THE week’s top priced foal was a €120,000 colt hailing from the especially well-received first crop of Crystal Ocean.

A top-class middle-distance runner who retired straight to the National Hunt stallion ranks, Crystal Ocean supplied one prized foal after another this week with centre-stage going to this colt who is out of a half-sister to the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle heroine Airlie Beach.

His price made him the most expensive foal to come under the hammer at this sale in eight years and he was bought by Ben Case, who outlasted the Coolmore team.

Incidentally, Case also went to €120,000 for a half-brother to Hurricane Fly back in 2013 and he was once again acting for Lady Jane Grosvenor who will reoffer this colt as a three-year-old along with the six other foals that they purchased this week.

Furthermore, this price represented quite a triumph for vendor Kieran Mariga of Coolmara Stables who paid €42,000 for the dam at this sale in 2017.

Oceans of foals

The popularity of Crystal Ocean’s stock was further emphasised on Tuesday when Aiden Murphy went to €80,000 for two colts by the Sea The Stars horse.

The first of these was offered by Hillview Stud and is out of a Yeats half-sister to the Grade 1-winning novice hurdler Pingshou and the Grand National second Magic Of Light. He will return for resale, as will an €80,000 colt whom Murphy purchased from noted breeder Oliver Loughlin.

Meanwhile, agent John Kilbride, acting for an English client who was buying for resale, forked out €70,000 for Yellowford Farm’s Crystal Ocean colt out of a winning half-sister to the living legend Hurricane Fly.