THE most prolific purchaser at this week’s Goresbridge Go For Gold select event horse sale was British entrepreneur David Mitson who signed for eight lots in total, all three-year-olds, two of whom are earmarked for Olympic event rider Oliver Townend who was also in attendance.
Mitson paid his top price of €42,000 for MBF Sporthorses’ MBF Holloway (Lot 58), an Irish Sport Horse filly by Diarado who was bred by Phil O’Reilly out of Trend De Luxe (by Future Trend), a half-sister to the OBOS Quality 004 mare Lissavorra Quality (CCI4*-L).
After she first goes show jumping, the bay might join the breeding enterprise Mitson runs with his wife Vicky as might Lot 66, Mary Bolger’s home-bred Kilcannon I’m Special (Colandro – Heritage Kilcannon Candy, by Cobra) for whom he gave €34,000.
Among his other purchases was the only Diarado gelding in the sale, Urneypark Diarado (Lot 83) who is out of an O-Piloth mare. This Ian Perry-bred entry, who cost Mitson €37,000, was consigned by H&J Sporthorses who sold the top-priced lot at the Monart Sale, a Cormint gelding, for €39,000.
David and Vicky Mitson at the 2026 Go For Gold Sale \ Thomas Doolin/Media
Of his night’s purchases, the two heading to Townend’s yard are Lot 36, Patricia Flynn’s ‘Kobe’, a chesnut gelding by CMS Gunfire out of the unraced thoroughbred mare Lon Dubh (by Insan), who whose four-year-old by the same sire is already in Townend’s care (€12,000) and Lot 60, Sean Delaney’s unnamed home-bred Carrabis Z gelding out of the unraced Coroner mare Corriday (€16,000).