Risky business but Coolmara Stables bold play nets six-figure return at November National Hunt Sale
The Mariga family have made a name for themselves with their bold buying strategy of purchasing proven black-type mares at auction, usually for a significant sum, and sending them to leading sires.
While it may adhere to the old adage of breeding the best to the best and hoping for the best, it is still fraught with risk as nothing in life is guaranteed, particularly when dealing with horses and the returns in the sales ring don't always match up.
At Tattersalls Ireland on Wednesday, the Cork family had their boldness rewarded in the sale ring when Nicky Bertran de Balanda made their No Risk At All colt the first six-figure transaction of the auction, outbidding Timmy Hyde at €110,000 for the bay who is the first foal out of the Grade 3 Buck House Novice Chase winner Zarkareva.
In one swoop they recouped almost half of their outlay on Zarkareva, who they spent €240,000 acquiring from Ballyreddin and Busherstown last December. Although Bertan de Balanda admitted to some regrets that he wasn't the one to purchase the Grade 1-placed chaser by Authorized as a broodmare prospect, he was pleased to buy her first son.
"It's expensive coming here!" he joked before adding: "He has been bought for Sofiane Benaroussi, who is building a team of National Hunt youngsters to race in France and the colt is going to race in France. I have followed the dam; I bought her originally in France with Alex Elliott for Brian Acheson, and we should have bought the mare again last year!"
Successful on her debut at Clairefontaine, Zarkareva was soon swapping her native France for Irish shores and the yard of Henry de Bromhead, who trained her for Acheson's Robcour.
She raced 18 times in total and was successful on three occasions; her French debut, the aforementioned Grade 3 success and a defeat of Cheltenham Festival winner Heaven Help Us in a mares' novice chase at Sligo.
In addition to that she was placed eight times, with the highlight her Grade 1 third, albeit beaten some distance by Energumene and Janidil, at Punchestown.
If looks are any indication of his racing ability, then a big future awaits this young horse.
The successful buyer added: "Zarkareva is a very good looking mare and this is a very good first foal, I am glad we have him. He's probably going to be a tall horse and we will need to give him a bit of time."
Benaroussi's green silks with a red diamond have been seen at Royal Ascot and Longchamp this year, carried by Zarakem when second to Auguste Rodin in the Prince of Wales's Stakes and in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe when the four-year-old son of Zarak was sixth to Bluestocking.
The colt was bought for €500,000 by Bertan de Balanda last September on behalf of Benaroussi, who is also expanding his National Hunt interests.
"Sofiane is buying a lot of very good youngstock and is going to have a nice team in France moving forward," Betran de Balanda explained. "We thought that was the sort of price we would have to pay for this foal."
Zarakem's sire comes from the same family as the No Risk At All foal who will join him in Benaroussi's ownership. Zarkareva is out of Zarkiyna, a placed Sendawar half-sister to Zarkasha, dam of the outstanding Zarkava, who herself foaled Zarak.
Zarkava is a half-sister to Zarkandar, a quadruple Grade 1 winner over hurdles for Paul Nicholls and that mix of top class Flat and National Hunt form was another selling point for the foal, who has that blend on both sides of his pedigree.
Betran de Balanda said: "He has a fantastic pedigree with a very good jumper and excellent Flat horses in the family. No Risk At All is proven at the top level and he is himself from a very good Flat family. We liked him physically and hopefully he can run fast."
Cathal Mariga was anointed as the family spokesperson and revealed that Zarkareva is due a Blue Bresil foal in March.
"We are very pleased with the result, he made more than we expected," he said. "We hoped he would be a standout and he has done just that, but we didn't know if he would get into six figures."
The Irish National Stud breeding course graduate added: "For a first foal, he is a lovely foal, and always has been even when he was young, and to make back half of the mare's purchase price is very pleasing. She's in great order."
Seven lots earlier Coolmara's Walk In The Park full-sister to last weekend's Richard Barber Memorial Mares' Handicap Hurdle winner Larchmont Lass made €40,000 to Timmy Hillman.
Trained by Paul Nicholls, the six-year-old was successful in the Listed EBF Mares' Bumper at Sandown and is the first runner out of the Grade 3 Ballybrit Novices' Chase winner and Grade 3-placed hurdler Tocororo, by Teofilo.
