Walk In The Park Leads The Way At The Derby Sale

Walk In The Park topped the sires’ table at a record-breaking Derby Sale, where the Grange Stud sire also provided the highest-priced lot across two days of trade at Tattersalls Ireland.

Dan Skelton and Ryan Mahon provided the highest bid of the week, stretching to €285,000 for a Walk In The Park gelding from Ballyreddin & Busherstown. It marked a terrific return for Joey Logan, who had paid €85,000 for the star lot as a foal. The Oliver Loughlin-bred bay is the first produce of Posh Trish, whose next Walk In The Park foal fetched €100,000.

After securing the highest-priced store of the year, Skelton said: “Wow! He is the most expensive store we have bought. He has incredible movement, he has good size, and has everything we want.

“He is a proper athlete, comes from a good hotel, he is out of a great mare and by the right sire. We thought he'd make €250,000, and then it was just a few arm wrestles after. He deserves to be a lot of money because he is a beauty, and we are delighted to have him.”

Looking ahead, the trainer continued: “He comes back to us now and he will be given time. We will take a longer term approach, he is very much a chaser in the making. We are lucky to get him.

“He is for some fantastic American ladies, Myrteel Ward and Margaret Duprey, who have supported us for a while now – the best they have had so far has been Get A Tonic, but this is a definite step up for them – and for all of us!”

Another Walk In The Park gelding led early trade when knocked down to Aiden and Olly Murphy for €210,000. Glenvale Stud consigned the bay, who they bought as a foal for €100,000 from Yellowford Farm.

“This is the nicest Walk In The Park at the sale,” Aiden Murphy said after seeing off the intentions of Harold Kirk. “I loved him. He is for a new partnership in the yard – existing owners who have got together to increase their firepower.”

Gordon Elliott was among those who made a play for the top lot, but enjoyed better luck when securing Lakefield Farm’s Walk In The Park gelding for €175,000.

“He is a good goer,” the trainer commented. “We liked him every time we saw him over the last few days so hopefully he will be lucky now. We tried hard on the top lot. Walk In The Park has been a good sire for us and we like him.”