PROGENY of the Howley family’s top ranking ISH sire Sligo Candy Boy have dominated the three-year-old returns at Cavan this year, so it came as no surprise to see yet another of his offspring heading the final returns of 2020. At €11,500, Christy Neary’s three-year-old gelding led the two-day renewal by a distance, while coming out on top of Thursday’s trade at a creditable €6,100 was Hazel Bye’s colt foal by Cormint.

Wednesday session

Wednesday’s performance sale rounded off a very satisfactory year for Cavan, and delivered a set of returns which closely mirrored those of 12 months ago. The session produced an increased average €3,987 (€3,812) while the clearance dipped marginally to 62% (64% in 2019). This was possibly due to the backlog of sales which, due to the enforced lock down, have been concertinaed into a few short weeks. While there were plenty of bids both on line and in house, the trade was steadier than in recent weeks and as Athlone trader Jim Derwin commented, “Horses did seem a little easier to buy.”

As a result, the trade customers scooped up most of the major lots, but not the Christy Neary’s sale-topper (Lot 113) who at €11,500 is due to travel to British event horse owner Johnny Hornby. As big fan of the sire Sligo Candy Boy, and indeed a major buyer of his stock during the year, telephone bidder Hornby was delighted to have secured the winning bid. Bred by Murdy Burran and sourced as foal, the Howley family produced gelding is out of Millhollow Melissa by Crosstown Dancer. He is a full brother to several up and coming jumpers including the smart five-year-old Candy Wonder Boy, ridden by Gabriel Tunney, and Riverview Candy Kid.

Jim Derwin, who accounted for just two lots over the course of the day, was equally pleased with both Kelda Morgan’s Flyhigh Jacobean (Lot 75) at €9,500 and Paddy Joyce’s eye-catching three-year-old (Lot 138) by Sligo Candy Boy at €8,600. The former, by Creevagh Ferro out of a Cavalier Royale mare, was home-bred and produced by Morgan, as was his half-sister, the grade A jumper Flyhigh Mable. A broken leg incurred back in July, has kept the Co Meath vendor on the sidelines for a few months, but having been kept in work by her niece, the gelding returned home about six weeks ago.

Paddy Joyce meanwhile, was the vendor of Derwin’s three-year-old purchase, who bred by William Anderson is the second foal out of a hunter mare by Welcome Diamond.

Another busy dealer was Yorkshire’s Graham Sugden, who secured four of the top seven lots. The best of the quartet at €9,000 was Aiden McGovern’s seven-year-old gelding Carrabeg Euphoria, a useful gelding with three SJI points. McGovern, who is better known for selling traditionally bred hunters and cobs, but always likes to have one a better one to produce, sourced this son of Flexible, 18 months ago. Very well related, he is out of Coumroe Clover Queen (Clover Hill) and is a sibling to the Michael Duffy-piloted Killard Horizon (1.60m).

Sugden also signed for the top-priced four-year-old, which at €6,500 went to Victoria Clarke’s Lady Cobra (Lot 98) a filly whose breeding was not recorded in catalogue. As the age group struggled to make a major impact, the next best return at €5,600 fell to a hunter gelding by Ballyloskey Courage who was knocked down to Co Meath-based Trade Horses Ltd.

Lot 263 at Cavan Sales this week was J. Meade's Sea Kingfisher chesnut foal by Flexible which sold for €5,600

\ Cavan EC

Cavan December