FOUR-STAR event rider and producer Christine O’Donnell had a day to remember at Tattersalls Ireland yesterday (Friday). In partnership with her mother Miriam, they saw their €20,000 yearling purchase, a daughter of Bayside Boy, sell to Rabbah Bloodstock for €175,000. The couple were swamped with congratulations immediately after the filly left the ring.

The filly’s sire is having a wonderful season with his first runners, and a half-brother is set to race at Royal Ascot next month. He is named Westport. This pinhooking success was one of the highlights of the annual Breeze-Up Sale.

O’Donnell spoke moments after the sale: “I’m not usually this emotional; I sell horses all the time! It’s just surreal. It’s all been straightforward. Since the moment we got her, she’s been a dream. This is my first ever breezer, my darling better-half [John Bourke] picked her out in Book 2 of the Orby, and I bought half with my mum.

“I mainly produce event horses. I’ve evented up to four-star level, been to a couple of World Championships, and I love that and have a lot of lovely horses at home. Something drew me into breezing and it’s a similar system to what I do currently. I tried to put a lot of the eventing grounding into practice with the breeze-up filly. It’s been very satisfying and enjoyable.

“It’s kind of like an out of body experience really! She hasn’t been put back in her stable all week. She’s been super busy but so well behaved; she’s got a great attitude. If they were all this easy, we’d do it all the time, but I think she’s just a special filly.”