November 2019
NOVEMBER NH SALE PREVIEW Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale is widely recognised as the world's most comprehensive National Hunt sale and this year's catalogue offers a splendid selection of yearlings, foals and broodmares. Cont... pg 2
NOVEMBER FLAT FOAL & BREEDING STOCK SALE
MAY STORE SALE WARMLY WELCOMED BY JOHN BLEAHEN
Tattersalls Ireland November Flat Foal and Breeding Stock Sale takes place on the new date of Saturday 16th November 2019, starting at 11am.
The Bleahen brothers, John, Niall and Hugh are a household name within the bloodstock industry, with each having a strong reputation for selling top class National Hunt horses. Cont... pg 7
WHAT'S INSIDE Pg 2:
- November NH Sale Preview cont'd... - Worth a Retweet - Competition details
Pg 3:
- Catch up with: Robert McCarthy - Key dates you need to know
Pg 4:
- Quick Chat with Sophie Buckley - P2P Autumn Sponsorship - Irish Point-to-Pointers to follow
Pg 5:
- Image Gallery
Pg 6:
- Behind the scenes with Declan O'Connor - David Minton: Celebrates 50 Years in Business
Pg 7: - John Bleahen, Lakefield Farm Interview Pg 8:
- This time 10 Years Ago
NOVEMBER NH SALE PREVIEW Over 1,200 horses are set to be offered at the 2019 edition of the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale, for what is one of the busiest week in the sales calendar at the Fairyhouse venue. The five days of sales commence with 107 yearlings set to enter the sales ring on Sunday from 12 noon, which will be eligible for the new €6,000 NH Yearling Bonus Scheme, followed by 1,004 foals from 10am on Monday right through to Thursday’s sale, which also includes the popular mares section. Following on from a record breaking 2018 sale, where the average foal price rose to an all-time high of €17,206, interest in this year’s sale is particularly high, with a number of eye-catching lots among the highlights. Altior (pictured) broke the record for the number of consecutive Grade 1 victories over obstacles with his Celebration Chase success at Sandown in April, and his half-brother by Camelot, will be offered by Coole House Farm as lot 560, whilst lot 619, a Kingston Hill colt is also closely related to the winner at each of the last four Cheltenham Festivals.There are also half-brothers of Angels Breath (lot 532), Benefficient (lot 523), Special Tiara (lot 853), Monalee (lot 894), Wounded Warrior (lot 581), and L’Ami Serge (lot 810) in the catalogue. The 2018 one day mares session produced a record-breaking average of €23,923 and this year’s catalogue is once again filled with top quality breeding prospects,including the Willie Mullins-trained 2016 Cheltenham Festival winner Limini (lot 1137), and her former stable companion Camelia De Cotte, a three-time Graded winning novice chaser from last season. They will be looking to follow in the footsteps of Mullins’ Let’s Dance, who became the highest-priced mare to be sold at the sale since 2007 when she was sold to Betrand Le Metayer’s BLM Bloodstock for €200,000. (Click to view catalogue)
WORTH A RETWEET
WIN WIN WIN! To celebrate the launch of the new Tattersalls Ireland newsletter we are giving one lucky reader the chance to win a Tattersalls Ireland branded Stormtech jacket, a couple of the very popular woolly hats, and four admission tickets to the Fairyhouse Winter Festival. To enter please answer the following question: What is the name of the Grade 1 Aintree winning horse that features on the front of the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt 2019 catalogue? Email answers to competition@tattersalls.ie The winner will be notified by Tuesday 19th November 2019 (T&Cs apply). 2
Key dates you need to know November National Hunt Sale 10-14 November Cheltenham November Sale 15 November
Catch up with: Robert McCarthy FACT FILE
