Strong Competition Among Point-to-Point Handlers in Derby Sale Part II

After this week’s record-breaking two-day Derby Sale, demand for the best lots through Part II of the Derby Sale saw no let up with the one-day session, staged for the first time since 2017, achieving a top price of €52,000.

Point-to-point buyers were busy throughout the session and, with three-year-olds by stallions popular earlier in the week still keenly sought, the sale was topped by a Poet’s Word gelding purchased by Denis Murphy’s Ballyboy Stables (Lot 451).

Sold by Drumloose Stables, the gelding just the second lot in the ring, Murphy said: “I know this pedigree well and I love Poet’s Word – this is the first by him that I have bought, I have not been able to buy them! He is one for myself and Cormac Doyle.”

Although this is the first by the sire bought by Murphy, the gelding will not be the first through his hands – Murphy trained Taurus Bay, who was the sire’s first Irish point-to-point winner, victorious at Comea in the early spring subsequently sold at the Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale for £155,000.

The gelding is a three-year-old half-brother to four winners, including Wild Romance, a runner-up in the Hyde Novices Hurdle (G2). She was produced by Murphy to finish second in her point-to-point.

Murphy, who bought six horses in the session and was the day’s busiest purchaser, also spent €41,000 on a gelding by Walk In The Park out of Karen Mag (Lot 559) and sold by Meelin Stud for Karen O’Driscoll, and €32,000 on the Maxios filly (Lot 565) from the family of the talented mare La Bague Au Roi. She was offered by the day’s leading consignor Glen Stables.

Many of the point-to-point trainers were in the ring for the athletic gelding by Doyen (Lot 627) offered by Churchlands Stables, but it was the partnership of Jim O’Neill of Cametigue Horses and James Doyle of Baltimore Stables who were successful at €50,000.

“We always buy a few together and have done so for a long time,” said Doyle. “This lad was on a lot of radars, and Jamie [Codd] mentioned him to us right back on Monday, he is a lovely horse. We will go pointing with him.”

O’Neill, who has had luck buying from Churchlands before, said: “I bought the Festival Cross Country winner Stumptown from Jamie and he was a good horse, so hopefully his one will be the same!”

The gelding is a half-brother to Pic Roc, a winner over hurdles and Grade 3-placed, while his dam South Africa (Turtle Bowl) is a half-sister to the Grade 1-winning French chaser Top Of The Sky, and to the dam of the Thyestes Chase (G1) winner Coko Beach.

After buying the Liss House-offered Lot 643 for €46,000, a son of Linda’s Lad from the family of the Midlands Grand National (G3) winner Miss Orchestra, the Punchestown Champion INH Flat Race (G1) winner Value At Risk, and the Royal and SunAlliance Novice Chase (G1) placed Battlecry, trainer Stuart Crawford laughed: “I should have gone home!”

He added: “We always buy a horse or two from the Bleahens every year and hadn’t managed to until now. I liked this horse, he is quite racy, and he stood out on his pedigree and Linda’s Lad is capable of getting a good horse.”

Of plans, he said: “I ticked the box for the bumper and as I have done for all the horses we have bought his week, it is a way off but gives options.”

The Crawford Brothers have purchased five lots through the Part II Sale and the buyer said: “We have bought more than a lorry load; I need to go and work out how we are going to get them home now!”

Owner John Doyle and trainer Mark McNiff went to €45,000 to buy Lot 517, an attractive son of Maxios sold by the day’s second-leading consignor Parkville Stud, who sold five horses today for a turnover of €103,000.

“We will get him home and see how he comes on,” said McNiff, who is based in Sligo. “He is a lovely looking horse and has a pedigree, being out of the good mare Ebony Empress.”

The mare is a daughter of Kris Kin and was third in a Listed EBF/TBA chase at Cheltenham. She is the dam of two winners from two runners, including Bay Empress, the debut winner of a bumper in February. The family traces to the Grade 2 Lightning Novices Chase winner Woolcombe Folly, and the Grade 2 Persian War Novice Hurdle El Bandit.

Point-to-point trainer Sam Curling had already purchased nine lots earlier in the week. He bought the only lot catalogued in Derby Sale Part II by sire Tirwanako (Lot 564) going to €42,000 for the first foal out of Lady Dashing (Yeats), while Monbeg Stables, leading purchaser in the two-day Derby Sale with 27 lots bought, added another five to the shopping list today, including a €40,000 gelding by Sumbal (Lot 471) and out of the well-related Court Cave mare Bellingham Court.

Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins commented:

“After two electric days of trade earlier this week, we approached Part II of the Derby Sale sale with measured expectations. While the market remains selective, the demand followed through from Wednesday and Thursday and it was encouraging to see strong competition on a good number of horses and several new faces ringside once again.

“We’re grateful to the vendors who supported today’s session and to the buyers – particularly those active in the point-to-point sphere – who remain such an important part of this trade. We are confident we can build further on this section next year.

“We thank all those who took part this week and look forward to seeing these horses succeed on the track in the seasons ahead.”