Temperatures set to rise at loaded Tattersalls Ireland July Store Sale

Tattersalls Ireland is set fair for a scorcher both in the ring and out of it this week, as the second July Store Sale gets under way on Wednesday.

Introduced to the sales calendar last year, the July Sale has already produced some notable pinhooking successes, with last Friday night's Cork bumper winner Encanto Bruno the flagbearer for the sale.

The four-year-old Mahler gelding was bought by Colin Motherway for €20,000 at the inaugural July Sale and went on to win his maiden at Ballynoe on his debut. He was subsequently sold for £210,000 to John McConnell, for whom he made a winning track debut last week.

Motherway was not alone in unearthing handsome profit from the July Sale, which last year had to be held in August due to government restrictions.

I Will Be Baie was one of the pricier acquisitions last year, costing Milestone Stables €43,000 from the draft of the Flood family's Boardsmill Stud. The son of Crillon won a Taylorstown maiden on his debut in April and subsequently changed hands for £150,000 at Tattersalls Cheltenham in April, joining the yard of Ireland's champion trainer Willie Mullins.

With immediate success in producing those vital four-year-old maiden winners, Tattersalls Ireland took the decision to remove the August National Hunt Sale from its roster this year.

Grand National winner Noble Yeats is a graduate of the old August National Hunt SaleCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Simon Kerins, the company's CEO, outlined the reasoning for making the switch, saying: "We felt for a while that a July Sale would take over from an August one as that one was getting too late for people. The market has moved on a lot; people want horses they can produce to run earlier and that trend has been growing strongly in the industry.

"Having the sale earlier works for both vendors and purchasers as it allows vendors to have a month free from prepping horses for August and it ensures that purchasers have the option of starting their horses earlier."

The switch to July would seem to have met with approval from both buyers and sellers, with the initial 630 entries over the two days augmented by 26 wildcards for the opening session. Given such an enormous selection to choose from, vetting on Monday and Tuesday was busy, with Kerins reporting a variety of purchasers in attendance.

"There is very strong interest with buyers from the UK and Ireland, and because trade was so strong at the earlier select sales there are people here hoping they can find some value," he said.

The first session appears, on paper, to be the stronger of the two but good horses and winners can come from anywhere. All horses in the July Store Sale are eligible to take part in the valuable Tattersalls Ireland George Mernagh Memorial Sales Bumper, which this year was won by Icare Desbois, bought for €28,000 by Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins from Liss House at last year's August Sale.

Kerins added: "You will always have good horses come out of sales like this one; both last season's Grand National and Irish Grand National winners [Noble Yeats and Lord Lariat] were sourced at our 2018 August Sale, and Chantry House, who was one of five Grade 2 winners last season for the August Sale, previously won the Marsh Novices' Chase and Mildmay Novices' Chase."

That track record of profitable pinhooks and success on the racecourse is the legacy that the August National Hunt sale has bequeathed to its successor. It is one that the company appreciates is understood and valued by both buyers and sellers.

"People do their homework so they know there really is something for everyone at the July Store Sale," added Kerins.

The sale begins on Wednesday at 10am with part one and concludes tomorrow with part two, which also starts at 10am.

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