Foal sales - my favourite time of year
It’s hard to believe that we’ve come full circle and it’s time to start assessing this year’s foal crop.
I’m heading off to Goffs next week where I bought a lovely filly by Dream Ahead last year who was subsequently bought at the recent Tattersalls October Sale by David Elsworth.
Obviously I’m interested to see the six Frankel foals in the catalogue – who wouldn’t be? – but there are some other really interesting first-crop sires with foals this year, including the likes of Sepoy, Nathaniel, Helmet and Bated Breath.
It’s always exciting to start to see the type of horse the young stallions are throwing and this is probably the time of the year I love best. I really enjoy buying foals and have been lucky to have some success with those I’ve bought as pinhooks to sell on as yearlings over the last few years.
I’ve bought for various different studs, friends and associates over the years and one of the most satisfying results has to have been with Leaupartie. It wasn’t that she made us lots of money – we bought her for €16,000 and sold her on for €25,000, which wasn’t bad – but it was the first time we got to know and work with Gwen and Lucie of La Motteraye consignment and William, Jenny and I are now great friends with them. The filly was in their first ever consignment and went on to become a Group 3 winner and Group 2 runner-up in France so it was a lovely result for them and us, as well as Sylvain Vidal, who bought her as a yearling.
Leaupartie was a first-crop daughter of Stormy River – I’m always happy to take a chance on freshman stallions as long as the foal is of the type I like – and Gwen and Lucie will be consigning a first-crop son of Tin Horse (Lot 829) for William and me at the Arqana December Sale, as well as another colt by freshman sire Rajsaman (Lot 801) for our friends John and Emma Berry. Our Tin Horse colt is pictured above with his dam Plebeya (Dubawi) at just a few days old. The cheeky little monkey has grown a bit since then.
The Arqana Sale will be the last on my travels. After Goffs, we’ll be moving on to Tattersalls before heading to France. As ever, I’m more than happy to advise or help anyone interested in buying a foal either to race or to pinhook, or any breeders looking for broodmares at the forthcoming sales. Just give me a call on 07775 898450 or email liam@norrisbloodstock.com.
