E100,000 for the yearling son of Doctor Dino headlines day one of the November NH Sale
It was a red-hot start to the 2019 November NH Sale for Ballyreddin Stud, the consignor selling two of the top three lots on the opening day of the sale.
The first in the ring for John Dwan's consignment was a gelding by Doctor Dino (Lot 50) bought as a pin-hook store horse prospect by Oak Tree Farm's Norman Williamson for €100,000.
Already named Ecrin Vert, the gelding is a half-brother to DREAM WISH (Dream Well), the winner of the Grade 2 Prix Congress and the Listed Prix Noiro Chase, both at Auteuil since the catalogue was published.
"The update made him expensive," said Williamson of the only lot catalogued this week by the leading French-based sire. "He is a standout, a gorgeous horse by a good sire, there were plenty in here who thought the same."
Those thwarted underbidders included Katie Rudd, Joey Logan and Ian Ferguson.
The day's second-best price of €62,000 was given by pin-hooker Timmy Hillman for a son of Shantou consigned by Burgage Stud (Lot 68).
"He is by a great sire who is in flying form," said Hillman. "We usually buy as foals, but this is a lovely horse."
The gelding is a full-bother to Sevarano, winner of a bumper in 2018 and over hurdles at the end of October this year.
Ballyreddin's second lot in the ring, a gelding by young sire Kitkou (Lot 76), sold for €45,000, bought by James Mernagh.
"I thought this was a lovely horse, the nicest here today. He will be back for the Derby Sale," said Mernagh.
"They are both lovely individuals and they were bought in private sales at the beginning of the year and it was not definite that we were going to sell as yearlings, but you can't bring them all back as three-year-olds", explained Dwan.
"The Doctor Dino has always been a lovely horse and, of course, the update came just in time. We'd already had some luck before with Kitkou."
The half-day session concluded with 41 lots sold for an aggregate of €535,200, a median price of €9,000, an increase of 13% on 2018 and an average price of €13,054, a rise of 6%.
The November NH Sale continues tomorrow, Monday 11 November at 10am with the sale of foals.