NNH SALE ENTRY: 27 LOCATION: The Beeches Stud, Co. Waterford Topped the sale in 2018 with a Flemensfirth colt (€92k) Flat Foal & Breeding Stock Sale 16 November December Tattersalls Ireland / Louth Hunt P2P 8 December Cheltenham December Sale 13 December Goresbridge Breeze up Sale Nominations Closing 20 December Christmas Closing 23 December January February NH Sale Closing 3 January Super Auction Sales Race Entries Closing 29 January Picture below of last year's winner
Stone Circle
February Derby Sale and May Store Sale Nominations Closing 3 February Tattersalls Ireland Spring Juvenile Hurdle, Dublin Racing Festival, Leopardstown 2 February 2020
When the hammer fell on lot 829 at last year’s edition of the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt sale, the Flemensfirth colt became the highest priced foal to be sold at the sale since 2015, in what was just the latest successful chapter for Robert McCarthy (pictured above with his son Andrew) and the drafts from his families The Beeches Stud in the Tattersalls Ireland sales ring. Household names such as Flemenstar, Sutton Place, O O Seven and Time For Rupert have all preceded last year’s top lot, following what has become a fruitful and well-worn path for the farm's newest arrivals each November from Co. Waterford to the Fairyhouse sales complex. “From the time the foal is conceived you are planning on getting them to the Tattersalls November National Hunt sale. It is the focal point of most National Hunt breeder’s year really,” explains McCarthy who is one of a team of seven that hand walks the foals daily in the six weeks prior to the sale, with the meticulous preparation of the youngsters overseen by his wife Debbie. Family is at the heart of The Beeches Stud operation. The farm has remained in his family for over 300 years, and three generations of McCarthys will accompany their draft of 27 horses to the sale this week, as he will be joined by his father Bobby (pictured), an institution in his own right within the breeding sector, and daughter Jessie, who recently was accepted into Veterinary College, which she will begin in 2020. “We have a strong draft right through the 27, but there is a Flemensfirth colt foal that is out of Aurore d’Estruval that stands out. She was a very high-class Nickname race mare, that was second in the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth. Her foal is a very good individual, so we are certainly looking forward to showing him,” says McCarthy of lot 816 in this week’s catalogue. “We have a nice filly, also by Flemensfirth, who is out of a mare called Old Moon. Her first five runners, all by Flemensfirth, are all winners, with two of them already black type winners Noble Endeavour, who won the Paddy Power Chase and Minella Daddy. “She is a really nice filly and there is plenty of money now for the well-bred filly with the better programme of races for them.” She will be offered as lot 818 and features as one of the 39 offspring of the champion sire Flemensfirth, who has produced the top priced foal at this sale in three of the last five years and was responsible for the top four foals 12 months ago. The long-standing resident at The Beeches Stud continues in rude health covering a full season at the age of 27, and understandably it is an exciting time for all connected with the stud, following the additions of Crystal Ocean, Idaho and Wings Of Eagles, to add further star power to their formidable roster of National Hunt stallions. “We are absolutely delighted to have those three outstanding young horses standing here and we are really looking to the future with them. “Both Wings Of Eagles and Idaho covered big books of mares here, both were very popular and we are really excited about Crystal Ocean arriving ahead of next season. There has been a huge amount of interest in him already from the leading breeders and the early signs are very encouraging.”
