'As soon as this colt was born I thought I might hit the jackpot' - Walk In The Park foal steals show at €100,000

If the November National Hunt sale were a streaming series, then Tuesday's episode would have contained little surprises for the viewer at Tattersalls Ireland as the action mirrored that of earlier episodes.

The protagonists were once again Blue Bresil and Walk In The Park, but this time it was the latter who got the most prominent storyline as the sire of the first foal to sell for six figures at the 2023 sale.

Those with their fingers hovering over the skip button would have been hooked early as the milestone figure was hit within the opening hour of the third session, and the bay colt brought his own interesting backstory to enrich the tale.

An easy mover, he is the second foal out of Posh Trish who won a Listed mares' bumper at Cheltenham's November meeting before collecting victories over hurdles at that level at Newbury and Taunton for Paul Nicholls and Highclere.

She was bred by Oliver Loughlin, who sold the daughter of Stowaway in this ring a decade ago for just €1,200. Having won a four-year-old maiden at Lemonfield for Shark Hanlon and six races for Nicholls, when she came up for resale at the postponed November National Hunt Sale of 2020 her breeder was determined that Posh Trish would return home.

Loughlin had to fork out substantially more than the €1,200 he received for her as a foal, with Posh Trish costing him €118,000, but her first two foals have earned back her purchase price and then some.

"As soon as this colt was born I thought I might hit the jackpot as he came out looking like a star from the start," said Loughlin. "He is the image of her, a baby of her."

Posh Trish's first foal is also a son of Walk In The Park and he made €85,000 to Joey Logan 12 months ago. Logan made a strong play for this colt but in the end did not have the ammunition to match Gerry Aherne and Charles Shanahan, who landed the killer blow at €100,000.

Aherne was not backward in his praise of the foal, telling the assembled reporters: "For us he is the best foal here. We probably will race him, but it's too soon to decide for sure, we will see where we are and match them up when we have finished. The way the stallion is going, we were anxious to get the best ones we can.

"The mare was very good and very good-looking. Oliver is a very good breeder and we have been lucky with him before."

A repeat journey to Grange Stud is in the diary for Posh Trish, as Loughlin explained the rationale behind his choice of Walk In The Park for the mare.

"He is a good stallion, she was a good mare and the plan is to breed the best to the best," he said. "She is not in foal, but is being prepared for February and, please God, we might get a filly, and we would keep her."

Both of her colts are bred on the same cross as Grade 3 Cork Stayers' Novice Hurdle winner Monbeg Park and Mel Monroe, a maiden hurdle winner who holds an entry in Sunday's Grade 3 Monksfield Novice Hurdle at Navan for Gordon Elliott and KTDA Racing.

Brighter days for Ennis

Cathal Ennis of Quill Farm has endured a difficult 2023 with a number of mares on his Westmeath farm contracting Equine Virus Abortion (EVA), and the subsequent losses ensured that the early part of the year was quite a bleak time for Ennis and his colleagues, but the breeder is hoping that the results of his French expeditions will provide an uplifting end to 2023.

The Kapgarde colt out of Cushuish from Clonbonny Stud sold to Jamie Codd for €92,000Credit: www.healyracing.ie

A pair of homebred colts by two of France's best sires lit up the sales ring on Tuesday and provided something to smile about at last for Ennis and the team.

He said: "It's a great result because it's been a difficult year with EVA on the farm and we lost six of our best pregnancies, including foals by Walk In The Park and Blue Bresil. It was a nightmare and I don't mind saying it. Hopefully this sale is part of the recovery."

Those sales were headed by the only foal in the sale by Kapgarde and, for Ennis, it felt like everything had fallen into place as Sunday's Grade 1 Prix Maurice Gillois winner Amy Du Kiff is bred on the same Kapgarde – Yeats cross as the €92,000 colt.

The colt, who was purchased by Cheltenham Festival-winning rider Jamie Codd, is the first foal out of Cushuish. She is a winning Yeats half-sister to My Drogo by Milan, the winner of the Grade 1 Mersey Novices' Hurdle, Grade 2 Kelson Premier Novices' Hurdle and Grade 2 Kennel Gate Novices' Hurdle for Dan Skelton. They are out of the Amlin 1965 Chase winner My Petra by Midnight Legend.

