HIS €210,000 purchase of a superb Bated Breath colt meant that the BBA Ireland’s Eamonn Reilly was poised to take centre stage for the second year in succession as the Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale neared its conclusion on Friday evening.

In 2016 Reilly topped this sale when forking out a record breaking €270,000 for a son of Shamardal and it was immediately apparent that more fireworks were in the offing when this Egmont Stud-consigned colt entered the ring.

Fresh from an impressive breeze at Gowran on Thursday, the colt attracted a host of interested parties before Reilly eventually outlasted Richard Brown.

Afterwards the agent reported that his purchase would be joining Jessica Harrington on behalf of Five Racing Thoroughbreds. The American-based operation, whose purchase will be their first horse in training in Ireland, struck Grade 1 gold at last year’s Breeders’ Cup meeting with New Money Honey. Furthermore this sale represented a huge pinhooking coup for the Egmont team as the colt was picked up for a mere 5,000gns last autumn.

Reilly also picked up another choice Egmont offering when going to €105,000 for an Oasis Dream half-sister to Group 3 winners in France and Italy.

TALLY-HO DRAFT

As ever the Tally-Ho Stud draft was an especially popular one with a host of those in attendance and the pick of the Mullingar operation’s offerings was a son of Society Rock whose first crop of runners have already made a big impact this year.

Michael O’Callaghan made a strong play for the half-brother to the Italian stakes winner Evil Spell but he was forced to give best to Richard Brown when the price hit €160,000. A career in the UK beckons for this colt although it has yet to be decided where he will be going into training.

In addition to his purchase of the €160,000 Society Rock colt, Richard Brown added to his tally when forking out €150,000 for a son of Bated Breath consigned by Willie Browne. Michael O’Callaghan once again had to settle for the role of underbidder on the colt who was picked up for a mere €6,000 in February.

Another coveted member of the Tally-Ho draft was a son of the brilliant French juvenile Dabirism who came to agent Frederico Barberini at €140,000. The grandson of the Royal Ascot-winning juvenile Nijoom Dubai, a €45,000 purchase as a yearling, was bought on behalf of an existing client who will put their purchase into training in France.

The €140,000 mark was also reached by a son of Sepoy offered by John Cullinan and Roger Marley. Stephen Hillen, a long standing supporter of this sale, saw off all challengers for the relation to Iffraaj whose sale represented a fine dividend on the €30,000 he cost last autumn.

MICHAEL BELL’S REWARD

Easily one of the most exciting juvenile fillies seen out this season is Michael Bell’s undefeated listed scorer Main Desire and the Newmarket trainer has another nice prospect to look forward to in a €130,000 Dark Angel filly. The £42,000 yearling was snapped up by Joe Foley on behalf of Main Desire’s owner Steve Parkin. Baroda & Colbinstown Studs consigned the relation to the top class sprinter Dream Ahead.

A memorable breeze-up season for Jim McCartan yielded another high in the shape of a €100,000 daughter of Tagula whom Peter Molony picked up for the Qatar Racing team. From the family of Cadeaux Genereux, this filly cost a mere €3,500 last autumn but a spectacular pinhooking coup was in store after she clocked one of standout times of the day in her breeze the previous afternoon.

Through the first half of the day Anthony Stroud struck for two of the most sought-after fillies in the sale and the most expensive of these was a €110,000 daughter of Kyllachy from Brendan Holland’s Grove Stud. She was bought to join Simon Crisford.

Earlier Stroud went to €95,000 for a daughter of Sea The Stars from Meadowview Stables. She was purchased on behalf of an Indian client and it has yet to be decided where she goes into training in Ireland or heads to Britain.

At last year’s edition of this sale several purchases were made by online buyers from Singapore and this time Macau-based Tang Hing Keung, acting on line, forked out €100,000 for a son of Lonhro from Kilminfoyle House Stud.

Italian agent Marco Bozzi weighed in for a €120,000 son of Elusive Quality whose progeny often do very well at the breeze-up sales. The Grove Stud representative is out of a half-sister to the Hollywood Derby victor Seek Again.

See end of sale report & statistics on theirishfield.ie