Historic Day As National Hunt Foal Trade Breaks €5 Million Mark

A superb day’s trade for the second session of the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale produced a turnover of €5,349,000, which is a record aggregate for a single session at any National Hunt foal sale.

The session also achieved a record average of €30,392 and a record median of €25,000, both new highs for a single session at any National Hunt foal sale.

Three foals sold today for six-figure sums, matching the corresponding second session in 2025, while 50 sold for €40,000 and above, eight more than last year. Of the 226 horses offered, 176 were sold at a healthy clearance rate of 77 per cent.

The Doctor Dino half-brother to the exciting novice chaser Anzadam topped the session, bought by Kevin Ross Bloodstock and Killeen Glebe for €115,000 (Lot 384).

The foal’s pedigree has been in the racing headlines over the past week courtesy of Anzadam’s impressive win in the beginners’ chase at Naas on Sunday. The six-year-old gelding is now an early leading fancy for the 2027 Grade 1 Arkle Chase.

”This foal has been bought for Killeen Glebe, Chris Jones, to go back to his farm,” reported Anna Ross after the purchase. “Chris is currently on a plane to Bahrain to watch Ascending run on Friday.”

She added: “The pedigree is very current; it’s a fair price as he is a lovely colt. We all saw him on Sunday and we all liked him. Doctor Dino speaks for himself and this colt just looks like he is going to be a racehorse. He will be for resale.”

Leading consignor John Dwan of Ballyreddin said: “It is a lovely pedigree, and this colt is by a top-class stallion. He is a beautiful model. Obviously, Anzadam could be anything over fences, please God he’ll progress into a top-class chaser.

”Breeder Louis Vambeck does a fantastic job. He’s got great pedigrees, and we work closely together from an early stage to get these foals to this sale. I’d like to thank my staff at home who all put in endless hours of hard work to get these foals here in such great condition. It is a big team effort – the staff at the sales do a fabulous job as well, the draft is always turned out impeccably.” 

Frisby Adds Son of Walk In The Park To New Recruits

Ross had to settle for the underbidder’s spot for Lot 421, the Walk In The Park colt out of Chocca Mocha, bought by Dick Frisby for €105,000.

The colt, whose third dam is the Grade 2 Elite Hurdle winner Chomba Womba, was sold by Lough na Sollis Stud, and breeder John Donovan was full of emotion.

“It’s a bit of a surprise but I am absolutely delighted,” he said. “It’s all down to my wife Eudora – she has done a great job and the colt did so well. We bought the dam a few years ago and she has been lucky. She had a lovely Authorized last year that Joey Logan bought for €55,000.

“We only have the one here, but he was worth coming up with. It is the best price that we have got for a foal.”

Purchaser JJ Frisby said: “He is a lovely sort, by Walk In The Park and from a good pedigree. We did not expect to have to pay that much. Midnight Legend is a great broodmare sire.”

Son of Grade 1 Winning Mare Purchased by Bulgin

Ballyreddin sold the Kenny Alexander-bred Jukebox Jury colt out of Grade 1 winner Gitane Du Berlais (Lot 216) for the same price of €105,000.

“He is for UK owner Jenny Martin as a racing prospect,” said buyer Toby Bulgin. “He has been bought to keep another foal company and will go into training eventually with Dan Horsford, who trains all of Jenny’s and her husband’s horses.

“Jenny produces a short list of the mares’ pedigrees she likes and I take a look at the physicals. Hopefully, we have picked a good one!” he laughed, adding: “He is just a gorgeous type.”

Shields secures Derby Sale prospect

Pinhooker Kieran Shields outbid Charles Shanahan and Flash Conroy for Lot 299, the Mount Rousse Stud-sold colt by Jukebox Jury.

“He has been bought to come back as a three-year-old,” said Shields, who had to go to €88,000 to secure the colt. “The price was right up there; we were going on fumes! He is a nice sort, there are not many by the sire left, and we’ve produced one by the sire before. Let’s hope we can get him back to the Derby Sale now.”

The colt is out of One Cornetto, an unraced daughter of Champs Elysees and a half-sister to Westerner Point, the winner of 12 races and who finished third in the Munster National (G1).

Consignor and breeder Tony Gallagher of Mount Rousse Stud said: “That’s great, a relief. We are thrilled. Our set-up is a family one – my wife Mary, my daughter Emma Jayne and my son-in-law Ed. 

“We bred the dam and I bought her back. We got €45,000 for her Jukebox Jury colt foal last year [sold to Redpender Stud]; we are thrilled with this result.

“We have a three-year-old Crystal Ocean half-sister to the dam who we are going to race. It’s a pedigree that I bought in America many years ago, I bought the great-grandam in foal to Lear Fan, carrying the colt’s grandam. It’s a really, really good family.”

The third day of the November National Hunt Sale will commence at 10am tomorrow.