TWO absent top international riders bought a couple of horses apiece at the Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale in the Amber Springs Hotel – and both took a chance on a lower-priced animal.

While Astier Nicolas didn’t travel over from France to Co Wexford, his mother Bénédicte did and, on his behalf gave €24,000 for the Thomas Quigley-consigned Ballyshan Contender (aka Cooley Nutcracker) who came up as Lot 6.

The five-year-old black gelding is by the Dutch Warmblood stallion Tolan R out of the Cobra mare, Ballyshan Cleopatra.

There was a new auctioneer selling at the Go For Gold Sale on Tuesday night with Goresbridge regular Daragh O’Neill being a late call-up to join Ed Donohoe and Lot 6 was the first horse he sold.

Accompanying Ballyshan Contender on the trip to France was John Widger’s unnamed three-year-old gelding by the Selle Français stallion, Harlequin du Carel (Lot 59). Bred in Co Galway by Mary Naughton, the bay, which is out of the Maltstriker mare Diamond Malt, cost just €5,000.

He is a half-brother to the Lancelot gelding Glenedens Lancealittle (by Lancelot) who won the EI100 amateur championship at Kilguilkey House in September and the EI90 amateur championship the previous year.

Jung on the phone

Ahead of the five-star show in Stuttgart, Germany’s Michael Jung bid over the ‘phone through Martin Donohoe and, while he didn’t acquire all the horses in which he was interested, Jung did have the final successful bid at €23,000 on Henry Foley’s Sadlers Clover Storm (Lot 38).

By the thoroughbred stallion Suleiman (a son of Sadler’s Wells), the three-year-old ISH gelding was bred in Co Wicklow by Dorothy Dowling out of the Stormhill Miller mare Rathduff Storm, a full-sister to Doctors Orders (CCI4*-L) from the family of Billy Bandit (CCI4*-S) and Billy Dorito (CSI5*).

Also by a thoroughbred sire, but in this instance Grand Gayle, Jung’s second purchase on the night, at €6,500, was Offaly breeder Bertie Williams’s Kilmurry Gayle (Lot 71). A real eye-catcher, this bay three-year-old is out of the Cavalier Royal mare Kilmury Royale.