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The demand for Crystal Ocean’s first crop reached a new high on Wednesday as the Sea The Stars horse supplied the €120,000 top lot on the penultimate day of the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale.
Once again demand for foals was strong throughout the day as the sale posted another set of results which bettered those from last year and leaves the auction well placed to produce an improved set of returns when it draws to a close tomorrow evening.
At the close of play on Wednesday evening the penultimate session grossed just over €3.8 million which was close to the double that of last year. The average of €19,644 was up by a third and the median jumped from €10,000 to €15,000 while the clearance rate of 75% was also ahead of last year.
In another pointer to the level of trade this week it emerged that the record for turnover in the foal section of this sale was surpassed this evening with a session to spare.
Star of show
By some distance the star of the show today was the aforementioned son of Crystal Ocean who was bought by Ben Case and Kevin Ross and his price made him the most expensive foal to come under the hammer at this sale in eight years.
The colt in question was consigned by Kieran Mariga’s Coolmara Stables who picked up the dam, Daydream Beach, for €42,000 at this sale in 2017.
Daydream Beach is a half-sister to the multi-talented Airlie Beach who won the Grade 1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle before turning her attentions to the flat where she won the Listed Oyster Stakes.
After outlasting the Coolmore team with his bid of €120,000 – the same price he paid for a half-brother to Hurricane Fly at this sale in 2013 – Case commented: “He’s a lovely foal with lots of size and scope and he has a great pedigree and he will come back for resale as a three-year-old. I’ve bought four colts and three fillies and they will all back as three-year-olds.”
Fiddlerontheroof brother
The day’s second highest price was paid by Timmy Hillman for a €62,000 son of Affinisea who is a half-brother to last season’s RSA Chase runner-up and potential Gold Cup contender Fiddlerontheroof.
“He’s a very nice colt and we and we were pleased to get him. The half-brother has already shown himself to be a high class horse and hopefully there might even be a bit more to come from him before this horse comes back to the Derby Sale as a three-year-old,” stated Hillman.
Another with a date at future store sales is an Order Of St George colt who cost Ciaran Conroy €58,000. The half-brother to the Grade 2-winning Mister Blue Eyes was sold by Sheridan House Stables on behalf of Sean Murphy who bred Flooring Porter and picked up the dam of this colt from Sweden a couple of years ago.
Walk In The Park
Wednesday’s batch of Walk In The Park foals featured a number of very popular sorts including a €56,000 colt belonging to Colm O’Brennan who was snapped up by Norman Williamson.
A son of Walk In The Park related to Pettifour cost Kieran Shields €54,000 while Dick Frisby forked out €48,000 for a son of the Montjeu horse from Yellowford Farm.
Another sire who has been going well all week is the Glenview Stud resident Blue Bresil and he supplied a colt from Yellowford who cost Paul Cashman €52,000. Earlier in the day Michel Carty spent €50,000 on a Blue Bresil half-brother to the Leopardstown Chase winner Glamorgan Duke.
COMPARATIVE FIGURES FOR DAY FOUR
YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGGREGATE AVERAGE MEDIAN
2021 280 258 194 €3,811,000 €19,644 €15,000
2020 235 190 140 €2,068,550 €14,775 €10,000
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