RISING costs for breeders are the main reason behind the continuing slide in the number of National Hunt foals being offered to the market, says the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association [ITBA].

This week Tattersalls Ireland released the online version of its November National Hunt Sale catalogue and it contains 780 lots. This is down from 887 last year and 1,106 in 2023. A year earler the catalogue had almost 1,400 entries.

This year the sale is down to three days, starting on Monday, November 10th.

Simon Kerins, CEO of Tattersalls Ireland, said: “We didn’t turn down any entries. I believe the decrease in the foal crop and rising input costs are the main reasons for the fall-off in numbers, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we are near the bottom. If the market is strong this year, I’d expect more mares will be covered next spring and the foal crop will rise again.”

Peter O’Reilly, CEO of the ITBA, commented: “Times are a little tougher for the Irish NH breeding sector but there are only 100 fewer foals this year, compared to 2024, on offer at Fairyhouse, which is not a dramatic reduction. The big factor behind this - and one across the industry - is rising costs.

“Whilst in the past your typical NH breeder might take a chance on putting the offspring of an average mare in the sales, that is no longer the case as the costs of doing so are too steep from stallion fees to entry fees to preparation fees to sales day staffing wages, et cetera.

“Coupled with this is a market that in the past might have been more forgiving if you had a nice-looking foal by an unfashionable sire out of a modest mare. There is no respite, however, in today’s market.

“On the foal crop side, the trend globally has been a drop in foal numbers and Ireland is not immune from that either and we expect a small reduction this year. However, it is not all doom and gloom as the foal numbers are still strong and we are number three in the world behind the US and Australia, and well ahead of the UK and France.

“In the short term, the market forces like those alluded to earlier will continue to impact but the cycle will turn and those that can weather the current storm will be rewarded.

“Positive factors like the sharp drop in the UK foal crop, the advent of the NH academy hurdle series, the continued strength of our own ITBA NH Fillies Scheme, positive signals on the prize money front, and an overall improvement in the quality of NH broodmares as breeders realise they need to have a good mare to get a good price for their foal, will all kick in over time.

“We are not aware of any NH breeders being unable to get their foals into a sale, so I suspect the lower sales entry numbers this year are simply a reflection of the current status quo in the industry.”

There are 700 foals in this year’s November NH Sale and all lots are catalogued alphabetically by dam, by day. There are 47 yearlings and 33 mares.

Oliver and Eoghan Loughlin have entered 15 foals, and a Walk In The Park colt, out of the blacktype mare Posh Trish is sure to attract lots of interest. He is the third sibling from the family to be offered at the November National Hunt Sale. His full-brother emerged as the top-priced store sold anywhere earlier this year, when purchased at the Derby Sale for €285,000.

Frank Motherway’s Yellowford and Drumlin will offer 26 foals, among them a Jeu St Eloi half-sister to Grade 1-placed West Balboa. Also included in the Yellowford and Drumlin draft is a Jeu St Eloi colt from the family of two-time Grade 1 winner Conflated. His Blue Bresil half-brother was purchased for €55,000 in November 2023.

John Dwan’s Ballyreddin Stud will consign 11 foals, including a Walk In The Park colt, whose full-brother was sold for €92,000 in November last year. Also in the Ballyreddin draft is an Authorized colt, whose half-brother Six Figures was a Grade 2 winner earlier this year, and was narrowly beaten in the Grade 1 Prix Alain du Breil at Auteuil.

Michael Moore’s Ballincurrig House Stud has regularly featured at the top of the consignors table in recent years, and 29 foals will be feature in the Ballincurrig draft, including a Walk In The Park colt, whose dam Down Ace was a six-time winner including at listed level.