.

"He's from the first crop of Eagles By Day, a son of Sea The Stars, and is a foal who has plenty of size and scope," said Murphy. "His dam has produced three winners on the track and one of them, Dontyawantme, is a black-type filly."

Third dam Noelbonne Femme is a half-sister to Bavaway, dam of Boston Bob, whose Grade 1 victories included the Punchestown Gold Cup and Melling Chase, and second dam of Champion Bumper winner Briar Hill.

Way To Paris is a year further into his stud career than Eagles By Day and the Group 1 winner's sire has already mixed well with On The Way Home (133).

"The mare has produced Downmexicoway by Champs Elysees and he won a four-year-old maiden first time out at Belharbour last year," said Murphy.

A daughter of Flemensfirth, On The Way Home has two track winners by Yeats in addition to Downmexicoway, with a three-year-old filly by Walk In The Park, who was also part of the Walshtown draft here two years ago

Murphy said: "The dam is a sister to Rock On The Moor, who was second in the Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham and is a half-sister to Get Me Out Of Here. Harbour Pilot won the Drinmore and the Dr PJ Moriarty, and he's a half-brother to her dam. It's a good, solid pedigree."

There's an echo of last year's Tattersalls Ireland February Sale here too as a half-sister to On The Way Home produced one of the top lots 12 months ago. The Sailors Bonnet is an unraced Robin Des Champs mare and her Getaway colt made €42,000 to Henrietta Knight in the ring.

This year's Walshtown Stables draft echoes with the successes of previous February Sales.

The sale begins at 10.30am.

Tattersalls Ireland February National Hunt Sale factfile 

Where Tattersalls Ireland, Ratoath, County Meath

When Tuesday from 10.30am

Last year’s stats From 247 offered, 132 lots sold (53 per cent) for turnover of €1,643,500 (down 20 per cent year on year), an average of €12,451 (down four per cent) and median of €8,500 (up six per cent)

Notable graduates Champ Kiely (sold by Ennel Bloodstock, bought by Michael Murray for €5,800); Desertmore House (sold by Rahinston Farm and Stud, bought by Bishopstown Stud for €9,000)

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