Ennis acquired Cushuish after her racing career ended two years ago this week and, from the moment he was born, her first foal was an eyecatcher.

The breeder remarked: "He was always a special foal and when I was bringing the mare to be covered by Walk In The Park, everyone was admiring him."

He also sold one of just three foals in the sale by No Risk At All, with the first foal of the winning hurdler Cobra Angel making €52,000 to Rathbarry Stud.

Ennis explained why he sent the Flemensfirth full-sister to Listed Mucklemeg Mares' Bumper third Flemencello, both of whom were bred by Ennis, and Cushuish all the way to France for their first coverings.

"I have 20 mares and although we have brilliant stallions in Ireland, I like to send a few maiden or barren mares to France every year," he commented. "I think Kapgarde, No Risk At All and Doctor Dino are phenomenal sires and have been so successful. It was always the plan to sell them as foals because there might be only two or three foals in the sale by them, but when you get to the store sales there are a lot more."

Cathal Ennis has endured a tough year but is hopeful it has turned a corner nowCredit: www.healyracing.ie

Ennis has sold six foals this week and all were consigned by Clonbonny Stud, with the breeder more than satisfied with the service provided by the team, and he was quick to praise their work in producing the foals for sale.

He said: "Denise [O'Brien], Peter and Katy [Nolan] did a fantastic job with him. He is an April foal so quite young, still a baby really and only filling his frame. I did a good bit of the work with him at home myself but I get very nervous when they sell, so I like to use professionals and the team at Clonbonny are brilliant."

Codd reported that plans would see the colt return to Tattersalls Ireland for the Derby Sale of 2026.

Fortune favours the brave

Ennis's No Risk At All colt helped his sire to record an excellent average, which was bettered only by Nathaniel. The sire of five Grade 1 winners including dual Ryanair Chase hero Allaho, who made a winning seasonal debut in the Clonmel Oil Chase last Friday, had an average of €50,667.

Lisngar Paddocks consigned the only son of No Risk At All in the catalogue and the first foal of Daemon Diamond, an unraced Prince Gibraltar full-sister to the Grade 3 Prix Aguado Hurdle third and half-sister to the Listed Premio Cancelli winner Prunay, made €60,000 to Katrina Mackie and Ian Ferguson.

The aforementioned Mel Monroe was bred by Seamus Murphy and the Wexford breeder was another whose willingness to seek out different bloodlines for his small band of mares was rewarded during the session when his No Risk At All filly was purchased by Stroud Coleman for €40,000.

Consigned by Ivy and John Wafer's Graiguebeg Stud, she is the third foal out of Regal Return, an unraced Getaway half-sister to the Grade 1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle winner Ballyadam.

Nicky Bertran de Balanda secured a couple of choice lots to race in FranceCredit: www.healyracing.ie

Based in Bunclody, north Wexford the couple prepped and consigned the pretty bay filly and were delighted that their client had such a successful result.

"It's a lovely pedigree," said Ivy Wafer. "Seamus is a small breeder with just a handful of mares and it's a great achievement for him. He took a risk sending the mare to France to be covered so it is great that he has been rewarded."

The family also provided one of Monday's most expensive lots; a Walk In The Park colt out of Night Heron who made €65,000 to Aherne and Shanahan from Peria Stud. Night Heron is a half-sister to this filly's second dam Grass Tips.

Graiguebeg Stud consigns 14 foals at the November National Hunt Sale, including a Manatee colt who made €20,000 on Monday, the best price for a foal by the Whytemount Stud sire.

Nate the Great

For a stallion of Nathaniel's calibre; sire of eight individual Group 1 winners including Derby hero Desert Crown and the champion Enable, his popularity is higher among the National Hunt community than with the flat equivalent. A sign of the times and the state of Flat breeding but, while others are missing out, smart National Hunt breeders are reaping the rewards of using Newsells Park's King George and Eclipse winner.

Two colts by the impeccably bred son of Galileo were offered at Tattersalls Ireland on Tuesday and both had bidders salivating at the prospect of purchasing them.

First up was Caroline Berry's son of Hawai Tree, who earned her black type at Compiegne with success in the Listed Prix Vatelys Chase and a third place finish in the Grade 3 Prix Hopper Chase. She is by Joshua Tree, the triple Grade 1 Canadian International winner by Montjeu who was bred by the late Lady O'Reilly.

