August sale confirms strong stores market

Golden fields are being harvested all round Ireland but it isn't just the farmers reaping a rich reward, as Tattersalls Ireland's two-day August National Hunt Sale yielded some of their highest results in the past decade.

The aggregate for the entire sale was up by a quarter on 2016 to €3,768,300 a total bettered only once in the last ten years, and that in 2014 when the sale also included a horses-in-training section.

An average price of €9,839 was the highest since the zenith of Ireland's economic boom in 2006, and an increase of almost a fifth on the average from 2016. The median of €6,500 was the best since the heady days of 2007 and a substantial increase of 30 per cent on the equivalent from last year.

Sons of Presenting and Vinnie Roe sat atop the sales chart at the close of play on day two, both geldings selling for €42,000.

First to hit that mark was a full-brother to the black-type gathering bumper and hurdler Royal Caviar, consigned by Katie Rudd's Busherstown Stables.

Out of Blackwater Babe, an unraced sister to the Grade 3-winning chaser Shivermetimber who is also the dam of two Listed winning hurdlers, the three-year-old by four-time Irish St Leger winner Vinnie Roe was contested between trainer Martin Lynch and Bryan Murphy, proprietor of Adare's Dunraven Arms - and it was the hotelier who prevailed.

"He is only one in the sale I wanted to buy and I waited to get him," revealed the happy buyer. "He is a super athlete with great conformation and he will be produced for a bumper in the spring. I bought a few horses at the Derby Sale as well and I have a nice bunch of young horses now."

Gerry Griffin had a busy couple of days scouting talent for Greystoke Stables and the sale's joint most expensive lot will join Nicky Richards' yard. He is the first foal out of the winning Old Vic mare E Mac, who is a three-parts sister to the Listed winning hurdler Blue Buttons, from the family of Galway Plate hero Grimes.

"He is gorgeous, a real Derby Sale type," remarked Griffin of the gelding consigned by Glen Stables. "He has a pedigree too and it won't be difficult to find an owner for him, whoever gets him will be very lucky."

Sam Curling filled the shoes of Tom Malone to buy a son of Milan on behalf of the agent who had to dash off to Dublin airport to catch his flight home.

The €40,000 purchase for trainer Lucinda Russell is out of an unraced half-sister to smart staying chaser Ad Hoc from the family of the legendary Buck House and dual Grade 1 winner Jessie's Dream.

Malone had earlier acquired the session's most expensive filly, a daughter of Knockhouse Stud's Notnowcato for €31,000. Consigned by Ridge Manor Stud, she is a daughter of Daghashah, an unraced Authorized half-sister to Mot Juste by Mtoto.

Harold Kirk was underbidder on the first produce of her dam but it is the sire who had captured the eye of Malone's client.

"She is for Paul Nicholls, who trains Old Guard by Notnowcato," Malone explained.

Old Guard counts Cheltenham's Greatwood and International Hurdles amongst his half-dozen successes so far.

Martin Lynch, thwarted in his efforts to secure the Vinnie Roe sale-topper, had better luck earlier in the day, buying the most expensive offspring of the late Stowaway catalogued.

Offered by Mark Dwyer's Oaks Farm Stables, the bay is the second foal out of Academy Miss by Dushyantor, a sister to Grade 3-winning hurdler Academy Sir Harry and their dam is a half-sister to To-Agori-Mou.

The gelding is a full-brother to Marleen, who won a four-year-old point-to-point on her only start to date for Francesa Nimmo and Charlie Poste, who were standing with Aiden Murphy, the underbidder for her sibling.

Lynch confirmed: "The plan is to go down the point-to-point route with him and then sell him on. His full-sister won her point-to-point on her debut last season and he looks the type of horse that if he could win his four-year-old maiden, he would sell well. He is an athletic type with a good walk."