Gelding from second-last crop of Fame And Glory proves popular

The catalogue for Sunday's opening session of the Tattersalls Ireland November Sale comprised older horses and yearlings bred for both codes but the top end of the market was all about the National Hunt-bred youngsters.

The loss of , who died of a suspected heart attack when covering a mare in February 2017, hit home when Commander Of Fleet struck in the Goffs Land Rover Bumper at Punchestown in April, and buyers had the chance to buy two yearlings from his penultimate crop.

An April-born gelding with a striking white thunderbolt blaze by the son of Montjeu lit up the sales auditorium when the imposing bay took his turn through the ring.

View sales results and buyers

Offered by Peter Nolan Bloodstock, the session-topper is out of the winning Oscar mare Blazing Sonnet, a closely related half-sister to superb chase mare Blazing Tempo, and Alastair Pim was inundated with bids for the gelding before knocking him down to Johnny Collins of Brown Island Stables for €42,000.

"He'll be offered again as a store," said Collins from his position in front of the buyers' bench. "Please God he'll stay in one piece as they're not making them anymore. The sire's runners have done everything you'd expect them to have done at this stage.

"I'm also a fan of Oscar as a broodmare sire, while Montjeu is really making his name as a sire of sires."

Oscar is also the damsire of Grand National runner-up The Last Samuri, while God's Own led home a one-two for the sire in Tuesday's Haldon Gold Cup from Ozzie The Oscar, with the sire's son Bags Groove also successful in a Grade 2 novices' chase at Wincanton on Saturday.

Montjeu, meanwhile, is the progenitor of a host of talented sires including Authorized, Camelot, Jukebox Jury, Motivator, Scorpion and Walk In The Park, while the first foals of Ol' Man River will come up for sale from Monday onwards.

Buyers have few remaining opportunities to buy youngstock by Fame And Glory, with only five foals registered from his last crop.

The session-topper pictured with his breeder Willie Austin, who also bred the great Blazing TempoCredit: Peter Mooney

Frisby comes back for more

Pinhookers will have looked on with admiration and possibly envy after Richard Frisby picked up a yearling colt for £29,000 at the 2016 Goffs UK January Sale, only to sell him for €210,000 to Aiden and Olly Murphy at this year's Goffs Land Rover Sale.

Frisby returned to the well on Sunday when going to €37,000 for a May-foaled Kayf Tara colt out of Captivating Tyna, a daughter of the late Presenting, who is also damsire of this year's Cheltenham Festival-winning pair Heron Island and Presenting Percy and Gold Cup runner-up Might Bite.

"He'll come back as a store," said Frisby of Glenwood Stud in County Kilkenny. "I've been successful with the sire's progeny before and he is a good-walking colt with a lot to like about him."

Kayf Tara - who stood his 18th season at Overbury Stud this spring - was again on the scoresheet last month with Secret Investor winning the Grade 2 Persian War Novices' Hurdle at Chepstow.

Never too old

The grey Meditur, a French-bred gelding related to the Long Distance Hurdle winner Medinas, was next to captivate the buyers' attention, and James Mernagh emerged on top after Richard Botterill brought the gavel down at €35,000.

"He'll be coming back here as a three-year-old," said Mernagh, who consigns as Larch Grove Stud in County Wexford, an operation whose previous Derby Sale offerings have included Irish Cesarewitch winner Digeanta.

"We thought he was the nicest yearling in the catalogue."

The admirably consistent jumps stallion Turgeon, sire of such talents as Exotic Dancer, Ma Filleule and this year's Grade 3 Prix Sagan Hurdle winner La Griottiere, was 30 when the gelding was conceived and he covered 26 mares at Haras du Mesnil earlier this year at the amazing age of 32.

French fever

French breds accounted for four of the top ten lots, with an April-born colt by secured by Timmy Hillman from the Peel Hall Stables draft.

Despite bidding for the colt - who is already named Etincelle Artiste - starting at €10,000, the bidding rose sharply in small increments, with a nod from Hillman at €30,000 sealing the deal.

Hillman explained that his new recruit would return for the 2021 Derby Sale and that he has been impressed by the colt's Martaline half-brother, who realised €85,000 for Ballyreddin Stud at this year's Derby Sale.

Etincelle Artiste is out of an unraced half-sister to the Malaysian Listed winner Monsili, who shares her granddam with no less a talent than Zenyatta, who was crowned champion older mare in the US in 2008, 2009 and 2010 as well as winning the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic.

Figures

A 43 per cent decrease in total sales saw final receipts drop to €797,400, compared to €1,393,200 last year, with 78 of the 161 lots on offer finding new homes at a clearance rate of just below 50 per cent.

The average fell from €12,551 to €10,223, while the median dropped from €8,200 to €5,000.

More from Tattersalls Ireland:

Five superb November Sale graduates who continue to make headlines

Unusual heritage a unique selling point for Straw Bear relation

Ballylinch Stud weighs in with support as New Bay pair sell well