All eyes will be on the Irish flat industry over the next few days, ahead of a classic weekend and a sale for which results have been arriving at precisely the right time.
Last year's renewal of the Tattersalls Ireland Breeze Up Sale reached unprecedented highs, with a €580,000 Night of Thunder colt becoming the most expensive horse in this sphere to have ever been sold in the country.
There were new highs for aggregate, average, and median figures in what was its sixth renewal in this format at Fairyhouse, with the auction house having joined forces with Goresbridge in 2019 and helped reinvigorate the sale. On May 24, a graduate of the sale will take her chance in the Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1), which is also sponsored by Tattersalls.
With the buying temperature in breeze-up season having proved considerably cooler this year, for a number of reasons, there will be no trace of overconfidence from Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins and his team but an understandable pride in the cast assembled for the May 22 sale.
"It's gone from strength to strength ever since we took over the running of the sale from Goresbridge and ran it here in Fairyhouse," Kerins said. "We've been blown away by the support we've had in recent years and off the back of a really good year last year, with a record price for a breezer here in Ireland, we've got an even stronger catalog compiled this year. We've got some really, really nice horses."
America Queen, bought by Richard Hughes and Jaber Abdullah last year for €180,000, won on her debut at Haydock Park, before going on to finish second in the Lowther Stakes (G2) and fourth in the Cheveley Park Stakes (G1). The Havana Grey filly was beaten a neck in the Nell Gwyn Stakes (G3) on reappearance and is sure to give a good show in classic company at the Curragh this weekend.
Meanwhile City of Memphis, who was the €370,000 top lot from the 2024 renewal, was a commendable fifth in last year's Guineas on the back of a Cork maiden. Her career with Paddy Twomey was delayed but she again looks as if she could be a player in some showpiece races this summer, taking a 7-furlong group 3 at Leopardstown on only her fourth start.
What America Queen and City of Memphis have in common is Katie Walsh's Greenhills Farm.
The consignor also sold Twomey's 2023 Round Tower Stakes (G3) winner Letsbefrankaboutit here, who, like City of Memphis, was by Sioux Nation.
Walsh's Sioux Nation filly (Lot 186) is part of a half dozen strong draft which also includes a Too Darn Hot colt (72) out of a stakes-placed Kingman sister to group winner Mrs Fitzherbert, and a first-crop Blackbeard colt (28) whose further family includes top-class winners Hernando, Well Timed, and Johann Quatz.
The catalog also includes two lots by the much-missed Wootton Bassett: Mocklershill's filly out of a group-winning sister to champion Love (94) and Tally-Ho Stud's colt (251) from the brilliant family of 2012 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) winner Solemia. The colt comes under the hammer for the second time having been bought by the O'Callaghan's operation and Blandford Bloodstock for €100,000 at Arqana last October.
There are also three lots by reigning British and Irish champion sire Night of Thunder. Among them is Mocklershill's half sister to 2022 May Hill Stakes (G2) scorer Polly Pott (77), who was a 42,000-guinea buy for Mags O'Toole as a yearling, while Grangeclare's Night of Thunder colt out of a half sister to 2018 Lancashire Oaks winner Horseplay (218) will also feature among the offering. The colt was pinhooked by Joey Logan Bloodstock for 165,000 guineas at Tattersalls Book 2.
Along with sourcing talent across the spectrum, from newcomers and speed influences to grandees including Sea The Stars and Siyouni, the Irish consignors are now regular visitors to American auctions. Yeomanstown Stud presents one colt by Three Chimney Farm's hotshot Gun Runner (33) from the family of Todd Pletcher's multiple grade 1 winner Nest.
"As the cliche goes, we're cautiously optimistic," Kerins said. "There's a lot of things that are outside our control in terms of what's happening in Iran, and the rest of the world. We've a lot of hotel bookings and people are coming from all over the world, so the vibes are good. What's going on in Iran I suppose creates an element of uncertainty but it's a good sale for a lot of the Europeans, while we've got Americans coming as well. People do like coming here."
