Mags O'Toole

A new record for a National Hunt store was set on Thursday, when Walk The Talk (Karaktar) sold to Mags O'Toole for €400,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale. Consigned by Lakefield Farm, Walk The Talk (lot 302) is a half-brother to this season's Grade 1 winner Talk The Talk (Born To Sea). The sale grossed €20,885,500, a record, while an all-time average high of €63,879 (+20%) and a joint second-best median of €48,000 (+12%) were all high points at Fairyhouse. The second day average of €66,633 and turnover of...

Having so often berated Europeans for neglecting Not This Time, I do see the irony in the odyssey of his son Six Speed. Last spring, this colt was one of few Not This Time foals to have been given conspicuous opportunity to plant his flag on European turf. As a yearling, he had been found at Keeneland by Mags O'Toole, showing the familiar acuity that exonerates her from charges of myopia that must be leveled at so many other bloodstock professionals over the water. He cost just $50,000, from breeder...

The opening day of the Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale saw 10 lots sell for six-figure sums, with a top price of €175,000 given for the already-named Boedic (Fr) (lot 86). Tom Malone struck the opening bid for the No Risk At All (Fr) gelding at €100,000, but it was Harold Kirk, buying for Willie Mullins, who proved to be successful. "That was a bit of a shock!" said Kirk when referencing Malone's starting bid. "This horse was my number one for today. He is by one of my favourite sires...

Wednesday's G2 Queen's Vase was staged over 14 furlongs, but it took a pixel study for the judge to call it as TDN Rising Star Eldar Eldarov (GB) inched out Zechariah (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) to continue the fine week for Dubawi (Ire). KHK Racing's unbeaten colt had launched his season with a win over 10 furlongs on Newcastle's Tapeta May 24, but Roger Varian had plumped for this staying test of all the options here and ultimately was fully justified as the £480,000 Arqana Breeze Up graduate needed every yard...

NEWMARKET, UK--His photo, needless to say, adorns the front of the catalogue. But those seeking another one at the first European breeze-up auction of the year will scarcely require that prompt when the horse himself will be surfacing halfway through the sale, just up the road on the Rowley Mile, as an unbeaten champion juvenile and favourite for the G1 Qipco 2,000 Guineas. Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) was found here last year as Lot 56 in the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale. On Wednesday afternoon, before the second of...

KHK Racing's 2.7-million guineas October Book 1 purchase Akhu Najla (GB) (Kingman {GB}) ran second for Roger Varian in his Leicester unveiling Tuesday and the partnership was back in action with £480,000 Arqana@Doncaster Breeze-Up graduate Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who powered to 'TDN Rising Stardom' in the second division of Wednesday's British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden S. at Nottingham. The 13-8 favourite tanked forward from a slot in rear to track the leaders in fourth after the initial exchanges of this debut and crept closer once into the home...

During a session which saw just 10 horses through the ring fail to change hands, the Ralph Beckett-trained and Juddmonte Farms-owned Fabilis (GB) (Frankel {GB}) fetched 350,000gns to establish a new record at the Tattersalls August Sale in Newmarket. The transaction easily eclipsed the previous top price of 220,000gns from last year's inaugural event. An own brother to G3 Darley Club S. hero Monarchs Glen (GB) and produced by a half-sister to G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Nebraska Tornado (Storm Cat), Fabilis, cataloged as lot 380, was a maiden...

There was just one offering by Night Of Thunder (Ire) in this year's Goffs Sportsman's Sale, and the Castlebridge-consigned filly duly topped the two-day auction with bid of £72,000 from Peter and Ross Doyle. Lot 730 is the fourth foal out of the placed Manduro (Ger) mare Muzhil (Ire), whose 3-year-old Monzoon (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}) has become the mare's first winner since the catalogue was published. Muzhil is a half-sister to Godolphin's triple group winner Beautiful Romance (GB) (New Approach {Ire}). The filly proved a profitable pinhook, having cost...

You know you've made it when you are widely known simply by your first name. Say the name 'Mags' to most people in the bloodstock industry and they will know exactly to whom you are referring. For Margaret O'Toole, to use her given name, is as widely known as she is admired within that tightknit community, commanding a respect inversely proportionate to the level of publicity she receives. The latter is deliberate. Not for O'Toole are the self-congratulatory social media accounts. If she did choose to publicise her achievements in...