The Nathaniel colt out of Hawai Tree in the ring at Tattersalls IrelandCredit: www.healyracing.ie

Hawai Tree was sourced in France during the summer of 2021, with the late David Powell playing a pivotal role in her acquisition by Berry.

She said: "I was friendly with David, he was in France for the sale and rang me to say that he had seen a really nice mare and that we should have a go at her. I told David that if he liked her to go ahead and try to buy her. She was out of training and had done more than enough."

Powell was able to secure Hawai Tree and she made her way to Berry's farm in Banbridge, County Down. Jayne McGivern had a nomination to Nathaniel that she wasn't using for any of her mares, which was how Hawai Tree came to be covered by Nathaniel.

She takes up the story, saying: "The mare was only in England for 24 days and came home in-foal. This colt can be quite cheeky but has been perfect here, he just gets on with life."

Berry, who bred the Grade 1 Lawlor's of Naas Novice Hurdle and Neville Hotels Novice Chase winner Battleoverdoyen, was celebrating her best pay day in the ring, with Ian Ferguson going to €85,000 for her Nathaniel foal, bought as a racing prospect. Hawai Tree is in foal to Blue Bresil.

Late fireworks were provided by Peel Hall Stables' colt out of the Grade 2 Dawn Run Mares' Novice Hurdle winner Limini, who brought a winning bid of €90,000 from Nicky Bertran de Balanda and Joey Logan.

Placed four times at the highest level, including when third to Apple's Jade in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle, Limini's sales ring success has matched her racecourse exploits.

The son of Nathaniel and Grade 2 winner Limini made €90,000 at Tattersalls IrelandCredit: www.healyracing.ie

The daughter of Peintre Celebre was purchased by Will Kinsey for €75,000 in foal to Australia in this ring during the 2019 November National Hunt Sale, where she was consigned by Closutton Stables on behalf of Rich Ricci.

That Australia filly is now a three-year-old and has been retained but her yearling colt is also by Nathaniel and fetched €75,000 here 12 months ago, when Altenbach Bloodstock signed for him.

Kinsey is delighted that Limini's offspring have inherited their dam's physical attributes.

"She owes us nothing now but more importantly she looks like she is producing athletes in her own model," he said.

One of those is the Australia filly who is pleasing Kinsey in her pre-training and will run for the Future Bloodstock syndicate who have Shaving, a half-sister to Allaho, in training with Willie Mullins.

Having twice produced colts by Nathaniel, a new approach was taken this year with the 12-year-old mare who is out of a Spectrum half-sister to Irish Oaks heroine Vintage Tipple, and she is in foal to Golden Horn. However, Kinsey is resolute in his admiration for Nathaniel.

"We have had a few by Nathaniel and absolutely love them," he said. "He is a commercial sire but from my point of view I love the ones we have had. We think he is a very good stallion and will continue to support him."

Kinsey and the Future Bloodstock team thwarted Nicky Bertran de Balanda four years ago when the agent tried to purchase Limini, so there was a delightful symmetry in his purchase of her son.

"I loved Limini and really wanted to buy her but was outbid," he revealed. "This colt is very correct and very racy and by a very good stallion that I love. He will go to Joey's [Logan] first and probably come to me after that. He will be trained in France and hopefully be a very good juvenile hurdler."

Blue is the colour

Bertran de Balanda was also the buyer of the most expensive filly foal to be sold at Tattersalls Ireland this week; a daughter of Blue Bresil consigned by Coolmara Stables and boasting a regal pedigree.

"She is a very good looking filly," said the purchaser after spending €85,000 on the foal. "She is by a very good sire and has an excellent pedigree. Big Buck's is obviously very well known over here but the family is very strong. I have bought her for a client who will race her in France,  as well as the Crystal Ocean filly out of the full-sister to Voler La Vedette."

'Our queen' - Coolmara Stables' daughter of Blue Bresil will race in FranceCredit: www.healyracing.ie

The filly is the third foal out of Buck's Bee, an unraced Kapgarde half-sister to Big Buck's, the four time Stayers' Hurdle victor. As Bertan de Balanda pointed out, there is much more to the family than the ten-times Grade 1 winner. Buck's Bee is also a half-sister to the multiple Listed winning Buck's Bank and to the Grade 1 Prix Cambaceres Three-Year-Old Hurdle runner-up and sire Buck's Boum.

