A DAY that featured some of the best foals on the open market duly produced an impressive day’s trade as the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale played host to by far its strongest session of the week.
The belief that a host of quality foals would see demand and prices rise dramatically was reflected in the final figures for the day with the aggregate coming at just under €4.3 million, which represented a 4% progression on last year’s impressive figure.
The average of €21,985 finished slightly ahead of last year, while the median improved from €16,000 to €18,000.
TOP-PRICED FOALS
The distinction of being the top-priced foal to pass through the ring so far this week now belongs to a son of Douvan’s sire, Walk In The Park, after leading agent Aiden Murphy forked out €80,000 for a colt from Yellowford Farm.
The G.C.E. Farm-owned colt hails from a high-class dual-purpose family and he is half-brother to Eddie Harty’s Drinmore Novice Chase winner Coney Island.
“He’s a very good-walking foal from a quality family that keep producing good horses. I’ve bought a few by the sire today and he looks a very good sire, you’d have to be impressed with the results he achieved from his initial crops,” said Murphy.
At the outset of the day, Murphy spent €72,000 on a Walk In The Park colt out of a sister to the smart Emily Grey. The Woodhouse Stud offering is the third produce of a mare who was picked up for just €10,000 at the 2015 Land Rover Sale.
Murphy also spent €68,000 on a son of Soldier Of Fortune out of an own-sister to Fayonagh.
GREAT WALK
Leading pinhooker Dick Frisby turned out for several of the day’s top lots and he headed his spending with the €70,000 acquisition of a Martaline colt from Goldford Stud.
This grandson of Linamix is a half-brother to a Grade 2-placed runner out of the smart blacktype mare Theatre Girl.
“He is a really good foal and he is by a great stallion out of a very good mare and he’s got a great walk too. We couldn’t let him go. He will be back for sale as a three-year-old,” stated the buyer’s son, J.J.
English buyer Ben Case, who often contends for a number of the best foals at this sale, was busy securing stock for future store sales. He spent €70,000 on Kenilworth House Stud’s Shantou colt who is a grandson of the high class Bilboa.
Earlier, Case gave €65,000 son of Blue Bresil from Mill House Stud, and he went to €65,000 for a Walk In The Park colt out of a half-sister to the top-class Bellshill.
All three were bought on behalf of an English client with a view to be reoffered as three-year-olds.
GOOD-LOOKING
Earlier in the day. Matt Coleman gave €70,000 for a Saint des Saints own-brother to the Grade 1-placed Willie Mullins inmate Burrows Saint.
“He's been bought to race for Clive Boultbee-Brooks,” reported Coleman. “I thought he was the best foal today, a very good-looking and athletic colt whose full brother is a smart horse for Willie Mullins.”
Redpender Stud man Jimmy Murphy has enjoyed notable success with the progeny of Presenting and his former purchases by the much missed sire include the top-class First Lieutenant.
So it was no surprise to see Murphy strike for a member of Presenting’s final crop when he gave €68,000 for an own-brother to Mount Mews.
There are just two Kapgarde foals on offer this week and Ian Ferguson, whose previous purchases at this sale include the likes of Bellshill and Yorkhill, secured the first of them when giving €57,000 for the Ballyreddin Stud offering.
“He’s a lovely colt by a very fashionable sire and he’s got a strong back pedigree to with that. We’ll get him home now and bring him along and I doubt if he’ll be back for sale unless it’s after a point-to-point,” commented Ferguson.
Day 2
YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AV Med
2017 270 245 190 4,141,700 21,798 16,000
2018 282 259 195 4,287,000 21,985 18,000