Walk In The Park all the rage as €82,000 colt heads Goffs December Sale opener

Siring sale-toppers is a Walk In The Park for Coolmore Stud’s Derby-placed son of Montjeu, who produced yet another top lot during the opening session of the Goffs December National Hunt Sale on Wednesday.

Min’s third successive Grade 1 John Durkan Chase victory was shrouded in fog at Punchestown on Sunday but the popularity of his sire’s foals was crystal clear with 13 of the 14 offered selling for an average of €31,385.

Four of the ten most expensive foals sold on Wednesday were sons of Walk In The Park, including the dearest lot of the day who made €82,000 to Pine Tree Stud.

Yellowford Farm has enjoyed considerable success with the family of legendary hurdler Hurricane Fly and this April-born youngster was the latest relation to the 22-time Grade 1 winner to cause a stir in the sales ring.

Yellowford Farm's Walk In The Park colt topped proceedings at Goffs on WednesdayCredit: Goffs/ITM

He is the second foal out of Blixt, a winning Yeats half-sister to the dual Champion Hurdler and to the dam of Tornado Flyer, who was second to stable companion Min in the Punchestown haze on Sunday.

The colt was the second purchase by Pine Tree Stud during the session, with the operation having gone to €38,000 for Walshtown Stables’ Walk In The Park colt out of Ballyknock Hill a short while earlier.

The dam won three point-to-points and is a half-sister to Golan Fortune, a Listed winner who was last seen scoring in a Ludlow beginners’ chase for Phil Middleton. Both foals will be offered for resale as stores.

Soldier Of Fortune colt makes an impact

Impact Factor’s recent success in a competitive Fairyhouse handicap for Jessica Harrington gave his younger half-brother a sizeable update, although in truth the Soldier Of Fortune colt already had plenty to recommend him before his sibling's nine-length victory.

Adrian Costello came up against plenty of competition, with Henry Beeby taking bids from all around the socially distanced sales ring, but the Park Farm man eventually landed the colt at €72,000.

Offered by Ashwood Stud on behalf of breeder William Murphy, the April-born foal is out of Hello Kitty, who was a talented racemare for the breeder. Trained by Leonard Whitmore, Hello Kitty was successful over hurdles and fences and reached the frame in three Grade 3 chases.

Her stud career has begun successfully as her first two foals are both winners, headed by the aforementioned Impact Factor, who had already won the Greenogue Novice Handicap Chase and been placed in the Johnstown Novice Hurdle before his successful seasonal debut last month.

"I loved him, he's a beautiful foal and I’m very pleased we could buy him," said Costello. "He's by a very good horse and out of a really good mare who has already produced good horses and has some nice stock to run for her.

"We haven’t decided yet what we will do with him, we will bring him home and give him time but we could keep him or even bring him back for the store sales."

The colt's three-year-old Walk In The Park half-sister was purchased by Cobajay Stables at this year’s Land Rover Sale for €7,000.

Order Of St George marches on

The first crop of foals by Order Of St George, who was twice successful in the Irish St Leger as well as winning the Ascot Gold Cup and finishing third to Found and Highland Reel in the history-making renewal of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, were eagerly expected and they lived up to expectations with seven of the ten offered selling for an average of €32,286, which is more almost five times his covering fee of €6,500.

A resident at Coolmore’s Castlehyde Stud, the most expensive foal by the son of Galileo was consigned by Peter Molony’s Rathmore Stud on behalf of breeder Mags Melody.

Foals by Order Of St George proved in demand at GoffsCredit: Patrick McCann

The colt was bought by Kevin Ross and Ben Case, who have formed a successful buying partnership over the years, with the €65,000 purchase likely to be offered for sale as a store.

The good-looking bay comes from the family of Gold Cup hero See More Business, who was also twice victorious in the Grade 1 King George at Kempton.

His dam Land Of Pride is a daughter of the brilliant Presenting and a full-sister to the Grade 3-placed hurdler Fort Smith. She is also a half-sister to Splash Of Ginge, who was a Grade 3 winner over hurdles and fences. Land Of Pride's first foal, Seelotmorebusiness, is unbeaten in two starts for Paul Nicholls, who trained his relation and near namesake.

No Risk At All for Frisby

Haras de Montaigu’s young sire No Risk At All is the hottest property in the National Hunt stallion ranks and unsurprisingly, his sole representative on Wednesday was extremely popular.

Pinhookers competed to snare Galbertstown Stable’s chestnut colt out of the Linda’s Lad mare Linda Queen, a half-sister to Grade 1 Henry VII Novice Chase winner Hinterland from a powerful French family.

Eventually Richard Frisby prevailed at €58,000 for the colt whose second dam is a half-sister to the dam of the Grade 1 Finale Juvenile Hurdle winner Phar Bleu. The colt, already named El Cairos, will next be seen in a store sale catalogue in 2023.

The Goffs December National Hunt Sale continues on Thursday at 10am, with top-class hurdler Apple's Jade the standout offering.

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