It's time to shine for Jukebox Jury as Burgage Stud sire steps into the limelight at Tattersalls Ireland

The English equivalent of 'il etait temps' is roughly 'it's about time' and the phrase is as a good as any that could be employed to describe the growing sales ring appreciation for the sire of the triple Grade 1 winner whose name inspired this introduction.

Last spring, the Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old son of Jukebox Jury competed in five Grade 1 novice chases, including at the four major spring festivals, winning three and finishing second and third. For good measure, the handsome grey was a Grade 1 winner as a novice hurdler and during his juvenile hurdling career was third at the highest level to none other than Vauban.

Il Etait Temps is the embodiment of a talented chaser and is one of three Grade 1 winners sired by Jukebox Jury, who resides a couple of miles away as the crow flies from the Closutton barn housing Il Etait Temps at Victor Connolly's Burgage Stud.

Among his progeny is the Group 1 Prix du Cadran winner Princess Zoe, who was trained by Tony Mullins during a glorious Flat career, and it is Tony's son Danny who has been in the saddle for three of Il Etait Temps' four Grade 1 victories.

Farclas first advertised the son of Montjeu's potential to the National Hunt breeding community with his Triumph Hurdle victory six years ago for Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown House Stud.

He was from the first crop of Jukebox Jury, who began his stallion career at Gestut Etzean in Germany, where he was first successful in Group 1 company with victory in the Preis von Europa. 

Trained by Mark Johnston, Jukebox Jury dead-heated with Duncan in the 2011 Irish St Leger and was second to Champs Elysees in the Grade 1 Canadian International and filled the same position in the Racing Post Trophy.

In addition to his Group 1 performances, Jukebox Jury won the Royal Lodge Stakes, Grand Prix de Deauville, Prix Kergorlay and Jockey Club Stakes, all Group 2s, the Group 3 Rose of Lancaster Stakes and the Listed Fred Archer Stakes.

It's all about timing really and Farclas's Cheltenham breakthrough in March 2018 was engineered with the precision of Max Verstappen navigating the rivers which flowed around Interlagos last weekend.

Timing is of the essence

Jukebox Jury had just started his first covering season in Carlow when Farclas powered up the Prestbury Park hill and the son of Montjeu's foal numbers almost doubled. His final crop conceived in Germany has 51 registered foals, including Il Etait Temps, while his first Irish-bred crop contains 96 five-year-olds.

Il Etait Temps and Danny Mullins winning the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing FestivalCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Il Etait Temps is the perfect advertisement for Jukebox Jury, and his success in the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle at the 2023 Dublin Racing Festival undoubtedly played a part in the sire having his largest crop of foals to date on the ground this year, with 110 having been registered so far with Weatherbys.

His exploits last season further boosted the size of Jukebox Jury's book, with the 18-year-old covering 194 mares in 2024.

The domino effect was seen at the store sales during the summer.

At the 50th Derby Sale in June, Jukebox Jury was responsible for one of the highlights of the auction, Brook Lodge Stud's pinhook of a half-brother to Sunday Soldier making €120,000 to Kevin Ross, having bought the colt for €42,000 from Burgage Stud at the November National Hunt Sale in 2021.

The transaction elevated Jukebox Jury to membership of an elite group of Irish-based stallions who had a six-figure store horse this year, with Walk In The Park, Blue Bresil, Harzand, Poet's Word, Getaway, Order Of St George and Crystal Ocean the only others to achieve that feat at an Irish store sale.

The price was the second-highest achieved in the Fairyhouse sales ring for a store by Jukebox Jury, and it is a destiny many of the pinhookers purchasing foals over the next four days will be hoping to replicate.

Plenty of foals to choose from

A total of 30 foals by Jukebox Jury from the 110 registered in this crop were entered in the November National Hunt Sale.

Among the highlights is a filly from Burgage Stud scheduled to be the second foal into the ring on Monday as Lot 208. A grey, like her sire, she is the fourth foal out of Tickle Me Chin, an unraced daughter of the late Shantou, who was a brilliant stallion for the Connolly family and breeders alike.

Tickle Me Chin is a half-sister to Rawnaq, successful in the Grade 2 Flyingbolt Novice Chase at Navan, and comes from a typically strong Aga Khan family. Her third dam, Sharenara, is a half-sister to the Derby and Irish Derby victor Shahrastani.

Awayinthewest was a talented hurdler for Pat Fahy, a neighbour of the Connollys and Burgage Stud in Leighlinbridge, and Sheridan House Stables offers a bay colt (233) who is the third foal out of the Getaway mare and hails from the family of Grand National winner Red Marauder.

The Jukebox Jury colt out of Fortunes Harvest in the Tattersalls Ireland ring Credit: www.healyracing.ie

One of the most current pedigrees among them is that of Stephen Lanigan-O'Keeffe's colt out of Laurencin (338). Along with Rowena Cotton, Lanigan-O'Keeffe bred The Storyteller and Stellar Story, the Grade 1 and Cheltenham Festival winners and full-brothers by Shantou. 

He also bred and sold at Tattersalls Ireland the Grade 1 Golden Cygnet Novice Hurdle runner-up and Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase winner Minella Crooner; the son of Shantou is a half-brother to Laurencin.

The unraced 11-year-old is by Peintre Celebre and her dam, the German Listed winner Laren, has two- and three-year-old daughters by Jukebox Jury.

Marie Harding of Glen Stables sold the highest-priced Jukebox Jury foal at auction in Ireland last year and on Tuesday her Cork farm offers a colt (513) out of Fair Evie, a half-sister to the ill-fated Grade 1 Cheltenham and Punchestown Champion Bumper winner Fayonagh. 

Fair Evie and Fayonagh's dam, Fair Ina, is a Taipan half-sister to the Bowe family's outstanding hurdler Solerina. The grey is the fourth foal out of the unraced Fair Evie and features Montjeu close up on both sides of his page as Fair Evie is by Fame And Glory.

At the 2023 November National Hunt Sale, Limefield Stud offered a Jukebox Jury colt out of a classy Flat mare in the shape of Listed Prix la Moskowa winner and Group 1 Prix du Cadran second Kicky Blue. 

That colt made €41,000 to JD Moore and Islandavanna Bloodstock, which was the best price for a Jukebox Jury colt at the sale, and the farm has his full-sister (770) to sell on Wednesday. The time has come for Jukebox Jury.

Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale Factfile

Where Tattersalls Ireland sales complex, Ratoath

When Four-day sale starts on Sunday, with each session from 10am

Last year's stats From 1,012 offered, 641 sold (63 per cent) for turnover of €11,395,200 (down 18 per cent year-on-year), an average of €17,777 (down one per cent) and median of €12,000 (down four per cent)

Notable graduates Ballyburn (offered by The Beeches Stud, bought by Ian Ferguson for €80,000); Constitution Hill (offered by Throckmorton Court Stud, bought by Warren Ewing and Barry Geraghty for €16,500); Banbridge (offered by Springhill Stud, bought by Ian Ferguson for €36,000); Diva Luna (offered by Kilbarry Lodge Stud, bought by Sam Curling for €9,000); Monkfish (offered by Ennel Bloodstock, bought by Furziestown Stables for €12,500)

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