Canice Farrell back on the road with Tattersalls sale dates looming

This week's announcement that the Tattersalls December Sales would be taking place as scheduled came as good news on several fronts for Canice Farrell.

As well as breeding from Knockatrina House in County Laois, Farrell modestly describes himself as "one of these guys who does a little bit of everything" from farming to running a small horse transport business.

His lorries will be back on the road later this month, with one important passenger bound for the trade-opening Yearling Sale on November 23 in the shape of lot 119, a Starspangledbanner half-sister to Jeff Smith's recent Cheveley Park Stakes winner Alcohol Free.

Farrell withdrew her from Goffs Orby and could reap the benefits with Tattersalls able to stage this later physical sale in Newmarket despite the national lockdown. It will be restricted to industry professionals and run in accordance with government regulations.

"In hindsight the extra month or six weeks has definitely stood to her, she just needed that little bit of time to flourish," he said. "She's a fair filly now. I'm actually proud of her - forget about that update with Alcohol Free - she's not a bad filly regardless."

The Tattersalls sales are permitted to go ahead later this monthCredit: Laura Green

Farrell missed the coming-of-age performance of the Andrew Balding-trained Alcohol Free at Newmarket as he had no mobile phone coverage on his journey from another sale. It represented a momentous mark-up for an individual out of the Hard Spun mare Plying, who he had acquired for €40,000 in February.

"She looked like a scopey filly that was going to improve, and she's done that," he said. "She had another two-year-old to run for her at the time which turned out to be Alcohol Free, and there was a three-year-old, Johan Zoffani, who was well enough rated but still a maiden.

"I just thought those black-type pedigrees always follow through, they come out and produce good horses year after year. And in fairness to Starspangledbanner, he's a consistent sire, his stats are very good year on year."

View Tattersalls December Yearling Sale catalogue here

Farrell is clearly not just a jobbing jack of all trades, given he has already bred a Golden Jubilee winner in Fayr Jag and pinhooked the Group 1 miler Paco Boy. His sister Marette is a leading bloodstock agent in America.

Even with the prospect of a fair payday, it will be business as usual in a couple of weeks.

"It's just great the sales are on," he said. "We do all the sales from Doncaster to Tattersalls, Arqana, Baden-Baden, transporting for a lot of the guys in the Tipperary area, and naturally enough normally I'd have a couple going to each individual sale anyway.

"The trucks are flat out - over back, over back. They never stop."

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