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The Irish have been raiding France for quality jumping stock in recent years but it was the opposite story at Tattersalls Ireland on Wednesday.
On the final day of the November National Hunt Sale, it was French bloodstock agent Nicolas Bertran de Balanda who outbid Timmy Hyde to take the day's top-priced foal at €110,000.
The colt was foaled in Ireland but is by the top French sire No Risk At All out of the French-bred mare Zarkareva, who raced here for Robcour and was a Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed for trainer Henry de Bromhead.
The Mariga family's Coolmara Stud bought Zarkareva (by Authorized) for €240,000 in late 2023 and sent her to France to be covered by No Risk At All, sire of Epatante and Allaho. His fee is €20,000.
"It is expensive coming here!" joked the French buyer. "He has been bought for Sofiane Benaroussi, who is building a team 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!
"This is a very good first foal, by a top stallion, great pedigree. He is probably going to be a tall horse and we will need to give him a bit of time. Sofiane is buying a lot of very good youngstock and is going to have a nice team in France moving forward. We thought that was the sort of price we would have to pay."
Cathal Mariga said: "We are very pleased, he made more than expectations. We hoped he would be a stand-out and he has done just that. 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 is now in-foal to Blue Bresil. She is in great order and is due in March."
The only other foal to make six figures is also full of French breeding and is also heading back to France. He is a colt by Saint Des Saints, sire of Fastorslow, and is a half-brother to a French Grade 1-placed mare who has bred one of this season's top French three-year-old hurdlers Olympic Story (by Masked Marvel).
Agent Jerry McGrath submitted the winning bid, seeing off the persistent challenges from Paul Harley and Joey Logan.
"He has been bought to race in France," said McGrath. "He is for a client who will probably bring in a few friends now as he cost a bit more than we expected. He is a lovely colt, and Saint Des Saints does not need any explaining and he is a bit obvious really.
"I am spending a lot of time now in France and have seen Olympic Story. She is the best three-year-old filly in France and she has not finished yet as she is a big, scopey filly. It is a happening family. Hopefully, he is lucky."
McGrath added: "I think it would be awful shame if he was sold again as a three-year-old gelding in a store sale. He won't be gelded – the dream will be to keep him as an entire, and if he gets to the required level of form be able to retire him to stud in France."
The colt was sold by James Sheehan's Clonmult Farm for breeder Maurice Garde, and the team was all smiles back at the barn.
Sheehan said: "Maurice bought the mare last November, she produced this lovely foal, he has really developed. I saw him in the middle of August and loved him then and he has really developed since he came to me. He has a real pedigree, probably one of the best French pedigrees in the book."
Mares' section
Wednesday's session ended with approximately 40 fillies and broodmares offered for sale. The top price here was €125,000 for Instit, the former Willie Mullins-trained mare who won at listed level and was placed seven times in blacktype chases.
The buyer was Will Kinsey, who signed as Peel Bloodstock, and said she is for a partnership with his brother-in-law Richard Burton, the former champion British amateur rider, "but we have also got a few new partners into the industry, all fellow former amateur riders."
Kinsey had earlier paid €72,000 for a Walk In The Park filly foal, a half-sister to Hearts Are Trumps, which he and Burton plan to race.
Seven of the top 10 filly foals sold this week were by Walk In The Park. The Coolmore NH stallion was also responsible for one of the top 10 colts.
Ballincurrig House Stud was the top vendor at the sale and Timmy Hillman was the top buyer, buying seven lots.
The final turnover for the four-day sale was €7,894,900 with 481 lots sold for an average price of €16,414 at a clearance rate of 60%.
Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins commented: "After four days of trading there were positives to extract from this week’s sale, with two foals selling for €110,000 today, while the blacktype mare Instit topped the sale at €125,000.
“Whilst there has been sustained demand for what the market sees as commercially attractive foals, the selective nature of the National Hunt market is clear to see and has been evident throughout the year at other National Hunt sales.
“We recognise that a percentage of foals failed to meet what the market requires, and we empathise with consignors that found this week a challenge and despite a smaller catalogue we still witnessed a slight drop in the clearance rate on last year’s sale. That said there were vendors who attained excellent prices and went away satisfied with their results. It was also encouraging to see buyers drawn to a broader range of stallions, with the progeny of six different stallions among the top 10 purchases.
“It was pleasing to have an increased presence from UK buyers over the four days, while both of our top priced foals have been purchased to race in France."
“We would like to thank our vendors for their support and to wish all our purchasers well with their new acquisitions, and we look forward to seeing those foals bought this week returning to the Tattersalls Ireland sales ring in the future or excelling on the racetrack”.
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