The best trade of the week produced the most notable transaction of the sale to date as a €100,000 son of Walk In The Park emerged to take centre stage on day four of the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale.

The first three days of the sale weren’t able to keep pace with the heights of 2021 but it was all change on Tuesday as this session became the first of this year’s auction to better the returns from 2021, and by some distance too. The aggregate of just over €4.2 million was up by 10% while the median jumped from €15,000 to €20,000. In addition the average of €24,884 finished ahead by 27%. The clearance rate for the day dropped by four point to 72%.

Easily the standout offering was the €100,000 son of Walk In The Park who was sold by the noted nursery of Yellowford Farm and he was bought by Aiden Murphy on behalf of Ciaran Conroy to return for resale as a three-year-old. The colt is out of a Presenting half-sister to the Listed bumper winner Vegas Blue and they come from the family of the multiple Grade 1 victor Bellshill.

“He looked like the best foal of the day. He is out of a Presenting mare, which you would like, and he is for Flash Conroy to come back for resale,” reported Murphy. “We have found it hard to buy anything today and we thought he was the one. He’s coming from a very good nursery too.”

For a period the pace was set by an €82,000 daughter of No Risk At All who was snapped up by Paul Murphy. This filly was sold by Peel Hall Stables and he is out of the very smart Shanning who notched up several Grade 2 placings as well as being a half-sister to the top class Allaho.

“She has been bought for a client of Guy Petit who is my brother-in-law. Guy was here yesterday and saw the filly, but had to leave before she sold today. She is a sweet filly, will go to France, will be raced and then retained as a breeding prospect,” said Paul Murphy.

The No Risk At All foal was followed into the ring by a son of Nathaniel for whom Paul Cashman gave €78,000. This colt is a half-brother to the promising Letterston Lady out of a half-sister to the Christmas Hurdle winner Verdana Blue.

“He’s a very good colt and he’s by a great sire too. Obviously Nathaniel got the Derby winner this year but it doesn’t matter what the code is, he is just a good sire,” remarked Cashman. “This colt’s half-sister looks very promising and could well get into blacktype and I think the three-year-old Kayf Tara half-sister could be going to Nicky Henderson, so there is plenty that could happen in the pedigree by the time he comes back as a three-year-old.”

A busy few minutes also saw Sabrina Harty spent €70,000 on a Crystal Ocean colt out of Kicking King’s Grade 3-placed half-sister Whistle Dixie. He was bought to return as a three-year-old, as was a €72,000 son of Walk In The Park and the Leinster National winner Miss Xian from Morgan Kavanagh’s Borris House, who was snapped up by Michael Carty.

Among the foals who were bought to race this week was a Sholokhov half-sister to the top class Champ who cost David Mullins €70,000.

“She has been bought for a client and he will race her. My client is based in Ireland and he will have her back from here,” stated Mullins.

The tone for the day was set by Tom Whitehead when he gave €68,000 for a son of Blue Bresil out of an own-sister to the Irish Grand National third Sizing Coal. This price was matched by Springhill Stud for a Walk In The Park colt offered by Glen Stables.

The sale continues on Wednesday and concludes on Thursday.

COMPARATIVE FIGURES FOR DAY FOUR

YEAR CAT OFF SOLD AGGREGATE AVERAGE MEDIAN

2022 260 235 169 €4,205,400 €24,884 €20,000

2021 280 258 195 €3,816,000 €19,569 €15,000

2020 235 190 140 €2,068,550 €14,775 €10,000