A CAMELOT half-brother to the brilliant Altior emerged as the star of this year’s sale when he was knocked down to former Irish international soccer player Kevin Doyle for €155,000. Altior’s unbeaten 19-race sequence, which has taken in 10 Grade 1 events, was always going to make this colt one of the most prized foals ever to come under the hammer at this sale and his price saw him become the most expensive foal to be sold at this auction for 12 years.

Doyle, who bought Augusta Kate for €85,000 at this sale last year and keeps five mares at his father Paddy’s Slaney River Stud, reported that his purchase would come back for sale as a three-year-old. The sale-topper was offered by Coole House Farm on behalf of his breeder, Paddy Behan junior.

Getaway proves fashionable

THE progeny of Getaway were in some demand all week and the most expensive representative of the Monsun horse was a colt from Yellowford Farm who cost Timmy Hyde €95,000. This colt is out of a half-sister to Rhinestone Cowboy and Wichita Lineman and he will return for resale as a three-year-old.

A Getaway colt from the family of the high-class Empire Of Dirt, a former Derby Sale top lot, cost Aiden Murphy €75,000. He was sold by Joe Roger’s Ballintry Stud on behalf of Brendan Fitzpatrick. Another son of the sire cost Kevin Ross and Ben Case €65,000, while a Getaway colt out of a half-sister to the Champion Hurdle winner Binocular fetched €62,000.

Sought after collection

Yet again the November National Hunt Sale underlined the popularity of the veteran sire Flemensfirth who returned a remarkable €44,625 average for his 20 foals that were sold. This sought-after collection included Ballincurrig House Stud’s half-brother to the promising Dancing On My Own who cost English buyer Len Walker €88,000. Walker reported that the son of the listed-winning Morning Supreme would return for the Derby Sale.

Also on Thursday, Adrian Costello forked out €85,000 for a son of the sire from the popular Yellowford Farm draft. This colt is an own-brother to Needhams Gap who fetched €120,000 after winning his point-to-point last spring and they are out of a half-sister to the Cheltenham Festival runner-up African Gold. He will return for sale as a three-year-old, and so too will another son of the sire whom Costello purchased for €62,000. This John O’Dwyer-owned son of the Alleged horse is out of the multiple listed winner Give It Time.