Walk In The Park Colt Fetches €50,000 to Top Winter Sale

A colt by the champion jumps sire Walk In The Park topped the one-day Tattersalls Ireland Winter Flat and National Hunt Sale fetching €50,000 and was one of six horses in the session to sell for €30,000 or more. 

Bought by Coolmore's Gerry Aherne, the May-born yearling (Lot 58) is out of Glasgow Allen, an American Post half-sister to the brilliant 16-time winner Envoi Allen, whose resume boasts nine Grade 1 successes with three of those top-level victories coming at the Cheltenham Festival.

After purchasing the yearling from from The Beeches Stud, Aherne said: "The sire continues to break records and this is a very well-bred horse who comes from a great nursery. He was the one we really wanted today and we are delighted to get him.

"Plans for him are fluid, we could bring him back for resale or keep him to race, there's plenty of time for him. He was a standout on looks and pedigree today." 

The Blue Bresil colt (Lot 172) from the outstanding Edmond Coleman-produced family of the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Lord Windermere, and the black-type winners Sub Lieutenant, Oscar Elite, Start Me Up and Stars Out Tonight was bought by Anthony Cahill for €40,000.

“He will come back for the Derby Sale,” said Cahill. “There are a few of us who buy together and my son was on the phone to me driving me on!”

Cahill and his fellow pinhookers sell their store horses with the Lalor’s Carrigeen Bloodstock. They have a number of three-year-olds that they are hoping to line up for this year’s Derby Sale, and he is looking forward to bringing them to Ireland’s Premier Store Sale in June.

Coleman outlined his reasoning for offering the February-born colt, whom he sold with Walshtown Stables, at the Winter Flat and National Hunt Sale.

 “The colt’s Walk In The Park half-brother, the point-to-point winner Talk To The Man, is in training with Paul Nicholls and I was hoping he might run before we came to sell,” he explained.

Fillies took six of the top ten prices with well-bred types in particular demand, and a daughter of Affinisea (Lot 70) has claims for the most current on pedigree – she is out of an Indian Danehill half-sister to last weekend’s Cheltenham Grade 2 Cleeve Hurdle winner Gowel Road.

She made €38,000 and was bought by the day’s leading buyer Richard Rohan, who was purchasing on behalf of his British-based client Will Smith.

Plans are flexible for the April-born foal, and Rohan outlined: "Her future is undecided as yet, she might be kept to race or could return to be resold, but we absolutely loved her since we saw her here.

"Will has been building up a nice stock of young horses. Not only did I like this filly as an individual, but everything is hot in this pedigree with both Gowel Road and her being by Affinisea, too. I really like him as a sire, and he had a Cheltenham Grade 2 winner at the weekend.”

Pinhook buyer Kieran Shields has the 2027 Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale as the long term aim for Lot 129, a May-born son of Walk In The Park and a grandson of the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Mail The Desert.

"I hope he will be back here for the Derby Sale," said Shields of the colt sold by Hillview Farm. "He is a young foal, but he has a nice outlook, and he is obviously by a top sire. He has good use of himself and is an attractive foal who I hope will make up into a smart three-year-old."

The session saw a variety of stallions in demand with five different sires responsible for the top ten lots, while leading pinhookers and Derby Sale consignors such as the Bleahen Brothers, Richard and JJ Frisby, Rathbarry Stud and Kieran Shields were all busy throughout the day’s sale. 

Tattersalls Ireland’s CEO Simon Kerins said: “We are delighted to have started the year with our newly named Winter Flat and National Hunt Sale. For the first time, we introduced flat-bred yearlings to the sale, and this is an area we plan to build upon moving forward.

 “The trade today was somewhat challenging and highlights the selective nature of the National Hunt market, sustained demand for those that hit the mark and less so for those horses that didn’t, a trend that has been consistent across all National Hunt sales over the past 12 months.

 “Our focus now turns to the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown, where the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle takes place. Sunday's race will see some of Ireland's most promising novice hurdlers, making it one of the most eagerly anticipated races of the weekend.

 “Our sponsorship at Leopardstown is incredibly important to us and marks the beginning of a crucial period for Tattersalls Ireland. We have worked closely with the team at Leopardstown since the inception of the Dublin Racing Festival, and this continued partnership is a testament to our shared commitment to Irish racing. Inspections for the Derby Sale, Ireland’s Premier Store Sale, will begin next week and our bloodstock team looks forward to viewing the best of what Ireland and the UK have to offer.”