Hyde secures Flemensfirth colt for €60,000

The twin peaks of Flemensfirth and Presenting dominated during Monday's foal session of the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale, as soaring trade saw figures leap across the board with turnover jumping by over a quarter to €2,407,950 and the clearance rate improving 14 points to 78 per cent.

Both the average and median figures grew by ten per cent on last year with the telling median price rising substantially from €10,000 to €11,000.

On this day last year, nine foals made €30,000 or more with five of those selling for €40,000 or more. However on Monday those numbers were blown out of the water as 16 foals registered a purchase price of at least €30,000 and seven of those sold for a minimum of €40,000.

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Four foals by Coolmore’s National Hunt colossus Flemensfirth - the sire of the likes of Imperial Commander and Tidal Bay - sold for a total of €178,000 and an average of €44,500, from a covering fee of €10,000 in 2016.

Flemensfirth's most expensive foal on the day, a €60,000 colt, was also the top lot of the session. Consigned by Lisnagar Paddocks for breeder Lisa Pyne, he is the first foal out of the winning Ballingarry mare Marie Des Anges, a full-sister to Mister Snowball, a Listed hurdle winner at Auteuil.

Timmy Hyde of Camas Park Stud signed for the colt on behalf of Brendan Bashford Bloodstock.

Gone but not forgotten

For much of the afternoon, the pace was made by a colt from the penultimate crop of the late Rathbarry Stud stalwart Presenting and closely related to Mouse Morris's top-class chaser First Lieutenant, also by Presenting.

Sold from Lough Na Sollis Stud, on behalf of First Lieutenant's breeder Mary O'Connor and Dr Brid Corkery, the stunning chestnut colt is the second foal out of Sea Jewel, an unplaced Flemensfirth half-sister to First Lieutenant. The colt sparked a bidding war in the crowded auditorium that quickly became a duel between two great County Kilkenny nurseries - Jimmy Murphy's Redpender Stud and Richard Frisby's Glenwood Stud.

It was Murphy who won out, paying €52,000 for the April-born colt and the First Lieutenant connection was key, as Murphy bought First Lieutenant as a foal for €26,000 here in 2005 and sold him at the 2008 Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale for €255,000 to Gigginstown Stud.

The Presenting colt out of a half-sister to First Lieutenant that realised €52,000Credit: Healy Racing / Tattersalls Ireland

"It's a family I really like," said Murphy. "We have the two-year-old Stowaway colt out of Shop DJ as well.

"We liked this colt a huge amount - he has so much quality about him. He is similar to First Lieutenant and is by a very good sire. The way the market is going, we knew we would have to pay a lot to get him but we were prepared to do that."

The colt had the distinction of being the only foal by his sire during Monday's session but there are seven more opportunities to purchase foals by the Rathbarry Stud giant on Tuesday.

Lough Na Sollis in the limelight

The sale capped an excellent day for Eudora O'Connor of Lough Na Sollis Stud, which she runs on the family farm outside Tallow on the Cork-Waterford border. O'Connor consigned five foals on Monday with a colt from Walk In The Park's first Irish-born crop selling to Birdie Bloodstock for €40,000.

Sold by O'Connor on behalf of breeder Paddy Corkery, he is the first foal out of Mrs MacVeale, a six-time hurdle winner in Corkery's colours whose biggest victory came in the Grade 3 Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle at Naas. Mrs MacVeale is a half-sister to Graded winners Shantou Flyer and Carrigmorna Rock.

Walk In The Park was also responsible for two more standout purchases on a busy day of trading. Country Agri paid €32,000 for a colt out of the winning Westerner mare Western Approaches, consigned by Thisteltown Stud. Western Approaches is a half-sister to the Listed-winning hurdler Whoops A Daisy, while their dam is a half-sister to the three-time Grade 1 hurdle winner Paddy's Return.

The first foal out of Arctic Fire's full-sister Arctic Lady is also a son of the Coolmore National Hunt stallion and he went the way of the renowned producer Niall Bleahen for €30,000. Arctic Lady, like the consistent Grade 1 Hatton's Grace Hurdle winner, is by Soldier Hollow. The son of In The Wings, a four-time Group 1 winner, stands at Gestut Auenquelle for €25,000 and is the sire of Group 1 winners including Pastorious, Serienholde, Our Ivanhowe and Dschingis Secret.

"I loved him as an athlete, he was my pick on athleticism of the foals here today," commented Bleahen. "The sire needs no explanation, he gets good horses and the dam is a full-sister to a good horse."

Sold by Edward Kearney, the bay colt will return to the sales ring as a store.

Making a quick Getaway

Progeny of Getaway sold well throughout the day, and John Donaghy bought the most expensive foal by the dual German Group 1 winner, who stands at Coolmore's Grange Stud.

Donaghy went to €43,000 to secure the colt from Yellowford Farm, who enjoyed such a successful Flat Foal Sale at this venue on Friday.

"I think he is a nice horse that moves very well and has a very nice pedigree," said Donaghy. "He has a lot of the right attributes. (Trainer) Sarah Dawson is here with me and we are thinking about where these horses could go in the future and he could be one to go into training with her."

It was the third highest price at auction for a foal by the son of Monsun, whose oldest crop are five-year-olds this year.

Ferguson's eye for talent

Ian Ferguson continued to restock his yard with youngsters and his name was listed as the purchaser of a number of Monday's choice offerings including a Flemensfirth colt consigned from Ballincurrig House Stud.

The third foal out of Sweet Poli was knocked down to Ferguson for €42,000. The dam is a Poliglote half-sister to Grade 1 juvenile hurdle winner Blue Shark from the family of the Nicky Henderson-trained Grandouet.

Among Ferguson's other purchases on Monday was a Fame And Glory colt. Orkneys Cottage Farm sold the bay on behalf of Simon Young for €38,000. He is the third foal of Definite Article mare Miranda's Way and is a half-sister to the Grade 1-placed chaser Roberto Goldback, from the family of dual Tingle Creek Chase winner Sound Man and Gordon Elliott's exciting novice hurdler Samcro.

"It is unfortunate that there won’t be any more Fame And Glory foals to come," reflected Ferguson. "I have three two-year-olds by him at home and I love them. They are so athletic and have great temperaments."

Gamble on Miss Xian pays off

Richard Frisby missed out on the Presenting foal but he gained recompense in the form of a Flemensfirth colt, the first offspring of Grade 2 Leinster National winner Miss Xian. The daughter of Milan won three times over hurdles and twice over fences for trainer Francis Flood.

Miss Xian was purchased as a broodmare prospect by Morgan Kavanagh at this sale two years ago for €32,000, and has already started to repay her purchase price.

Clarcam, who won the Grade 2 Fortria Chase at Navan on Sunday for Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy, was one of the first horses to advertise the prowess of his sire Califet in Britain and Ireland.

Califet subsequently moved to the Flood family's Boardsmill Stud in 2014, and a foal from his third Irish-bred crop sold well late in the evening.

Sold by Cairn House Stud, the colt was one of the last lots to go under the hammer on Monday night. The third foal out of the unraced Golan mare Go Noble, the March-born foal was knocked down to Kevin Ross for €40,000, a return eight times Califet's 2016 fee of €5,000.

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