Tattersalls

With a little help from above, Stephen Byrne of Knockgraffon Stables enjoyed an emotional fillip during a time of unimaginable heartache when selling his Coulsty (Ire) colt for €200,000 just over two weeks after his brother and former jockey Michael died in tragic circumstances.   The sales ring can be a magical place. Full of dreams and disappointments, but on Friday, Tattersalls Ireland was full of tears. And smiles. Lots of smiles.  An understandably emotional Byrne said, "It's been a very rough couple of weeks but my brother Michael was looking...

The talk on the breeze-up circuit this year has been dominated by poor clearance rates combined with a record number of private sales, an ever-increasing polarisation to the market and a Houdini-like disappearing act by the middle tier buyers.  So what has the mood been like on the eve of what is widely considered to be the final big breeze-up sale in Europe at Tattersalls Ireland? Pretty good actually. This sale has almost always been operating in its own realm--you never know who you are going to see here. Take...

Star Bloodstock, the consignment that unearthed talents like Malavath (Ire), A'Ali (Ire) and more, is set to wind down its breeze-up operation and concentrate entirely on producing future top-notchers on the racetrack instead.  The shift in focus has reaped immediate rewards with the aptly-named Make Haste (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}), a leading Royal Ascot contender after posting a stunning debut success at Naas for trainer and breeze-up consignor Diego Dias, being snapped up by Gainesway and LNJ Foxwoods.  Bought by Byron Rogers, Star Bloodstock and Dias at the Tattersalls Book...

Aidan O'Brien trainee Fairy Godmother (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Scintilating {GB}, by Siyouni {Fr}) was usurped by Sparkling Sea (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) on debut at Naas last month and returned over the same six-furlong strip to exact revenge on that reopposing rival in Sunday's G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint. Ryan Moore was keen to settle the 6-5 favourite into a smooth rhythm and anchored his mount at the tail of the six-runner field through the initial exchanges of this straight dash. Easing closer onto the heels of the...

A total of 47 lots have been catalogued for the upcoming Tattersalls Online Breeze-Up Session during the Tattersalls Online June Sale from June 5-6. The first 'breeze' will occur over the all-weather at Chelmsford City Racecourse on Tuesday, May 21 at 10 a.m., featuring an octet of breezers. The second breeze, featuring the remaining breeze-up horses, is scheduled for 10 a.m. at Dundalk Stadium on Tuesday, May 28. Both breeze footage and times will be recorded and published on the Tattersalls Online website on May 30. Spectators are welcome to...

Newsells Park Stud resident Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}) became Europe's latest first-crop sire to get off the mark when his Ralph Beckett-trained son Mr Chaplin (GB), a 58,000gns Tattersalls December foal turned 120,000gns Book 1 yearling, followed up a debut fourth at Newmarket earlier this month with a breakthrough score in Friday's £12,000 ARC & Sky Sports Racing Support Starlight Maiden S. at Newbury. 3rd-Newbury, £12,000, Mdn, 5-17, 2yo, 6fT, 1:13.52, gd. MR CHAPLIN (GB) (c, 2, Without Parole {GB}--Midnight Hush {Fr}, by Anabaa), a May 5 debut fourth...

Point-to-pointer Sober Glory (Ire) (Mount Nelson {GB}) (lot 10) topped the Tattersalls Cheltenham May Sale on Thursday. The 4-year-old debut winner cost £110,000 and was purchased by the session's leading buyer Tom Malone. Consigned by Monbeg Stables, the gelding is related to Grade 1 hurdler Fingal Bay (Ire) (King's Theatre {Ire}) and Grade 3 chaser Oodachee (GB) (Marju {Ire}). The other lot to break six figures was American Jukebox (Ire) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}) (lot 22), also from Monbeg Stables. He was sold to Gordon Elliott Racing for £100,000. His dam...

Peter Harris's 4-year-old Mill Stream (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}--Swirral Edge {GB}, by Hellvelyn {GB}), who ran second to the reopposing Washington Heights (GB) (Washington DC {Ire}) in last month's G3 Abernant S. at Newmarket on seasonal return, stepped forward to claim a last-gasp victory in a dramatic renewal of Wednesday's G2 1895 Duke of York Clipper S. at York. The Jane Chapple-Hyam trainee annexed Deauville's G3 Prix de Meautry and Listed Prix Moonlight Cloud in seven sophomore starts before undergoing a wind operation at the end of last year. Mill Stream...

Just five months after bringing 700,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale, Pipsy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB})  impressed in her North American debut with a last-to-first win in the GIII Soaring Softly S. at Belmont's The Big A meet Sunday. As a juvenile in her native Ireland, she won two of her three races including a listed stake before heading to auction where Woodford Thoroughbreds stuck the winning bid and imported the filly to race out of the William Walden barn. The tepid 3-1 favorite had her backers watching on nervously...

Starfield Stud resident Far Above (Ire) (Farhh {GB}) became Europe's latest first-crop sire to get off the mark when his Jessica Harrington-trained son Rock N Roll Rocket (Ire) made a winning debut over five furlongs in Friday's €25,000 Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden at Cork. 1st-Cork, €25,000, Mdn, 5-10, 2yo, 5fT, 1:00.41, gd. ROCK N ROLL ROCKET (IRE) (c, 2, Far Above {Ire}--California Tee {GB}, by Kheleyf) was positioned in mid division after an alert getaway in this debut. Inching forward from halfway, the 16-1 chance came under pressure with a...

The winning Brosay (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) (lot 87) topped the Tattersalls Online May Sale when selling for 60,000gns to Gary Gillies on Thursday. The 2-year-old colt already has a win from three runs, and his dam is a half-sister to the G3 Curragh S. third Blood Moon (GB) (Equiano {Fr}). He was consigned by Diego Dias Racing as the property of Star Bloodstock. "We're not entirely sure what the immediate plan will be but Royal Ascot is definitely on the agenda. He could run under the ownership of my syndicate...

Aidan O'Brien trainee Whistlejacket (Ire) (No Nay Never--Adventure Seeker {Fr}, by Bering {GB}) debuted with a runner-up finish in an Apr. 21 six-furlong maiden at the Curragh and made no mistake dropped down in trip for Monday's Listed GAIN First Flier S. back at the Co. Kildare venue. Sharply into stride to race on the front end from flagfall in this black-type bow, the 500,000gns Tattersalls Book 1 graduate was shaken up soon after passing the quarter-mile pole and surged clear under continued urging inside the final furlong to easily...