Article credit: Carl Evans: https://www.bloodstocknews.eu/home/

Against a backdrop of challenging conditions, the Futter family’s Yorton Sale rose from the cliff face and flew once again when held in North Wales yesterday, writes Carl Evans.

Sensible reserves meant that all 33 lots – each one an unbroken, but loose-schooled two-year-old store – found a buyer, five horses made £50,000-plus, one put glitter on the occasion when making £105,000 and the whole thing was played out before a large and eclectic crowd, many of whom had left home in a monsoon, but were greeted by warm sunshine by the time Goffs’ auctioneer Henry Beeby climbed on to the rostrum to open proceedings.

After a break last year, the Futters had pulled together a slightly smaller catalogue compared to the one unfurled in 2023 when 45 lots were booked and 36 walked the ring. Yesterday, the 37 catalogued became 33 after withdrawals, and turnover was pulled back 20 per cent at £905,000. The average of £27,245 was down 13 per cent, while the median fell 27 per cent to £20,000, but the all-sold clearance rate achieved the goal of turning over stock while keeping the name Yorton in the public eye.

Dave Futter said: “The past 18 months have been the most challenging I have known in all my years in this business. We are all aware of how tight it is. I’d bet that anyone who earns a living solely from horses and has no other source of income has felt the pinch.” However, he added: “We’re delighted with the outcome today. It’s been nine years since we came up with the idea with Goffs, and this is our sixth sale in seven years. Lots of people have come along to support us and it’s nice to get that. When you look at the [financial] climate we’re in, that support is fantastic, and while I haven’t seen the figures yet, a lot of the horses were homebreds, and I know it will have been a good sale for us. I’m pleased with the prices, because it’s good money for unbroken horses that have to go on. As a family we are chuffed to bits. I’ve had a few sleepless nights, as I do before every sale because it’s very stressful, and we don’t take that support for granted, but it’s great to show people around and grow interest in the industry.”

Goffs UK Managing Director Tim Kent was looking forward to 2026 and a return visit to Yorton, “This sale has become an established outlet for National Hunt two-year-olds and it’s wonderful to see it back on the sale calendar. David and the Yorton team have done a wonderful job once again in putting this sale together, the horses have received praise from everyone here today, and a 100 per cent clearance rate speaks volumes to the quality on offer. We wish to pass on our sincere thanks to the Futter family for continuing to partner with Goffs for this unique event and we look forward to the 2026 edition”.

JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED

Leading racehorse owner Dai Walters, who is no stranger to the Yorton Sale, made his presence felt when buying Lot 13, a Doctor Dino half-brother to the two-time Listed winner Imperial Mag (Kapgarde) for £95,000. However, he was thwarted when trying to secure a double from the progeny by the France-based sire. After Peter Molony had challenged Walters to buy Lot 20, a son of Doctor Dino named Doctor Green, Paul Cowley of Vanquish Bloodstock stepped into the fray. Walters offered a round £100,000 for the March-born individual, but Cowley fired back with a further £5,000 and his opponent opted to call it a day.

Cowley has plans to sell his purchase next year, and he could be helped in that regard by the store’s full-brother, Doctor Du Mesnil, who made a winning bumper debut for Willie Mullins at Cork in April. The pair are out of the Saint Des Saints mare Saint Grace, a winner over hurdles in France who comes from a family that puts a heap of black type on to the page.

Cowley, who is based in Oxfordshire, said: “We usually buy [National Hunt] foals to pinhook, but there’s a quicker turnaround with this fella. If his brother goes on and does something special this season, this one could make money in June next year. If he doesn’t, he will be a lovely horse to race. We’ve tried to buy here in the past, but never been successful. We thought we’d have a go this year, to try and buy a nice horse. We have a bit of a boutique yard that’s not about numbers, but quality. We try to present horses that the big buyers want to buy. With the economic climate as it is, my wife and I always feel that the best horses will always stand their money. We had to be brave, but we did it. We have a 100-acre farm, all grass, and I run sheep just to keep the grass tidy. We only have foals, no mares. I trained with a licence for 12 years, but I wasn’t any good at it. Ironically we didn’t have the horses we have now. Dave and his family are great people who do a great job here at Yorton, and there are a lot of winners coming out of this sale.”

