A COUPLE of Irish vendors with broad smiles at Tattersalls this week were the Gleesons of Aughamore Stud, and John Hayes. Both sold colts for 300,000gns, by New Bay and Australia, and they will go into training with Roger Charlton and Jessica Harrington respectively.

The New Bay colt was bought as a foal. “The most we have ever paid for a foal before was 30,000gns, so we had shaking hands when we signed the docket for 80,000gns,” said Michael Gleeson.

“We had been looking to buy a ‘commercial’ foal last year, but we could not get near anything. We reassessed our plans and decided to go up a grade. When we saw this horse we loved him. He is a lovely type, has an amazing walk and he is from the family of Enable and Flintshire. Since his purchase his half-sister [dual winner Huboor] has done well too.”

The colt, bred by China Horse Club, was bought by Amanda Skiffington acting for Ballylinch Stud and Charlton. The trainer said: “He is for a partnership between Ballylinch Stud and owners at Beckhampton. He is very typical of Dubawi. If anyone wants to join the partnership they are more than welcome.”

“He is for Jon Kelly and goes to Jessica Harrington,” said Philippa Mains after signing for the Australia colt. Kelly owns and Harrington trains Cayenne Pepper, the Group 3-winning daughter of the Coolmore stallion. Sold by Pa Doyle of Galbertstown Stud, the colt was bred by John Hayes who had purchased the colt’s dam Sophie Germain originally as a foal.

“She has turned into a great broodmare and two of her three foals now have blacktype,” said Hayes. The Tipperary-based consultant engineer owns both, the Group 2 winner Creggs Pipes and the two-year-old Silver Spear who was placed in a listed race at the weekend at the Curragh. “We decided just to let [Silver Spear] run and see if we could get the update – it has worked well.”