'We think they're a couple of special mares' - Tattersalls Ireland team looks forward to select PTP & HIT sale

Tattersalls Ireland serves up a tasty appetiser ahead of the May Store Sale with Wednesday's May Point-to-Point and Horses-in-Training sale, which provides trainers with a final opportunity this sales season to restock the larder with proven horses, including a handful of four-year-olds who look candidates for Michelin stars.

The select sale has attracted 25 horses, with almost half of them four-year-olds who have recent form to enhance their appeal, along with ten five-year-old point-to-pointers and a couple more of that age with bumper form.

Wednesday evening's event is a new date in the sales calendar but, as Jamie Codd of Tattersalls Ireland explains, it is actually a return to a previous format that had remarkable success.

He says: "We had discussions with the point-to-point vendors about having a sale in Ireland; they felt there was a need for a sale in Ireland at this time and it works well as it is attached to the May Store Sale.

"It fitted in very well to the calendar and we have experience of hosting point-to-point and horses-in-training sales at the venue, including earlier this year with the Caldwell dispersal."

Previously, Tattersalls Ireland staged a similar sale of point-to-point and horses-in-training which produced Grade 1 winners Ballycasey, Benefficient and Flemenstar, testament to the success of a sale at this time of year, and the opportunity to sell to both the domestic and overseas market which the auction offers at the end of the season is one that has been grasped enthusiastically by vendors.

"The UK market is very important to us but there's a place for a sale in Ireland and, in addition to the bigger consignors, like Denis Murphy and Colin Bowe, we've been supported by a lot of smaller vendors who are appreciative of the opportunity to sell in Ireland," adds the ten-time Cheltenham Festival-winning rider.

Later maidens also have a fine record of producing Grade 1 winners, with Monkfish and Tahmuras both successful towards the end of their four-year-old season and selling late in May.

Providing a market and outlet for Irish point-to-point handlers is a responsibility that the team at Tattersalls Ireland takes very seriously, with two of Ireland's finest ever jockeys integral members of the bloodstock department.

"Barry O'Neill and myself are on the ground, we're massive point-to-point people and Tattersalls Ireland are brilliant to work for. They support the hunts, they sponsor at every meeting throughout the year, they have the venue here to run point-to-points, they really try to support the industry and they understand how important it is," says Codd.

Golden moment: Goldikova digs deep to win the 2009 Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa AnitaCredit: Edward Whitaker

Unseasonable deluges over the preceding couple of weeks produced perfect point-to-point ground and, with so many handlers having been unable to race some of their most exciting prospects earlier in the year, the season-ending maidens took on even greater importance, with two of the most impressive performers of the year coming on the final weekend. Both of them are due to come under the hammer at Fairyhouse.

Codd says: "We're very happy with the four-year-olds we have in the sales. There's an even split between maiden winners and placed horses, with some very exciting fillies who won by wide distances. We think they're a couple of special mares.

"Colin Bowe's The Great Nudie (lot 2) is by Wings Of Eagles, who had a massive start from his first Irish crop, siring four-year-old bumper and point-to-point winners and I'd say he's a stallion plenty of people have on their radar for the store sales."

The Great Nudie took on 15 runners at Ballingarry on Saturday and came home an impressive 18 lengths clear of her rivals, recording the fastest time on the day.

Dippedinmoonlight's (5) debut victory at Inchydoney on Sunday was extraordinary, the filly coming home 40 lengths clear of her rivals in a time ten seconds quicker than the average on the card, and the daughter of Zarak has a pedigree as impressive as her win.

Codd says: "Daragh Berry is known for doing this. He bought her for €9,500 a few months ago and she has a pedigree to die for, with her dam being a half-sister to Goldikova, a 14-time Group 1 winner for Freddy Head in France.

"To put in a performance like that on her debut, winning by 40 lengths, is incredible and she could be really special."

In addition to superstar Goldikova, Dippedinmoonlight's dam, Born Again, is a Cape Cross half-sister to Prix Vermeille winner Galikova and to Group 3 winners Anodin, Gold Luck, Gold Sound and Gold Round, and to the dam of Grade 2-winning hurdler Her Indoors.

The geldings will have to play second fiddle to the fillies but they are still of high calibre, for example Berkenshtaaap (25), a son of Berkshire who made a winning debut in the four-year-old geldings' maiden on that Inchydoney card for Denis Murphy.

Peter Flood sends Saturday's Tralee maiden winner Long Branch (6), from the first crop of Idaho, to the sale and his dam is a Smadoun full-sister to Grade 1 Aintree Bowl winner Nacarat.

"Sean Doyle's Ultimate Survivor (3) won a four-year-old maiden at Stradbally and is a half-brother to Born Survivor, while Paul Power has Cocovic, a nice Ocovango gelding (1) out of an Old Vic mare and he got the job done nicely at Ballingarry," says Codd.

"We're delighted with our four-year-olds and it's nice to have that bit of depth in them."

In addition to the point-to-pointers, there are horses with placed form on the track to recommend them.

Codd says: "Irish bumper form is strong and both Nelson Muntz (4), who is a five-year-old son of Mount Nelson and was third at Clonmel this month, and Jet Away mare Tillaway (21), third at Wexford ten days ago, should be attractive to Irish trainers for the coming months."

Both the domestic and international market will find plenty to like at Tattersalls Ireland.

"Between Irish Thoroughbred Marketing and our team here, led by Mary Lanigan, we have really tried to promote this sale to Irish and English buyers," adds Codd.

The auction begins at 5pm.

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