Carberry name in lights again as Champs Elysees filly tops trade at €50,000

Nina Carberry often found her name in headlines for her exploits as one of the most gifted jockeys of her generation and the Meath woman has successfully translated those well-honed horsemanship skills to the art of breeding and consigning quality horses.

The Cheltenham Festival-winning rider established Broad Meadow Stables, located mere minutes from the Tattersalls Ireland sales complex in Fairyhouse, and began consigning under that banner 12 months ago.

On Thursday her homebred Champs Elysees filly led the way at the August NH Sale when selling for €50,000 to jockey Jerry McGrath.

Carberry was thrilled with the successful culmination of a well-executed plan.

“We bred her just five miles up the road and we came up to see how she’d get on,” she said. “We weren’t expecting her to make €50,000 so we’re absolutely delighted. We picked this sale for her because she’s a filly that needed a little more time, and she has done so well over the last couple of months. There was plenty of interest in her.”

McGrath was acting on behalf of trainer Lucy Wadham, who purchased the daughter of Jeunopse’s five-year-old Fame And Glory half-sister Game On For Glory at the 2019 Tattersalls Ireland May Store Sale.

“Lucy thinks a lot of the half-sister, who finished second in a bumper at the Cheltenham April meeting,” said McGrath. “This is a cracking model with some size and scope.”

The sale’s most expensive gelding had a lot further to travel, coming to Ireland on Sunday from Normandy, where his vendor, Offaly native Ian Hanamy, established Haras des Loges 18 years ago.

Already named Jeepydoff Meel, he was the only representative over the three days from the final full crop of Davidoff, a Group 3-winning son of Montjeu who was fifth in Adlerflug’s Deutsches Derby.

Jeepydoff Meel takes his turn in the ring before being knocked down to Bobby O'Ryan for €40,000Credit: Tattersalls Ireland/Pat Healy

The good-looking bay was knocked down for €40,000 to Bobby O’Ryan, who was finally signing a docket this week after a handful of thwarted buying efforts. He was acting on behalf of a client who will send their new acquisition into training with Gordon Elliott, trainer of Davidoff’s best son so far Abacadabras, whose three Grade 1 wins include this year’s Aintree Hurdle.

Hanamy was delighted it was O’Ryan who purchased the relaxed gelding, who enjoyed a well-earned roll after his turn in the sales ring. The agent’s two previous purchases from Haras des Loges have both won and Hanamy is hopeful that Jeepydoff Meel will maintain that perfect record.

Hanamy said he and the three-year-old had endured a 25-hour journey from the farm, a little over an hour south of Deauville, to Meath, but that this was the right slot for him.

“We usually sell as two-year-olds but from an early stage we knew this horse would need the May grass so we targeted this sale for him,” he explained. “He’s a super walker and has a great head on him, there’s everything to like about him and he stood out. I think this is a really good horse, and the thing about this horse is he’ll be able to run next year.”

Elliott has already tasted success with a graduate of Haras des Loges; his 2019 Grade 3 Down Royal mares’ novice hurdle winner Daylight Katie, by Bonbon Rose, was bred by Hanamy.

It is on the Flat, however, where Hanamy’s most recent success has been achieved, as he is the breeder of Plainchant, the winner of the Group 2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte and Group 3 Prix Eclipse last season. The daughter of Gregorian was sold after her juvenile season to Peter Brant and is now in training in Newmarket with the Gosdens.

Hanamy had an update on her dam, the Doyen mare Nadinska, before he left to catch the afternoon ferry back to Normandy.

“She has a two-year-old Reliable Man filly who we sold to Paul Nataf last October and a colt foal by Castle Du Berlais," he said. "After Plainchant’s success we had to go to a Flat sire with her so she was covered by Wooded [Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye-winning son of Wootton Bassett] this year.”

Focus between the flags

The focus shifted back to the point-to-point field with the sale of Grange Stables' Yeats filly out of Moll Bawn for €34,000 to Tommy Redmond.

Owned by William Kennedy, she is a half-sister to two winners by King’s Theatre, including Royal Moll, whose first runner Sir Jackschiaparel won a point-to-point for Ellmarie Holden this year.

Moll Bawn is an unraced Presenting half-sister to the Grade 2 novice chase winners Ottawa and Calling Brave, and to Mesp, the dam of Kylemore Lough, winner of the Grade 1 Ryanair Gold Cup at Fairyhouse for Kerry Lee.

The only other horse to sell for more than €30,000 was Shanaville’s Flemensfirth gelding out of the winning Bertolini mare Dazza. The only store in the sale by the brilliant and now retired sire, he will be joining the sale-topper on the ferry to England as he was bought by trainer Nicky Richards for €31,000.

“We'll get him home, break him in and hack him about," reported Richards. "If the weather stays good this autumn, we might put him out in a field for a time. I have not got a client for him as yet, but I don't think I should have too much trouble selling him."

Not on pedigree or looks as the handsome chestnut is out of a full-sister to Violet Dancer, who won Warwick’s Grade 2 Kingmaker Novices' Chase and was placed in the Grade 1 Future Champions Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow. Another of his dam’s full-sisters was Listed placed on the all-weather, while the family traces back to July Cup and Prix de l’Abbaye winner Mr Brooks.

Stats and comment

At the close of business on Thursday night 170 horses had changed hands for a total of €1,062,650, with a clearance rate of 67 per cent. The only increases recorded were in the size of the catalogue and the number of lots offered, with the median price of €4,500 down 25 per cent on the 2020 equivalent, while the average dipped by slightly more, decreasing by 27 per cent from €8,550 to €6,251.

Simon Kerins: 'We can all look forward to a return to the original sales calendar in 2022'Credit: Tattersalls

Commenting on this year’s store sales, Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins said: “The Derby Sale registering a record average and median, as well as a clearance rate of 86 per cent and 24 horses who sold for over €100,000, was a real highlight and a positive reflection on the premier quality of the Derby Sale and its graduates who continually perform at the very highest level.

"The sale’s top lot, the son of Walk In The Park bought by Noel and Valerie Moran’s Bective Stud for €280,000, is this year’s most expensive store horse sold in Britain and Ireland.

"This week’s May Store Sale also broke records with its best-ever clearance rate and its first six-figure sale – a son of Blue Bresil, sold by Rathbarry Stud and bought by agent Aiden Murphy for €115,000, while the new July Store Sale, despite all of this year’s difficulties, got off to a strong start with a session of highly satisfactory trade and a top price of €50,000."

He added: "There was an extensive range of buyers involved across all the sales and at all levels, and horses were bought in numbers by Irish and English trainers and agents, new Irish- and British-based owners and breeders, as well as point-to-point consignors, who have reinvested as strongly as ever.

"I would like to express gratitude to our clients, who have been incredibly patient and supportive throughout, and we can all look forward to a return to the original sales calendar in 2022.”

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