ONE regular female visitor to the Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale tells us she only buys greys as her non-horsey husband, who can’t tell them apart, then doesn’t know how many horses she has!

Should she wish to add to her collection this year, the colour conscious customer will have plenty of choice although it will require a Trojan effort on her part to decide between the nine entries, most of whom are registered Irish Sport Horses.

That is unless she wants a four-year-old filly as there is only one grey in this category, the well-touted ‘Jackie’ (Lot 18), who is being consigned by Alice Martin-Jones and Jason Higgins. By Jack Of Diamonds (SWB) out of Cappercullen Cruise (by Cruising), she is a half-sister to the Clinton gelding Bill Clinton (CSIYH1*, 1.40m).

Evan O’Connor’s four-year-old gelding Ballygriffin Rock On (Lot 23) is traditionally-bred being by the Irish Draught stallion WRS Elvis out of the thoroughbred mare Netja (by Kahtan) who comes from the family of the Power Gold Cup Chase winner Love The Lord.

The remainder of the greys are three-year-old geldings starting with Deirdre Connolly’s home-bred Ballynoecastle TD (Lot 44). Out of the thoroughbred mare, Whisper Wishes (by Norwich), who features track winners such as Kilbricken Money and St Mellion Fairway in her pedigree, the son of the ID stallion Loch Key is a half-brother to Hardingville Sunrise (by WRS Sun Rich), champion working hunter at last year’s British National Hunter Show.

Five-star jumpers

Virginia Considine is consigning Lot 45, an unnamed son of Metropole out of the Cavalier Royale mare Cavalier Silver Joey, while Gordon Hogan’s Dutch Warmblood, Mon Ami Brillante (Lot 49), who is by Zirocco Blue VDL out of a Contendro II mare, comes from the family of five-star jumpers Wings Sublieme and Nouvelle.

Although registered as chesnut, Brandon View Stud’s unnamed home-bred by Pointilliste (Lot 50) is now grey. He is out of the Je T’Aime Flamenco mare FMSH My Way, a half-sister to the five-star eventers Strike Smartly and Kilronan.

Officially a roan by Cruisings Ambassador, Beechfields Stables’s Beechfields Ambassador (Lot 53), is out of a Harlequin du Carel mare from the family of Dancing Naked (CSI3*), while John Flood’s Lot 64, is by Cavalier Land out of a Grange Bouncer mare out of a Ghareeb mare.

Should the lover of greys wish to purchase a three-year-old by Diamond Roller, she, and others of a like mind, will have to wait until the very end of the sale when Ciara Walsh’s gelding comes up as Lot 68. This fellow’s dam, Seoladh (by Cruising), jumped at 1.30m level.