Jukebox Jury and Santiago Foals Top November Opening Day

The opening session of the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale saw six lots sell for €40,000 or more with joint honours for the top price of €50,000 going to colts by Jukebox Jury and Santiago.

Today’s foal session registered an average of €13,326, which was an increase of seven per cent on 2024. Additionally, the median of €10,000 was an increase of 11 per cent on the corresponding figure in 2024. (These figures are a direct comparison to the stronger second day last year).

The sale-topping Jukebox Jury colt was offered by Yellowford and Drumlin (Lot 58), was bought by Rathmore Stud and Clifton Farm and is a half-brother to the Grade 3-placed hurdler Break My Soul, who won a mares’ beginners’ chase at Gowran last weekend.

After purchasing the colt, Peter Molony of Rathmore Stud said: “He is a lovely horse, a super mover and I love the sire. I bought his half-brother by Affinisea here last year, and he has everything going for him and the half-sister [Break My Soul] looked very good at the weekend.”

The Santiago colt is out of J’Espere (Oscar) from The Hollow Farm and was purchased by Ian Ferguson (Lot 129), who has previously enjoyed plenty of success with November National Hunt Sale graduates, as buyer of the two subsequent Grade 1 winners Banbridge and Ballyburn.

Lot 129 Santiago (IRE) / J’Espere (IRE) 2025 B.C.

Of this purchase, Ferguson said: “He is a nice horse, and his sire is going places. This colt will be going racing and won’t be back for resale. I have bought a few today and will try on a few more, I am buying for clients and for myself.”

It is the best result so far in the ring for consignor Padraic Travers of The Hollow Farm, who also sold Lot 78, an Order of St George colt out of J’Espere’s half-sister Cherry Corner, for €35,000. The two half-sisters are also half-siblings to J’Y Vole, winner of the Grade 1 Dr P J Moriarty Novice Chase.

“It is the best price we have ever had,” enthused Travers. “Starting out you need a pedigree, and you are trying to go to fashionable stallions and I had seen the Santiagos, and I thought if I have a chance to use him then I would. This lad had never given any trouble, we prepped him for two months prior to the sale and he just strides out, no problem whatsoever.

“I am delighted with the result for the Order of St George, and the stallion is getting the winners and is commercial.”

Wildcard entry Lot 189A, a daughter of Jeu St Eloi and a second foal out of the Listed bumper-winning mare Purple Mountain, was sold by Ballyreddin Stud to Ryan Mahon for €48,000.

Lot 189A Jeu St Eloi / Purple Mountain (IRE) 2025 Br.F.

She is from the family of the top-class Blackstairmountain, a Grade 1 winner over hurdles and fences, Mt Leinster, a Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed, and the Listed Flat winner Diamond Hill.

Mahon said: “She is a very nice filly out of a very good black-type mare; we have a couple of fillies and a gelding by the stallion in England who are showing good things, so we are glad to get her. She will be going into training with Dan, that will be the plan.”

Earlier this year, Mahon purchased the top lot at June’s Derby Sale, a gelding by Walk In The Park and out of the Stowaway mare Posh Trish, and he updated: “He is going well, and we are very happy with him.”

The three-year-old gelding’s full-brother (Lot 433) is due to be offered tomorrow by Mr. Oliver Loughlin.

The day commenced with yearlings, and that session was topped by a Doctor Dino gelding (Lot 3) from Clonbonny Stud. He was a May-born first foal out of the dual Listed-winning mare Annie Mc (Mahler), and he was purchased for €40,000 by Timmy Hillman’s Castledillon Stud.

The November National Hunt Sale will continue tomorrow from 10am.