THE majority of the 38 three-year-old geldings entered in the upcoming Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale were bred in this country and are registered with the Irish Sport Horse (ISH) studbook. However, there are some exceptions including two by Ramiro B, out of thoroughbred mares, who are registered with Sport Horse Breeding of Great Britain (SHBGB).
The first of this pair, consigned by Meabh Bolger and Jason Higgins, is MBF Star Buster (Lot 26) whose dam Star, by Wild Law, comes from the family of 17-time track winner Mr Boston. Michael O’Callaghan has entered Ramiro B’s son Robinia (Lot 40) whose dam, the Wizard King mare Raetihi, comes from the family of the Prix d’Arenberg (Group 3) winner Reasonable.
Co Waterford-based Bolger, and partner Brian Flynn, are also consigning an ISH-registered Ramiro B gelding out of a thoroughbred mare. MBF Gambler (Lot 37) was bred by Flynn out of Monalease (by Terimon) whose family features a lot of point-to-point winners close up and, in its further removes, the top-class hurdler and Grade 2 chase winner Avro Anson.
O’Callaghan too has another entry out of a thoroughbred mare but, in this instance, his brown gelding, who will be the first of the three-year-olds to come under the hammer as Lot 25, is by the traditionally-bred ISH stallion Yeats. His dam, Prime Adage, is by Marignan out of a Supreme Leader mare.
Pusissance
Bolger and Flynn have also entered MBF Bridge View (Lot 29) who is by Puissance out of a Courage mare. With Jason Higgins, they are consigning one of two Sligo Candy Boy geldings in the catalogue, MBF If In Doubt (Lot 46) who is out of a Manhattan mare, and the traditionally-bred MBF Sovereign Ruler (Lot 52) who is by Emperor Augustus out of a Kings Servant mare.
Higgins is also joint-consignor, with Mary Bolger, of the Pointilliste gelding Kilcannon Sensation (Lot 41) who, out of Alda Puissance (by Puissance), is a half-brother to the Harlequin du Carel gelding Monbeg Hendricks (CCI2*-L) while Flynn, in partnership with Henry Foley, has entered MBF Quidams Touch (Lot 57), a son of Quidam Junior I out of Pembrook Black Magic (by Touchdown).
The second Sligo Candy Boy entry is Thomas Quigley’s Smooth Candy Boy (Lot 35) who is out of a Kings Master mare. Another Irish Sport Horse sire represented is Bonmahon Master Blue whose son, Brandon View Stud’s HSF Domino Royale (Lot 39), is out of a Cardento mare.
The thoroughbred stallion Emperor Augustus is sire of three other 2017 geldings, viz Ado Moran’s Augusta (Lot 32), who is out of a Billies Bank mare, Richie O’Hara’s Kilbunny Jockeyhall Augustus (Lot 43), who is out of a Cavalier Royale mare, and Niall O’Doherty’s unnamed bay (Lot 47) whose dam is by Harlequin du Carel.
Carrying 75% thoroughbred blood himself is Julie Radden’s unnamed chesnut by Island Commander (Lot 56) out of a Colourfield mare.
Out of the thoroughbred mare My Rathsallagh Girl (by Stowaway) is Patrick O’Brien’s home-bred Rathsallagh Clover (Lot 62). The brown gelding is one of two horses in the sale by ARS Vivendi, the other being Lot 12, Seamus Drea’s four-year-old bay filly out of the Harlequin du Carel mare King du Carel whose three-year-old by Olympic Lux is also being consigned to the sale as Lot 65. The dam’s 2014 ARS Vivendi gelding DSH Cluen Castle is jumping in young horse classes for Portugal.