STOCK by Walk In The Park have been in great demand at the recent foal sales and the trend continued at Friday evening's Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale when the Coolmore Stud National Hunt sire was responsible for the two top-priced lots.

Heading the trade was the well-bred four-year-old filly Heron In The Park, who sold for 280,000gns, bought by Tom Morgan from Donnchadh Doyle's Monbeg Stables. Underbidders were Harry Derham and Ed Bailey.

"She has been bought as a racing and breeding prospect," said Morgan, bidding on behalf of owner Damian Tiernan. "She is for The Jekyll partnership who owned Mrs Hyde, and we are going to do down the same route as her – run in a bumper and hopefully get a bit of blacktype, and go from there!

"We have not made any firm plans yet, we just wanted to come and buy a nice mare as a breeding prospect. Damian had Mrs Hyde with Fergal [O'Brien] and had a lot of success so we wanted to repeat that.

"We loved the way this filly travelled and jumped in her race and she has lots of residual value.

"One of those involved owns one of the best French jumping colts, Nietsche Has. He has gone to stud and she is likely to be be mated to him further down the line."

Heron In The Park is a half-sister to the Grade 2 Betfred Hurdle winner and Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle runner-up Glory And Fortune.

She made the perfect start to her career at Borris House at the beginning of December when winning her point-to-point by nine lengths.

Denis Hogan sells well

Trainer Denis Hogan sold the Walk In The Park gelding Frankie John for 275,000gns, Tom Malone outbidding Mouse O'Ryan.

Hogan, who paid €115,000 Derby Sale for the son of Walk In The Park at the 2023 Derby Sale, said: "He is a gorgeous horse, he was bought to come back here. Not every horse gets here, so to be here and get that sort of money is brilliant. He is owned by myself and John Mahon.

"We probably went a bit strong to buy him, you have to in order to get them – it has paid off today, it doesn't always. He has a pedigree, he is model, athletic, he has got pace, he stays and he jumps, he is big and bold.

"When he ran I was worried he might be green, which he was, but I liked the way he went to the line. Hopefully he goes on and does big things and the buyers come back again."

Hogan sold Mahons Way a couple of years ago for a "lot of money and the proceeds went towards this guy"!

Tom Malone said: "Denis Hogan was telling me about this horse for the last six months and has been banging the drums about him. The horse was impressive at the line at Boulta, but he passed one of Donnchadh Doyle's and to outstay one of the Donnchadh when it is hitting the line, you have a good race, there is not doubt about it. He didn't pull up until the far fence, and I love that and around that course especially.

"I like the horse, he is by Walk In The Park which speaks for itself and he is a lovely horse."

Mouse O'Ryan and trainer Gordon Elliott securing the four-year-old Borris House winner Cosmos D'Ainay for 165,000gns from handler Sam Curling.

The gelding is from the family of the French Grade 1 winner Fleur D'Ainay and the Grade 2 winner and the Grade 1 Stayers’ Hurdle third-placed Crystal D'Ainay.

Of the 30 lots offered for sale on the evening, 27 were sold (90% clearance rate) for an aggregate of £2.57 million. A year ago a bigger catalogue for this sale saw 41 horses sell for £3.45 million.

Tonight's average price of £95,185 was just 9% back on last year and the median of €80,000 was 6% lower than the 2023 figure.

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