Gordon Elliott and O'Ryan swoop for sibling to the late, great Fayonagh

Forget Covid-19, restrictions and lockdowns, the talk around the barns ahead of the opening day of the delayed Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale was about horses, specifically the Milan gelding offered for sale by Timmy Hillman's Castledillon Stud.

The son of the leading National Hunt sire would have been a star on pedigree alone, but a glimpse of the dappled bay was enough to confirm that he had the looks and physicality to match his lofty lineage, as a half-brother to the ill-fated dual Grade 1 bumper heroine Fayonagh out of a half-sister to the brilliant mare Solerina.

When he appeared in the ring Simon Kerins was able to open the bidding at €50,000. Gordon Elliott, who trained Fayonagh, and agent Margaret O'Toole were among the most recognisable interested parties, but bids were spotted from a number of locations around the ring. Eventually it was Elliott and Aidan 'Mouse' O'Ryan who won out at €195,000.

"We know all about the family," said the trainer. "Fayonagh was a brilliant mare and it was such a pity we never got to see what she could go on and do over hurdles. He’s the standout store we have seen so far this year and is for a client in the yard. Milan has been a lucky sire for us too."

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The Milan half-brother to Fayonagh who topped trade on day oneCredit: Tattersalls Ireland

O'Toole snared a number of the day's choice offerings, headed by the Walk In The Park filly sold by Liss House Stud for €110,000. She was bidding on behalf of Tom Malone for the half-sister to Irish Grand National winner Rogue Angel.

"She's an absolutely beautiful filly," said the agent. "Tom saw her a couple of months ago and fell in love with her so he was gutted not to be here to buy her. It's a fantastic family with Grade 1 winners under every dam."

The filly is out of Carrigeen Kohleria, a Luso half-sister to the Grade 1 Dr PJ Moriarty Novice Chase winner Carrigeen Victor. Her second dam, the Graded-placed Carrigeen Kerria, is a half-sister to the dam of Cheltenham Festival Grade 1 winner Minella Indo and Grade 2 winner Benatar, who was third in the Grade 1 JLT Novices' Chase, also at the festival.

O’Toole was also the purchaser of a Fame And Glory gelding who got the sale off to a sparkling start when making €88,000. From Ken Parkhill's renowned Castletown Quarry Stud, he is a half-brother to the Listed mares' novice hurdle winner Myska, whose first foal - a Walk In The Park gelding - sells on Wednesday as lot 307.

"He's a very nice horse, from a good family and has been bought to go into training in Ireland," said O’Toole.

Sire on fire

Daughters of Walk In The Park were in demand all day with two more fillies from the first Irish-bred crop of the Derby winner making the top ten prices of the day, both selling for €75,000.

O’Toole bought the first of them to make €75,000, Lot 114 from Belleville who is a half-sister to last season’s Grade 3 Shannon Spray Mares’ Novice Hurdle fourth Scarlet And Dove, trained by Joseph O’Brien.

Her dam Dark Mimosa is a half-sister to the brilliant Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle winner Our Conor, who sadly lost his life in the Champion Hurdle.

It is a mixed family as the second dam Flamands is a Sadler’s Wells full sister to Casey Tibbs, who won the Ballysax Stakes and was second in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes and to the Listed winner and Group 3 placed String Quartet, dam of Group 2 Park Hill Stakes winner Meeznah.

Another half-sister is the second dam of Kempes, who won the Grade 1 Irish Gold Cup for Willie Mullins and JP McManus.

The other Walk In The Park filly to sell for €75,000 was Ballincurrig House Stud’s half-sister to the Grade 3 winning hurdler Barney Dwan.

Her pedigree is a top class French jumping one, as her dam is a half-sister to Geos, winner of the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle for Martin Pipe and to the Grade 3 winner and Grade 1 placed Kapgarde, an influential sire. She was bought by Harry Fowler’s Rahinston Stud.

Fillies were very popular with buyers on Tuesday with four of the ten most expensive horses sold; in addition to the trio of Walk In The Park daughters, a filly who combined the two best National Hunt stallions to have stood in Ireland over the past decade made €78,000.

Brook Lodge Stud sold a daughter of Robert McCarthy’s Flemensfirth, out of a mare by Presenting, who stood at the Cashman’s Glenview Stud.

She is a half-sister to My Whirlwind, who made £400,000 at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale last year, when sold by Patrick Turley to Nicky Henderson.

From the family of the multiple Grade 1 winning chaser and the Grade 1 winners Mister Morose and Captain Cutter, she made €78,000 to Kevin Ross who was acting on behalf of Matt Coleman and the Wasdell Group, for Jonjo O’Neill.

Mangan steps in

A member of Parkhill's most famous family made it into six figures late in the evening as Jimmy Mangan went to €100,000 to secure a Flemensfirth gelding out of Iconic Mystery, a closely related Oscar half-sister to Grade 1 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle winner City Island.

Offered by Mount Brown Farm, he was purchased as a foal by Martin Cullinane for €30,000 and hails from the same family as Champion Hurdle-winning full-brothers Granville Again and Morley Street.

"He's for an existing client and will start off in a point-to-point," said Grand National-winning trainer Mangan. "He's by one of the best stallions around and it’s a really good pedigree, full of good horses."

In National Hunt circles, Authorized will forever be known as the sire of the legendary Tiger Roll, but his top jumpers also include the excellent Grade 1 hurdler Nichols Canyon and Goshen, who looks a Grade 1 winner in waiting.

It was unsurprising therefore that the only horse catalogued in the sale by the Derby, Juddmonte International and Racing Post Trophy winner would create an enormous amount of interest, and there was plenty of attention on him when he came under the hammer, consigned by Moanmore Stables.

It was Stuart Crawford who outbid his rivals for the gelding out of the winning Linamix mare Cocopalm for €105,000, on behalf of an undisclosed client.

Crawford said: "He's a very nice model, Peter [Vaughan of Moanmore Stables] recommended him, and I'm delighted that I was able to buy him. He's for an existing client and will stay with me for the meantime."

Figures

Tattersalls Ireland deserves an enormous amount of praise and recognition for the efforts made to ensure the sale complied with all new social distancing and face mask regulations, especially in an evolving situation.

With clear signage, copious amounts of hand sanitiser, regular reminders to keep your distance and wear your face covering, a safe environment was created for everyone.

Although the top price was higher than the one achieved on the first day of last year's Derby Sale, the rest of the statistics couldn't keep pace with last year's figures.

The clearance rate of 74 per cent was healthy in the circumstances but the total fell by almost half, from €9,168,700 to €4,328,000.

Tuesday's average price fell by 28 per cent compared to last year, down to €37,641 from €52,085 while the median, which was €44,000 last year, decreased by 32 points to €30,000.

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