Champion trainer Mullins restocking with the pick of Derby Sale lots led by €175,000 auction-topper

The combined strength mustered by Britain and Ireland's best National Hunt trainers couldn't beat Willie Mullins on the track last season and it was a similar scenario at Tattersalls Ireland on Wednesday, during the opening day of the 50th Derby Sale, with three of the four most expensive horses sold destined for the yard of the reigning champion.

If it wasn't Mullins and his bloodstock agent Harold Kirk with whom trainers and owners had to squabble over the most prized lots, it was an agent acting on behalf of owners who have already been successful with Mullins. 

At almost every turn, just as at Cheltenham, Leopardstown, Aintree and pretty much every meeting of last term, the opposition came up short.

Tom Malone attempted shock and awe tactics with an opening bid of €100,000 for Boedic, the No Risk At All gelding from Creighmore Stables, in an attempt to stun the opposition into submission. However, while Kirk was not expecting such a bold strategy from Malone, it did not deter him. 

"That was a bit of a shock," he said, "and I had to get into gear quickly."

He duly hit top speed and while Malone had the first word, Kirk had the last at €175,000.

He said: "This horse was my top one for today, he really is my number one and by one of my favourite sires. 

"His dam was a very good cross-country mare, which we love as we've had some very good horses out of cross-country mares. He's a stunning individual, has fantastic movement and he just ticked every box. Every time I saw him I loved him more. He's for an owner in the yard."

His Kapgarde dam Bayadene has seven victories on her record and her first foal, a Martaline mare named Bayaline is already a triple winner. 

Bayadene is a half-sister to the Auteuil Listed winner Bayokos and their dam, Bayokalie, is a half-sister to Bayolidaan, who was third in the Group 1 Prix du Cadran and a multiple Listed winner over jumps at Auteuil, across the Bois du Boulogne from Longchamp.

Mullins has trained No Risk At All's dual Ryanair Chase hero Allaho and his string last season included Allegorie De Vassy, a Grade 2-winning daughter of Haras du Montaigu's popular sire, and Grade 3 Fairyhouse juvenile hurdle winner Risk Belle, another daughter of the chestnut half-brother to Nickname.

Boedic will join the all-conquering Willie Mullins' team after his €175,000 sale at Tattersalls IrelandCredit: www.healyracing.ie

"He's not a big, heavy horse, he's very athletic and shouldn't take a long time; a lot of No Risk At Alls can come to hand quickly and he looks like he could be one of them," said Kirk.

The sale was a notable one for Michael O'Brien of Creighmore Stables, who owned the sale-topper in partnership with his former employer Walter Connors. 

O'Brien is in only his second year of consigning in his own right, having served his apprenticeship at Connors' renowned Sluggara Farm, and Boedic who is just the third foal of his dam, was the first of Creighmore's five-strong Derby Sale draft through the ring.

Despite having extensive experience of the sales, O'Brien was also taken aback by Malone's opening gambit.

He said: "My first reaction was I hope someone else goes on!" 

O'Brien continued: "He was bought privately by Seamus Murphy as a foal in France and has always been a lovely horse. I always had a few stores when I worked for Walter. I sold them through Walter's consignment but it was getting bigger, so I felt it was time to head out on my own."

O'Brien is based on the Cork side of the border with Waterford, where Connors' farm is located, but heading up to Meath he had high hopes for the gorgeous chestnut gelding.

"I was hoping he was going to be an important horse today and I'm delighted he's going to Willie Mullins," he said. "A lot of people told me they thought he was the nicest horse today."

One of those thinking along those lines was Ross Doyle, who was forced to concede defeat but gained compensation by securing Lakefield Farm's Galiway gelding for €170,000. 

The half-brother to the Listed Grand Prix de Lyon winner and Group 3-placed Styledargent is bred on the same Haras de Colleville cross of Galiway and Kendargent as the Group 1 winners and full-brothers Sealiway and Sunway, and Gala Marceau, successful in the Grade 1 Prix Alain du Breil and Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Doyle revealed that Sunshineway, as the grey has been named, will join Gala Marceau in County Carlow.

Dermot Clarke and Sunshineaway after Ross Doyle purchased Lakefield Farm's Galiway gelding for €170,000Credit: www.healyracing.ie

"He'll go to Sam Curling to be pre-trained and then to Willie Mullins," said Doyle. "He's for an established client and is one of two we picked out today for this specific owner; we were underbidder on the No Risk At All. 

"We were very keen to get this horse. We had to push the boat out, but that is what happens with these special horses."

Mullins also trains Galiway's most successful National Hunt star, triple Grade 1-winning hurdler Vauban, who is also a Group 3 winner on the Flat and at Royal Ascot last week was fourth to Kyprios in the Gold Cup having finished second in the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup a month previously.

He is out of the Hurricane Run mare Waldfest, but the cross of Galiway with Kendargent has been most successful. In addition to the aforementioned trio it has also produced the Group 3 Prix du Lys winner Rubis Vendome and Kenway, successful in the Group 3 Prix la Rochette and now approaching the conclusion of his first season as a sire at Coolagown Stud.

Also bred this way are the Listed winners Galik and Gregolimo, who was second in the Group 2 Prix Hocquart, and the Group 3-placed Gabello.

Sunshineaway's dam Feriadargent has produced four winners from her first five runners, with two of them full-siblings of the handsome grey gelding. 

Feriadargent is herself a full-sister to the Listed Prix Roger de Minvielle Chase third Kenfairy and a half-sister to Group 3 Prix du Palais-Royal winner Lunasalt. Their dam Lunafairy is a daughter of Always Fair and she was successful in Chantilly's Prix de Sandringham.

