'He looks to have an enormous engine' - Ittack Blue tops May Sale at 310,000gns

A six-figure clash between Ryan Mahon and Gordon Elliott saw the impressive Punchestown maiden winner Ittack Blue top the inaugural Tattersalls May National Hunt Sale, with the former party striking at 310,000gns.

The rangy son of Coastal Path had barely taken two turns of the Park Paddocks ring before Mahon, bidding from the gangway, pushed the price to 220,000gns with a waft of his iPad. The price continued to rise at pace until, at the 270,000gns mark, Elliott attempted to apply the brakes with a 5,000gns increase.

However, Mahon quickly responded in kind and once a few more back and forths had taken the bidding up to 310,000gns it was Elliott, standing just a few feet away from his rival behind the partition, who eventually declined to offer a further raise.

Ittack Blue sells for 310,000gns at the Tattersalls May National Hunt SaleCredit: Laura Green

“He’s a lovely horse and looks to have an enormous engine,” said Mahon. “He’s been bought for an existing client of Dan Skelton’s. He was seriously impressive in his point and the vibes were very good so he came highly recommended.”

Offered by Matthew Flynn O'Connor’s Ballycrystal Stables, the four-year-old’s 16-length Punchestown romp ensured he left connections with a sizeable profit, having been sourced from Clifton Farm at last year’s Tattersalls Ireland May Store Sale at a cost of just €30,000.

Ryan Mahon: signed for the top lot on behalf of an owner with Dan SkeltonCredit: Laura Green

Flynn O'Connor has enjoyed other good results this campaign, including when Elliott and Aidan ‘Mouse’ O’Ryan gave £385,000 for his Lingstown maiden winner Deeply Superficial at the Tattersalls Cheltenham December Sale.

With store sale season about to hit top gear Flynn O’Connor, who recently spent £201,000 on three lots at the Goffs UK Spring Sale, said his attention would now turn to finding the next Ittack Blue.

“I’m finished for the year so restocking is the next thing,” he said. “We’ve had a great season, we’ve had eight or nine four-year-old winners so it’s nice to keep the ball rolling and finish the year strongly. We hit a bit of a low around February or March when they got sick on me but it’s nice to bounce back.

Matthew Flynn O'Connor: 'When they take on 15 runners you never expect them to win like he did'Credit: Laura Green

“Ittack Blue is a lovely horse and we’ve always liked him at home. He was always nice as a breaker and he’s done everything easily from day one. Obviously when they take on 15 runners you never expect them to win like he did but we’re happy he did!”

He continued: “I bought him off Hugh Bleahen for €30,000 in the May Sale last year. He looked very racy to me and was a nice loose-moving horse. Obviously when you’re buying them with just a head collar on you can’t really tell if they’re a racehorse but he’s worked out. Coastal Path is a good stallion too so hopefully he’s lucky.”

Flynn O’Connor wasted little time in beginning his restocking mission as he signed for the most expensive lot from the store section of the catalogue, the Youmzain gelding out of All Star Lady from Peter Nolan Bloodstock, at 35,000gns.

Malone makes his mark

Tom Malone was in prolific form throughout the afternoon and capped his five acquisitions with the purchase of Divilskin, who drew a winning bid of 245,000gns after a protracted tussle with Aiden Murphy. Malone had also seen off the same opponent when going to 235,000gns for Seeyouinmydreams earlier in the day.

Divilskin, a Doyen half-brother to Listed mares’ chase scorer Pumped Up Kicks, was sold by Colin Bowe’s Milestone Stables after the handler had saddled the four-year-old to victory in a Largy maiden in late April.

“Doyen’s stock are doing wonderful things,” said Malone. “I’ve bought a couple of pointers by him this year and this horse was very impressive in his point. The same man underbid the filly too so I kind of knew we’d have the same sort of battle again. I’m happy to get him though and I’m delighted he’s going to Ditcheat and to Paul Nicholls.”

Divilskin sells to Tom Malone for 245,000gnsCredit: Laura Green

Divilskin was making his third appearance at public auction, having first fetched €20,000 from Clonmethan Farm as a foal before Bowe’s Milestone Bloodstock gave €28,000 for him at last year’s Goffs Land Rover Sale.

Seeyouinmydreams, a deeply impressive winner of a mares’ maiden at Largy, also generated a punchy bit of pinhooking profit as the daughter of Telescope had fetched just £10,500 at the Tattersalls Ascot December Sale before being transformed by Andy Pierce’s Blackhall Stables.

The scopey four-year-old is out of the Anabaa mare Sierra, making her a sibling to three winners, including the classy Songe, who struck in Haydock’s Grade 2 Champion Hurdle Trial, and the Listed-winning Sandy Cay. She will follow Divilskin to Nicholls’ championship-winning stable.

Tom Malone: 'Seeyouinmydreams was really well bought and fair play to Andrew Pierce'Credit: Laura Green

“This horse was really well bought and fair play to Andrew Pierce,” said Malone. “He’s a good lad and a very honest fella so it’s always nice doing business with people you can trust. When you can trust what people are telling you it gives you the confidence to give extra money because you’re getting the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

“Andrew said he gave her two bits of work and the gears she showed were frightening. She has the pedigree to do that though and she was so impressive in her point-to-point. She’s going to Ditcheat as I’ve bought her for Paul Nicholls. She’s got all the GBB bonuses, which to me is a massive thing. If she’s above average there’s 60 to 100 grand there in bonuses so you’ve a real chance of getting some money back.”

