FOUR-YEAR-OLDS

Doubling the top price from the age group last year to realise €130,000, the biggest return of the season fell to Greg Broderick and Billy Twomey’s high profile young show jumper J’Adore Flamenco. A son of Je T’Aime Flamenco, the highly rated gelding had landed the British four-year-old championships at the Scope Festival a few weeks earlier, and filling his slot at the Supreme Sale of Show Jumpers was another secured by Killossery Kaiden’s successful buyer, Adrienne Dixon.

The Go For Gold auction accounted for the country’s best sold four-year-old filly when Jason Higgins’ RDS event horse winner My Kilcannon Annie changed hands for €25,000. There was strong competition for the Eleaonor Hadden-bred daughter of Harlequin du Carel, as there was for Rehy MBF who headed the ISH returns at €27,000. Well produced by his consigners Brian Flynn and Meabh Bolger and bred by Martin Costello, the Rehy High Society-sired gelding is heading the way of the sale-topping owner Ellie Guy.

Illustrating the worrying deficit in the younger horse ranks, the age group struggled to make an impact in the country. Only three realised five-figure returns, and in the thoroughbred-sired lists, only five horses made in excess of €5,000.