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QUICK CHAT WITH SOPHIE BUCKLEY You must be thrilled with your recent pinhook success? It was brilliant, I had an idea that he was going to do well as he had a good solid pedigree and Cable Bay had been going very well. I bought him from the Tattersalls Ireland Flat Foal & Breeding Stock sale in Fairyhouse for €4,000 and sold him for 160,000 gns at Book 2 in Newmarket and the vendor informed me that one of the mares progeny was in training with Roger Varian which sold for £60,000. I found this to be a good indicator and also knew that Cable Bay had been very well supported by some very good mares, so I knew that he had a chance but obviously it was still risky, but the risk paid off. Your sales ring preparation is a little different – has your showing experience influenced your preparation technique? I learnt my basics from dressage trainer Gisele Holstein who is based in Kildare. When I am prepping the yearlings, I do some basic dressage which gives them a good grounding. I use a technique of leading them off my hunter, up and down the gallops which is better for their joints. I like to keep them interested and thinking everyday as it challenges their mind. Young horses if they get bored, they can start playing up so if your re-challenging them every day it keeps their mind occupied. What do you look for when you are buying foals? I look for an athletic individual, a good moving horse sells well at the sales. I don’t believe that’s what necessarily makes the best racehorse, but it does make the best sales horse. How did you get involved in horses? I grew up in Kildare and my father is a farmer who wasn’t particularly mad on horses but very luckily, when I was eight, thanks to my mother, I finally got a pony. I then got involved with hunting and pony club and the interest evolved from there. After college I worked with Darley for a year. My husband was into property development and we were very lucky with a property that we bought and sold which allowed us to buy Culworth Farm. There is more to Culworth Grounds than just yearling preparation, do you want to tell us? We board broodmares, foal mares and would also have some racehorses who are on a break. I have 10 broodmares of my own and the idea is to try and breed half my yearlings and pinhook the other half. What’s next for Sophie Buckley and Culworth Grounds? The plan is to continue with yearling preparation. I have grown in numbers the last couple of years, but I don’t have any aspirations to be a large consignor. I have booked my ticket back to Fairyhouse to do some more shopping!
NOVEMBER FLAT FOAL & BREEDING STOCK SALE 2019
CLICK TO VIEW CATALOGUE
Numbers that matter...
138
FOALS
49
11
NEW START TIME
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TATTERSALLS IRELAND CONTINUE P2P SPONSORSHIP
MARES FIRST SEASON SIRES
16
NEW SALE DATE
4
YEAR OF THE SALE
Tattersalls Ireland sponsored the four-year-old geldings maiden at Dowth, just one of the 12 races they have committed to sponsoring in the autumn season. Last season alone, Tattersalls Ireland and Tattersalls Cheltenham sponsored over 50 races, showing their strong commitment to the Irish point-to-point industry.
P2P HORSES TO FOLLOW THIS SEASON BRAVEMANSGAME - 4YO B G, Brave Mansonnien – Genifique (Nickname) P2P Handler: Donnchadh Doyle Sold: Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale for £370,000 to T Malone /P Nicholls
MY WHIRLWIND - 4YO B M, Stowaway – Garranlea Maree (Presenting) P2P Handler: Patrick Turley Sold: Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale for £400,000 to Nicky Henderson
WIDE RECEIVER 4YO B G, Sholokhov – Sagarich (Sagamix) P2P Handler: Cormac Farrell Sold: Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale for £410,000 to T Malone / Gordon Elliott
The €48,000 Derby Sale purchase (sold by Richard Busher to Monbeg Stables) Bravemansgame overcame what could have been a costly mid-race error to hit the front leaving the back straight, from where he dominated a Lingstown maiden in emphatic fashion. Returning eight lengths clear of his 10 rivals in the hands of James Walsh.
A €42,000 purchase by her handler at last year’s Derby Sale (sold by Peter Nolan to Patrick Turley), the Stowaway mare was sent off as favourite for her debut in Ballycahane, and duly delivered the performance that had been expected off her despite the inclement conditions, as she comfortably accounted for Madam Deluxe by four lengths.