Earlier on in the day, Walters had fended off interest from Dan Skelton and agent Ryan Mahon when buying the son of Doctor Dino named Fauchil. Two years ago, Walters bought the top lot at this auction when paying £165,000 for a No Risk At All gelding named Brisky Dancer, who is in training with Sam Thomas and is expected to run later this autumn.

O’TOOLE BAGS NATHANIEL FILLY

Bloodstock agent Mags O’Toole secured the sale’s sole representative of stallion Nathaniel when she bought the auctioneer’s hammer down at a bid of £65,000 for Lot 12.

The filly is out of the No Risk At All mare All Risk For Love, a half-sister to the superb staying hurdler Teahupoo (Masked Marvel), who is a five-time Gr.1 winner for trainer Gordon Elliott and owners Robcour.

O’Toole could not reveal the identity of her client, but said of her purchase: “She’s a lovely filly with plenty of size and scope and very pretty. Nathaniel seems to be doing all the right things in the National Hunt world at the moment and I love the idea of the No Risk At All mare. Teahupoo is a good friend to us all. I’ve bought her for an end-user. I’d like to say that Dave Futter and his family have done a fantastic job here today. It’s a lovely collection of horses that look out of this world. It’s a beautiful setting and the horses are a credit to him.”

FILLIES WITH A PAGE TO LEW

Former jump jockey Marcus Foley, who manages Lew House Stables, a breaking and pre-training yard in Oxfordshire, was joined by allies to secure two prime offerings.

The pick on price and valued at £60,000 was the catalogue’s offspring by Walk In The Park (Lot 22), a filly out of the unraced Brave Mansonnien mare Tikinik, a full-sister to the three-time Gr.1 winner Bravemansgame.

The same Lew House Stables team also put down a bid of £30,000 to buy Lot 10, a Golden Horn filly out of the Astarabad mare Cutielilou, who is the dam of Yorton Sale graduate Redemption Day. He was sold for £40,000 in the Yorton ring in 2019 and went on to win the Gr.1 Champion INH Flat Race at the Punchestown Festival for Willie Mullins. Also on the filly’s page was Cutielilou’s full-brother Cheltenian, who landed Gr.1 glory in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.

Foley said both horses had pages to catch the eye, and added: “We’ll take them home, give them some time off and eventually send them to Ben Pauling to see what he can do.”

WONDERFUL RESULT FOR MOLONY

Few people in this industry need no introduction to Sea The Stars and his son Sea The Moon, but how about his grandson Wonderful Moon?

Now an eight-year-old standing at Haras de la Tuilerie in France, Wonderful Moon won three Gr.3 contests and a Gr.2 race in Germany while trained by Henk Grewe. He is out of the Lomitas mare Wonderful Filly and seems capable of producing goodlooking stock, given that the astute Peter Molony of Rathmore Stud bought one of his sons (Lot 31) yesterday for £58,000.

He is the first produce of the Areion mare Mademoiselle, who won seven races in Germany, and is a half-sister to the two-time Listed-winning hurdler Madame Moonie, also by Sea The Moon. Molony said: “I don’t know much about the sire, but this one is a gorgeous individual. He’s got a bit of growing to do, but he could be a nice one to bring back to the Arkle Sale next year as a three-year-old.”

Alan King, a trainer with a penchant for horses that can run on the Flat or under the National Hunt banner, secured the sale’s only offering by Cracksman when bringing the hammer down at £40,000 for Lot 18. The gelding is out of the New Approach mare Bright Approach, who won once, was placed in the Listed Cheshire Oaks, and is a half-sister to the eight-time Gr.1 winner and high-class performer Nichols Canyon (Authorized). King said: “He looks a very athletic horse and he has a dual-purpose pedigree.”

Fellow trainer Harry Derham gained Lot 14, a Vadamos halfbrother to the two-time Listed winner and Gr.1-placed Thunder Rock (Shirocco), who is from the family of Lady Rebecca (Rolfe), with a bid of £35,000, while the same sum saw Nicky de Balanda and Nathan Vergne pick up Lot 25, a son of Blue Bresil.

Vergne, who has been running a pre-training yard near Angers in France, but who hopes to gain a full licence later this year, said: “We’ve known David for a while and he’s sent us a few horses to pretrain. Two years ago, we had a couple of horses that came from this sale and I was impressed with how forward they were considering they had not been broken in. I thought there must be a reason to do with how much education they are given, and it means we can get on with them quicker.”

Article credit: Carl Evans: https://www.bloodstocknews.eu/home/