A day that featured strong demand for quality foals and was headed by a top lot of €72,000 enabled the opening session of the Goffs December National Hunt Sale to end with an improved set of returns on Wednesday evening.
The trends witnessed at last month’s Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale were again in evidence at Kildare Paddocks today, the most notable being the strong demand for quality stock.
This in turn fed into the final figures for the session with the aggregate rising by 15% to just under €2.5 million.
The average of €13,619 represented a four-point progression on last year, while the median advanced by 11% to €10,000. A clearance rate of 68% was also marginally better than last year.
STANDOUT SOLDIER
On a day that was almost exclusively given over to foals, the standout offering was a son of Soldier Of Fortune who was knocked down to Adrian Costello’s Park Farm at €72,000 after he outlasted the Pine Tree Stud team.
The Garryrichard Stud consigned colt, who was bred by Michael Murphy, is out of a half-sister to the high class dual-purpose runner Swamp Fox and he is a grandson of the Grade 2 heroine Brogella.
“He was just one of the standout foals of the day. He’s a lovely type from a very good and current family and there was a lot to like about him,” commented Costello whose other spending took in a €49,000 son of Walk In The Park.
“Also you’d have to be excited about Soldier Of Fortune given what he has done so far. This horse will be back for sale in a few years' time.”
BUN DORAN BROTHER
The first half of the day was dominated by a €68,000 son of Mastercraftsman who was knocked down to Peter Nolan. Dick Frisby, who pinhooked this colt’s half-brother Bun Doran, made a strong play for the Mary Griffin-owned grandson of Danehill Dancer. However, Nolan would be denied in his pursuit of the half-brother to Shantou Village and Portrush Ted.
“He’s been bought for a client. I got a phone call earlier to try and buy him and the plan would be to bring him back as a three-year-old,” reported Nolan. “As the auctioneer, Nick Nugent, said he’s the type of horse that could come back and top a Land Rover Sale if everything fell into place for him as a three-year-old and he is a very good-looking, well-bred foal.”
MOLONY POUNCES
The recent exploits of Anything Will Do, now a winner of four of his five starts for Joseph O’Brien, certainly did their bit to aid the cause of his Westerner own-brother who fell to Peter Molony for €52,000. This colt is also a half-brother to the high class hunter chaser Stand Up And Fight.
“He’s been bought to come back to the Land Rover Sale as a three-year-old,” declared Molony. “He cost plenty but the nice ones usually do and hopefully he’ll be lucky. He’s a very nice colt by a good sire and his own-brother looks quite promising.”
Molony also signed for the day’s top priced filly when he forked out €54,000 for a daughter of Milan and Jessica Harrington’s very smart chaser Burn And Turn.
Another popular filly was a daughter of Saint Des Saints belonging to Cathal Ennis’s Quill Farm who was knocked down to Colbinstown Stud for €42,000. This filly is out of a listed-placed own-sister to Royal Alphabet.
Elsewhere a busy Kieran Shields spent €45,000 on a son of Walk In The Park out of a half-sister to Many Clouds and he went to €36,000 for a Mount Nelson colt whose dam numbers the classy Tarla amongst her siblings.
COMPARATIVE FIGURES FOR DAY 1
YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGGREGATE AVERAGE MEDIAN
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
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