THE first of the 2023 specialist foal auctions took place at the weekend with the highly selective Goresbridge Supreme sale of show jumping foals taking place at Barnadown Showjumping in conjuction with the Irish Breeders’ Classic.

A sale topper of €18,000 and a 100% clearance rate made it a successful day for all involved. The vendor of that sale topper, CSF Harrison, was none other than the Connolly family, breeders of the much-admired Aga Khan and European team silver medal-winning CSF James Kann Cruz.

The Connolly family also sold the sale-topper at the same event last year when their Hardrock Z colt foal reached €26,000.

This year, it was their bay Harley VDL colt foal out of the 1.40m jumping mare Call Me Cool Z (Clinton) who gave them cause to celebrate with John Kearney and Hugh Martin of KM Sport Horses in Wexford the happy new owners.

The sale topped off a great week for the Connolly breeding programme with two of their CSF prefix horses jumping in the finals of the Irish Breeders’ Classic as well as the prolific James Kann Cruz finishing the show jumping Europeans with a team silver medal and 13th individually with rider Shane Sweetnam.

“It was great to get on so well at the sales,” said Shane Connolly of Connolly Stud Farm. “We were delighted with the price and to see him going to such a good competitive home. It was a great weekend overall.”

Next up for the Connolly family during this busy sales season will be the Cavan Elite Foal sale on September 14th and the Mayo Roscommon Breeders’ Select Foal Sale at Glenamaddy on October 7th.

“The plan is to keep him and see what he is like as a three- year old – and hopefully compete him,” said buyer John Kearney. “We’ve had a few over the years that CSF bred and we’ve been lucky with them. He’s a fine big flashy colt, a good model and type and an active and athletic mover. His pedigree is strong the whole way through, and he has a very strong first dam, so we took a chance on him. He was the pick of the catalogue.”

Successful with both Jenny Rankin and Ciaran Nallon, the colt’s dam Call Me Cool Z is a sibling to Martin Fuchs’ top rated CSIO5* performer Viper Z (1.55m), as well as to Twilight (1.45m) and a further five international ranked jumpers. The second dam Carianda bred Cerina, who is the dam of Grand Prix horse Quite Easy (1.60m), ridden by Bertram Allen.

Lot 7 went for €12,000 \ Laurence Dunne jumpinaction.net

Five figures

This year, the catalogue was whittled down to just 14 by Brendan Doyle and Alain Storme, with 10 of those making five figures.

The second best price was €14,000 paid by Tony O’Doherty for Lot 4, Catching Fire RF, a chesnut filly by Conthargos out of High Jump (Casall). The filly’s dam is a sister to the Martin Schaufler-ridden Levis (1.60m) who won the World Cup qualifier in Bucharest. Also to Carrys Son (1.60m), partnered by Tadayoshi Hayashi (JPN), and Cassino 1 (1.40m). Sydney Olympic competitor Chanel M, (1.60m) is a sibling to the second dam.

Next in line for top price honours was Lot 9, a bay colt by the sire of last-years sales topper Hardrock Z and brought to the sale by David Lynch. Out of Ivory Key Sr Z (Ideal de la Loge), he was purchased by Kilcannon Stud for €13,000. This individual’s dam is a sister to Donna Karla (1.45m), while the second dam Ukaria is a sibling to the American-based Nottingham (1.60m). Also appearing on the maternal side are the Dutch Nations Cup horse KM Wish (1.60m), the German-ridden The Boss (1.60m) and Mr Blue (1.60m), ridden by Bert Romp.

Two lots reached €12,000 including Lot 13, Cornascriebe For Emerald, who went home with Lorraine MacGuinness and was brought for sale by vendor Carol Armstrong. By Emerald Van’t Ruytershof out of Cornascriebe Fortuna (Numero Uno), this bay colt’s dam is a sister to the promising six-year-old Cornascriebe Emerald (ridden by Jack Ryan and Aoife Dooley) who qualified for and competed in his age class at the RDS two weeks ago.

There is plenty of blacktype around in this pedigree which goes back to Royal Athlete (1.60m) as well as to MHS Pembrook Lady, dam of Ireland’s Tokyo Olympian Kilkenny (1.60m).

