Day one of the Tattersalls Ireland Derby sale lived up to its billing as the premium store sale, and despite the big prices that were paid, and stiff competition, point-to-point handlers and owners were out in force as they continued to source new stock ahead of 2019 four-year-old campaign.
Many of those figures who had been spending big at the Land Rover sale earlier in the month, were once again to the fore in the Tattersalls sales ring, with the Monbeg Syndicate team chief among them.
Thirteen purchases for a combined spend of €610,000 ensured that only Highflyer Bloodstock spent more on the opening day of the sale.
The Doyle brothers continue to push the bar in terms of the money they are prepared to spend on young stock, with their average price for the day climbing to a sum just shy of €47,000. Last year, following the conclusion of the two-day sale, their average purchase was considerably lower at €38,424.
Chief among their 2018 buys was lot 66, the already named Frisson Collonges. Consigned by Lakefield Farm, the bay gelding is by Coastal Path, the French-based stallion who sired two four-year-old winners last spring, including the Monbeg’s Gaelik Coast at Castletown-Geoghegan in April.
In total, the Monbeg team bought seven horses for at least €50,000 including lot 3, an Oscar gelding from Shanrod Stables. A final bid of €70,000 secured that half-brother to Cheltenham Festival victor Go Native, whilst a bid of €62,000 was needed to snap up lot 75 from Rahinstown Farm & Stud.
By Fame And Glory, one of the leading producers of four-year-old winners during the most recent spring campaign, he is a half-brother to Graded winner Art Of Logistics, who incidentally is also under the care of the Doyle’s, winning a Ballyragget Open in 2017 for them.
A similar bid of €62,000 also secured them lot 147, one of two three-year-old’s they bought by the Burgage Stud resident stallion Shantou.
Whilst the Doyle’s and their Monbeg team may be the most prominent point-to-point team within the top 3 purchasers list, the honour of purchasing the most expensive horse went to the Alan Harte Bloodstock team.
Harte’s colours have been associated with some very well-bred point-to-pointers in recent seasons, with his latest batch behind handled by Denis Murphy in Wexford. For his 2019 team, Harte added Fusionice for a price of €92,000.
From Sluggara Farm, the bay gelding is another son of Coastal Path to sell well on the day, with Fusionice also having the honour of being an own brother to the most successful of Coastal Path’s six four-year-old point-to-point winners to date, Bacardys.
Harte’s associate Joey Logan unsurprisingly added further off-spring from the retired stallion Oscar to his point-to-point team for 2019, with 120 from Galbertstown Stud. Oscar of course the stallion responsible for producing his Portrush maiden winner Finian’s Oscar, who went on to win multiple Grade 1 prizes under rules.
But it was lot 194, a Fame And Glory gelding that was Logan’s most expensive purchase. The bay, who is out of an own-sister to Bob Justice, coming with a price tag of €90,000.
In total, the Kildare-based Logan spent €240,000 on four horses for an average price of €60,000, to place him in eighth on the top 10 purchasers list going into day two.
Pat Doyle, the man responsible for starting off Bacardys in his point-to-point career at Quakerstown, was adding further strength to his 2019 team of young performances off the back of a hugely successful spring campaign adding two horses from Wednesday’s Derby sale to his purchases from the Land Rover sale.
Doyle was another keen to acquire the off-spring of the late Fame And Glory whilst they are still available, paying upwards of €70,000 for a pair of the late sires three-year-old’s in lot 214 for €78,000 and €70,000 for lot 44.
Richard Black is a young handler not afraid to spend big on quality young stock, and to date this has been well rewarded. Four winners from just horses last season is a testament to that for the Wexford handler who is responsible for consigning the most expensive point-to-point mare ever sold at public auction in Maire Banrigh.
On day one of the Derby sale, he gave €55,000 for a French-bred filly named Fleur De Bruzeau, who is related to the likes of Socrate, Gabion and Rameur, each of whom are black type performers in her native France.
The big spending on behalf of point-to-point connections continued right across the afternoon, with all the big players out in force.
Ian Ferguson, who so often buys young horses for leading northern-based owner and dedicated points supporter Wilson Dennison, went to €88,000 for lot 88, an Oscar gelding from Glenwood Stud, who is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner The New One, in addition to €55,000 for lot 153, named Folio from Noroit.
In total, reigning champion handler Colin Bowe bought four stores for a combined spend of €162,000, whilst jockey Rob James, who is associated with both Bowe’s yard and the Monbeg team, added to his Land Rover buys when snapping up lot 121, a Shirocco gelding for €48,000.
JJ Bowe, Larry Murphy, Peter Flood, Paul Pierce, Virginia Considine, Denis Murphy, Stuart Crawford, Francis Fenton, Paul Power, Tom Keating, Warren Ewing, Sam Curling, Mark O’Hare, Aidan Fitzgerald and Mick Goff, were just some of the other point-to-point connections that featured among the day one buyers.
Action in the sales ring for day two of the 2018 Derby Sale begins at 10.30am on Thursday morning.
All the day one results can be viewed in full by clicking HERE.
