WHILE there are notable large consignments from major yards at the upcoming Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale of select event horses, there are also individual vendors selling a single lot, many of them home-bred.
The majority of the four and five-year-olds are named, have competed and are registered as Irish Sport Horses. Filling two of those criteria are Tom Hearne’s Dailey Deluxe GS (Lot 10), a 2021 Holstein gelding by Denver out of the Rubin-Royal mare T Roulette B (CCI4*-S), and Northlawn Farm Ltd’s Lankom Amg (Lo12), a similarly-aged Selle Francais gelding by Eldorado van de Zeshoek out of a Cardento half-sister to Night Train (1.60m) and Hector d’Ecaussinnes (1.50m) among others.
Filling all three are two five-year-olds, viz DGLS Ltd’s River Cottage Hero (Lot 2), a five-year-old Ganesh Hero Z half-brother to the Chekhov PZK gelding River Cottage Lad (1.35m) out of a Colin Diamond half-sister to Castleblayney (1.40m), and Jeanette Donath’s Whitefields Royale (Lot 5), a grey HSF Cardento Royale gelding out of a Sligo Candy Boy half-sister to Delano (1.50m), Hi Kilrainey (1.40m), etc.
Another ISH gelding who has been out competing is Isabel O’Brien’s four-year-old HHS Maverick (Lot 15), a HHS Cornet half-brother to the Capri van Overis Z sisters Merllyns Tiger Lily (1.35m) and DK Daisy (1.35m) out of a Guidam half-sister to Hollypark Boom Boom (1.45m) and Forty Roses (1.45m). Victoire von Schoen’s traditionally-bred four-year-old gelding (Lot 19), who is by Wounderwall out of a Holycross dam, is unnamed but has won an EI90 training class.
The three-year-old section starts fittingly with Robert Hatton’s home-bred Livingston (Lot 22), a gelding by SIEC Livello out of the Chellano Z mare Chatterbox Z (1.40m), a half-sister to Compelling Z (1.60m) and Creme de la Creme Z (1.55m). This eye-catching grey won the three-year-old potential event horse championship at the Dublin Horse Show, where John Bannon’s Clarecastle Spirit (Lot 48), a chesnut gelding by Alicante out of a Cougar dam, finished third.
Sirlando Boy (Lot 37), a Corlandro gelding consigned by Mary Kehoe and Michael Condon, is out of a Sandro Boy half-sister to Cooley Lafitte (CCI5*-L) and Kilcorig Belle (1.40m). Other regular vendors at this sale who are represented again this year are Sue and Chris Ryan, whose unnamed traditionally-bred grey gelding (Lot 38) is by the Connemara show jumping stallion Pumkins Pondi out of a French Buffet half-sister to BT Crew Master (CCI4*-S).
Staunch supporters
Back to Co Wexford and two other staunch supporters of this sale, Jack Warner and Albert McDonald, who are selling two home-bred geldings. The former will be represented by Carrigshawn Cornetino (Lot 39), a HHS Cornet bay out of a Quantino half-sister to Gortglas Crazy Love (CCI3*-S) and from the family of Carrigsean Tigersee (CCI4*-S). McDonald’s Saunderscourt Cava (Lot 58) is a bay gelding by Cavalier Land out of a Carrick Diamond Lad half-sister to a winner on the track. This is the family of the top-class chasers Everett, Cab On Target and Glenelly Gale.
Among the entries by SIEC Livello in the sale are Jerry Lenihan’s home-bred Seafield B Cool (Lot 51), a grey half-brother to the Tullibards Bennys Legacy mare Lake District B (1.35m) out of an O-Piloth daughter of Fair Lady IV (1.60m), and Bryan McIvor’s OMHS Up Livello (Lot 74). The latter, a chesnut, is a half-brother to the Chacco Blue gelding Up Too Jacco Blue (1.65m), out of an Ard VDL Douglas full-sister to Fernhill Pimms (CCI5*-L). This is also the family of Sugar Brown Babe (CCI5*-L).
Another with a strong eventing pedigree is Joseph Burke’s home-bred Coolparks Candyman (Lot 76), a Sligo Candy Boy gelding out of a Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan full-sister to Coolparks Sarco (CCI5*-L) from the family of Queensway Royal (1.60m) and Night Quality (CCI4*-L).
Belinda Johnson’s home-bred My Lion Mademoiselle (Lot 75) is not the tallest, but that hasn’t stopped her winning in the show ring while she was also placed in the small horse Young Irelander at Millstreet. The dun Tullabeg Fusion filly is out of a Well Chosen half-sister to the Cruising geldings Cruise Lion (CCI5*-L) and Sea Lion (CCI4*-S), out of a Gipfel own-sister to Eagle Lion (CCI5*-L).
I never expected to see The Beeches Stud credited with breeding a Go For Gold sales entry, but such is the case in John Widger’s Grantstown Moonshine (Lot 56). The bay gelding by Colandro is out of the unraced Mahler mare Grantstown Marleen, a half-sister to a four-time track winner and two winning point-to-pointers.