€100,000 record for Ballyreddin Stud as Goffs breaks new ground at December Sale

Haras de Montaigu's No Risk At All has firmly placed himself in the upper echelons of National Hunt sires even though his first crop is a month shy of their official eighth birthday.

The sire of Cheltenham Festival winners Allaho and Epatante had two foals in the catalogue for the second session of the Goffs December National Hunt Sale on Wednesday and both colts were touted as potential stars.

The second of the duo to take his turn in the Goffs spotlight has already been named Lucifer D'Ainay but vendor John Dwan will probably have a more saintly attitude to the chestnut, who closely resembles his sire, as he not only became the most expensive foal to go through the ring this week but is the first foal to ever attain a six-figure price tag at this sale.

Dwan's Ballyreddin Stud is no stranger to setting records, having sold the most expensive store horse in Ireland, the half-brother to Altior back in 2018.

Bidding opened on the grandson of Saint Des Saints at €50,000 and Timmy Hillman and Norman Williamson were among those to make a serious play for the half-brother to bumper winner Grand Du Nord.

For the second time in two days, Gerry Aherne who was bidding once more on behalf of Flash Conroy, was the one who landed the big one, netting Lucifer D'Ainay at an even €100,000.

"He is an exceptional individual and the best foal here this week," Aherne commented. "He will be brought back for resale and hopefully he will be lucky."

Speaking from France, Conroy added that he had been to inspect the foal with Dwan and had been impressed by him.

"He is a very special horse and he will probably come back to Goffs for the Land Rover Sale in 2024," said Conroy.

O'Connor leaves rivals trailing once more

First of the two No Risk At All colts into the ring was Clonbonny Stud's son of Theatre Mole, a King's Theatre three-parts sister to Mr Mole, who won the Game Spirit Chase and was third in the Celebration Chase, for Paul Nicholls and JP McManus.

The February-born foal lived up to expectations as he sparked a three-way battle between Coolmara Stables, Glenwood Farm and Derek O'Connor.

No Risk At All colt from Clonbonny Stud made €80,000 to Coolmeen StablesCredit: Peter Mooney

The Mariga and Frisby family teams were left with a feeling familiar to countless riders who have come up short against O'Connor during his decorated career in the saddle as he struck the winning bid at €80,000.

The multiple champion point-to-point rider was bidding on behalf of Paul and Ellmarie Holden, who launched the career of Jonbon before selling him for £570,000 at Goffs UK's Yorton sale last November, and O'Connor confirmed that this colt would eventually wind his way into Holden's racing stable.

He said: "He is a beautiful individual with one of the best pages you are going to find. The Holdens already have a close relation to this foal and Ellmarie thinks a lot of him."

Harry Du Berlais, the first foal out of Theatre Mole, won a Dawstown four-year-old maiden on his debut for Colin Bowe, and the Shirocco gelding is now trained by Nick Kent.

That page O'Connor referred to is crammed with bold black type; Theatre Mole is a half-sister to the Listed-placed dam of Grade 1 winner Athena Du Berlais, while second dam Emmylou Du Berlais was Listed-placed on the track and is a half-sister to three Listed-winning jumpers and to the dam of Grade 1 Prix Cambaceres winner Bonito Du Berlais among others.

Presenting mares ensure their sire's legacy continues to grow

For many, the late, great Presenting will always be remembered as the sire of the legendary Denman, one of two Cheltenham Gold Cup heroes sired by Rathbarry Stud's outstanding stallion.

Now it is his legions of well-bred daughters who are set to enhance the multiple champion sire's already impressive reputation. Adrian Costello of Park Farm stressed the importance of Presenting's presence as broodmare sire when elaborating on his reasons for spending €65,000 on a colt from the first crop of Crystal Ocean.

He said: "He is a very smart foal with a lovely pedigree and I am delighted to get him, especially as he is out of a Presenting mare. I always like to see Presenting on the page as the broodmare sire."

That Presenting mare is a sister to Grade 3 winner Cup Final and out of Asian Maze, a top-class hurdler who won four Grade 1 contests and is an Anshan sister to Galway Plate winner Quantitativeeasing.

Rathbarry stallions past and present combined to produce Oliver Loughlin's colt bought for €44,000 by Dick Frisby's Glenmore Farm.

