Tattersalls Ireland

Eva Nieslanikova's six-year-old entire Ponntos (Ire) (Power {GB}--Blessing Box {GB}, by Bahamian Bounty {GB}), undefeated in Europe since returning from a five-race winter jaunt to the Middle East, made it three-for-three this term with a dominant performance in Sunday's G2 Prix du Gros-Chene at Chantilly. Ponntos was successful in April's Listed Premio Certosa and last month's G3 Prix de Saint-Georges, his second victory in the latter, and assumed his customary frontrunning role from flagfall in this straight five-furlong dash. Untroubled throughout, the 6-4 favourite had all 11 rivals on the...

A three-year-old filly already named Lady Blackmore (Fr) (Bathyrhon {Ger}) (lot 188) brought a sale-topping bid of €45,000 from Milestone Bloodstock and James Kenny at Thursday's Tattersalls Ireland May Store Sale. Consigned by Galbertstown Stables, Lady Blackmore is out of the five-time winner Pennsylvanie (Fr) (Dadarissime {Fr}), a half-sister to the dam of Jango Baie (Fr) (Tiger Groom {GB}), the winner of last December's G1 Formby Novices' Hurdle and a previous graduate of the May Store Sale. "We have bought her with Colin Bowe," said Kenny. "I love her--she has...

Four-year-old gelding Arslan (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) (lot 10), who filled the runner-up spot on his point-to-point debut at Tralee last weekend, topped Wednesday's Tattersalls Ireland May Point-to-Point and Horses-in-Training Sale when selling to Harold Kirk and trainer Willie Mullins for €180,000. Bred by Al Shaqab Racing, Arslan is out of the dual Grade I-winning mare Harmonious (Dynaformer) and was consigned by Richard Black of Ballinapark Stables, who had purchased him in France last July for €28,000. "This is a beautiful horse, by a fantastic sire and with a pedigree,"...

With a little help from above, Stephen Byrne of Knockgraffon Stables enjoyed an emotional fillip during a time of unimaginable heartache when selling his Coulsty (Ire) colt for €200,000 just over two weeks after his brother and former jockey Michael died in tragic circumstances.   The sales ring can be a magical place. Full of dreams and disappointments, but on Friday, Tattersalls Ireland was full of tears. And smiles. Lots of smiles.  An understandably emotional Byrne said, "It's been a very rough couple of weeks but my brother Michael was looking...

The talk on the breeze-up circuit this year has been dominated by poor clearance rates combined with a record number of private sales, an ever-increasing polarisation to the market and a Houdini-like disappearing act by the middle tier buyers.  So what has the mood been like on the eve of what is widely considered to be the final big breeze-up sale in Europe at Tattersalls Ireland? Pretty good actually. This sale has almost always been operating in its own realm--you never know who you are going to see here. Take...

Star Bloodstock, the consignment that unearthed talents like Malavath (Ire), A'Ali (Ire) and more, is set to wind down its breeze-up operation and concentrate entirely on producing future top-notchers on the racetrack instead.  The shift in focus has reaped immediate rewards with the aptly-named Make Haste (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}), a leading Royal Ascot contender after posting a stunning debut success at Naas for trainer and breeze-up consignor Diego Dias, being snapped up by Gainesway and LNJ Foxwoods.  Bought by Byron Rogers, Star Bloodstock and Dias at the Tattersalls Book...

Do you want to feel old? It's over a decade since a baby-faced Connor King burst onto the scene in Ireland and landed Champion Flat Apprentice titles in 2013 and 2015.  King rode winners for some of the biggest names in the sport but his career on the Flat was cruelly cut short when he started to fill into his massive frame. In short, nature took its course.  After a spell riding under National Hunt rules, King is now concentrating fully on training winners rather than riding them, and sent...

Twenty-nine wildcards have been added to the catalogue for the Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-Up Sale, scheduled for Thursday, May 23 and Friday, May 24. Now featuring 281 lots, the sale kicks off at 10am on May 24, with the breezes beginning the day prior at 8.30am at Fairyhouse Racecourse. The wildcard entries include lot 263, a Mehmas (Ire) half-brother to the G2 German 2,000 Guineas winner Fox Champion (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), and lot 269, an Oasis Dream (GB) colt whose full-brother Maxi Boy (GB) finished third in the G2 Superlative S....

The 50th edition of the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale catalogue was released on Thursday. Featuring 406 stores, the sale is set for June 26-27 and begins at 10:30 a.m. each morning.  All lots catalogued are eligible for the €100,000 Tattersalls Ireland George Mernagh Memorial Sales Bumper 2025. A wide variety of sires have progeny on offer, including Doctor Dino (Fr), Maxios (GB), Great Pretender (Ire), Walk In The Park (Ire), Beaumec De Houelle (Fr), Crystal Ocean (GB), Poet's Word (Ire), Getaway (Ger), Affinisea (Ire), Blue Bresil (Fr), and No Risk...

The Gowran Park Breeze-Up Sale is set to make its return in 2025 with powerhouse consignors Willie Browne, Con Marnane and Roger O'Callaghan pledging to support what was formerly known as the Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale.  The Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale was relocated to Fairyhouse and run by Tattersalls Ireland back in 2019. However, this year marks the first time that Tattersalls Ireland will run the sale away from the banner of Goresbridge.  After a four-year hiatus, Goresbridge Horse Sales returned to the point-to-point and horses-in-training market last month under the leadership...

Ballyhane Stud resident Sands Of Mali (Fr) (Panis) became Europe's latest first-crop sire to get off the mark when his Florian Guyader-trained daughter Hide The Evidence (Ire) shed maiden status with a two-length debut win over five furlongs in Monday's Prix du Medoc at Bordeaux. Bred by Joe Foley's Ballyhane Stud, Hide The Evidence fetched €10,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale when knocked down to Con Marnane. Racing in the colours of Marnane's daughters Amy and Olivia, the filly could be Royal Ascot bound, according to connections. Con...

Scuderia Sagam's Folgaria (Ire) (Due Diligence--Full Moon Fever {Ire}, by Azamour {Ire}) went undefeated through a five-race juvenile campaign for Stefano Botti last year and, now under the stewardship of that trainer's brother Marco, retained her perfect record with a hard-fought triumph in Saturday's G3 Dubai Duty Free S. (Fred Darling S.) at Newbury. The February-foaled bay backed up a debut win at Milan's San Siro in May with a brace of Listed contests at Rome's Capanelle and back in Milan. She went on sabbatical after collecting July's G3 Premio...