Vert De Grece has been sold to continue his racing career in Hong Kong.

The grey colt by Verglas raced three times for Fethard, Co Tipperary, trainer Joe Murphy. He finished second in a Leopardstown maiden on his debut, won a maiden at that track on his next start and then finished second to Gleneagles in the Group 2 Futurity Stakes at the Curragh. Gleneagles has since won the Group 1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes.

Murphy said yesterday: “There had been a lot of interest in the horse ever since he first ran but we gave him a couple of more runs as we knew he was a very high-class colt. We were very pleased with his sale price and the horse has passed all his veterinary checks.”

The trainer has another promising two-year-old in his care in the shape of Curragh maiden winner Shepherd’s Purse. The son of Pastoral Pursuits was beaten less than two lengths when fourth of seven in the Group 3 Round Tower Stakes.

“There have been plenty of enquiries about Shepherd’s Purse too,” said Murphy, “but he is not sold and he could run in either the Kilavullan Stakes at Leopardstown this month or a Group 2 race in France in November.”