AN €88,000 son of Flemensfirth held sway on the penultimate session of the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale which returned another strong day’s trade, albeit one that couldn’t quite match the heights of last year.
At the close of this evening’s session the aggregate for the day came in at just under €3.5 million which was an 11% decrease on last year. The median went from €18,000 to €16,000 and the average of €18,499 was down by 13%.
However, this was still another good day’s trade without quite matching the demand witnessed at the head of the market on the corresponding day in 2018 – the number of lots making in excess of €50,000 dropped from 14 to eight.
Flemensfirth popular
The session topper was the subject of a protracted battle between John Nallen and Len Walker from which the latter eventually emerged victorious. Ballincurrig House Stud consigned this colt on behalf of Ashroe Stud and he is a son of the listed-winning Morning Supreme who is already the dam of the very promising Dancing On My Own.
“He will hopefully be back for the Derby Sale and he will go back to Michael (Moore, of Ballincurrig House Stud) who keeps all of my horses, and this horse came well recommended by Michael,” reflected Walker. “I hope that he might come back and do the same as Captain Chris who sold for €250,000 at the Derby Sale."
This was another day in which the demand for Flemensfirth’s progeny was sky high and the Alleged horse was also responsible for an €85,000 colt from Yellowford Farm who was knocked down to Adrian Costello.
The latter’s purchase is an own-brother Needhams Gap who made €120,000 after winning his point-to-point last spring.
“He’s a gorgeous, rangy horse and we will look forward to bringing him back as a three-year-old,” stated Costello. “He’s from a lovely family and it doesn’t get much better than this – he’s by Flemensfirth out of a Milan mare out of a Presenting mare.
"When you’ve got three sires like that on the top of the page you’ve got a lot going for you and there weren’t many foals like him this week.”
Yet another Flemensfirth to sell well was a €62,000 own-sister to Paddy Power Chase winner Noble Endeavor. This filly was bought by Jane Mangan on behalf of M.V. Magnier and her dam, Old Moon, has visited Flemensfirth on a remarkable 13 occasions.
Good day
Another sire to enjoy a good day was Walk In The Park and his offerings were headed by a colt from the Hanly family’s Grange Hill Stud who cost Timmy Hillman €72,000.
The relation to Oscar Whisky will return for sale as a three-year-old and so too will a €65,000 Walk In The Park own-brother to Monalee. The latter was bought by Kevin Ross and Ben Case.
“He has been bought on behalf of Lady Jane Grosvenor. She has his two-year-old own-brother and loves him and this colt is a very nice foal too and obviously you have a top-class horse at the top of the page in Monalee,” commented Ross.
A Walk In The Park half-brother to Special Tiara cost Richard Rohan €64,000 and this price was closely matched by a son of Martaline from John Dwan’s Ballyreddin Stud who cost Alan Harte €60,000.
“We’ve been lucky with Martaline before and hopefully we will be again with this horse. The plan will be to come back to the Derby Sale,” commented Joey Logan who was standing with Harte.
Elsewhere, a Milan colt from the family of the Irish Grand National winner Thunder And Roses cost Jimmy Murphy €47,000, and Kieran Mariga forked out €42,000 for a Jack Hobbs half-sister to the top-class L’Ami Serge.
Day 4
YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGG AV Med
2019 281 261 188 3,477,8500 18,499 16,000
2018 277 251 186 3,938,300 21,174 18,000