12 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
Irish powerhouse trainers Mullins and Elliott spend big at Derby Sale
Irish powerhouse trainers Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott spent close to €2 million between them at a two-day sale this week.
While the focus switches to flat racing during the summer, it is time for restocking for jumps trainers as they try to unearth the next big equine talent.
And Mullins and Elliott both dived deep into the pockets at the Tattersalls Derby Sale, where many beautifully bred store horses were on offer.
Mullins bought nine unraced horses for a total of €1,230,000, including a €180,000 purchase of a Nathaniel gelding from Castledillon Agent.
The Carlow trainer's long-time bloodstock agent Harold Kirk said of the purchase: 'It has been hard to get a Nathaniel out of a jumping pedigree, and this horse is out of a Poliglote mare, which I love, and it is a very good jumping family – Don Lino lower down the pedigree was a top horse in France.'
He added: 'A lot of the Nathaniels who have gone jumping are out of Flat mares so you're hoping that, when they have jumping pedigrees, they will be even better.
'All the horses I am buying here will be purchased with the €100,000 Tattersalls Ireland MSL Mercedes-Benz Sales Bumper in mind – moving the race to a December date works well for us and it gives us options.'
Gordon Elliott, meanwhile, bought three horses for a total of €510,000. The Meath handler's biggest buy was a €235,000 Blue Bresil gelding, who is on the same cross as the sire's superstar son Constitution Hill.
Elliott, who was alongside Eddie O'Leary in the sales ring, said: "He is a lovely athletic horse, one we have been waiting for all week.
"We will get him home now and broken in. His half-brother, Handstands, is a very talented horse."
€17,576,000 changed hands at the Derby Sale. Four horses were sold for over €200,000 with a Walk In The Park gelding out of Posh Trish (Lot 338) topping the sale at €285,000.
