Walk In The Park colt catches the eye of Gerry Aherne at €64,000

A Walk In The Park colt out of French Grade 1 hurdle winner La Segnora lived up to his lofty billing when offered during the second and final session of the Goffs December National Hunt Sale on Thursday.

Introduced as a "smashing individual with a fantastic pedigree" by auctioneer Nick Nugent, the February foal was sent into the ring by Ashwood Stud on behalf of Gary Adams and drew a winning bid of €64,000 from Gerry Aherne.

"He was our pick of the sale," said Aherne, whose mother Monica bred the dual Group 1-winning miler Romanised at the family's Prospect Stables in County Tipperary.

"I'm a huge fan of the stallion and he's out of a very good racemare, and the plan is to bring him back as a three-year-old."

View December Sale returns and sire statistics

La Segnora - who struck in the Grand Prix d'Automne Hurdle at Auteuil - also has a three-year-old So You Think gelding named The Count, her first offspring who is in the ownership of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.

She also has a two-year-old and yearling colt by Walk In The Park and she was covered by him again this year.

Of the 262 lots offered on Thursday, 188 changed hands for a solid 72 per cent clearance rate and total receipts of €2,862,600 - up 13 per cent year on year.

The average slipped by five per cent to €15,200, while the median jumped by 15 per cent to €11,500.

Trade passed the €5 million mark for the first time at the December Sale, with 366 of the 524 offered finding new homes for aggregate sales of €5,287,200, at an average spend of €14,500 and median price of €10,500.

The most expensive mare was the Listed-placed hurdler Alighting, a seven-year-old Kayf Tara mare who was knocked down to Babbinswood Ltd for €58,000.

The Walk In The Park colt out of La Segnora signed for by Gerry Aherne for €64,000Credit: Goffs

Singing the Blues

Derbyshire-based breeder Joe White was handsomely rewarded for his support of Blue Bresil when selling a colt by the sire to Kevin Ross Bloodstock and Killeen Glebe for €56,000 on Thursday - the same sum White received for another Blue Bresil colt at Tattersalls Ireland in November.

"I've always had a lot of faith in Blue Bresil and supported him when he first moved to Yorton Farm," said the County Limerick native. "He gets proper horses and will be a great addition to Glenview Stud next year.

"My wife Georgina and I are trying to build up a broodmare band with a focus on quality rather than quantity, and ideally we'd like around six broodmares. We're just trying to make a living and put everything back into the business."

Kevin Ross described his purchase, who will reappear at the 2022 store sales, as his "pick of the day".

The March foal was bred out of the Old Vic mare Miss Izzy, a full-sister to the Grade 3 mares' chase scorer Askanna and half-sister to the Leinster National winner Abolitionist.

Blue Bresil, whose first crops were bred in France and include the likes of Mick Jazz and Le Prezien, will relocate from Yorton Farm in Welshpool to Glenview Stud in County Cork for the 2020 breeding season.

'The best foal out of the mare'

Three years have passed since Kieran Mariga stretched to €130,000 for Petite Parisienne, the top lot at the 2016 Goffs December Sale.

The eight-year-old Montmartre mare has since produced three foals and the latest of those, a Flemensfirth colt, drew plenty of interested onlookers into the sales auditorium when offered on Thursday.

The March foal was offered by Ballincurrig House Stud on behalf of Mariga's Coolmara Stables in County Cork, and it was Willie and Mandy Bryan who emerged on top with a bid of €54,000.

"We'll decide whether to race or sell him," said Mandy Brown. "But he's such a looker that whatever he does, he'll always catch the eye. He's an absolute walker and moves very straight, and was a standout for us."

Mariga was quick to wish the pair the best of luck with the colt, who he described as "the best foal out of the mare".

Petite Parisienne won two Grade 1 juvenile hurdles in the colours of Gigginstown House Stud during her racing pomp and also has a two-year-old Shantou filly and a yearling colt by Flemensfirth.

Collins doubles down

It was a case of déjà vu when Peter Nolan Bloodstock's colt by the late Champs Elysees jumped to the top of the leaderboard early in the session, after finding favour with Johnny Collins of Brown Island Stables.

The April foal is closely related to the Soldier Of Fortune colt out of Brog Beanri, who topped proceedings on the opening day when knocked down to Adrian Costello of Park Farm for €72,000.

The pair are both out of unraced daughters of the Hatton's Grace Hurdle third Brogella, whose other progeny include the Lartigue Hurdle winner Swamp Fox and smartly performed chase mare Rene's Girl.

"It's all happening in the pedigree," called auctioneer Andrew Nolan as the Champs Elysees colt was led into the ring, and he welcomed an opening bid of €20,000 right off the bat. That led to an intense round of bidding, with Collins having the final say at €47,000.

"He's a very straightforward foal with a nice pedigree," said Collins, who was standing by the far-side exit.

Collins also gave €45,000 for a Champs Elysees colt out of the Grade 3-placed hurdler Storm Away at Tattersalls Ireland last November.

"I've the yearling colt out of Storm Away at home and was keen to get another one by the same sire," added Collins.

'Fierce competition for foals'

Goffs group chief executive Henry Beeby said: "The December Sale has been part of the Goffs National Hunt success story of recent years and we've been delighted to return such a vibrant trade over the last two days with increases in the foal average and median and a very agreeable clearance rate of 71 per cent.

"A ring turnover of well over €5 million for the first time is also very pleasing and a clear indication of the growing reputation of the sale especially since it should be remembered that 2018 was topped by a record-breaking €230,000 mare.

"Competition has been fierce for foals as buyers from home and the UK battled it out for the superbly bred youngsters entrusted to us by so many leading National Hunt breeders.

"As ever we are indebted to our vendors as we are nothing without their wonderful horses and express our supreme appreciation to every buyer. Hopefully many of the foals will return to Goffs sales rings as three-year-olds in 2022."

Day one report:

'Standout colt' by Soldier Of Fortune steals the show at €72,000