Wide Receiver made his debut at Cragmore, and the Sholokhov gelding, who had been purchased for €25,000 at the 2018 Derby Sale (sold by Ballycapple Stud to Cormac Farrell), proved to have far too many gears for his rivals as he began to take control inside the final halfmile to get the better of Premiumaccess by a comfortable eight lengths. 4
Caroline Berry receiving her award from Tom Rudd
Italian buyers attending September Yearling Sale
Orla McKenna presents James Doyle winner of the Tattersalls Ireland sponsored 4YO maiden at Dowth Hall
Jamie Codd gets his new Tattersalls Ireland sponsorship off to the perfect start – pictured winning in Down Royal (above left) and Moig South (above right)
Tattersalls Ireland newly-appointed Scandinavian representative Paul Harley
Tom Rudd presents the Leading NH Horse Award to Caroline Berry, Berry Farms breeder of Battleoverdoyen, at the recent ITBA Northern Regional Annual Awards
ITM's Sile Hayes on hand as always promoting the Tattersalls Ireland sales at Salisbury with Niamh Spiller
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Niamh Spiller and Siles Hayes at Salisbury
Lot 148 at Tattersalls Book 1 (ÂŁ3,600,000) with Alastair Pim on the rostrom
SEPTEMBER 2020, ISSUE 1
THE VOICE
Behind The Scenes with Declan O'Connor, Tattersalls Ireland Position in Company: Accounts Manager How many years spent with the company: 27 years What do you most enjoy about your role: Meeting up with clients at sale times. There are some great characters in this business and it’s always nice to put a face to the name. What is biggest change you have seen in the industry since joining? How we interact with clients has changed hugely over the years. Advances in technology has really helped in this regard. The logistics of operating the sale processes have become so much more manageable now than before. Digital marketing, social media and the internet play an important role in the communication channels and I believe we have fully embraced this. What has been your memorable moment with the company? 2009 was a particularly tough year, as it was for many. Seeing the company getting back into the black within a few years was pleasing. What is the funniest thing you have seen happen? George Mernagh was a remarkable character. He had a dog named Bertie that always had to travel on George’s lap whilst he drove all around the countryside – this always amused me. George was very entertaining and had some hilarious stories from his travels that he would regale us with but could never be repeated here… In the 90’s during sale times there was not the availability of accommodation that there is today. Some vendors had to travel a long way to get here and the next morning you’d always know the ones that ended up staying onsite by the straw sticking out from everywhere! Who is your role model? I admire Michael O’Leary – I think he revolutionised air travel in Europe and has a great can do attitude. How do you spend your downtime? I have always had a keen interest in aviation and fly fixed wing microlight aircraft.
DAVID MINTON: AN EQUINE INSTINCT THAT HAS STOOD THE TEST OF TIME
FEBRUARY NATIONAL HUNT SALE Entries are now open for the 2020 February National Hunt Sale. Click to enter...
This year David Minton (Minty) is celebrating 50 years in the bloodstock and racing industry, working as a bloodstock agent. David started his career for the BBA (originally named CBA), then under his own name and since 2001 he formed Highflyer Bloodstock with this business partner Anthony Bromley. Fifty years is a remarkable achievement in any career, let alone when you consider the fact that a lot of the horses he has purchased have been unproven and a huge number have gone on to grace the winners enclosure at all the major National Hunt festivals. Together with his wife Juliet, they form a formidable team with decades of bloodstock knowledge, second to none. Juliet is at the helm of Mill House Stud (based in Shropshire), who have been consigning for over 20 years at Tattersalls Ireland.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT There are plenty of good restaurants in the locality with choices to suit all tastes. In the village of Ratoath there is La Bucca, Little Guys and Roberto’s (all Italian), Wau Fusion (Chinese) and Taj Palace (Indian). In Ashbourne which is a short distance away you have Eatzen (Chinese) and Cinnamon Gardens (Indian) the town also has plenty of bars to choose from. An Sibin Restaurant is located in Dunshaughlin is renowned for their ‘steak on a stone’ and Guinness, The County Club is another popular restaurant located in Dunshaughlin. 6
