GIVEN the week that Walk In The Park had – his foals averaged a scarecely credible €47,417 – it was entirely fitting that he should supply the top-priced foal of the sale which came in the shape of €100,000 colt from Yellowford Farm.

Aiden Murphy signed for the relation to the top-class Bellshill who was bought for resale on behalf of Ciaran Conroy’s Glenvale Stud. This colt is the second produce of an unraced Presenting half-sister to the listed bumper winner Vegas Blue.

The top price came under threat in the mares’ section when Welsh breeder Rowland Crelling forked out €95,000 for Springfield House Farm’s Say You Say Me, a placed half-sister to Black Tears who was sold in foal to Walk In The Park.

Crellin, who saw off the Coolmara Stables team for this mare, bred the daughter of Flemensfirth and had sold her for €155,000 at the Derby Sale in 2020.

The other major mare transaction saw Grange Stud fork out €85,000 for the dual winner Arizona Flyer who is a half-sister to the King George winner Tornado Flyer. This close relation to Hurricane Fly was sold in foal to Blue Bresil and and is now likely to be covered by Vadamos.

Posh purchase

Among the many coveted Walk In The Park foals was a colt belonging to Oliver Loughlin who cost Joey Logan €85,000. This colt is out of the multiple listed winner Posh Trish who was sold for a mere €1,200 as a foal before then returning to Loughlin for €118,000 at the end of her racing career.

A return to the Derby Sale is the plan for this colt and a similar route beckons for a €72,000 son of Crystal Ocean who was bred by Oliver Loughlin and was also bought by Joey Logan. This colt is an own-brother to an €80,000 foal from last year’s sale.

After coming up just short on the Posh Trish foal, Michael Fitzpatrick’s J.C. Bloodstock enjoyed better luck when giving €82,000 for a Blue Bresil colt offered by the Fenton family’s Hillview Stud. The relation to the blacktype performers Timetochill and Geordie Des Champs will be returning for resale.

Classic sire

The handful of Nathaniel foals on offer found great favour in the sales ring and two of these were offered by the English-based Peel Hall Stables. These were headed by a €78,000 colt whom Paul Cashman bought to resell. This half-brother to the promising Letterston Lady is out of a half-sister to the Christmas Hurdle winner Verdana Blue.

The previous afternoon Peel Hall offered a son of Nathaniel out of the Cheltenham Festival heroine Limini and she was snapped up by Tom Whitehead for €75,000. Another who is destined to return to the sales ring as a three-year-old, this colt emulated his dam who also fetched €75,000 when coming under the hammer at this sale in 2019.

Tom Whitehead’s other spending took in a €68,000 son of Blue Bresil offered by Railstown Stud. This colt is out of an own-sister to the Irish Grand National third Sizing Coal.

Park appeal

The other high-profile Walk In The Park foals included a Morgan Kavanagh-bred son of the Leinster National heroine Miss Xian who was snapped up by Michael Carty for €72,000.

Springhill Stud spent €68,000 on a son of the Montjeu horse whose family goes all the way back to the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Fort Leney, whereas William and David Noonan gave €67,000 for a Walk In The Park half-brother to the Champion Hurdle third Zanahiyr.