WHEN Windy Farm’s bay colt foal by Footstepsinthesand out of an Oasis Dream mare, who is closely related to the 2016 dual Derby winner Harzand, steps into the sale ring at Tattersalls Ireland at 10.30am on Friday, he will set in train an autumn series of foal sales that will continue right into December in Europe.

He is one of 8,987 thoroughbred foals of 2018 registered as having been born in Ireland by Weatherbys, according to the newly published Return Of Mares. That number will grow slightly by the time final registrations take place, but it is the first time since 2011 that there has been a measurable decline, albeit just half a percentage point compared to the same time in 2017.