Gordon Elliott to train session-topping filly by Soldier Of Fortune

A daughter of Beeches Stud sire Soldier Of Fortune set the sales ring alight during part one of the Tattersalls Ireland August National Hunt Sale on Thursday.

Consigned by Willie Browne's Mocklershill Stables, the attractive and easy moving filly is out of the Docksider mare Didn't I Tell You, who has a perfect record of six winners from six runners, and created a buzz around the sales complex that saw plenty of competition for her.

Point-to-point handler Denis Murphy, agent Gerry Hogan and Bobby O'Ryan engaged in a three-way fight for the prize, with O'Ryan seeing off all comers at €54,000.

O'Ryan revealed he was acting on behalf of his son Aidan 'Mouse', who was following government guidelines on movement restrictions after his trip to the Tattersalls August Sale in Newmarket earlier this week.

"I bought her for Mouse and Gordon Elliott, who will train her," said O'Ryan snr. "She's a gorgeous filly and would've been worthy of a place in last week's sale."

The March-born filly has plenty of Flat form in her family. Her second dam Heed My Warning was second in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and is a half-sister to Second Guess, the Listed-placed dam of Group 3 Gladness Stakes winner Softly Tread, who in turn is the dam of Group 1 Coronation Cup winner and Yorton Farm sire Pether's Moon.

View results and buyers on day one

A flurry of late activity pushed prices up in the final hour of the sale, with five of the day's most expensive horses changing hands during that time.

The two most expensive of these, and the two highest-priced geldings of the day, were consigned by Boardsmill Stud and by their Grade 1 sires Court Cave and Kalanisi.

Plenty of prospective purchasers hung around until the very last lot of the sale, the Court Cave full-brother to the ill-fated Grade 1 Neptune Investment Novice Hurdle winner Willoughby Court, consigned by the Floods on behalf of breeders Jack and Susie Kidd.

Ray Loughnane, the owner-breeder of multiple winner Snugsborough Benny, entered the fray when bidding reached €30,000 and fought off the competition by landing a winning bid of €37,000.

"He'll go into training with Shane Broderick," said Loughnane, who is from Birr in County Offaly. "He's a nice horse and clean as a whistle. We'll aim to start him off on the track and if he's half as good as his full-brother then we will be very happy."

The three-year-old has a lot to live up to on his page; as well as Ben Pauling's first Cheltenham Festival winner in Willoughby Court, there is his dam's half-brother Nil Desperandum, who won the Grade 1 Drinmore Chase, the Grade 2 December Novices' Chase winner Rocky's Treasure and Double Shuffle, who was second to Might Bite in the 2018 King George.

Not quite as late in the day was the Kalanisi half-brother to Paul Nicholls' Grade 2 Persian War Novices' Hurdle and Grade 2 Future Champions Novices' Chase winner Secret Investor.

Their dam Silver Chamer won two renewals of the Listed Mares' Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham April meeting and is from the family of such luminaries as the Arkle and Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Remittance Man.

The Kalanisi gelding shares his sire with Grade 1 winners such as Kalashnikov, Katchit and Fayonagh and went the way of Kevin Ross, acting on behalf of Imperial Racing, for €34,000.

Milan in vogue

Grange Stud resident Milan, another member of the Coolmore National Hunt roster, was responsible for two of the lots to make more than €20,000 on the day.

William Hunter went to €29,000 for the gelding from Glen Stables, the first foal out of the Beneficial mare Bowling Green, an unraced half-sister to Grade B handicap chase winner Carrigmartin, the Grade B handicap hurdle second City Slicker and the Listed-placed novice hurdler Hannah's Princess. The family is also that of Betfair Chase winner Snoopy Loopy and this particular member is destined for Northern Ireland.

"He's the nicest horse we've seen so far today and will go pointing with George Stewart," said Hunter.

Another Milan gelding, this time a wildcard entry from White Horse Stud, was bought by young National Hunt jockey Kevin Brouder for €21,000. Out of the Supreme Leader mare Hazlewood, he is a half-brother to the Grade 3 Joe Mac Novice Hurdle winner Tavern Times and is related to Scottish Grand National winner Young Kenny.

Scarcity value

Rajaran, the only horse in the sale by the brilliant and lamented Martaline, also made his presence felt.

Gerry Hogan engaged in a spirited battle with an online bidder for the grey gelding, and it was the agent who emerged victorious at €27,000, bidding on behalf of a client who will send the gelding into training in the UK.

"He's a cracking horse with a lovely pedigree and will be trained by Emma Lavelle," said Hogan.

The wildcard entry from Rathturtin Stud had a pedigree to boast about as a half-brother to the Italian Grade 2 chase winner and Grade 1 placed Rajasthan and the French Listed hurdle winner Rasango.

Rajaran is out of the Listed-placed hurdler Ravna, a Nikos half-sister to the Grade 2 Prix Congress Chase winner and Grade 1 Prix Maurice Gillois Grand Steeplechase second Sun Storm and Rainbow Crest, the dam of Grade 1 winner and dual Gold Cup second Djakadam.

Cool company

Carlotamix, the sire of Grade 1 winner Gemix who is making a name for himself as an exciting sire of jumpers in France, was responsible for a gelding who made €24,000, with Abbey Stables' gelding by the Coolagown Stud sire going the way of Daniel Fitzsimons and Noel Kelly.

The fourth foal out of the Kayf Tara mare Tarrawarra, he is a half-brother to the Grade 2 Prestige Novices' Hurdle second Uppertown Prince, while second dam Beenaround is a half-sister to the brilliant Native Upmanship, who struck twice in both the John Durkan Chase and Melling Chase.

Beenaround is also a half-sister to the dam of Gilgamboa, who won the Grade 1 Powers Gold Cup Novice Chase for Enda Bolger.

Figures

The August National Hunt Sale is a two-day affair this year compared to last year's three-day sale, so comparisons between days are not quite equivalent.

However, turnover dropped by 44 per cent compared to the opening day of the 2019 sale, down from €1,879,680 to €1,051,600. Both the average and the median prices saw declines from last year, but not to the same extent as the aggregate, indicating that demand for the choicest horses held up.

Thursday's average price of €8,550 was a drop of 18 percentage points on last year's average of €10,443, but the median slipped by just three per cent to €6,000 from €6,200 in 2019.

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