JASON Higgins, another young horse sales specialist based in Co Wexford, sold all 10 lots he brought to this week’s Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale, including two which changed hands in private transactions.

“The standard of horse at the sale was very high,” he commented. “You have to have the right horse for people to buy and then you want two or three people wanting the same horse. I know there were some vendors who were disappointed, but I was very happy with how my horses sold. The decision to showcase the three-year-olds indoors this time worked really well.”

Among the older horses consigned by Higgins solo or with others was Ottavio (Lot 4), a four-year-old KWPN-registered gelding by Emir R, who was knocked down for €38,000 to the Britain-based operation Barrett Equestrian, the purchasers of last year’s top lot. The grey is out of the Lupicor mare Charlene, a half-sister to the Baltic VDL mare Gallicia (1.45m) and dam previously of the Harley VDL mare Helrike (1.40m).

Also bound for Britain, having been purchased for €36,000 by Anne Wren, is MBF A Million Dollars (Lot 8), a four-year-old ISH gelding by the German riding pony Beckkenbauer out of the Luidam mare Essenar Double Dutch. The bay’s dam is a full-sister to Essenar Crixus (1.60m) and a half-sister to the Imperial Hights gelding Touch Too Much (CCI4*-L).

Another four-year-old ISH gelding, DSH New York (Lot 17), a son of SIEC Livello, was knocked down for €31,000 to the USA’s Lindsey Oman, who was bidding online. The bay was purchased last year from Geraldine and Seamus Drea, who bred him out of the Luidam mare Dshlyi, whose previous produce include the Quintender mare Longfield Quinlui (1.40m) and the BBS McGregor gelding DSH Lucky Junior (1.40m). Oman also gave €25,000 for the KWPN-registered three-year-old Pacific (Lot 77), a son of Panenka de Kalvarie.

Consigned by Higgins and breeder Mary Bolger, the ISH gelding Kilcannon Stylus (Lot 37) was purchased for €45,000 by US event rider Alyssa Phillips, who had Ollie Hutchinson bidding on her behalf. The bay is out of the Harlequin du Carel mare Kilcannon Cavaquin (1.35m), a half-sister to the Kroongraaf gelding JKF/LCC Vogue (CCI3*-L) out of a full-sister to Cavalier Angel (1.40m).

Top priced filly

Higgins received the sale’s top price for a filly, €23,000, when selling the KWPN-registered Pasha (Lot 47) to the Warsaw-based equestrian centre, W Cuglach Spolka Cywilna. The bay by Joint Venture comes from the family of the 1.45m performers Jamacoma and Classic. “That’s the first time I’ve ever sold a horse to Poland,” said Higgins, who purchased Pasha last year. The same company bought two other three-year-olds, while one four-year-old is also bound for Poland.

Maeve Bolger and Brian Flynn sold five of the six lots they consigned solely under their MBF Sporthorses’ banner, receiving what was easily their top price for Dolmen MBF (Lot 90), who was purchased, via a telephone bid of €40,000, by an existing American client of the Co Waterford yard. The bay by HHS Cornet, who was bred in Co Wexford by Jack Murphy, comes from the family established by the late Harold McGahern of Will Wimble and Forever Blue, who both jumped at 1.60m level.

MBF Longford (Lot 30), who comes from the family of CDS Cairnview Romolu (CCI4*-L) and Rhyne Clover (1.50m), made €22,000. The three-year-old ISH gelding is by the Connemara stallion Moonlight Silver Shadow out of a Test Flight mare. As he was purchased by the US-based Starbuck Sporthorses, he will probably be described as a buckskin in future rather than a dun as in the catalogue.