Their dam Buck's is a winning Le Glorieux full-sister to the Listed Prix Journaliste Chase winner Buck's Dream and a half-sister to the dam of Slate House, successful in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices' Chase for the Tizzards.

For the Mariga family of Coolmara Stables, who bred the filly, the price was more than they had anticipated her reaching despite her outstanding looks, exceptional sire power and famous relative.

Cathal Mariga was nominated as family spokesperson.

"We loved her, she is a gorgeous filly and had everything that you could want," he said. "She is one of the nicest fillies that we have ever bred but we never expected that price for her."

Buck's Bee has a two-year-old colt by Gentlewave and a yearling daughter of Nathaniel, and Mariga elaborated on the reasons why the team was so keen to buy her.

"She is very like her mother, who is 16.2 and a gorgeous mare," he said. "Her pedigree and her physical were what we loved about her when we bought her and this filly is so similar to her. Buck's Bee is back in foal to Blue Bresil and if she produces another foal like her we will be very happy."

Team Yellowford who are the leading consignors at the Tattersalls Ireland November NH SaleCredit: www.healyracing.ie

Yellowford Farm are the leading consignors by aggregate after three days of the sale with 25 foals sold for €715,500 and nine of them made at least €50,000. The Motherway family's best result came later on Tuesday evening when they sold the day's most expensive Blue Bresil foal from a family that has been nurtured at Yellowford.

Kevin Ross and Ben Case, operating on behalf of Lady Jane Grosvenor, went to €88,000 to secure the son of Fairy Hill, who is a Stowaway half-sister to Bellshill. That son of King's Theatre won Grade 1s in every form of National Hunt racing with his victories in the Irish Gold Cup and Punchestown Gold Cup the zenith of his career for Willie Mullins and Andrea and Graham Wylie.

Fairy Hill is also a half-sister to Belle Venezia, dam of Listed Henrietta Knight bumper winner Vegas Blue and her first foal, a colt by Walk In The Park, made €50,000 on Monday to Brian and Eoghan Murphy.

Third dam Amy Fairy is a half-sister to the dam of the outstanding One Man.

Another Blue Bresil colt was one of the Yellowford foals to make €50,000, with Kieran Shields securing the son of Blath Beag for that figure. The Shirocco mare is out of a half-sister to Grade 2 Aintree bumper winner Diamond Sal and Listed Hurdle winner and Grade 2-placed chaser Ring The Boss.

The Yellowford draft for Tuesday also contained a Walk In The Park filly out of Blixt, twice successful over hurdles for Mullins. She is a Yeats half-sister to none other than the great Hurricane Fly and to Mucho Macabi, dam of King George winner Tornado Flyer. Holloway Equine paid €55,000 for the March-born bay.

Shields is obviously taken with the progeny of Blue Bresil. In addition to his purchase on the opening day of Thistletown Stud's colt out of Rolanna and of the Yellowford consigned colt on Tuesday, he signed for another son of Rathbarry's sizzling sire.

Ollie Byrne leads the Blue Bresil colt consigned by Irene Scheldt around the Tattersalls Ireland sale ringCredit: www.healyracing.ie

Irene Scheldt consigned the half-brother to bumper winner Imonlysaying on behalf of a client and she was delighted with the result.

"He is a lovely foal and has a great walk, that's what stood out with him," she said of the foal whose dam is a Presenting full-sister to the Grade 3 Aintree handicap hurdle winner Doctor Harper and a half-sister to Highway One O Two. The Shirocco gelding won the Grade 2 Dovecote Novices' Hurdle for Chris Gordon and was third in the Christmas Hurdle to Blue Bresil's superstar Constitution Hill.

Scheldt moved to Gorey in County Wexford in 2018 having spent 15 years working as a consignor in France. She now has a small farm where she boards mares for clients and operates a consigning business, with the Blue Bresil one of her best results since returning to Ireland.

The colt's family gells with Blue Bresil as Clontenty Farm's colt out of Dreamer's Daughter, a full-sister to Catwalk Babe, made €80,000 to Vanquish Bloodstock.

A total of 173 foals from the 234 offered on Tuesday changed hands, generating turnover of €4,283,500 with the clearance rate at 74 per cent. The session average came in at €24,760 and the median was €21,000.

The fourth session of the sale begins on Wednesday at 10am.

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