Walk In The Park Winners Dominate Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale
Walk In The Park’s super season in the sales ring ended on a high, as the Grange Stud sire was responsible for the two highest-priced lots at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale, the final in-person sale of the year.
Top honours went to Donnchadh Doyle’s Heron In The Park (4f Walk In The Park – Night Heron, by St Jovite), who was knocked down to Tom Morgan for £280,000. After outbidding Harry Derham and Ed Bailey, the former jockey signed the docket as Damien Tiernan, and commented: “She has been bought as a racing and breeding prospect.
“She is for The Jekyll partnership who owned Mrs Hyde [dual listed winner by Flemensfirth] , and we are going to do down the same route as her – run in a bumper and hopefully get a bit of black-type, and go from there!”
On his purchase’s appeal, Morgan continued: “We loved the way this filly travelled and jumped in her race and she has lots of residual value.”
Heron In The Park justified strong market support on debut in a four-year-old mares maiden at Borris House, drawing nine and a half lengths clear under Rob James. The daughter of Walk In The Park was bred by Pat Connell and is a half-sister to Glory And Fortune (Fame And Glory), a Grade 3 winner and runner-up in a Grade 1.
The top price was closely matched by Denis Hogan’s impressive newcomer Frankie John (4g Walk In The Park – The Crown Jewel, by Stowaway), for whom Tom Malone stretched to £275,000, relegating Mouse O’Ryan to the role of underbidder.
“Denis Hogan was telling me about this horse for the last six months and has been banging the drums about him,” Malone later revealed. “The horse was impressive at the line at Boulta, and didn't pull up until the far fence, and I love that and around that course especially.”
“I like the horse, he is by Walk In The Park which speaks for itself and he is a lovely horse.”
It was the third occasion on which Frankie John sold for a six-figure sum, having proven popular at both the foal and store sales. Denis Hogan had previously done well with brave investments, having bought Mahon’s Way (Walk In The Park) for €80,000 and resold him for £360,000 following his debut win at Lisronagh.
“He is a gorgeous horse, he was bought to come back here,” the handler said on Friday evening. “Not every horse gets here, so to be here and get that sort of money is brilliant, he is owned by myself and John Mahon so it is great.
“We probably went a bit strong to buy him, you have to in order to get them – it has paid off today, it doesn't always. He has a pedigree, he is model, athletic, he has got pace, he stays and he jumps, he is big and bold.”
Bred by Mrs EM Motherway, Frankie John is a half-brother to the smart six-time winner Shearer (Flemensfirth).