Best saved until almost last as Ross Doyle snares Pakora late in session

A single bid of €80,000 was enough for Ross Doyle to secure the Willie Mullins-trained Listed hurdle winner Pakora at the one-day Tattersalls Ireland February Sale on Tuesday.

The master trainer was in attendance, standing alongside Harold Kirk on the upper walkway, as Doyle made his late move for the Gentlewave mare from the highest row of seats opposite the rostrum.

"She's a good-looking mare and has been bought as a breeding prospect for a Flat breeder," said Doyle. "Harold and Willie recommended her very highly and I inspected her last week and she had a very nice physical.

"She has a very high rating on the Flat and was equally good over hurdles, while her sister Pagera has already produced the two-time Flat winner Pagero to Nathaniel."

View sales results and buyers

Kayf Tara's progeny again found favour among buyers with a February-born colt hammered down to Busherstown's Katie Rudd for €62,000.

The vendor of Grade 1 novice hurdle winner and leading Arkle fancy Lalor was bidding from her position in the stairwell to the left of the rostrum.

"He's a standout, by a good sire and with a strong pedigree," said Rudd, whose purchase is destined for the 2021 store sales.

The colt in question is out of Molo, a Kalanisi half-sister to talented sibling pair Banjaxed Girl and La Marianne, with the latter also the producer of high-class handicap chaser Ballykan.

Molo was bred by the Harry and Lorna Fowler of Rahinston Stud, who also consigned the foal, and Harry Fowler explained how the County Meath nursery had come to send the mare to the leading British jumps stallion.

"Molo was sold at the Derby Sale to owner Robin Geffen," said Harry Fowler, "and went into training with Martin Pipe for whom she won two races.

"She was sent to a horses-in-training sale in Doncaster and so we put a partnership together and bought her back. She went to Charlie Longsdon with the aim of picking up some black type.

"Unfortunately that didn't happen, but as she was in the UK we covered her with Kayf Tara. She didn't go in foal then and so she went back to the stallion again in year two - and this is the result.

"We're delighted, he's a lovely colt and it's a very special pedigree."

The mare is carrying to Jukebox Jury.

Kayf Tara colt out of Molo who topped the one-day Tattersalls Ireland February SaleCredit: Pat Healy / Tattersalls Ireland

Stroll in the sales ring

One of the running themes of last year's Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale was the popularity of Walk In The Park's offspring, with leading buyer Aiden Murphy securing a pair of colts for a combined €152,000 and Ben Case and Kevin Ross teaming up for a €65,000 colt closely related to Bellshill.

That fed through to Tuesday's auction when a colt out of the classy King's Theatre jumps mare Stephanie Frances was led into the ring.

Introduced by auctioneer Richard Pugh as having "a walk and looks to match his pedigree", an opening bid of €20,000 signalled that the colt, offered by Sheridan House Stables, would be one of the higher priced lots of the day.

The bidding rose rapidly in increments of €2,000 and €3,000, with Joey Logan again emerging on top with a €48,000 bid.

"He'll be offered for resale as a three-year-old," said Logan. "He's out of a real good mare - she even managed to beat Wicklow Brave on her bumper debut."

Logan later struck for a €60,000 Shantou colt offered by Burgage Stud out of Ned's Joy, an unraced sister to dual Grade 1 hurdle winner The Tullow Tank and half-sister to Many Clouds.

Winning formula

A proven sire combined with a rich black-type pedigree appeared to be a recipe for success and that was in evidence with Adrian Costello signing on the dotted line at €44,000 for a Shantou colt on behalf of Park Farm.

Offered by Kenilworth House Stud, the June-foaled colt is out of Erins Stage, another King's Theatre mare whose Shantou half-brother Blast Of Koeman won a Grade A handicap chase at the Punchestown festival, while she is also a full-sister to classy handicap chaser Theatre Guide.

"He's very athletic and looks a lovely horse in the making," said Costello. "He's by an established sire and will be offered for resale as a three-year-old."

Park Farm has burst onto the National Hunt sales scene in recent months.

Among its recent purchases are the Mount Nelson colt out of Mares' Hurdle winner Glens Melody, bought for €82,000 at the Goffs December Sale, and the Shirocco colt from the family of Santini and Rockpoint, purchased for £46,000 at Goffs UK last week.

Montjeu sire sons all the rage

Walk In The Park was not the only sire son of Montjeu to strike a chord with buyers on Tuesday, with Aiden Murphy lending his support to Arctic Tack Stud's Ol' Man River, who is a €2,000 option for breeders this year.

