Solid trade kicks off November National Hunt Sale

Good solid trade kicked off the first day's business at the five-day Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale.

Pinhookers were out in force for the session of NH-bred yearlings and Adrian Costello took home the day’s top lot, his sole purchase of the day, a gelding by leading sire Walk In The Park consigned by Walshtown Stables (Lot 166).

"The sire is one of the leading stallions around at the moment, this horse has a top pedigree, and he is definitely the finest yearling here today," said Costello. "He is fit to go to any sale, and anyone would be glad to own him, he is definitely a bit special. He will come back to a store sale, with luck the Derby Sale. He is a lovely big horse, he is an athlete all day long."

The gelding is out of Windermere Sky, an Oscar full-sister to Lord Windermere, the dual Grade 1 Cheltenham Festival winner of the Gold Cup and the RSA Chase, and Sub Lieutenant, a Grade 2 winner over fences and hurdles.

Underbidder on the top lot was Tally-Ho Stud, and the O’Callaghans had better luck with Lot 124 (pictured), the team buying the gelding by Soldier Of Fortune for €68,000. 

"He will be for resale and will come back for the Derby Sale," said Tony O'Callaghan. "He is a lovely sort, by a good sire and out of a well-bred mare." 

A May-born foal, the gelding, offered by Railstown Stud, is out of Mo Bury (Overbury), a half-sister to the Gold Cup (G1) winner Native River. 

Also bought with a planned return to the Derby Sale were consecutive lots sold by Ballincurrig House Stud (Lot 118 and Lot 119), both purchased by Alan Harte. (Lot 119 pictured)

"They will come back to the Derby Sale," said Harte. "They are both beautiful horses and I loved them, I am delighted to get them. They will come back to the farm at Kildare."

When explaining his decision to invest in the yearlings, Harte added: "I came up this year and just liked these two horses. Both are well bred and from Ballincurrig, such a good consignor. We’ll be looking at foals now through the rest of the week."

Henrietta Knight was on the ground today and went to €52,000 to buy a gelding from the first crop of the Group 1 winner Order Of St George (Lot 88) as a racing prospect for her nephews William and Arthur Vestey. It was a poignant purchase for the former trainer.

"My sister died last year and they are her children – it is quite moving that this horse, and the gelding I purchased earlier by Mount Nelson [Lot 58], also for them, are both lovely horses."

Knight explained why she liked the horse so much: "I have seen quite a number of offspring by the stallion and I like what I have seen, they look athletic and they look the part. This lad comes from a good jumping family so all is positive, in my eyes anyway!”

The session saw 119 lots sold for an aggregate of €1,543,850, an average price of €12,974, an increase of 41 per cent on 2020, and a median price of €8,500, a rise of 136 per cent on last year.

The four-day foal section of the November NH Sale begins tomorrow with selling starting at 10am.