'He ticks a lot of boxes' - Night Wish on cusp of bright future at Annshoon Stud

A familiar cast of stallions grabbed the headlines at last week's Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale, with the likes of Walk In The Park and Blue Bresil representing Irish studs and French stalwarts such as Kapgarde and Saint Des Saints responsible for some big-ticket horses.

Away from the upper echelons of six-figure sales one name stood out as a stallion who could find his progeny commanding similar price tags in the years to come. That horse is Annshoon Stud's Night Wish, who is completing his first season at stud in Ireland following his transfer from Haras de Montaigu, where he stood for the first five years of his stallion career.

The Group 3 winner by Sholokhov had a sole representative from his comparatively small second crop in the Derby Sale. Timmy Hillman's Castledillon Stud consigned Yeo Barton's gelding out of Ardissone, a Martaline half-sister to Al Ferof, whose Grade 1 successes came in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and Henry VIII Novices' Chase. The third foal out of his Listed-placed dam, he was purchased by trainer Ben Pauling for €70,000.