Mullins and Kirk joined forces with MV Magnier to purchase Baroda Stud's gelding from the first crop of Crystal Ocean. Out of Carrowmore, a Yeats half-sister to Grade 1 Top Novices' Hurdle winner Pingshou and the Grade 2 winner and Grand National runner-up Magic Of Light, he was the most expensive Crystal Ocean sold on Wednesday at €120,000.

That figure of €120,000 was matched by Kevin Ross when purchasing Brook Lodge Farm's Jukebox Jury gelding out of Fortunes Harvest.

Tom Howley bought the bay for €42,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale from Burgage Stud, where the Group 1 winner by Montjeu resides.

Walter Connors (left) and Norman Williamson (centre) were among the leading consignors on the first day of the Derby SaleCredit: www.healyracing.ie

A strikingly handsome horse, he is a half-brother to Sunday Soldier who won five times over hurdles last season for Graeme McPherson and David Killahena.

Six-year-old Sunday Soldier is the first foal out of Fortunes Harvest, an unraced Soldier Of Fortune half-sister to Listed winner Doctor Kaleo and to the Group 3 Prix Vanteaux third Gold Harvest, who is the dam of Group 3 La Coupe Maisons-Lafitte winner and Grade 1 E P Taylor Stakes second Golden Legend and of the Auteuil Listed winner Doctor Squeeze.

Norman Williamson consigned the session's most expensive Doctor Dino gelding  - Bouffon Has at €170,000 - but he wasn't the only son of Haras du Mesnil's stalwart to make a six-figure splash on Wednesday.

Ballyreddin and Busherstown, the combined team of John Dwan and Katie Rudd, offered Heldam for sale and he was knocked down to Ballycrystal Stables for €110,000.

Heldam's dam Cat Moves won seven times over jumps, with four of those victories coming at Listed level. The Medicean mare has a winning son of Saint Des Saints named Sayadam and is out of the Listed Prix des Lilas winner Cattiva Generosa.

The same team was behind the session's most expensive Poet's Word gelding, who was bought for €100,000 by Colin Bowe's Milestown Bloodstock. From the first Boardsmill Stud crop of the King George winner and grandson of Dubawi, he is the second foal produced by Dinaria Des Obeaux. 

By Saddler Maker, she beat Magic Of Light to win a Grade 2 mares' novice chase at Thurles for Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown House Stud, and this gelding is just her second foal.

Father and son duo Aiden and Olly Murphy were thwarted in their efforts to purchase a number of the day's most expensive lots, but they secured a second-crop son of Order Of St George for €110,000.

Paul Nicholls casts his eye over a potential recruit at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby SaleCredit: www.healyracing.ie

Consigned by Abbey Stables, he is the second foal out of Crafted Mastery, a winner on the Flat at three, and a Mastercraftsman full-sister to Grey Waters, who was third in the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle for Joseph O'Brien.

A gelding by Walk In The Park was the early highlight of the first session, making €105,000 to Michael Hyde, who was standing with Frank Berry and Derek O'Connor while bidding on Woodhouse Stud's bay, who has an auspicious birthday; St Patrick's Day.

His dam Thanks Awfully is an unraced Presenting full-sister to the Gunnery Sergeant, who was third in the Grade 1 Royal Bond for Noel Meade and Gigginstown House Stud. In addition to Gunnery Sergeant, she is a half-sister to the Grade 2-placed pair of Whoshotthesherriff and Minellaforleisure out of the Grand Steeplechase de Lyon third Dame Foraine.

Hyde succinctly summed up the rationale behind the purchase, saying"He's a lovely horse and the sire has been very successful for us."

It was a thought that Berry concurred with, and he added of the gelding, who was just the eighth horse to come under the hammer on Wednesday morning, "we hope he will be lucky for us."

Prior to his session-topping success with protege O'Brien, Connors already had a six-figure sale for his Sluggara Farm as he sold a strong Beaumec De Houelle gelding to Malone and Paul Nicholls for €100,000.

L'unique D'Allen is a half-brother to Hermes Allen, who was trained by Nicholls to win the Grade 1 Challow Novices' Hurdle, the Hyde Novices; Hurdle and Berkshire Novices' Chase (both Grade 2 contests).

Michael Hyde, Frank Berry and Derek O'Connor bought lot 9 for €105,000Credit: www.healyracing.ie

Malone commented: "Obviously Paul trained the half-brother, who was a very good horse but ill-fated. This fella is taller already than he was and he ticks all the boxes. 

"We bought a few by the sire last year and got a couple already this summer. What I have noticed about them is they all seem to be slick, racy and athletic types. We haven't bought him for any specific owner in the yard but there will be plenty interested in him."

Sir Alex Ferguson was among the quartet of people who owned Hermes Allen, a son of the Grade 3 Prix Andre Michel Hurdle winner Une Destine, by Assessor. She is a half-sister to Atacames, the unraced dam of Grade 2 Finesse Juvenile Hurdle winner Galahad Quest and Knight Of Allen, Listed-placed in the Fillies' Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree last season. Both of them are trained by Jane Williams. The family also includes the 2022 Grade 1 Sefton Novices' Hurdle winner Gelino Bello, trained by Nicholls.

The session generated turnover of €6,656,500, with the 142 horses sold at an average price of €46,877, with the median at €39,000. The clearance rate was 78 per cent.

The second day of the Derby Sale begins at 10.30am on Thursday.

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