LAST week’s Monart Sale of three-year-olds, which was presented for the first time by Sprenger, saw 78 lots sold online for a total of over €1.3 million, resulting in an average of €16,896. Six lots broke the €30,000 mark.

“Once again, the sale has exceeded expectations and grown more than we could have expected,” commented Niall Griffin, Monart Sale director and one of three selectors along with Polly Jackson and Bill Levett. “This year we’ve had buyers from around the world, in addition to strong Irish sales.”

Among those Irish purchasers was Pat Kavanagh who gave the top price of €38,000 for Brandonview Stud’s unnamed bay Vivant van de Heffinck filly (Lot 50). Bred in Co Kerry by Shawn Curry, the sales-topper is out of the KEC Maximum Joe mare mare Glendine Castle Queen, a half-sister to the Aldatus Z gelding KEC Alligator Alley (CSIO5*).

Since moving to Kieran Kennedy’s Coolballyshan Stud in Co Limerick, the 1998 Belgian Warmblood stallion Vivant van de Heffinck has proven extremely popular with breeders and all eyes will be on his first Irish crop as they appear under saddle next year. “His older stock on the continent have been jumping well and he had the first, second and third in the Young Ireland at Millstreet in August,” said Kennedy.

MBF Sport Horses, who had 17 entries in the sale, sold their CMS Gunfire gelding MBF Flagstaff Flyer (Lot 61) for €35,000 to German international event rider Robert Sirch who is a big fan of the Irish horse. This brown gelding was bred in Co Down by Kieran King out of the Cougar mare Lady Faye who was out of a Carnival Night mare.

Norway’s Dag Mosvold also parted with €35,000 to secure Don Coen’s home-bred Oldrock Amy (Lot 80), a tall, brown filly by Sligo Candy Boy. She comes from the family of Ashdale Cruise Master (CCI4*) and Captain Hero (CCI3*).

Lot 80, Oldrock Amy (Sligo Cnady Boy x Master Imp), made €35,000 at the Monart Sale when sold to Norway \ Monart

The Co Wexford operation Monbeg Sporthorses sold nine lots, receiving their top price of €33,000 for the Miguel Bravo-bred Monbeg Crystal Clear (Lot 2), one of five horses in the catalogue from the first crop of the ISH stallion HHS Cornet.

This bay gelding, who was purchased by Britain’s John Bell, is out of HHS Crystal Clear (by The Echo Factor) whose previous produce include the Acorad 3 gelding HHS Oaklands/Cooley Gentleman (CCI3*-L). HHS Crystal Clear is a half-sister to Heritage Fortunus gelding HHS Leacourt Cavalier (CCI4*-L) and the Cit Cat mare HHS A Touch Of Class (CSI3*).

First crop

Shropshire’s Annie Dalton paid €32,000 for the HHS Cornet gelding Dolmen Delta Force (Lot 93) who, along with the top-priced lot, was one of 17 three-year-olds consigned to the sale by H&J Sport Horses. Also bred in Co Wexford by Jack Murphy out of the Cavalo Z mare Dolmen Delicious, the bay comes from the family of Will Wimble (CSI4*).

Lot 61, MBF Flagstaff Flyer (CMS Gunfire x Cougar), was sold to Germany for €35,000 at the Monart Sale \ Monart

Another locally based operation, Higgins Sporthorses received €30,000 for Obsession (Lot 34), a rare Dutch Warmblood in a sale of mainly Irish Sport Horses. By Grand Slam VDL, the bay gelding is out of a Chin Chin mare Zancara, a half-sister to the Corland gelding Elvis P (CSI3*).

Obsession was purchased for €30,000 by Co Wicklow veterinary surgeon and international event rider Michael O’Toole who, earlier in the day, sadly had to put down his wonderful skewbald gelding Greenfort Endeavour, the 2004 son of Cavalier Two For Joy on whom he competed in the CCI4* at Luhmühlen in 2015.

Of the remaining top 20 lots in the sale, five were sold by MBF Sport Horse including MBF Foggy Night (Lot 1), a gelding by the Warmblood Society of Ireland-registered sire Foggy Bottom (by Desir du Chateau) for whom Britain’s Vicky Tuffs gave €27,500. The chesnut, who was bred in Co Galway by Charles Conlon, is out of the Ard VDL Douglas mare Lady Douglas.

Another three were consigned by Monbeg Sport Horses whose Rathsallagh Monbeg (Lot 62) was purchased for a similar amount by Italy’s Andrea Vecchi. This chesnut filly, who was bred in Co Tipperary by Patrick O’Brien, is by the Rhenish Warmblood sire Risohorse Locorotondo out of the OBOS Quality 004 mare Exuberance.

By that Oldenburg stallion OBOS Quality 004, H&J Sport Horses’ Liskevin Govner (Lot 118) was heading for Britain having been purchased by the Cole family for €27,000. The flashy bay, who was bred in Co Meath by Louise Farrell, is out of the show jumping mare Lux Gorgeous (by Lux Z).

Purchased for €26,500 by Britain’s Kate James was one of the two top-priced lots consigned by Co Tyrone’s Paul Douglas. The unnamed Lot 77, who is by the thoroughbred Chinook Eclipse, was bred by Marie O’Brien out of the OBOS Quality 004 mare OBOS Dreamer, a full-sister to, among others, OBOS Colombus (CCI3*-L) and OBOS Nidge (CCI4*-S).