Fireworks and Records Smashed on Wednesday of November National Hunt Sale
Offered by leading consignor Ballincurrig House Stud, the colt is by Flemensfirth and is a first foal out of Keep Face (Poliglote), a half-sister to the eight-time Grade 1 winner Master Minded (Lot 647). Patrick McCann’s Brookland Stables was the purchaser, with bloodstock agent Aiden Murphy the underbidder.
“This was the nicest foal here,” said McCann. “He was picked out for me by some good judges. The options are open – he may be resold or he may stay with us to be trained. Really, I just enjoy looking at them and I can do that for two years now before I need to make plans!”
John Donaghy, well-known in the show ring, helped McCann select this foal.
“He is a lovely, lovely horse," said Donaghy. "He is a racehorse and looks as though he’ll be a real Cheltenham horse."
McCann owns Brookland Stables and has a number of young horses – both Flat and NH – which are trained by Georgios Pakidis. The team's flagship horse this summer has been Togoville, a 100-rated sprinter and the winner of five races in 2015.
McCann also bought the third top-priced lot today, a colt by Yeats (Lot 664) who cost him €55,000.
It was a landmark day for Louis Vambeck’s Weathmeath farm who bred both of McCann’s purchases. Vambeck has strengthened his broodmare band in recent years and today’s trading has more than justified his passion for national hunt breeding.
The second-best price in the session of €66,000 was given by Richard Rohan on behalf of Nigel Collison for a Shantou colt (Lot 731) out of a half-sister to Thisthatandtother, Carlingford Lough and The Tother One. He was consigned by Kenilworth House Stud.
Rohan said: "The colt might come back here for resale, but he might also go into training. He comes from a very good nursery."
Compared with 2014, the average and median for the session increased by 6% to €18,625 and 10% to €16,500. The turnover of €3,836,800 was an improvement of 13%, while the clearance rate was a very healthy 82% for 206 lots sold.