TOP PRICE FOUR-YEAR-OLDS

  • Monbeg Sport Horses’ Monbeg Monaco, 4 year-old gelding by Malcomme P (dam by Emir R) €90,000 (Goresbridge Go For Gold).
  • RC Equine’s Milchem Giovanni, 4 year-old gelding by Tyson (dam by Silvano) €80,000 (Goresbridge Go For Gold).
  • Ann Cash and Alyson Keane’s SHL Fernando, 4 year-old gelding by Cormint (dam by Creevagh Ferro) €42,000.

    • AS one of the most impressive of the year’s four year-olds on the young event horse circuit, it was good to see Milchem Giovanni reaping an €80,000 return for his owner breeder Ralph Conroy. The son of Tyson had enjoyed a highly successful Irish campaign which had culminated in a tilt for the Burghley young horse title in England in September. Beautifully ridden throughout by Jason Doerflinger, he finished a very credible fourth in Burghley, gaining the top marks of his jumping phase. The athletic chestnut is now bound for America, where he will be partnered by international rider Tim Bourke.

    Ann Cash and Alyson Keane did not have far to travel from their home in Wexford to Barnadown, and were well rewarded when their four-year-old SHL Fernando landed a healthy €42,000. Bred by SHL Equestrian, he is now bound for England, having been bought by the Preci Spark event team.

    In the country

  • MBF Sporthorses and Higgins Sport Horses’ MBF Fortuna, 4 year-old filly by Imnotafraid Fortuna (dam by Ars Vivendi) €38,000 (Goresbridge March).
  • Tomas Doyle’s Monbeg Popcorn, 4 year-old gelding by Tullabeg Fusion (dam by Zagreb) €33,000 (Goresbridge October).
  • MBF Sporthorses’ Party Boy Z, 4 year-old gelding by Presley Boy (dam by Karandasj) €28,500 (Goresbridge May).

    • Professional polish

    The major spoils in the four-year-old division were scooped up by the professional yards both at the specialist sales and in the country. Their slick scouting, presentation and production has seen them reach a different level, and having enjoyed another storming season, Co Waterford producers Brian and Meabh Flynn topped the prices at Goresbridge in March when MBF Fortuna headed the spring sale at €38,000. An eye catcher from the get go, the filly was the subject of a spirited dual, following which American online buyer Denis Sargenti finally out bid bloodstock consultant Michael Donohoe, acting on the behalf of a Middle Eastern client. A comparatively recent purchase, the four-year-old grey filly was sourced from her breeder William McDonald a few months earlier and, by Imnotafraid Fortuna, was out of PLS Halo Vendi (Ars Vivendi). A well-related half-sister to PLS Executive (1.40m) and from a family full of international performers, she was showcased well by Alice Martin Jones.

    Having impacted the top returns at the Go For Gold sale, the Co Wexford based husband and wife team of Marti Rudd and Tomas Doyle opened their general sale account when the dun gelding Monbeg Popcorn realised a healthy €33,000 at Goresbridge in October. A real headturner Popcorn (by Tullabeg Fusion) garnered around 700,000 views on social media, before finally selling to a British eventing customer.

    Completing the top three at €28,500 was MBF Sporthorses’ diminutive gelding Party Boy Z. Imported the previous year and changing hands at Goresbridge in May, the bay put up a topnotch performance under Meabh Flynn before being secured by the telephone bid of Ed Donohoe. “If they were all like him, it would make our job very easy,” commented MBF spokesman Brian Flynn. A son of Presley Boy out of the good jumping mare Atomone by Karandasj, he was bought for an undisclosed American event rider.

    Sale toppers aside however, the four-year-olds had a trickier ride through the sales’ rings than usual. Generally the banker of the age groups, there was a definite divide in the market and one that became wider as the 2025 sales season progressed.