Trained by Gordon Elliott for Gigginstown House Stud, she was another six-figure mare purchase for the Mariga family and this is her best result in the ring, bettering the €95,000 that Larchmont Lass went for at the 2021 Derby Sale.
'It would be a shame to geld him'
Jerry McGrath and Paul Harley engaged in a protracted duel for the Saint Des Saints colt foal consigned by Clonmult Farm on behalf of Maurice Garde, with the Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey coming out on top at €110,000.
It was an immediate return on the €34,000 the foal, who has been christened with the English translation of his sire's name, cost in utero last November when he was purchased by Donal White at auction in France.
The sum looks surprisingly little considering the lineage.
Dam Kotkiline has already produced the Listed Prix Spumate Handicap Hurdle winner and Grade 1 Prix Ferdinand Dufaure Chase third Kapkiline, and that Kapgarde mare is the dam of one of this year's leading juvenile fillies in France.
Olympic Story is a daughter of Masked Marvel and ran up a hat-trick of successes for Francois Nicolle which culminated with victory in the Grade 3 Prix de Chambly at Auteuil in September. On her most recent run the Saint Des Saints filly Zaine reversed the Prix de Chambly placings with her in the Grade 3 Prix Magne.
Nicolle's filly has been declared for the Grade 2 Prix Magalen Bryant at Auteuil this weekend, so McGrath's purchase could receive an almost immediate update.
The successful bidder said of the three-year-old filly: "I'm spending a lot of time in France now and have seen Olympic Story. She's one of the best three-year-old fillies in France and she is not finished yet. She is a big, scopey mare and this is a happening family."
This colt will be returning to France, where an exciting future awaits.
"He's been bought for a client to race in France but we had to reach a bit further than we had hoped to, so he'll probably have to get a few friends in with him," said McGrath.
Plans for the gorgeous foal are refreshing.
"It would be a shame if he were to come back gelded for a store sale because, as a son of Saint Des Saints with that pedigree, if he can reach the necessary level on the track then he has stallion potential," said McGrath.
Saint Of Saints is also a three-parts brother to Grade 2 Prix Congress Chase winner and dual Grade 1 runner-up Kobrouk and his dam is a half-sister to Katgary, who was second in the Fred Winter of 2014 for Paul Nicholls.
The Ditcheat handler also trains Kalif Du Berlais, a four-year-old son of Masked Marvel who won last season's Adonis Hurdle and was third in the Anniversary Juvenile Hurdle in the colours of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Kalif Du Berlais, who fell on his chasing debut at Carlisle on Monday, is a half-brother to the Grade 3-placed Kivala Du Berlais, by Saint Des Saints and another running at the big Auteuil meeting this weekend, and they are out of Kadika, an unraced Poliglote half-sister to Kotkiline.
There are Graded winners under each of his first four dams and his fourth dam is a full-sister to Kotkijet and Kotkito.
James Sheehan of Clonmult Farm consigned the foal on behalf of Garde and the delighted vendor was full of praise for both the foal and Tattersalls Ireland.
"I saw him in the middle of August and loved him then and he has really developed since he came to me," said Sheehan.
"He has a real pedigree, probably one of the best French pedigrees in the book," he added, and this date had long been circled in the calendar.
"This foal was always going to be coming here to this sale," he said. "It is a brilliant place here, and this is my favourite sale of the year, I love this sale, it always delivers when you have the right horse."
Saints marches on
Sire of 17 individual Grade 1 winners, the outstanding Saint Des Saints has also earned a stellar reputation as a broodmare sire, with daughters of the recently retired Haras d'Etreham behemoth producing Douvan, Jonbon, El Fabiolo, Appreciate It and Envoi Allen.
The opportunity to purchase a talented Saint Des Saints mare with an appealing pedigree and carrying her first foal, was irresistible to breeders, and the Neilstown Stud-consigned Instit became the most expensive lot of the entire November National Hunt Sale when selling to Will Kinsey for €125,000.
Six-year-old Instit was trained by Willie Mullins to win a Listed mares' chase at Fairyhouse last year and she was also runner-up to Impervious, pinhooked by Kinsey, in the Grade 2 Glencarraig Lady Mares' Chase at the 2023 Punchestown festival.
