‘They have a bit of class, and that comes from Montjeu’ - Walk In The Park mania continues as relation to Denman snapped up at €120,000

Foals by Walk In The Park continued to dominate the top end of the Goffs December National Hunt Sale market on Tuesday. The reigning champion jumps sire was responsible for six of the top seven lots on day two, led by the €120,000 colt out of Polly’s Present. 

The Ballyreddin-consigned youngster is a sibling to six winners, including five-time scorer and Galway Hurdle runner-up Hearts Are Trumps and the Listed-winning Go Fast Du Berlais. As if that was not appealing enough, the dam is a Presenting sister to brilliant Denman, meaning the likes of Silverburn, Kayf Grace, Potterman and Gidleigh Park also appear prominently on the page. 

After a busy round of bidding, Rathmore Stud’s Peter Molony struck the decisive increase. 

“He’s a fabulous horse with a wonderful pedigree,” said Molony. “He’s been bought for a client so he’ll come home to Rathmore. He’ll possibly be for resale or he could even go down the academy hurdle route. We’ll see what the plan is, but we were very keen to get him. The pedigree is smashing and he’s by the best sire around. I thought we were going to have to go pretty hard to get him.” 

Peter Molony: 'He’s a fabulous horse with a wonderful pedigree'Credit: Sophie Webber Photography

The colt was bred by Louis Vambeck, who said: “He was the standout; a great foal, lovely mover and he’s only a baby, born in the middle of May. You don’t get a page like that too often. 

“A lot of the horses in the second dam are by Walk In The Park – you have The Enabler, Gidleigh Park, and Regent’s Stroll, all by the sire. I was lucky enough to buy the mare, and she’s back in foal to Walk In The Park again. I hope it goes on.” 

He added: “I really do believe that he gets incredible looking animals. The mare isn’t very big herself but all of her produce are 16.2 or 16.3 [hands high] and they do better with age. It’s so, so nice to see him going to a good home. I’m delighted and for the kids – the Christmas presents are back on again!” 

The busy session concluded with a solid clearance rate of 71 per cent as 176 foals sold from 247 offered. Turnover was up 31 per cent year-on-year at €3,686,000, while the strength at the head of the market resulted in a 20 per cent increase in average price to €20,945. The median also rose two points to €12,250. 

Aherne back in action

Coolmore’s Gerry Aherne was rarely far from the thick of the action when one of Walk In The Park’s offspring entered the ring, and his day two activities included securing a brother to the classy Mossy Fen Park at €92,000. The youngster was sold by Sand Valley Stables. 

“He’s just a very smart horse,” said Aherne. “I saw him yesterday, saw him this morning and again this afternoon. Every time I went down to see him he actually showed himself better and better, and in bad conditions that’s a great sign of a horse. His brother with Henry [de Bromhead] is highly thought of and the cross has worked, so let’s hope this fella works too.” 

Walk In The Park has been crowned champion jumps sire in Britain and Ireland for the last two seasons, and has already built up a significant lead in the current standings. The Grange Stud resident will soon turn 24. 

Asked what makes his progeny so good, Aherne said: “They have a bit of class, and that comes from Montjeu [Walk In The Park’s sire]. Montjeu had that x-factor himself when he was racing, and he’s passed it down. We have it through Camelot on the Flat and now we have it through Los Angeles and Luxembourg. Walk In The Park might be coming towards the end but we have a lot of young lads coming through behind him. 

“It’s very exciting to have a horse like Los Angeles. It was the same when Crystal Ocean retired, horses of that calibre never used to retire to the National Hunt stallions. You’d have to be very excited about the future with him.” 

Sand Valley Stables' Walk In The Park colt sells to Coolmore's Gerry Aherne for €92,000Credit: Sophie Webber Photography

Aherne’s signature has appeared on the docket of five lots for receipts totalling €437,000, making him comfortably the sale’s leading spender. All five recruits are by Walk In The Park. 

He added: “It’s a lot of money to give for a National Hunt foal, but we charge for the stallion because he’s an elite sire, so the people who breed the nice foals deserve to get paid. It’s important that the good ones are making money because the business doesn’t work otherwise. 

“We’re underbidders ourselves too at times, we don’t buy everything, but we like to think if we like a horse, we’ll make a good effort to buy him. If somebody wants to give more, we’ll wish them the best of luck.” 

The €92,000 colt was bred by Sand Valley Stables’ Michael O’Neill, who had his daughters Abbie and Anna on hand to toast a personal-best result. 

“We have three mares, all National Hunt – so far! – and we always sell the produce as foals in Goffs,” he said. “This family goes back to Fourth Degree, the dam of Flagship Uberalles, Viking Flagship and Glenstal Flagship. When you get into a good pedigree like that, and are prepared to wait, they often come back to life.

“The colt today made more than we expected. We knew we had a nice foal but you’re never sure. That was our one foal this year, and it’s the best ever result for the farm.” 

Gerry Aherne: 'Walk In The Park might be coming towards the end but we have a lot of young lads coming through behind him'Credit: Sophie Webber Photography

Earlier in the day Aherne went to €85,000 for the Walk In The Park colt out of Grangee. The dam won four races for Willie Mullins, including a Grade 2 mares’ bumper at Leopardstown and a Fairyhouse maiden hurdle. 

She also finished third in the Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, and was beaten less than five lengths by Mighty Potter in the Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle back at Leopardstown. 

The daughter of Great Pretender is a sibling to four black-type performers, including her Listed-winning brother Box Office. Those credentials prompted Coolmara Stables to bid €120,000 to add Grangee to the broodmare band at this sale in 2022. 

