Over €1m spent by Monbeg syndicate

THE WEXFORD point-to-point contingent were out in force for the Tattersalls Ireland Derby sale at Fairyhouse on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Doyle brothers and the Monbeg syndicate from Ballindaggin were the top purchasers over the two days, spending €1.264 million on 29 horses, while Seán and Cormac Doyle bought five other horses in their own names for a total of €130,000.

The main Monbeg purchases noted were sons of Jeremy, €90k; Martaline, €85k; Frisson Collanges, €75k, and Oscar, €70k. They also bought off-spring by Fame and Glory, Shantou, Presenting, Getaway, Stowaway and Robin Des Champs.

Champion trainer Colin Bowe, Kiltealy, spent €475k on ten lots, including sons of Oscar (€70k), Presenting and Milan (€58k each), and Royal Crown (€55k).

Denis Murphy, Ballyboy Stables, The Ballagh, paid €98k for three, including €38k for a son of Fame and Glory.

Richard Black from Bunclody paid €60k for a son of Getaway and €55k for a Fleur de Bruzeur, while J.J. Bowe forked out €60k for a son of The Great Pretender.

Jockey Harley Dunne bought three for €72k, including €32k for a son of Milan, and jockey Rob James paid €42k for a son of Stowaway and €32k for one by Getaway.

Paul Pierce, Killurin, paid €65k for a couple and James Doyle from Monageer handed over €40k for another by Getaway.

When you add all this to the big money paid out at the recent Goffs Land Rover sale, you can see that the Wexford handlers seem determined to maintain their place at the top of the game and should have the ammunition to make a serious assault on the financially important four-year-old maiden races again next spring.