AS expected, trade improved as the first of four days of foals got underway at the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale although the final figures for the day still finished some way adrift on the corresponding session from 12 months ago.
The day’s top lot was a €63,000 son of Soldier Of Fortune and this bettered the €60,000 mark which topped this day in 2017, while the number of lots to make at least €30,000 came in at 14 which was just a slight drop on the 16 who managed this feat last year.
Overall though the aggregate of just under €1.7 million was down 30% on last year, the average of €11,728 fell by 12% and the median dropped to €8,500 from €11,000.
The clearance rate was 58% as against 78% in 2017 but a definitive conclusion regarding the foal market will be for later in the week after what are likely to be pivotal sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday.
SOLDIER OF FORTUNE
Soldier Of Fortune, who was the busiest sire in Ireland this year, supplied the two leading lights of the day and noted pinhooker Mark Dwyer had to pull out all the stops to see off Tim Hyde and Norman Williamson to secure the €63,000 session-topper.
The colt hailed from a popular draft offered by Wexford-based Chancery Stables and he is out of a winning own-sister to the Stayers Hurdle second Time For Rupert.
“I thought that he was one of the best foals here today. I’ve been watching the sire for a while now and I think he has a very good chance of making it,” said Dwyer. “This horse has got a lovely pedigree and I’m looking forward to bringing him back as a three-year-old. Let’s hope that he’s lucky.”
Later in the day Soldier Of Fortune was again to the fore when Adrian Costello outlasted Timmy Hillman for a €52,000 son of the runaway Irish Derby winner. The Limekiln Stud offering is out of a Presenting own-sister to the supremely talented multiple Grade 1 winner Yorkhill.
“For me he was a stand out,” remarked Costello. “I’ve seen a lot of the sire’s progeny in France and I like them a lot, they’ve got great temperaments. This colt has a great page and he’s a really good individual and we’ll look forward to bringing him back for resale.”
MOUNT NELSON
The first Irish crop of foals produced by Mount Nelson were in some demand throughout the day and none more so than a Chancery Stables-consigned half-brother to the Grade 2 winner Party Rock who cost John Dwan €45,000.
“He’s a good-walking colt and a half-brother to a very smart horse and he will be coming back for sale as a three-year-old,” stated Dwan, who bred the 2017 Grand National winner One For Arthur.
Mount Nelson, whose jumping representatives are headed by the Stayers Hurdle winner Penhill, was also responsible for a €35,000 son of the six-times winner Benefit Of Porter who was knocked down to Mount Eaton Stud.
Timmy Hillman also struck for a Mount Nelson when giving €32,000 for a relation to Champagne West and he spent the same amount on a daughter of Kayf Tara out of the listed-winning hurdler Golden Gael.
“They are two very nice foals who will come back as three-year-olds. The Mount Nelson is from a nice family and I thought the Kayf Tara was a star. She’s a really good walking filly by a top sire,” stated Hillman.
POPULAR
Among several popular Walk In The Park foals was a €33,000 colt bought by Pat McCarthy, while Ciaran Conroy signed for a son of Douvan’s sire hailing from the family of Sizing Europe.
Several members of the second crop of the Galileo horse Telescope were popular and one of these was a €30,000 colt bought by Peter Molony, who matched this price for a son of Mount Nelson.
Day 2
YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AV Med
2017 269 231 181 2,410,450 13,317 11,000
2018 284 247 143 1,677,050 11,728 8,500