She repeated that performance, on what would prove to be her final race, when second to Brides Hill and in total she was placed eight times in Graded or Listed company.
Instit having been covered by Walk In The Park, the foal will be bred on the same cross as Douvan and Jonbon, but Kinsey said it was the prospect of buying a Saint Des Saints broodmare that was the driving force behind the purchase.
"She's by Saint Des Saints and that swung it," he said. "I haven't got a mare by him but I've been trying for a long time to buy one."
Kinsey and his brother-in-law, the champion amateur and Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey Richard Burton, earlier purchased a Walk In The Park filly out of a full-sister to Denman from Ballincurrig House Stud for €72,000 as a long-term broodmare prospect, but this mare, who Burton and a group of former amateur jockeys will all be involved with owning, is a readymade broodmare.
Kinsey said: "She will go to Richard's place; Longner Bloodstock, and we have lots of stallion options for her. There are lots of exciting National Hunt sires in Britain."
As a half-sister to two classy performers and with a dam who is a full-sister to one of the most iconic chasers this century, the bay filly screams broodmare prospect and that is potentially her ultimate destiny.
Kinsey explained: "She's for a new partnership with my brother-in-law Richard. We have a few broodmares together and Richard is starting to get more involved in breeding.
"Options are open for her but the idea would be to race her and then breed from her. It's a long-term project but it is very difficult to get into these families, you rarely get the opportunity to buy into them so, when you do get the chance, you have to try to take it."
Cheltenham Gold Cup winner and lion-hearted superstar Denman is the famous relative, but there is so much to this pedigree that only two dams fit on the page.
The pretty bay is a half-sister to Hearts Are Trumps, by Oscar, and he was trained by Dessie McDonogh to win the Grade 1 Glasscarn Handicap Hurdle at Fairyhouse, across the road from the sales complex. Owned by JP McManus, Hearts Are Trumps was also second in the Galway Hurdle.
Their five-year-old Kapgarde half-brother Go Fast Du Berlais won the Listed Grand Steeple Chase de Craon.
Unraced Presenting mare Polly's Present has six winners from seven runners, with her three-year-old Ectot filly Gift Du Berlais winning over hurdles at Nimes on Monday.
She has a two-year-old Born To Sea colt named Present Du Berlais and a yearling full-sister to Gift Du Berlais.
Polly's Present is also a full-sister to Silverburn, a high-class performer in his own right with victories at the highest level as a novice hurdler and chaser for Paul Nicholls.
Four of her half-sisters have foaled black-type winners, with Potter's Gale the dam of Grade 2 Nickel Coin Mares' Bumper winner Kayf Grace, while Denwoman and Soutcoast Gale are both the dams of Grade 1-placed horses; Tactical Move and Polly Peachum respectively.
Blue on the double
Half a dozen lots broke through the €50,000 mark during the fourth and final session of foals at the November National Hunt Sale and only one sire – Blue Bresil – had more than one representative in that group.
The most expensive was Coole House Farm's son of the Grade 2 handicap hurdle winner Princess Leya, who was bought by Aiden Murphy for €80,000.
It was the top price achieved by a Blue Bresil foal this week and the sire of Constitution Hill returned an average of €26,049 for 41 sold, which was the greatest number of foals sold by a single stallion at the November National Hunt Sale.
This particular foal has a brilliant pedigree: not only he is a half-brother to a Listed Newbury bumper winner but his dam is a half-sister to the brilliant two-mile chaser Altior. Like the dual Champion Chase victor, she and her colt foal were bred by Paddy and Rose Behan and family.
Speaking afterwards, Murphy said the colt was likely to come back for a premier store sale through Glenvale Stud.
John Yarr modestly deflected praise after selling his homebred Blue Bresil half-brother to A Wave Of The Sea for €68,000 to Tony O'Callaghan of Tally-Ho Stud on Wednesday afternoon.
"I don't think I'm very good at selecting stallions," laughed Yarr, "but she's still gone and done it for us, she's been a good mare for us."
Whatever about her owner's skill at choosing stallions Je T'Adore, a 14-year-old daughter of Montjeu, is an excellent broodmare. A Wave Of The Sea won the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown and twice won the big handicap chase at the Dublin Racing Festival for JP McManus.
