Colt by Soldier Of Fortune headlines day one of foals at the November NH Sale

 

A busy ring greeted the Chancery Stables offered son of the Beeches Stud sire and the February-born foal (Lot 312) lived up to expectations selling for the session's top price. Underbidder was Tim Hyde, but the successful purchaser was pinhooker Mark Dwyer of Oaks Farm.

"He was my pick of the day," said Dwyer. "I have been following Soldier Of Fortune and he looks as though he is making it. This horse has a pedigree and, yes there is a promising sort to run with Noel Meade, but he has got to run yet!"

Robbie O'Callaghan of the Wexford-based Chancery Stables commented;

"The very first horse I bought for €1,000 and resold for €5,000 funded the purchase of the grand-dam Bells Walk Run," recalled O'Callaghan. "She has gone to be a good mare for me - many of her progeny have sold well, she produced Time For Rupert and I have four sisters to him at home. Bells Walks Day is back in-foal to Soldier Of Fortune - he is an Irish Derby winner, is a very good-walking horse and is a very commercial stallion."

 

Purchaser Adrian Costello of Park Farm was another full of compliments about the 14-year-old Galileo sire after spending €52,000 on the Limekiln Stud-offered colt out of Hear The Thunder (Lot 383)

"I have seen a lot of horses by the sire in France, and I like his progeny a lot," said Costello. "They all have good temperaments. This horse has a great page and will be for resale."

Chancery Stables also sold two lots by the popular dual-purpose sire Mount Nelson, headed by the colt out of Garryduff Eile (Lot 311). JK Bloodstock spent €45,000 on the colt and John Dwan reported of the acquisition: "He is a good-walking colt and is a half-brother to a smart horse, he will be back here for resale

Pinhooker Timmy Hillman, who was described by the auctioneer as "resilient", got reward for his perseverance when successfully buying the session's top price filly for €32,000 (Lot 411).

"I just thought she is a star," said Hillman of the daughter of leading sire Kayf Tara. "I wouldn't always buy a filly, but she is lovely, she has a great walk and is by the right sire. She will be for resale."

Offered by Ballincurrig House Stud, the February-born foal is from a real fillies' family - she is the second offspring out of the talented Listed-winning mare Golden Gael, a daughter of Generous and a half-sister to another talented mare, Bitofapuzzle. She won the Irish Stallion Farms Mares Novices Hurdle (G1).

Hillman was the busiest purchaser of the session buying five lots for a total spend of €113,000.

The first session of foals concluded with an aggregate for the day's sale of €1,677,050, an average price of €11,728 and a median of €8,500.