Francis Quinn: Railstown Stud on his Winter Flat & National Hunt Sale Draft

1: Where you are from and how long you are consigning?
I’m based in Tipperary, between Fethard and Cashel. I’m working on a family farm, and been consigning for over 30 years now. My grandfather sold the five-time Cheltenham Cup Cup winner Golden Miller, and the 1957 Gold Cup winner Linwell from here. A friend of my father’s called Bobby Guiry asked me to prepare two horses for the Derby Sale. Bobby would have been a prominent vendor at the Tattersalls Ireland sales for a long time. One of the two stores was an Andretti three-year-old that Mouse Morris purchased for £13,000, and a Good Thyne mare that Francois Doumen purchased. It was good money at the time, and it was then that I caught the bug.

2: You must enjoy it given your length of time in the industry?
I have a small operation, and never had ambitions to get into big numbers. It is a mixed yard with horses for National Hunt and Flat sales. Sometimes I question my life choices, but I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. The good days are brilliant, and like anything in life, when the bad day arrives you always remember that it will pass.

3: What would be the main challenges in your role as a consignor?
A big challenge is the availability of good, reliable staff. I have a top class team for the sales. There is no such thing as a boss, and everyone knows what is required of them. In this industry it should all be about the horse and being accommodating towards the horse rather than the people, which some people struggle to comprehend. The loyal individual that doesn’t focus on the unsociable hours and hard graft is now scarce on the ground.

4: What would be the main changes that you have seen in the last 20 years?
The introduction of the alphabet has been a bonus because it gives everyone an equal chance. You can be the first lot into the ring and still potentially be a sale topper if your horse meets the demands of the market. The previous system probably favoured the larger vendor, but the alphabet has made it a level playing field. The online sales are providing choice and opportunity to vendors. The boutique sales have become part and parcel of the game now. When they first started there was only a couple in the calendar, but we have one every month now. They seem to work spectacularly well for the point-to-point handlers. The road infrastructure has improved so much in Ireland, and people have moved over to using the larger transporters like Ballinroe and George Mullins Transport.

5. Tell us about some of the best horses you have sold down through the years?
I was lucky with Bobby Guiry’s two horses Mala Beach and Bonny Kate. They were both out of the same mare called Peppardstown. I sold Grade 2 winner Mala Beach to John Bleahen as a foal at the November National Hunt Sale in 2008, and he was resold at the Derby Sale to Mags O’Toole and Chris Jones. I sold Bonny Kate at the 2013 Derby Sale and she went also went onto Grade 2 success. Grade 1 winning novice hurdler Shinrock Paddy is another that I sold as a foal. It’s great to have the bragging rights and know that I had them here in the past.

6: The Railstown draft next week consists of seven yearlings. Tell us about them?
There is some nice pedigrees in there. Lot 119 is a Jukebox Jury filly whose dam is a half-sister to the three-time Grade 1 winner Valseur Lido. I have two commercial colts in there – Lot 56 is a son of Storm The Stars from the family of the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Native River, and Lot 93 is a son of Idaho whose half-brother won a maiden hurdle for Olly Murphy last year.
Lot 138 is a Jeu St Eloi filly out of the four-time winner Billy’s Hope belonging to the Heaney family in Golden. The Heaney’s have invested in a nice collection of young mares, and they have consigned through me for a number of years. Billy’s Hope is a black type mare and a half-sister to Grade 1 winners In Compliance and One Cool Cookie, so it’s a strong pedigree.
Lot 27 is a Blue Bresil filly out of a listed winning bumper filly. Lot 30 is a Vadamos filly who hails from the top class family that includes Jezki, Jered and Jenari. Finally, Lot 105 is a Blue Bresil filly whose dam is out of the Grade 2 winner Shatabdi.

The Winter Flat and National Hunt Sale catalogue can be viewed here. The sale will commence at 11am next Tuesday.