National Hunt

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the National Hunt foals, fillies and broodmares that usually sell at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale will now have their own separate session on Nov. 19, and the catalogue is now available. Selling that day are 161 horses after three days of National Hunt horses-in-training, 2-year-old stores, and NH yearlings on Nov. 16-18. There will also be a 23-lot dispersal of Haras de la Croix Sonnet among the breeding stock. Online bidding will be available at www.arqanaonline.com.

Eleven-time Group 1-winning hurdler Apple's Jade (Saddler Maker) will be among the 522 lots catalogued for the Goffs December National Hunt Sale, which takes place Dec. 9-10 at Kildare Paddocks. Comprised of foals, yearlings and breeding stock, the catalog is now available online. Retired in March of this year, Apple's Jade, who is in foal to Walk In The Park, will be offered by Gigginstown House Stud as Lot 515 Thursday, Dec. 10. The winner of 15 career races, the 8-year-old became the first mare to achieve 11 top level...

Racing Welfare marks its jumps season return with a 'Virtual West Open Day' Sunday, Nov. 8.  Sponsored by Sporting Life, the Virtual West Open Day will offer video content from the region's racehorse trainers as well as footage of racing's premier horses, jockeys and personalities. Also featuring a jumps schooling session and insights from a vet and farrier on Instagram, the Virtual West Open Day will present a live point-to-point Facebook demo with Derek 'Tommo' Thompson from Chaddesley Corbett. For more information on the Virtual West Open Day, visit www.racingwelfare.co.uk/westopenday/....

The one-day Goffs UK Autumn Sale catalogue is now online. Set to begin at 10 a.m. at Doncaster on Oct. 22, the sale will be split into three portions: the Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale (lots 1-195), the Silver Yearling Sale (lots 196-254) and finally the Autumn Yearling Sale (lots 255-308). Jumpers primarily feature in the Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale, but there are a few Flat performers sprinkled in like the 89-rated two-time winner Confide (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) (lot 49) from Lodge Farm Stud. The Silver and Autumn Yearling Sales offer...

Two 3-year-old gelding stores, by Diamond Boy (Fr) and Soldier of Fortune (Ire), respectively, both brought £80,000 in consecutive lots to top the Goffs UK Summer Sale at Doncaster on Tuesday. Lot 25, named Boy Adely (Fr) and consigned by Lakefield Farm, was snapped up by Twiston-Davies Equine to briefly hold sole topper honours. His dam is a Bering (GB) half-sister to MGSP hurdler Monsieur Lecoq (Fr) (Diamond Boy {Fr}). The next lot in the ring, lot 26, from Ballincurrig House Stud, equaled that price on the bid of Shaun...

Overbury Stud's Kayf Tara (GB) (Sadler's Wells--Colorspin {Fr}, by High Top {Ire}), a leading National Hunt sire in Britain for many years, has been pensioned due to declining fertility, Racing Post reported on Monday. Champion jumps sire nine times in Britain, the Meon Valley Stud-bred and 210,000gns Tattersalls Houghton September Yearling is credited with champions in that sphere like Carruthers (GB), Edwulf (GB), Identity Thief (Ire), Special Tiara (GB), Tea For Two (GB) and Thistlecrack (GB). A winner of four top level races, including two editions of the Irish St....

Racing at Kempton could be assured for the foreseeable future after the Jockey Club announced it has submitted plans for a smaller-scale residential development on part of the racecourse estate. In Jan. 2017, the Jockey Club unveiled a shock proposal to close the Sunbury venue, with the land submitted for consideration following the local authority's 'Call for Sites' to address unmet local housing needs. The decision caused huge dismay in the racing world, with trainer Nicky Henderson fearing it would be "a nail in the National Hunt coffin" if the...

At the close of trade on Tuesday, the Tattersalls Ireland February National Hunt Sale saw a record median of €9,250, an increase of 23% on last year's mark. The gross for the 168 lots sold was €1,928,950, while the average was €11,482. The top price was €60,000 for a yearling colt (lot 259) by No Risk At All (Fr) at €60,000. Consigned by Rahinston Stud, the son of Sardagna (Fr) (Medaaly {GB}) was knocked down to Ryan Mahon and Colm Donlon. The bay is a half-brother to Amore Alato (GB)...

Five-year-old gelding Keskonrisk (Fr) (No Risk At All {Fr}) (lot 236) brought a sale-topping price of £370,000 from Henrietta Knight during the second and final session of the Goffs UK January Sale. Wednesday's session played host to point-to-pointers and form horses, and the Camas Park Stud-consigned half-brother to the Grade 2 winner Grand Sancy (Fr) (Diamond Boy {Fr}) won a debut bumper at Fairyhouse on New Year's Day. A handful of general horses-in-training also went through the ring, with Royal Ascot winner The Grand Visir (GB) (Frankel {GB}) (lot 288)...

National Hunt mares and short yearlings took to the ring at Doncaster on Tuesday for the first of two sessions of the Goffs UK January Sale. The session returned increases across the board, with the average up 22% to £11,551 and the median soaring 42% to £8,500. The clearance rate for the 108 horses sold was 68%. The 82 yearlings sold returned the second-highest average ever for the sale at £12,560. Taking top billing was Mill House Stud's yearling colt by Blue Bresil (Fr) (lot 71), who was picked up...

A total of 16 stallions will be featured at the 2020 Thoroughbred Breeders Association NH Stallion Showcase at the Goffs UK sales complex in Doncaster Jan. 21, the first day of the Goffs UK January Sale. Stallions will be available for viewing between 9a.m. and 3p.m. Stallions represented this year are Dartmouth (GB), Dragon Dancer (GB), Falco, Flag Of Honour (Ire), Forever Now (GB), Frammassone (Ire), Frontiersman (GB), Gentlewave (Ire), Harbour Law (GB), Jack Hobbs (GB), Linda's Lad (GB), Masterstroke, Pether's Moon (Ire), Scalo (GB), Sun Central (Ire), and Telescope...