'Hopefully she'll be in demand' - Constitution Hill half-sister set to be sold

In a few short weeks the potential interest in one young filly in Tuesday's Goffs UK January Sale has been transformed beyond all realistic expectation.

Few would have heard of Constitution Hill prior to December 4, when he made such an eyecatching debut for Nicky Henderson at Sandown. Following his demolition of rivals in this month's Tolworth Hurdle, he is now regarded as just about the most exciting novice in National Hunt racing.

It certainly raises the profile of his Jack Hobbs half-sister, who is being offered by Throckmorton Court Stud as lot 64, on behalf of her breeder Sally Noott.

Constitution Hill, who sold for €16,500 before leaping in value after running in a point-to-point, was the first foal out of Queen Of The Stage, who earned black type for the Nick Williams stable.

"Constitution Hill has lived up to all the hype from the first win and I think the way he won the Tolworth was pretty impressive – he looks a machine," said Simon Balding of Throckmorton, a family operation in Worcestershire not too far from Noott.

"Plenty of the best judges will be there and hopefully she'll be in demand. She's a lovely filly, a June foal and she looks a June foal; she's not a big filly but there's all the time to go on and she's got good bone, she's correct and has a really good, confident strut, which is what I really like about her. Hopefully when she gets there she'll sell herself well."

Constitution Hill's Jack Hobbs half-sister is selling at Goffs UKCredit: Goffs UK

Throckmorton does the foaling and weaning on behalf of its client and is offering three of her National Hunt yearlings in a consignment of seven, which includes some homebreds and a broodmare.

"Sally has always kept it very simple, she sells the foals each year and we've been very lucky to take some nice foals over," Balding continued.

"You've got to start with the right material and Nick Williams deserves a lot of credit for sourcing her some lovely, well-bred mares, and they've used proven stallions – we've had Martaline, Kayf Tara, Flemensfirth. One of the more unproven sires was Blue Bresil, and with Constitution Hill he's gone and had a superstar with it.

"He was a cracking foal and Barry Geraghty picked him out, and her Flemensfirth was gorgeous, Matt Coleman bought him with Jonjo O'Neill, so we're looking forward to seeing what he achieves."

Noott is selling another Jack Hobbs colt out of Oeuvre Vive, a sister to Grade 1 winner Un Atout who has made a decent start with her progeny, and a Diamond Boy colt who is the first foal out of Cap Soleil, a three-time Listed winner who was runner-up to Laurina at the Cheltenham Festival.

"He really is a big strong colt, he was a big foal from the beginning and there's plenty to be excited about with him," added Balding.

"He was a first foal too and Cap Soleil was a good racemare. Diamond Boy has really shone this winter and I'm sure he'll be a busy boy as well.

"There are a couple of Jack Hobbs fillies from our own mares, it's the [Champion Hurdle winner] Punjabi family and we're trying to keep it strong, and there's another Jack Hobbs colt from the family of Chris Pea Green and [Betfair Hurdle winner] Violet Dancer.

Multiple winner Cap Soleil has her first foal sellingCredit: John Grossick

"We've got more than we usually would, but it's nice to be mob-handed along with some quality. You want to be there with some quality stock and we've certainly got the talking horse at the moment."

For many years Throckmorton Court has also been a stallion station, home to the likes of Piccolo, Komaite and Bold Edge. It still has a couple of veterans on the books in the shape of 24-year-old smart miler Olden Times and Bold Edge's Group-winning sprinter son Assertive, but other priorities have taken over.

"Olden Times is an incredible old boy and still covers a few, and we've got Assertive, but over the years we've been pretty busy with the mares and it's also nice to flick open the stallion book and not be just tied to your own stallions," Balding explained.

"We probably foal 40-odd mares at the moment and we've been absolutely chock-a-block with the mares. We've had some busy old stallions in the past but things have just evolved into what we are now."

The opening session of the sale is dedicated to National Hunt foals, followed by broodmares, while the second day of an event which had to be staged online 12 months ago and was topped by the £300,000 sale of Hollymount will focus on horses in training and point-to-pointers.

The physical return to Doncaster also enables 18 National Hunt sires to parade as part of the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association's stallion showcase.

January Sale factfile

Where Goffs UK complex, Doncaster

When Tuesday (from 11am) and Wednesday (from 10am)

Last year's stats From 72 lots offered, 37 sold (breeding stock and horses in training only) for an aggregate of £1,158,100, average of £31,300 and median of £10,500

Notable graduates Stormy Ireland (sold by Sullivan Bloodstock to Peel Bloodstock/Future Bloodstock for £75,000), Edwulf (dissolving a partnership to the Jamestown Consignment for £24,000), Midnight Shadow (Trickledown Stud to I.M. Dudgeon for £8,500)

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