THE unrelenting demand for the progeny of Walk In The Park was one of the key features on day three of the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale which was headed by an €85,000 son of the Montjeu horse.

Overall the figures for day three were unable to match those from last year with the turnover dropping by 25% from almost €5.2 million to just under €3.9 million. The average of €22,616 was down by 6% and the median fell from €20,000 to €18,000 while the clearance rate for the day dropped from 84% to 72%.

Thus far the November National Hunt Sale has yet to reach the heights of last year so it will be intriguing to see how the next three days of selling unfold.

The star turn of the day was a son of Walk In The Park offered by noted breeder Oliver Loughlin and he was bought by Joey Logan. This colt’s sale represented the latest instalment in the fascinating story of his dam Posh Trish who was sold for €1,200 as a foal before fetching £135,000 as a winning pointer after which she won four listed events for Paul Nicholls.

On her return to the sales ring as a broodmare Posh Trish cost her breeder Loughlin €118,000 and his faith in the daughter of Stowaway was amply rewarded with the sale of her first produce for whom Logan outlasted Aiden Murphy and Michael Fitzpatrick.

“I think he’s one of the nicest Walk In The Parks here. I have to say I was all out at that price and it’s a lot of money but he’s a very good foal out of a good mare who I liked a lot,” reported Logan. “I’ve bought him for myself and I would imagine that he will be back here as a three-year-old.”

Oliver Loughlin then supplied a colt from the second crop of Crystal Ocean whose foals are once again in some demand after his first crop made such a striking impression 12 months ago. Once again it was Joey Logan who struck the winning bid when going to €72,000 for the colt whose own-brother fetched €80,000 12 months ago.

Blue Bresil colt

Michael Fitzpatrick may have missed out on the session topped but he did enjoy better fortune when his bid of €82,000 for a son of Blue Bresil from Hillview Stud proved successful. A return to the sales ring is the plan for this relation to the listed bumper winner Timetochill and the Grade 3-placed Geordie des Champs. Fitzpatrick’s other spending featured a €53,000 son of Crystal Ocean belonging to Gerard Coleman.

Perhaps the most recognisable pedigree on offer on Monday was that of a Nathaniel colt out of Willie Mullins’ Cheltenham Festival winner Limini. Tom Whitehead outlasted J.D. Moore for the €75,000 colt whose sale equalled the price fetched by his dam when she was sold at this sale three years ago.

“He’s a good foal by a very classy sire as we saw when Desert Crown won the Derby this year. He’s out of a very good racemare too and we’ll get him home and bring him along with a view to having him back for sale as a three-year-old,” reported Whitehead.

As well as supplying the day’s top priced colt Walk In The Park was responsible for the highest priced filly as Peter Molony forked out €70,000 for a daughter of the Grade 3-placed Catcheragain. She hails from a family littered with Cheltenham winners such as Make A Stand, Irish Cavalier and Shattered Love.

“She’s just a gorgeous filly and she’s by a sire that we all want. I saw her this morning and loved her and she has everything. She’s got lots of quality, size and scope and hopefully she’ll be lucky when she comes back for sale as a three-year-old,” stated Molony.

The €70,000 mark was also reached late in the day by a son of Blue Bresil from Ballintry Stud who was knocked down to Aiden Murphy. This colt is a half-brother to a pair of very useful winners out of a daughter of the Thyestes Chase winner Be My Belle.

Sabrina Harty, acting for a client, spent €72,000 on Yellowford Farm’s Walk In The Park colt out of the Grade 3 scorer and Grade 1-placed Lackaneen Leader.

"He has been bought for a client as a store horse to come back here,” declared the Group 2-winning trainer. “He has everything, he is a good size and is very correct. We thought we'd have to pay that sort of figure for him – the way the market has gone you have to buy the dream if you can. Hopefully he will be lucky as he is for a good client.”

The sale continues on Tuesday.

COMPARATIVE FIGURES FOR DAY THREE

YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGGREGATE AVERAGE MEDIAN

2022 260 239 171 €3,867,350 €22,616 €18,000

2021 281 257 216 €5,173,600 €23,592 €20,000

2020 275 234 198 €4,825,550 €24,371 €19,000

2019 279 257 204 €4,490,600 €22,013 €18,000