“We’re delighted,” said Coolmara’s Cathal Mariga. “He made a great price. He’s a lovely model, he could walk, he’d size, scope, everything. He was a gorgeous horse. We actually bought the mare here three years ago so it’s kind of come full circle. We’re delighted with the price and there’s good trade for the right foals here.” 

He added: “We’re happy as we’ve sold everything we’ve offered so far. We try to breed good stock and have good pedigrees on the mares because it helps a lot when you bring them to the sales. We’ve seen yesterday and today that there’s good trade for those foals. If you have the goods, you’ll get well rewarded.” 

Aherne also secured the Walk In The Park colt out of Holy Virgin from Ballyreddin in a private transaction worth €80,000. 

Glenvale get involved

Ciaran ‘Flash’ Conroy was another pinhooker to spend big on a son of Walk In The Park, going to €85,000 for the colt out of the Listed-placed Flemensfirth mare Miss Sapphire from Hawthorn Villa Stud. 

“He’s a lovely horse, or I thought so anyway!” said the Glenvale Stud man. “We really liked him. I thought there was a lot of Montjeu about this colt. We love the stallion, he gets horses with a lot of quality and we’ve always been big supporters. 

“I think it’s great what the boss in Coolmore [John Magnier] is doing, trying to keep some as full horses to make a stallion out of one of his sons. He could have a great influence.” 

Conroy also shared his perspective on trade, saying: “Like everything now, it’s very good for the good ones. We’ve seven bought between here and Fairyhouse, so I hope there’s a few nice ones among them.” 

McGrath making moves

Agent Jerry McGrath was responsible for two of the day’s bigger trades, including the €82,000 transaction that secured the Walk In The Park filly out of the classy Love Envoi. 

McGrath knows plenty about the dam as he purchased the daughter of Westerner for just £38,000 following a win in a Wexford point-to-point bumper. 

She highlighted McGrath’s eye for future talent by going on to win seven races under rules for Harry Fry, most notably the Grade 2 Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival. 

She returned to Prestbury Park 12 months later to finish runner-up in the Grade 1 David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle. Her first foal was sold by Rathmore Stud, who paid £135,000 for Love Envoi when she was offered at last year’s Goffs UK Aintree Sale. 

Jerry McGrath signed for Rathmore Stud's Walk In The Park fillyCredit: Sophie Webber Photography

“I actually bought Love Envoi to race for Noel Fehily and David Crosse’s racing syndicate, so there’s a big connection with the mare,” said McGrath. “I have a real soft spot for her. She was bought very cheaply after her point-to-point and then she went through the Aintree Sale as a broodmare prospect.

“She was proper, she’s a Cheltenham Festival-winning mare. I know she was beaten in two Grade 1s but she was chasing home top-class opposition like Honeysuckle. Those mares are hard to come by and I thought this was a cracking first foal. 

“Walk In The Park needs no introduction; she’s very exciting. She’s been bought to race for a client. She could go into training in Britain or Ireland when the time comes, all options are open at this stage. She’s a very smart filly.” 

McGrath also made an €80,000 move for the Jeu St Eloi filly out of Lilly Pedlar from Ballincurrig House Stud. The talent scout had a connection with this Grade 2-placed dam too, dating back to his time in the saddle. 

“I rode the dam, she was trained by Nicky Henderson when I was there, and I’ve followed her ever since,” he said. “She had a lovely Nathaniel filly last year who sold well here [bought by Ed Bailey for €57,000].

“I saw this filly yesterday and was very keen on her; she’s a lovely model. The sire is very popular, and rightly so. Obviously he’s in Ireland now and has a lot of foals on the ground, so I was keen to support him. She’s been bought for an existing client. She might come back as a three-year-old or go racing, she has either option.” 

He added: “I think there might be a bit of value with the fillies here this week, although this one was only just within our budget. It’s a lovely pedigree, with lots of strength in depth. It goes back to Long Run and Liberthine. I was in Nicky’s when Long Run was there too, but I never got to swing a leg over him. Tom Symonds was the only man allowed to ride him!” 

Frisby team land Goliath Du Berlais colt

Leading pinhooker Richard Frisby won out at €75,000 when Galbertstown Stables presented the Goliath Du Berlais colt out of Hold My Girl. The youngster is the first foal out of the daughter of Camelot, who was placed in a point-to-point and is a half-sister to wide-margin Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase winner The Changing Man. 

In turn, Hold My Girl is out of Bitofapuzzle, whose seven rules victories include the Grade 1 Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final at Fairyhouse in 2015. 

A colt by Goliath Du Berlais brought €75,000 from Richard FrisbyCredit: Sophie Webber Photography

“He speaks for himself really,” said Frisby’s son, JJ. “He's a lovely, good-walking foal with a strong pedigree, and we especially liked that he’s out of a Camelot mare. His dam is a half-sister to The Changing Man, who’s a very good horse for the Tizzards. 

“Goliath Du Berlais is a top-class sire in France, and looks like being one of the leading National Hunt stallions in the next few years. It’s been tough trying to buy the good foals as the top of the market here is so strong.”

The Goffs December National Hunt Sale concludes on Wednesday, with the third and final session starting at 10am. Among the lots scheduled to come under the hammer are classy broodmare prospects Allegorie De Vassy, Brandy Love and Lady Vega Allen, all of whom hail from Willie Mullins’ Closutton Stables. 

Deuce Again, dam of Champion Hurdle and Fighting Fifth heroine Golden Ace, is also among the catalogue. The Stephen Kemble Bloodstock-consigned mare is carrying a full-sibling to the dual Grade 1 winner. 

Read more:

‘Everything’s on the table’ - Coolmore add well-bred Walk In The Park to the portfolio at €100,000 

Sam Sangster bags the well-bred Invaluable for €121,000 at Arqana