Malone later partnered with David Pipe to secure recent Grade 2 Webster Cup Chase winner Sizing Pottsie at 95,000gns. The classy eight-year-old was offered by Baroda Stud as part of the dispersal of stock owned by the late Ann and Alan Potts.

Wrestlingwithrae set for Stateside switch

Heading further afield is Wrestlingwithrae after Hamish Macauley won out at 180,000gns. The four-year-old son of Snow Sky beat Minella Crooner’s brother Roger Pol to make a successful debut at Ballingarry for Monbeg Stables’ Cormac Doyle and is now set to journey to the other side of the Atlantic.

“He’s going to Leslie Young in America,” said Macauley. “We thought this was the best horse in the sale. I bought another one by the same sire last year to go over to the US, he’d been second in his point-to-point and he’s won a couple of races.

"And this horse is out of a Scorpion mare - Scorpion has had two runners out there and both are Graded horses, so it worked quite well. He’s a beautiful horse. I didn’t think we’d be able to buy him so I’m delighted to get him."

Hamish MacAuley: 'We thought this was the best horse in the sale'Credit: Laura Green

Snow Sky won five races while in training with Sir Michael Stoute for Juddmonte, including the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes in 2015. The son of Nayef now stands at Ballycurragh Stud, with Wrestlingwithrae his most expensive offspring sired since he retired to the County Carlow farm.

Macauley made four other purchases on the day for a combined spend of 375,000gns, with the 80,000gns Alden and the 40,000gns Imperial Assassin also set to continue their careers in the US.

Pipe keeps it in the family

There were five six-figure transactions on the day and the first of those came just four lots into the session when Pipe got the better of Grace Harris to secure Royal Defender at 155,000gns.

The four-year-old was another to emerge from the Milestone Stables draft, which topped the consignors’ charts with ten lots sold for an aggregate of 886,000gns. The son of Soldier Of Fortune was saddled by Bowe to make a ten-length winning debut at Dawstown earlier in the month.

“We had King’s Palace from this family and he was impressive in his point-to-point,” said Pipe. “There probably aren’t too many similarities [physically], but hopefully they’ve got the same engine. We’ve done well buying from Colin Bowe in the past so he looks a nice addition to the yard. He’s for an existing owner in the yard.”

David Pipe: 'He looks a nice addition to the yard'Credit: Laura Green

Royal Defender fetched €11,000 from Thomas Green when offered as a yearling but then failed to find a buyer when led out of the Land Rover Sale unsold at €18,000. He was consigned at Goffs by Will Kinsey’s Peel Bloodstock on behalf of Topspeed Thoroughbreds Pinhooking.

“He was owned by a pinhooking syndicate but he didn’t sell in the ring [as a store],” explained Kinsey. “But we had three others that year who sold and as he was a little bit backward we were happy to keep him as we thought an awful lot of him at home.

“Barry O'Neill and Colin Bowe then came to look at him and we sorted a shared deal between us privately. All the way through training over the winter they both kept telling me they thought he’s a really nice horse. If he were 100 per cent perfect in front I think he would’ve made more but we’re delighted and wish David Pipe all the best with him."

The sale saw 83 lots, comprising point-to-pointers, form horses and stores, come under the hammer and 56 of those sold for a clearance rate of 67 per cent. Aggregate sales reached 2,884,500gns, with an average of 51,509gns and a median price of 37,500gns.

This was effectively a sale of two halves, with lively trade during the point-to-point sale contrasted with much more selective fare during the stores.

Four-year-old point-to-pointers and two bumper performers accounted for 79 per cent of turnover with receipts totalling 2,286,500gns, whereas just 19 of 38 (50 per cent) of the three-year-old stores on offer found a buyer, generating an aggregate of just 254,000gns, or nine per cent of turnover.

Statement

Tattersalls head of sales Matthew Prior said: "Tattersalls Park Paddocks in Newmarket has already established itself as a proven venue for selling high quality point-to-pointers and National Hunt horses in training having hosted relocated Tattersalls Cheltenham sales over the last two Covid-disrupted years. Those sales produced record prices as well as numerous top quality racecourse performers all of which encouraged us to host today’s inaugural May NH Sale in Newmarket."

"That decision was borne out with a sale that has achieved turnover of just shy of three million guineas as well as five point-to-pointers selling for 150,000gns or more and a top price of 310,000gns. Many of the British and Irish National Hunt fraternity’s most familiar faces were present at Park Paddocks resulting in solid trade and plenty of competition for the most sought after lots."

He added: "We also took the decision to sell a number of store horses for the first time in Newmarket and whilst a top price of 35,000gns and an average of 13,368gns are respectable, the clearance rate was less than we would have hoped for. We are very appreciative of the support shown to us by store consignors and will reassess whether combining point-to-pointers and store horses is the optimal format for this fixture."

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