May Store Sale warmly welcomed by John Bleahen The Bleahen brothers, John, Niall and Hugh are a household name within the bloodstock industry, with each having a strong reputation for selling top class national hunt horses. Lakefield Farm is the homeplace of the three Galway natives, however it is John himself who solely operates out of the Ballinasloe-based farm, where his father started the operation training horses with a private license while also keeping beef cattle, and it has become renowned within the industry for the store horses it consigns each year. Mirroring the evolution that the farm has undergone, the leading consignor explains his methods of sourcing stock and when doing so taking into consideration the market forces. “90% of my stock are sourced as foals, the other 10% are sourced as yearlings or twoyear-old’s, some of which are pin hooked at the sales, with others being bought privately”. “Sourcing stock from the land in Ireland has become increasingly difficult over the last number of years,” explains John, who has a preference for finding horses this way, adding that this has led him further afield to France, where he has built up number of key contacts with French breeders. When sourcing and preparing his stock, John has his three sons on hand to help him. “My Sons Luke, Josh and Ben are very involved they help me out in the yard before and after school, they all would have shares in the horses, they live for it! Derry White works for me on the farm and he is also a huge part of the operation.” The Galway native has been handsomely rewarded in the ring, with one of the defining moments of his career coming courtesy of the French-bred Defi Bleu, whom he sold for €255,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale. That is just one of the many successes he has enjoyed in the Ratoath sales ring, following on from the four-time Graded winner, Sub Lieutenant, who was sold at the 2012 edition of the Derby Sale, whilst Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Sizing John was bought by John as a foal for €16,000 at the 2010 November National Hunt sale. The addition of the Tattersalls Ireland May Store Sale has afforded him a new market and is one he has warmly welcomed.
"The May sale is good, it's early, which is great for the point-to-point man. I like to send something smart there that stands out, and it’s a good addition that already seems to be getting results." Having offered his first draft at the May Store Sale this year, he will be closely following the French-bred Rail Link gelding (pictured) that he sold for €55,000. “I have big hopes for him. Harley Dunne and James Doyle, two shrewd fellas, bought him and hopefully he will turn out to be a nice four-year-old that will go on to be successful on the track. ”With new homes having been found for this year’s three-year-olds, attention is already turning to preparing his 2012 draft of store horses. “I have a Saddler Maker two-year-old that is probably one of the nicest horses I’ve ever had, he’s a cracker of a horse. I also have a very nice Robin des Champs, that was a €34,000 foal out of last year’s November sale at Fairyhouse, and he is very nice too,” adds Bleahan, who has built up a strong relationship with the Tattersalls Ireland team. “The whole team are great, and I feel very looked after when I go to the sales at Tattersalls. They work hard to get a wide pool of buyers to the sales and that’s what you want when selling your horses.”
What's New To Report FACILITIES Work is forever ongoing in the Sales complex to improve the facilities for our clients - since the August National Hunt Sale work has been completed on a new layout in the Control Office and the extension of the Drug Testing Area. E-BILLING The month of October saw the introduction of paperless billing for Tattersalls Ireland clients. If you haven't already registered please go to the website to register your details www.tattersalls.ie
NEW POSITION Tattersalls Ireland are looking to strengthen its marketing department, with the appointment of a new Sales & Marketing Executive. Please contact amhui@tattersalls.ie For a copy of the job specification and application deadline. A NEW BABY Congratulations to Tattersalls International Horse Trials Co-ordinator Joanne Quirke on the arrival of Annabelle Rose.
TATTERSALLS JULY SHOW IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE WARD UNION HUNT A phenomenal €100,000 has been raised to date for St Francis Hospice
Pictured above: Tattersalls Ireland’s Roger Casey (far right) and Eugene O’Neill (far left) presenting this year’s cheque.
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THIS TIME 10 YEARS AGO... TATTERSALLS IRELAND NOVEMBER NH SALE 2009
Lot 690 - 'Fourth Act'
Lot 451 - 'No More Heroes'
Ryan McElligott, Luke Barry & Timmy Hillman Aiden Murphy
Kieran McManus, John O'Byrne & Michael Hyde
Norman Williamson
Sales Ring - 2009
Walter Connors Eamon Fitzpatrick & Gerry Griffin
J J Frisby & Michael Tallon
Simon Kerins and Patrice Dorney
Lot 715 - Wicked Spice
Tattersalls Ireland Ltd, Ratoath, Co. Meath, A85 VY48, Ireland
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