This Sholokhov colt was one of three grandsons of Presenting who were very popular with buyersCredit: © Peter Mooney

The son of Sholokhov is the second foal out of Ninety Seconds by the Cashman family's brilliant sire Presenting, and daughters of the late stallion are proving their worth as producers. This particular broodmare is a half-sister to a Cheltenham Festival winner in Tom Taaffe's Coral Cup victor Ninetieth Minute, an Old Vic gelding who was also second in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle.

Crystal Ocean continued to play his role of the hottest new stallion on the block to perfection, with his foals averaging €30,600 so far at Goffs. Their sire's advertised fee was €8,000 in 2020.

The son of Sea The Stars supplied one of the early highlights on Wednesday through Conna Stud's half-brother to Grade 2 winner Minella Awards, who made €44,000 to Garrynacurra Stud.

He too is out of a Presenting mare and his second dam is a Strong Gale half-sister to Las Cancellas, the dam of Drinmore Chase winner Harbour Pilot, who was third in two of Best Mate's Gold Cups, and she is the second dam of Living Next Door, River Wylde and Get Me Out Of Here. Another half-sister is Friars Pass, dam of the Mangans' Grand National hero Monty's Pass.

Getaway spurs bidders into action

There was no mid-afternoon slump as bidders, refreshed and refuelled, returned to the fray after lunch and the first foal to grab their attention was Galbertstown Stud's colt by Getaway.

He is a half-brother to Nina The Terrier, who was in the midst of running a big race when falling at the last in a Listed mares' novices' hurdle at Newbury on Ladbrokes Trophy weekend. They are out of Shees A Dante, a winning Westerner half-sister to the triple Grade 1 winning chaser God's Own.

This Getaway half-brother to Nina The Terrier sold to Peter VaughanCredit: Peter Mooney

Peter Vaughan of Moanmore Stables struck the winning bid at €46,000, a figure a little above what he had hoped to spend.

Vaughan said: "He is a very good foal with a nice pedigree and the mare gets good-looking stock. Nina The Terrier appears to be a nice prospect and hopefully by the time we come back to the sales with this colt she will have added to the pedigree."

There is every chance of that prospect becoming a reality as Nina The Terrier had won all three of her starts over hurdles for Alan King prior to her Newbury mishap.

The Milan mare is the first runner out of Shees A Dante, who has a four-year-old Kayf Tara filly and a Flemensfirth three-year-old gelding who made £70,000 to Stroud Coleman and Jonjo O'Neill from Park Farm at the Goffs UK Spring Store Sale.

It's a Walk In The Park for some

Selling expensive National Hunt foals seems to be a Walk In The Park for breeders who have progeny by Coolmore's Derby runner-up. A colt by the sire of Sunday's easy Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle winner Ginto became the first to make more than €50,000 at Goffs on Wednesday, where he was purchased by Kieran Shields for €56,000.

Bred by Aisling Leer and sold by Ashmore Farm, he is a half-brother to Deilginis, a four-time winner for Joseph O'Brien. She is the only foal of racing age produced so far by Square Sphere, herself a winning daughter of Oscar, and the family traces back to that of Irish Grand National winner Thunder And Roses.

Blue is the colour

A pair of foals from the first Irish-bred crop of Blue Bresil sold for €40,000 and €44,000 in quick succession on Wednesday evening.

First of the two through the ring was Barry Moorhead's colt out of the Listed-placed hurdler Taws by Hernando. The handsome bay is from the family of Doncaster Cup winner Boreas and was purchased by Mount Eaton Stud for €40,000.

The Blue Bresil foal who was the most expensive filly at Goffs on WednesdayCredit: Peter Mooney

Ten minutes later River Tay Stables sent a Blue Bresil filly with a classy pedigree into the ring and she made €44,000 to Dick Frisby.

Bearing all the hallmarks of Rathbarry Stud's in-demand recruit, the March-born filly is the third foal out of Ten Theatre, a winning hurdler and a sister to the Grade 3 winner Carrigmoorna Rock and the Grade 2-placed Carrigmoorna King. A daughter of the wonderful King's Theatre, she is also a half-sister to Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed chaser Shantou Flyer and the Grade 3 winner Mrs Mac Veale.

Blue Bresil stood for an advertised fee of €8,000 in 2020 and his average for the first two days of the Goffs December National Hunt Sale is more than double that at €19,300.

The second session recorded turnover of €2,205,200, with a clearance rate of 72 per cent. The average was €13,205 and the median was €8,500.

The third and final session starts at 10am on Thursday.

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