Record Foal Trade Concludes Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale

The best was saved for the last day at this week’s three-day Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale with the sale-topping price of €170,000 given for Lot 622, a colt by Authorized. It is the best price paid for a foal at the sale since 2007, and the colt is now also the joint second-most expensive foal ever sold at the sale.

The week’s outstanding foal trade created new record average and median prices for the November National Hunt Sale of €20,043 and €15,000, both significant improvements of 22 per cent and 36 per cent on 2024. The €9,199,550 turnover is an increase of 17 per cent on last year’s aggregate.

The consistent and high-level demand from foal pinhookers, as well as many end users, resulted in 64 foals sold for €40,000 or more, 24 more than in 2024. The four foals sold for over €100,000 – the highest number of six-figure sales at a November National Sale since 2007, two more than in 2024.

The sale’s top lot was purchased by Darragh McCarthy of the Co Kilkenny-based Capital Stud. The farm stands the 21-year-old sire Authorized, and the hope is that this colt can follow in his father’s footsteps and become a stallion too.

And the January-born colt certainly has the pedigree for the job – from the leading French “Berlais” family, he is out of the Kayf Tara mare Izzy du Berlais and is a half-brother to four winners, including Six Figures (Harzand), who is a Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed in France and is a leading young jumps horse in the country.

“It is hard to try and buy a stallion, so we decided that we will have to try and make our own,” explained McCarthy. “We figured out that we will have to go and buy them as younger horses; foals, yearlings and two-year-olds.

“All the right people were on him, we paid more than we were hoping, but he is a serious individual with an unbelievable pedigree – he comes from the famous Berlais family, and we could not leave without him. We didn’t think we would have to give that type of money, or anything near it, and I’m shocked we had to give that.

“The physical is hard to fault, he’s a beautiful walker, and I thought he was the best stallion prospect I saw all week. He is the whole package.”

The colt was bred by Louis Vambeck and sold by Ballyreddin Stud, the partnership also responsible for yesterday’s Walk In The Park colt out of En Vedette (Lot 318), who was sold for €130,000.

It has been a fantastic year for Ballyreddin Stud across all National Hunt sectors at Tattersalls Ireland, John Dwan’s farm having also sold, in partnership with Busherstown, the Derby Sale top lot, a three-year-old gelding out of leading mare Posh Trish for €285,000.

Of this foal, Dwan said: “He is exceptional, he has everything you want to see and is by a really good stallion. It is a brilliant family, and he has a top-class brother in Six Figures.”

Vambeck said: “We initially thought he’d make around €80,000 to €100,000, but he just started showing himself better and better here, and there were two people who wanted him. I have had a fabulous sale this week and it is all down to John Dwan of Ballyreddin.

“We bought the mare as a foal, Sean Gorman of Cleaboy rang me about her and told me to look at her – I fell in love with her there and then. She has been a star producing Six Figures, is in-foal to Authorized and will be going back to him again next spring.”

The last foal offered at the November National Hunt Sale 2025, also by Authorized and out of  Zinga Girl, a Jack Hobbs unraced half-sister to the Grade 1 winner L’Ami Serge and the Grade 2 chase winner Sizing Codelco, fetched €70,000 (Lot 750).

He was bought by Yvonne Kiely, and her husband Brian was in the sale ring and in charge of bidding opening up proceedings with a bid of €50,000.

“I really liked him and thought I might as well start out strong,” said Kiely. “He is a smart sort, I have waited all day for him, he will be for resale here. We are trying to improve the quality of the pedigrees we are buying.”

Earlier in the day a filly by Doctor Dino (Lot 520) from Clonmult Farm, was bought by the sale’s leading buyer Richard Frisby for €62,000.

Of the Doctor Dino filly, a half-sister to October’s Foxbrook Champion Hurdle winner Coutach, one of the Gordon Elliott-trained five winners at Far Hills in America, JJ Frisby said: “We actually bought Coutach as a foal and sold him privately, so we knew the family. She’s a nice filly foal with a good pedigree. We buy two or three fillies a year, so she would have to be a nice one to make that list.”

A son of the sale’s leading sire Walk In the Park (Lot 595) was sold by Peria Stud to Walter Connors of Sluggara Farm for €60,000. Connors, who bought online as he was vetting a sport horse at Kilmore Quay, said: “I saw the colt a number of times during the year and I liked him every time I saw him.

“I bought the Grade 2 winner and Grade 1 runner-up Getabird (Getaway) from Pat Connell of Peria Stud, and if this fellow turns out to be even half as good I will be delighted.

The sale concluded with the mares section that featured Harrisburg, a full-sister to the Grade 2 winner Goshen and also included the Midlands National winner Hurricane Georgie. The eight-year-old mare Harrisburg was the top priced mare in the sale when purchased by Kevin Hassett for €50,000.

Commenting on this week’s sale Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins said:

“Prior to this year’s November National Hunt Sale, we were hopeful of a good solid few days what with a small reduction in numbers catalogued compared with last year, however this week’s trade was significantly better than we ever imagined.

“The joint second highest price ever paid for a foal, combined with record figures for one-day trade on day two, were some of the highlights from an excellent three days’ trade at the November National Hunt Sale.

“The top price of €170,000, achieved by a Ballyreddin Stud consigned foal represents the highest price paid for a foal at the November National Hunt Sale since 2007. It follows on from Ballyreddin’s successful Derby Sale earlier this year, where the consignor sold the top priced Store sold in 2025. The total turnover has surpassed recent years, with both the average and the median showing the strong gains. This is a hugely encouraging outcome and fitting to see the year out after a record-breaking Derby Sale.

“While we had a more compressed catalogue this year, the focus on quality was rewarded with a notably higher clearance rate, demonstrating the depth of demand for the right horses.

“The National Hunt market has undoubtedly become more selective, as we witnessed on occasions this week, however, it was particularly encouraging to see eleven different sires represented among the top 20 lots, giving breeders confidence that buyers are still willing to look beyond the obvious and reward quality across a broad spectrum.

“We are extremely grateful to our vendors who entrusted us with such a strong selection of quality foals. The calibre of pedigree and individual on offer was reflected in the higher-priced lots, and it is thanks to their continued support that we can deliver these outstanding results. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the many purchasers who turned out in force once again from the UK and on the domestic front, and we look forward to following the progress of this year’s foals, many of whom will no doubt reappear at the Derby Sale which continues to be the destination of choice for National Hunt pinhookers.

A big thank you to our partners in Irish Thoroughbred Marketing who work alongside us in promoting the sale and are a constant support for our visitors prior to and whilst at the sale.”