MARES

A VARIED day’s trade that produced the week’s top price of €140,000 brought the curtain down on a successful week even though the figures for the mares sale couldn’t match those from 2016.

From the moment the catalogue for this sale was released the high-class and versatile Airlie Beach appealed as a likely sale-topper and she duly lived up to expectations when falling to Boardsmill Stud’s John Flood for €140,000.

This was the fourth year in a row that Willie Mullins has supplied the top-priced mare at this auction and this seven-year-old would have made considerable appeal in any mares sale. Last season Airlie Beach won the Grade 1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, while a brief three run stint on the flat in the autumn yielded a listed triumph in the Oyster Stakes at Galway in September.

Airlie Beach is carrying to Mount Nelson and she is already the dam of a foal having been inadvertently covered as a three-year-old by her former stablemate Miguel Angel, with the resulting progeny being named Accidental.

Katie Rudd and Peter Molony both bid over €100,000 for the daughter of Shantou but they were unable to match Flood who was acting on behalf of a client of Boardsmill Stud.

HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER

The second highest price was achieved by the former Paul Nolan inmate I’m All You Need and the €62,000 purchase was snapped up by Marilyn Syme, who sold a Fame And Glory colt for €75,000 on Tuesday. I’m All You Need won twice and was listed-placed during her time on the track and she was sold with a popular Walk In The Park covering. In addition, her dam is a half-sister to Bilboa and Makounji.

Two of the day’s most sought after mares went to Coolmara Stables man Kieran Mariga, who picked up the high-class Petite Parisienne for €130,000 at Goffs last year. On this occasion Mariga’s spending was headed by the placed Side Saddle who fetched €50,000.

The Lar Byrne-owned daughter of King’s Theatre was sold in foal to Walk In The Park and she is a half-sister to the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle winner and Stayers Hurdle second Voler La Vedette.

Mariga also gave €42,000 for the unraced Daydream Beach, a Mahler half-sister to Airlie Beach who was sold in foal to Shantou.