Simon Kerins

Tattersalls Ireland has moved the Sapphire Sale to Tuesday, December 16, positioning it as the final European breeding stock sale for the year. The sale, which is open to foals, yearlings, fillies and mares, will also offer a reduced entry fee for foals of €295. Previously known as the November Flat Foal, Yearling and Breeding Stock Sale, the Sapphire Sale featured a top foal price of €50,000 in 2024 and recent graduates include the G1 Matron Stakes winner Champers Elysees (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}). Tattersalls Ireland chief executive Simon Kerins said,...

A total of 250 two-year-olds have been catalogued for the Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-up Sale, which takes place on Thursday, May 22 and Friday, May 23. The full catalogue is available to view here. Previous graduates of the sale include last year's Irish Oaks third Purple Lily (Ire) (Calyx {GB}) and the G3 Round Tower Stakes winner Letsbefrankaboutit (Ire), while Coto de Caza (Ire) won three times as a juvenile, including the G3 Cornwallis Stakes, after being bought for €270,000 in 2024. The first crop of Tally-Ho Stud's Starman (GB) will...

A substantial drop in the median, average and overall turnover along with a 72% clearance rate spoke to the struggles facing Irish breeders at Part 2 of the September Yearling Sale at Tattersalls Ireland on Thursday.  Trade was highlighted by the Rockview Stables-consigned New Bay (GB) colt [lot 812], who sold to prominent breeze-up handler Thomond O'Mara for €36,000 on a day where all of the key figures were down on last year.  Despite 27 more horses going through the ring compared to 12 months ago, turnover dropped by 20%...

Tattersalls Ireland announced significant updates to its 2025 Derby Sale on Friday, with the return of a Part II session and the addition of a two-year-old store section. The Derby Sale will continue in it's two-day format, which will include the two-year-old store section, followed by Derby Sale Part II. Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins said of the changes, "We're excited to reintroduce Part II to the Derby Sale and to add a two-year-old store section to the Derby Sale catalogue. These changes reflect our commitment to staying responsive to...

Tattersalls Ireland released its catalogue for the September Yearling Sale, which features 555 lots and takes place on Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 September, with Part II taking place on Thursday 26 September where 275 yearlings are catalogued. The €250,000 Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes has long been a feature of the sale, and will offer the connections of two-year-olds catalogued in the September Yearling Sale, the opportunity to compete at the 2025 Irish Champions Festival, with prize-money being offered to 10th place. The vendor of the winning horse...

A 3-year-old store by Doctor Dino (Fr) rounded out Day 2 of the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale when going to Gordon Elliott Racing for €350,000. The gelding is the highest-priced Store horse sold in 2024 and the joint-second highest-priced store horse ever sold at public auction. Consigned by Sluggara Farm, Lot 283 is out of 17-year-old Matnie (Fr) (Laveron {GB}), who has produced five winners, all of whom are Grade 1 or Grade 2 scorers to date. "Once again, the Derby Sale has proven why it is held in the...

The catalogue for the Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-Up Sale, set for Thursday, May 23 and Friday, May 24, was announced on Friday. Featuring 252 lots, the sale will begin at 10 a.m. on May 24, with the breezes beginning the day prior at 8:30 a.m. at Fairyhouse Racecourse. Graduates of the sale have been flying high in recent years, with G3 Anglesey S. winner Kairyu (Ire) (Kuroshio {Aus}), listed winners Ballymount Boy (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) and Fun With Flags (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), all alumni of the 2023 edition. 'TDN Rising Star'...

Grade 1 winner and live Cheltenham festival contender Caldwell Potter will continue his career for trainer Paul Nicholls after lighting up the Caldwell Construction Dispersal at Tattersalls Ireland on Monday when selling to Highflyer Bloodstock's Anthony Bromley for a National Hunt record of €740,000. The Gordon Elliott-trained Caldwell Potter, who won the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown and is as short as 10-1 for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, will race for a partnership comprising John Hales, Ged Mason, Sir Alex Ferguson and Peter Done.  Bromley commented, "You...

Never has the demand to get horses into the breeze-up sales in Europe been higher. It begs the question; how do the big sales companies limit their catalogues?  Inspectors from Tattersalls, Arqana and Goffs have been out in force in recent weeks trawling through the breeze-up consignors' barns to come up with their shortlists.  According to Harry Fowler, one of the main inspectors at Goffs, entries for the company's only breeze-up sale have sky-rocketed this year. With most of the viewing done at this stage, the Goffs inspectors will meet...

After an 18-month stint at Limerick Racecourse as General Manager, Tom Rudd has been reappointed to the Tattersalls Ireland bloodstock department, announced the auction house via press release on Monday. A 20-year veteran of the company prior to his departure for Limerick, Rudd also rode for the late Michael O'Brien until 2002 and counts victory in the 1999 Irish Grand National to his career tally as a jockey. On the reappointment, Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins said, "Tom rejoining could not have been timelier, with the Andy and Gemma Brown...

A Cotai Glory (GB) half-brother to G1 Matron S. winner Champers Elysees (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) led the way at the Tattersalls Ireland Sapphire Sale when selling to John Foley of Ballyvolane Stud for €37,000.  Consigned by Railstown Stud, the Cotai Glory foal is out of La Cuvee (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}), who has produced five-time winner Daddies Girl (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) as well as the high-class Champers Elysees. Foley commented of lot 147, "He is a fine foal, a half-brother to a Group 1 winner, and we will see...

A yearling by Blue Bresil (Fr) led the final session of the Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale NH Sale Thursday. Out of the Shantou mare Thanks For Tea (Ire) (lot 992), the colt was purchased for €58,000 by Kevin Ross Bloodtsock. Sold by Ballyhampshire Stud, the yearling was the 18th foal or yearling by Blue Bresil to sell for €50,000 or more over the five days' sale, and was the week's third session topper for the Rathbarry Stud stallion. "The gelding has been bought on spec," said Anna Ross. "We...