From his usual place by the holding ring, Murphy went to €35,000 for an April-foaled youngster offered by Peter Nolan Bloodstock.

The colt is a three-parts brother to the Punchestown maiden hurdle winner Milliner, who was runner-up to the highly regarded Robin De Carlow in a Listed novice hurdle at Cork in November.

"Ol' Man River is potentially a nice sire," said Murphy. "He's by Montjeu, is still young and is getting nice progeny. The colt will be re-offered as a three-year-old."

The seven-year-old Ol' Man River - whose oldest crop are now yearlings - fetched an eye-watering €2,850,000 as a foal, being out of the dual Guineas heroine Finsceal Beo and evidently having the looks to match, and won the Beresford Stakes at two.

The Ol' Man River colt hammered down for €35,000 on TuesdayCredit: Pat Healy / Tattersalls Ireland

Mount up

Kevin Ross was once again busy sourcing stock for Chris Jones' Killeen Glebe Stables, for whom he also bought a £50,000 Blue Bresil colt at last week's Goffs UK January Sale.

The agent stretched to €34,000 for a May-foaled Mount Nelson colt out of the five-time winning Bob Back mare Galant Ferns, a half-sister to the Evan Williams-trained On Tour.

"He's been bought for resale," noted Ross of Graiguebeg Stud's offering.

Ardrums House Stud also did well by the sire, selling a half-brother to the Listed bumper runner-up Bullionaire for €29,000 to Richard Frisby.

Sire on fire

Burgage Stud also hit the high notes with another son of its resident stallion Shantou.

The May-foaled colt is a brother to Grade B handicap hurdle winner Jimmy Two Times and out of an unraced half-sister to the high-class The Midnight Club, who was third to Weapon's Amnesty in the 2009 Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.

The bidding quickly surpassed the €30,000 mark, with Richard Rohan, stood by the back of the partition, winning out with a €34,000 bid.

"He's a lovely colt and has been bought for resale," said Rohan. "He's a nice model, walks well and is a brother to a good one in Jimmy Two Times."

Shantou's progeny also proved popular at the November National Hunt Sale, with Kenilworth House Stud selling a grandson of Adonis Juvenile Hurdle winner Bilboa for €70,000 to Ben Case and Kevin Ross.

Buyers cast their eye over a yearling at Fairyhouse on TuesdayCredit: Pat Healy / Tattersalls Ireland

'Happening pedigree'

Another Coolmore sire to post a good result was Milan after Matt O'Connor, standing on the upper walkway, went to €32,000 to secure a colt out of Blueberry Bramble.

The Pistolet Bleu mare is an unraced half-sister to the Midlands Grand National and Eider Chase scorer Seven Towers, and has clicked previously with Milan to produce the winning hurdler Lady Of The Sea.

"He's a big, strong and good-moving colt," said O'Connor. "He has a happening pedigree and we'll aim to bring him back as a three-year-old."

O'Connor rode Big Zeb to win the Grade 1 Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown before establishing himself as a bloodstock agent.

Fenton strikes

Another son of Walk In The Park to meet with approval was Sand Valley Stables' March-foaled colt out of the high-class handicap hurdler Vast Consumption, with James Fenton successfully bidding €28,000 for him.

"He's a nice, free-flowing colt and I think I've bought him right," said Fenton. "He's for a client of mine who wanted to dip his toes in the water and invest in a nice horse. I'm surprised to get him for that amount."

The mare's first runner Stowie Belle, by Stowaway, was second on debut in a Thurles maiden hurdle for Joseph O'Brien this month, while her five-year-old Flemensfirth gelding Induno is registered in training with David Pipe.

Fenton, whose family in north Cork are steeped in racing and breeding, also manages the successful Blue Blood and Lion's Mouth racing clubs, who have a number of horses in training with Willie Mullins.

He is also excited about offering a Fame And Glory half-brother to the ill-fated Granit Jack, who was second to Ebaziyan in the 2007 Supreme Novices' Hurdle, at this year's store sales.

Figures

Figures for turnover, average and median were much on a par with last year's sale, with total receipts amounting to €1,911,600 at an average spend of €11,516 and a median of €7,500.

However, the clearance rate took a 13 per cent hit, in part due to the larger catalogue and with many lots being offered a second time, with 166 of the 297 lots on offer changing hands for a clearance rate of 56 per cent.

If you enjoyed this, you should also read:

Best dressed man and a blue hen of note – Martin Stevens' unofficial ITBA awards

David and Diane Nagle inducted into hall of fame at ITBA awards