After an autumn without thoroughbred auctions in Ireland the dramatically shortened sales season here got back underway on Wednesday with the opening session of the Goffs December National Hunt Sale where demand for quality foals showed no signs of slackening.
Indeed the top price from last year’s auction was surpassed within a few hours of the sale getting underway after Pine Tree Stud forked out €82,000 for a superbly bred son of Walk In The Park.
He played his part in a turnover of in excess of €2.4 million which was virtually on a par with last year. The average of €14,837 represented a progression on the 2019 figure of €13,619 while the median once again came in at €10,000 and the clearance rate was 69% which was slightly ahead of last year’s figure.
From the famed nursery of Yellowford Farm, the sale topping colt is out of a winning half-sister to Hurricane Fly. Thus a chance to secure an exceedingly well related sort by one of the hottest sires around ensured that this colt commanded quite a premium.
“He’s a very good-looking colt and we’ve all seen what the sire can do and what he has to run for him over the next few seasons, he looks to have a couple of very exciting young point-to-pointers around at the moment. The plan will be for him to return for sale as a three-year-old,” commented a representative of Pine Tree who had earlier forked out €38,000 for another son of Walk In The Park.
FORTUNE FOAL
Much later in the day a Solider Of Fortune colt commanded quite an audience when he made his way into the ring and Adrian Costello, who regularly contends for some of the best foals on the open market, secured this grandson of Galileo for €72,000.
This colt is a half-brother to the talented Jessica Harrington inmate Impact Factor who recently returned from a lengthy break to win a Grade B handicap chase at Fairyhouse.
“He’s a gorgeous foal out of a good racemare who has already proved herself at stud by producing a very smart horse in Impact Factor,” remarked Costello whose other spending took in a €38,000 son of Mount Nelson.
“He’s a very good moving foal with plenty of size and we’ll get him home and rear him and then decide on plans. He could be reoffered as a three-year-old but we could hold on to him as well.”
A feature of this year’s National Hunt foal sales will be the appearance of the first crop of foals by Aidan O’Brien’s brilliant stayer Order Of St George.
The multiple Group 1 scorer supplied a number of popular types throughout the day and these featured a €65,000 colt belonging to Mags Melody. This half-brother to the very promising Seelotmorebusiness was bought be Kevin Ross on behalf of Ben Case.
EPATANTE SIRE
As the sale neared its conclusion Glenwood Stud's Dick Frisby forked out €58,000 for the only colt in the sale by No Risk At All whose talents have been well advertised by the likes of Epatante and Allaho. This Galbertstown Stables offering is out of a winning half-sister to the Grade 1-winning chaser Hinterland (Poliglote).
Already named El Cairos, he will be reoffered as a three-year-old.
Over the course of the day Ross secured some popular types and these included a €38,000 son of Shantou, a sire with whom Ross has enjoyed some tremendous success. This colt was offered by Burgage Stud and he was bought on behalf of Chris Jones’ Killeen Glebe with plans calling for him to return to the sales ring as a three-year-old. Ross also spent €38,000 on a son of Walk In The Park from Ballincurrig House Stud whose dam is a winning own-sister to Kimberlite Candy.
The sale continues on Thursday, when 11-times Grade 1 winner Apple's Jade (in foal to Walk In The Park) will be offered for sale.
COMPARATIVE FIGURES FOR DAY ONE
YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AVG MED
2020 275 236 163 €2,418,500 €14,837 €10,000
2019 300 262 178 €2,424,100 €13,619 €10,000
2018 285 239 160 €2,150,650 €13,160 €9,000
2017 285 258 184 €2,227,000 €12,103 €10,000