A €57,000 colt by Kayf Tara, who went to agent Aiden Murphy, took centre stage on the opening session of the Goffs December National Hunt Sale, which was almost entirely given over to foals.
On a day when trade bettered the corresponding session from 2015, the session topping colt was sold by The Beeches Stud on behalf of Cora Greene and he hails from an impressive jumping dynasty.
Ciaran Conroy and John Dwan were among those to make a play for the relation to Gaye Brief but they had to give best to Murphy, who indicated that his purchase would come back for sale as a three-year-old.
“He’s just a very good colt from a proper family. It’s one of the best jumping families around and this colt is by one of the best sires around,” said Murphy.
Much later in the day, Murphy was again to the fore when he forked out €50,000 for a son of the hugely popular Flemensfirth. The Alleged horse supplied a host of high profile foals at last month’s Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale and it was a similar story here.
The colt in question also hailed from The Beeches Stud and he is out of a half-sister to the very smart Whatuthink. He too will be reoffered as a three-year-old.
Redpender Stud man Jimmy Murphy, who can name the likes of First Lieutenant amongst his previous graduates, forked out €52,000 for a superb son of Shantou who will return to the sales ring as a three-year-old. Murphy outlasted Kevin Ross for the relation to the useful Charles Byrnes inmate Sea Light.
“He’s a lovely horse, a really good individual with loads of scope, he had it all,” reflected Murphy.
Flemensfirth also supplied the day’s first major transaction which came when Brendan Bashford spent €40,000 on a colt whose immediate relations include this year’s Kerry National runner-up Rightville Boy.
“He’s been bought for an established client who will decide in due course what route they will take with him,” declared Bashford. “He’s a very good colt by an excellent sire and he comes from a good and current family.”
Dick Frisby was once again busy securing stock for future National Hunt sales and his spending took in a €35,000 son of Flemensfirth out of a half-sister to several decent winners.
Demand for quality foals remained high as the session neared its conclusion and within the last 10 lots Ciaran Conroy had to go to €36,000 and €35,000 for sons of Fame And Glory and Kayf Tara respectively.
Elsewhere, Michael O’Brien went to €31,000 for a Sholokhov half-brother to the useful Page Turner, while Kevin Ross spent €30,000 on a Yeats half-brother to the listed-placed bumper runner Naranja and the progressive hurdler That’s A Wrap.
Final Figures - Day 1
YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AV Med
2016 293 253 161 1,762,500 10,947 8,000
2015 285 250 160 1,651,200 10,320 7,750