Sally Parkyn

ADDING to the atmosphere of the weekend show jumping finals, the second annual Millstreet Foal sale enjoyed a successful renewal on Saturday night. Carrying a catalogue of 12 well related foals (10 forward), the venture produced a top price of €8,000 together with a clearance of 50%.

Standing out among the selection was Andries de Bont’s show-stopping filly (10) by the young Belgian warmblood stallion I’m Special De Muze out of Wulfin (Voltaire). The extravagant mover, who descends from a good Dutch sport horse family, looked every inch a sale topper, and indeed headed the evening’s figures at €8,000.

Competing Spanish rider Antonio Marinas accounted for this one, while earlier in the evening Paul Douglas’s filly (4) also shone when changing hands for €7,800. The latter, by VDL Douglas, was out of the good mare Rosie Bee (Lux Z) who under Clem McMahon had won the 1.40m seven-year-old qualifier at Lanakan in 2011, as well as RDS qualifiers at Coilog, Louth and Mullingar.

COLTS

While it was a great night for the fillies, Marianne Power’s colt (5) by Diamant De Semilly also sold well at €5,600. Knocked down to Jonathan Fitzpatrick, whose earlier pin hooking ventures include the successful purchase of Ard Ginger Pop, this colt hails from a stout Irish maternal line. He is out of Cushinstown Imp (Master Imp), a full-sister to the smart 1.45m international performer Master Ballinteskin.

Adding further weight to the pedigree, Cushinstown Imp is a half-sibling to Dunahall Diamond, dam of the Grand Prix performer Interpreter (1.50m) as well as Kilmichael.

Two more changed hands on the night, namely Nick Sinnott’s colt (6) by Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet out of Colestown Rose (Puissance). Realising €4,500, this smart colt had headed the HIS foal class at Wexford recently, and stems from a top class, although largely event-based, dam’s line. By Nicky Cousins’s resident stallion Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet, the dam is a half-sister to the American based CIC*** event horse DHI Colour Candy, while the second dam has bred the top four-star campaigner Improvise.

Finally, and changing hands for the same figure, was Kevin Meagher’s filly (9) by Capri Van Overis out of HHS Lily (Guidam). Carrying a superb dam’s line, this interest in this colt was heightened by the efforts of Mr Boom Boom, a half-brother to the dam who was a finalist in the Millstreet four-year-old Discovery championship the same evening. Having been impressed with the efforts of the older sibling, Richard Kerins was the eventual purchaser at €4,500.

Overall, the evening was deemed a great success. Auctioneer Robert Hunt contributed to a lively atmosphere, which through the medium of clipmyhorsetv was shared by an international online audience.