The other foal to fetch €12,000 was Brian Gee’s Lot 7, a colt by Carrera VDL out of LVS Florrie (Luidam), who was knocked down to Jason Higgins of Higgins Sporthorses and Meabh Bolger and Brian Flynn of MBF Sporthorses. This colt is a brother to the Francis Connors-ridden five-year-old Danny Dazzler (1.10m) and his dam is a sibling to Double O Seven (1.60m) as well as the American-based Shadowfax 111(1.60m) and Eva W (1.50m).

Lot 5, Linkardstown Poppy Sitte, a grey filly by Button Siette out of ESI Lady (Guidam), was sold by Catherine Curran to Liam Collum for €11,500. Hailing from contemporary family, this filly is by the Belgian-bred 1.60m sire Button Sitte and is a sister to the American-based LCC Yankee (1.50m), ridden by Molly Talla. The second dam is Kilkenny Lady who is the dam of Close Call (1.60m) and Carnburn Royal Exchange (1.50m). Also, to Lady Kilkenny Cavalier dam of Cian O’Connor’s top mare Arabella (1.60m) who has bred the currently competing ESI Everest (1.50m).

Lot 7 went for €12,000 \ Laurence Dunne jumpinaction.net

World class

Sharon Fitzpatrick sold her bay colt by Je T’Aime Flamenco out of Knock Out P (VDL Groep Do Spiritivo) to Fergus Lawler and Equine Evolve for €11,000. This colt’s dam is a sibling to World Cup campaigner Fellow Castlefield (1.60m) who, ridden by the vendor’s daughter Susan Fitzpatrick and latterly by Edwina Tops-Alexander, was the winner of the five-star Madrid Grand Prix earlier this year.

Lawler, with Ado Moran, also put in the winning bid of €10,200 for Lot 2, Ballyv Annie, a black filly by Diarado out of KMS Paris (Ard VDL Douglas). Diadaro is the WBSHF number one ranked event sire and the second dam is a sibling to the Dutch-based KWPN approved sire Lincoln (1.50m). Others featuring in the maternal line include Ben Maher’s Olympic horse Oscar (1.60m) and the American-based Rony DS (1.50m).

Highest bidders

Lawler and Moran were also the highest bidders for Lot 11, a chestnut colt by Aganix du Seigneur out of Crowning Glory Z (Crown Z), who went for €10,000 when also sold by Brian Gee.

One from a very stout family, this colt features the Jack Doyle-ridden Trump Carder (1.50m) as the third dam. A prolific broodmare as well as a top performer, Trump Carder bred the Shane Breen-ridden Royal Concorde (1.50m), Cherubini Z (1.60m) as well as Dutch Treat (1.50m). Another sister is Irma, dam of the CSIO5* winning mare Carmena Z. Moving back a generation, others to feature are Vegabond King (1.50m), Kings Farewell (1.45m) and the Irish-based stallion Clover Flush (1.60m).

The last of the five-figure foals, Caroline Fleming’s Lot 10, also went for €10,000. This chesnut filly by Nixon Van’t Meulenhof out of Gypsy Dento (Cardento) went to Melanie Davidson. From the close maternal family of the Cameron Hanley-ridden Good Lux Lucy (1.60m), Donogue Doctor George (1.40m) and Ballinteskin Joe (1.50m), her mainly jumping pedigree also features several top ranked event horses, such as Greenacres Special Cavalier (CCI5*), competing with New Zealander Caroline Powell, and Ringwood Isabelle (CIC3*).

In the high four-figure price range were three foals who each went for €9,000. Lot 6, a colt by Aganix du Seigneur, consigned by Molly Hughes Bravo and bought by Robert Verburgf of the Netherlands; Lot 12, a colt by SEIC Livello out of Cookstown Lux Good (Lux Z) bought by Paul Devlin; Lot 14, a colt by Pegase Van’t Ruytershof out of U-Colman (Colman), bought by Michael Condon.

Lot 8, a colt by Querido Vg Z out of Greenacres Quality (OBOS Quality) went for €7500 to Tony O’Doherty.