A top price of €65,000 led the way on a day which saw figures up across the board for National Hunt stock at Tattersalls Ireland’s February Sale. The aggregate rose by 40% on last year to €1,009,250, while the average of €7,947 represented a 25% improvement and the median was up 11% to €5,000. The 127 lots sold returned a clearance rate of 58%.

Aiden Murphy signed the ticket on the top lot, a yearling colt by Presenting out of the top-class racemare Pomme Tiepy who was offered by Cleaboy Stud and Coppice Farm.

Murphy, who buys for owners Grahame and Diana Whateley, in whose colours this colt will eventually race, said: “Trying to find foals out of mares such as Pomme Tiepy is like trying to find hens’ teeth. She was an exceptional racemare and this colt has been bought for owner Diana Whateley to follow on from her good horses such as Captain Chris and Wishful Thinking. He is a good walker, a good type of colt and he will come back to my farm from here.”

The stock of the former German-based Sholokhov, who now stands at Glenview Stud alongside Presenting, Robin Des Champs and Shirocco, is increasingly popular with National Hunt purchasers and a yearling colt by the sire was the pick of Willie Mullins’ buyer Harold Kirk. The Northern Irishman gave €42,000 for the French-bred son of the Surumu mare Karuma, herself a dual flat winner and dam of three jumps winners, including this colt’s full-brother Kruzhlinin, who won at Kelso in December for Donald McCain.

“I’ve seen a lot of Sholokhov’s progeny in France,” said Kirk. “He is one of the best sires there, I am a big fan and this colt’s dam has already produced two winners by him. This colt has been bought to race – I thought he was the stand-out today. He will end up with Willie Mullins in time.”

A pinhooking syndicate led by Tom Lacey swooped for a colt by Stowaway out of a sister to Kicking King and offered by the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner’s breeder Sunnyhill Stud. Knocked down for €40,000, he is likely to return to Fairyhouse in the years ahead for the Derby Sale.

Tattersalls Ireland’s sister company in Newmarket kicks off its sales season on Thursday with a one-day mixed sale preceded by the TBA Stallion Parade at 10am.