Another good day’s trade, which featured a top price of €100,000, enabled the Goffs December National Hunt Sale to conclude with another improved set of returns on Thursday evening.

Last month it was clear that trade for National Hunt foals had moved up a gear and that trend continued into this week’s sale as a catalogue that was largely given over to foals made significant ground in several key areas.

Firstly the turnover for the two days came in at just under €4.3 million which was an 18% improvement on 2016 and the average of €12,162 grew by 4%. The median did show a fractional decline in going from €8,200 to €8,000 but this was due to a greater number of horses sold and it was encouraging to see the clearance rate jump by six points to 71%.

Furthermore activity in various sectors of the market pointed to this sale being altogether stronger than last year where the three highest prices all came from the breeding stock section.

GIGGINSTOWN SALE-TOPPER

A small selection of mares did produce the sale’s top price as the former Gordon Elliott inmate Tocororo fetched €100,000.

The five-year-old daughter of Teofilo, who was a Grade 3 winner over fences and was offered by her owner Gigginstown House Stud, was sold in foal to Walk In The Park and she was bought by Kieran Mariga. Twelve months ago Mariga paid a sale topping €130,000 for the Gigginstown-owned Petite Parisienne.

“She’s a good, black type mare and she’s in foal to Walk In The Park who I’m a fan of. She’s just a nice, classy mare and we’ll get her home now and hopefully we will bring her foal back for sale next year,” commented Mariga.

Prior to this the pace was set by the sale’s top priced foal which was a €72,000 son of Walk In The Park and the Cheltenham Festival heroine Glens Melody.

The colt is the second produce of his dual Grade 1-winning dam and he was offered by Ballincurrig House Stud on behalf of his breeder Fiona McStay who has enjoyed tremendous success with this family since she bought into it 14 years ago.

Goffs auctioneer George Stanners struck the winning bid for the colt and he reported that he was acting on behalf of an owner with Yorkshire-based trainer Philip Kirby.

“He’s been bought to race. They were looking for a quality, well bred foal and he fitted the bill – he’s a very good colt by a proven sire and he’s out of a top class racemare,” reflected Stanners.

FEATHARD LADY FOAL

A son of Presenting briefly stole the limelight when he was snapped up by Moanmore Stables man Peter Vaughan for €50,000. The colt is out of a winning half-sister to the undefeated Christmas Hurdle heroine Feathard Lady.

“I’ve had a lot of luck with the sire going back a long time and obviously there’s not many more of them left so I was keen to get this colt,” reported Vaughan. “He’s by a top sire, he’s from a top class pedigree and let’s hope he’s lucky for us when he comes back for sale in a couple of years.”

Another €50,000 foal came when Oscar Time’s trainer Martin Lynch secured a colt by the very popular Getaway. A return to the sales ring as a three-year-old is the plan for this colt who was sold by Grange Hill Stud and whose dam is a half-sister to the high class Oscar Whisky.

Dick Frisby was once again busy securing talent for future store sales and his spending for the day was headed by a €47,000 Getaway colt out of a Grade 2-placed mare.

The top priced filly foal on offer was a €46,000 Milan half-sister to the much loved and much missed Many Clouds. She was bought by Gerry Hogan for the English-based outfit Swanbridge Bloodstock.

A few moments later a daughter of Sholokhov who is the first produce of the Galway Plate runner-up Burn And Turn cost English buyer Stephen Kemble €41,000.

READ RYAN McELLIGOTT'S FULL REPORT & MARKET COMMENT ONLY IN THE IRISH FIELD THIS WEEKEND

Comparative Figures – FOALS ONLY

Offered Sold Turnover (€) Average (€) Median (€)

2016 428 283 (66%) 3,092,650 10,928 8,200

2017 461 329 (71%) 4,034,050 (+30%) 12,262 (+12%) 8,500 (+4%)

Comparative Figures – WHOLE SALE

Offered Sold Turnover (€) Average (€) Median (€)

2016 479 311 (65%) 3,638,150 (+12%) 11,698 (+17%) 8,200 (+9%)

2017 498 352 (71%) 4,280,850 (+18%) 12,162 (+4%) 8,000 (-2%)