She is also the dam of Duvet Day, a daughter of Starspangledbanner who won the Listed Astra Stakes at Santa Anita and was third in the Grade 3 Santa Ana Stakes.
Her three-year-old Harzand gelding Hello Neighbour made a winning debut in O'Callaghan's colours over a mile and six furlongs at Navan in September and made it two wins from two starts when successful at Roscommon last month, this time carrying the colours of Patrick Sheanon.
Gavin Cromwell trains Hello Neighbour and his former owner, who now owns this Blue Bresil foal, reported that he is being aimed at the juvenile hurdle at Leopardstown's Christmas festival.
Hillman in a hurry
Castledillon Stud's Timmy Hillman was one of the busiest buyers on Wednesday, signing for five lots to bring his total to seven for the sale.
The most expensive of Wednesday's quintet was Clonbonny Stud's half-brother to Tap N Go Leo, the only Kapgarde foal in the catalogue and Hillman secured him for €50,000.
Trained by Jonjo and AJ O'Neill, the five-year-old son of Malinas won a bumper and maiden hurdle last season and is the first winner out of Avealittlepatience. Clonbonny offered the colt on behalf of breeder Cathal Ennis's Quill Farm.
By Dubai Destination, she also has a three-year-old Blue Bresil gelding who made €75,000 to Highflyer Bloodstock from Killeen Glebe as a store this year having been bought as a foal for €46,000.
Avealittlepatience is a half-sister to Spirit Of Adjisa, who won the Grade 1 Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown, and the Listed Lenebane Stakes third Princess Nala.
Second dam Adjisa is a Doyoun half-sister to the Irish 2,000 Guineas runner-up Adjareli and Adjalisa, dam of Cheltenham Grade 2 winner Royal Irish Hussar and Group 2 Dubai City of Gold Stakes winner Front House. Adjalisa is also the dam of Marble Hill Stakes winner and Phoenix Stakes second Access All Areas.
Hillman's spend included a €40,000 Feel Like Dancing colt who was a poignant reminder of the late Ronnie O'Neill's belief in his stallions, particularly his beloved Stowaway and in this family.
Offered by the O'Neills' Whytemount Stud, he is the second foal out of Western Haven, who is a homebred Affinisea half-sister to Outlander, a son of Stowaway whose top-level triumphs included the Lexus Chase. The ten-time winner is one of five black-type performers produced by Supreme Leader mare Western Whisper, all bred by Ronnie and sired by Stowaway.
Her eight winners also include the Grade 2 Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle winner and Grade 1 Sefton Novices' Hurdle second Western Leader, Listed handicap winners Ice Cold Soul and Mart Lane, and Now McGinty who was runner-up in the Reynoldstown Novices' Chase and the Future Stars Chase for Stuart Edmunds.
Statistical Round-Up
A smaller catalogue than in recent years and a change in format ensured that comparisons between individual days were difficult, as the 2024 November National Hunt Sale was designed to build to a crescendo as the most sought-after foals would come in the second half of the sale.
That objective was realised, with the two highest prices both coming during the final session, which saw a pair of six-figure foals and at €110,000 they exceeded the benchmark prices for foals set at the preceding two iterations of the November National Hunt Sale.
The highest price in recent years was also for a foal bred and offered by Coolmara Stables, with Kevin Ross and Ben Case going to €120,000 for the first-crop Crystal Ocean colt out of Daydream Beach in 2021.
It was also the first time since 2020 that two foals were sold for six-figure sums at the sale.
This year's catalogue contracted by 17 per cent and the number of foals offered, 729, was down by 15 per cent. Correspondingly, the amount of foals sold over the four sessions dropped by 21 per cent year-on-year, with 449 sold compared to 570 last year.
The 2024 foal clearance rate of 62 per cent was just shy of last year's figure of 66 per cent.
Total foal sales were €7,467,600, which represents a decline of 27 per cent from 2023.
While the average and median both posted declines, the losses were much more contained, with the four-day average of €16,631 representing a dip of seven per cent year-on-year, while the median was down by just four per cent to €11,500.
Read all the Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale reports
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