Unprecedented demand for Foals on Day 3 of November NH Sale
The third session of the foal section of the November NH Sale saw six foals sell for over €80,000 with a top price of €100,000. Over the three days so far, nine foals have achieved prices over €80,000, comparing favourably to four sold over the whole sale in 2022, while already this year 39 foals have made €50,000 and more so matching 2022’s whole sale figure.
The third session’s six-figure sale was achieved by a Walk In The Park colt, the second foal out of the Listed-winning mare Posh Trish (Lot 509), Gerry Aherne and Charles Shanahan listed as the successful purchasers.
Consignor and breeder Oliver Loughlin initially sold Posh Trish as a foal at the November NH Sale and repurchased the mare as a seven-year-old breeding prospect at the November NH Mares Sale in 2020. By then the Stowaway mare was a six-time winner and a holder of Listed black-type.
As soon as this colt was born I thought I might hit the jackpot as he has looked a star from the start," said Loughlin, adding: "He is an image of her, a baby of her."
Of the decision to use Walk In The Park for the mare's second pregnancy, he said: "He is a good stallion, she was a good mare and the plan is always to bred the best to the best."
Successful purchaser Aherne, in charge of bidding duties, said: "For us he is the best foal here. We probably will race him, but not yet decided for sure. The mare was very good and is very good-looking. Oliver is a good breeder and we have been lucky with him before."
The only foal by Kapgarde in the sale caught buyers' eyes, and it was Jamie Codd who signed the purchasers’ docket at €92,000 (Lot 643).
The colt, who is out of Cushuish (Yeats), a three-time winning daughter of the Grade 2 winner My Petra (Midnight Legend), the dam of the Grade 1 hurdle victor My Drogo (Milan), was consigned by Clonbonny Stud for breeder Cathal Ennis of Quill Farm.
"I bought the mare last year and the foal has been beautiful from the get-go," reported Ennis. "Denise [O'Brien], Peter and Katy Nolan have done a fantastic job with him here – he is quite young, is only an April foal and is still filling his frame. I don't like consigning myself as I get a bit nervous and I like to use professionals who are doing it all the time and have the staff.”
Ennis explained the thinking behind the Kapgarde covering saying: "I like to try and send maiden or barren mares to France. I think Doctor Dino, No Risk At All and Kapgarde are three phenomenal sires – they have been so successful and there are never too many by them here for sale."
Buyer Jamie Codd reported: “We’ll get him home before we make a plan, but he has all the options. He could go racing, or he could end up coming back here to the Derby Sale. We had to stretch to get him, but he’s a lovely horse and is the only one by the sire in the sale.”
The Grade 1 runner-up Limini (Peintre Celebre) was purchased here at the end of her training career for €75,000 by Peel Hall Bloodstock and her third foal, a colt by Nathaniel, was sold today by the same connections for €90,000 (Lot 722).
Consignor Will Kinsey was understandably delighted with the result: "The full-brother to this colt made €75,000 here last year and this chap has made €90,000 – the mare owes us nothing but, most importantly, she looks as though she is producing athletes like herself.”
He continued: "We have had a few by Nathaniel and absolutely love them. We think he is a very good stallion and will continue to support him.”
The colt was jointly purchased by Joey Logan and Nicolas Bertran de Balanda's NBB Racing and the French agent reported: "The foal is initially going stay in Ireland with Joey but will go to France as a racing prospect – hopefully he will make up into a good juvenile hurdler. He is very racy and correct."
The day’s statistics were very much on a par with last year producing a turnover of €4,283,500, an average price of €24,760 and a median figure of €21,000, which was an increase of five per cent on 2023. The improved clearance rate was 74 per cent.
The November National Hunt Sale resumes tomorrow at 10am with the last session of National Hunt-bred foals due through the ring.