AT last year’s Irish Draught sale in Cavan, the top three prices were paid for mares. At this year’s renewal, which was held last Friday week, there were few broodmares forward and little interest was shown in those that were.

However, in a repeat of 2024, Brendan Keown again secured the top-priced lot when going to €7,000 for James Hoare’s Dowdstown Supreme (Lot 289), a two-year-old filly from the third crop of Moylough Supremacy, champion ID stallion at the Dublin Horse Show for the past two years.

The chesnut is out of Hoare’s Gold Merit Dublin winner Dowdstown Jane (by Silver Granite), six of whose produce have also won at the Ballsbridge showgrounds. The half-dozen are headed by the 2015 Crosstown Dancer gelding Dowdstown Purple who was performance ID champion at Balmoral in 2019 after which he was reserve in Dublin. Since being exported to England, the gelding has gone on to win twice at Hickstead and three times at the Great Yorkshire Show. Two of Dowdstown Jane’s progeny have qualified for the upcoming Horse of the Year Show.

While bred by Hoare in Co Kildare, the sales-topping filly was consigned to the sale by the breeder’s brother Patrick of Moylough Horses in Co Galway who credited his daughter Kate for the high-class production of the chesnut at Cavan. “She is a real show filly with super movement,” said Hoare senior of Dowdstown Supreme, “and, of course, she’ll make a top broodmare.”

Fine fillies

Two other 2023 fillies who caught potential buyers’ eyes were Lot 277, Martin Egan’s bay by King Vinny out of Mogeely Irish Rarity (by Crannagh Hero) who was knocked down to Alun Davies from Wales for €4,300, and Lot 269, William Clancy’s Rosmult Emma, a Class 1-approved grey by Hollypark Diamond out of Growhowdy Easter Lily (by Rockrimmon Robusticus). She was purchased for €4,200 by Denis Igoe.

Katie Crozier, who recorded some excellent wins this year in flat astride, side-saddle and working hunter classes on the versatile ID mare Calagy Day In May, signed the €6,500 chit for Andrea Brogan’s Towerhill Princess (Lot 290).

A quality filly with a great step and no doubt destined for the show ring, the three-year-old chesnut by Gortfree Hero was bred in Co Mayo by Walter Hughes out of the Clonakilty Hero mare Thomastown Girl whose five other progeny on the Irish Horse Register are by the same sire.

Geldings

The highest-priced gelding, John Bracken’s unnamed three-year-old (Lot 260) by WRS Handsome Paddy, was knocked down for €5,000 to fellow Co Westmeath resident Barry Browne. Bred in Co Cork by Patrick Hennessy, the dun is out of Pluaise Shanks Mare (by Cork Arthur). Bracken sold another half-dozen lots at this sale including two other three-year-old geldings who both made €4,000.

Rory Cleary gave that amount for Aughanagh Echo Lad (Lot 275), a flashy bay by Echo out of Aughanagh Blaithin Lady (by Grosvenor Lad), while purchased by John Reilly was Lot 291. This grey son of Dunsandle Diamond, who was home-bred by Bracken, finished second in his colt foal class at Dublin. His dam, Lady Hattie (by Agherlow), was a prolific show ring winner.

Two three-year-old fillies were purchased by Raymond and Ursula O’Connor of the Island View Riding Stables in Co Sligo, who thought the quality of the two and three-year-olds on offer on Friday was very high.

“We run a trekking centre and find the Irish Draughts are excellent for that activity,” said Raymond. “Of course, the pair we bought at Cavan will be multi-purpose, as we could well end up showing them while we intend breeding from them down the line. The first of the pair to come under the hammer was Padraic Tully’s Essys Clover Dancer (Lot 287), who was broken and ridden lightly last spring. The grey, who achieved bronze medal status for jumping at an inspection in April, is by Cloonacauneen Grandpa out of Tiffany’s Grey (by Inisfree The Holy Grail).

The second was Noelle Yorke’s Kimblewick Molly (Lot 302) who, too, has been broken and ridden away. This grey daughter of The Bachelor is a half-sister to Cruise On Cooley (by Near Dock) who is eventing in the USA.

Foals

The highest-priced foal, which was sold to our old friend ‘Cash’ for €6,100, was Lot 223, Carmel Burns’s unnamed black colt by Heigh Ho Dubh and the first produce of the 2020 Lisatara Tom mare Broomfield Lady.

This striking-looking colt with his big white blaze and two white hind legs, could well have performance as well as stallion potential, as his dam is a half-sister to the Dunsandle Diamond gelding Moylough Vision, J.J. Bowe’s winner of the four-year-old working hunter class at the 2022 Dublin Horse Show when he was also fifth in his performance ID championship.

England’s Alison Hilbert gave €5,000 for Lot 220, an unnamed filly foal from the fourth crop of Moylough Supremacy.

A winner in the show ring, the good-moving chesnut, or grey, was bred in Co Mayo by Pat Murphy of Puntabeg Irish Draughts out of the Tors Gentleman Farmer mare Puntabegs Lass, dam previously of Moylough Hero. Co Down’s David McClurg went to €3,500 to secure Lot 233, Jim Heery’s filly foal by Balcormo Sir Dun Cliff. The dun is the second produce out of the 2015 Rosheen Yeats mare Our Rosheen.

Six yearlings changed hands with Jack Connors giving the top price of €2,950 for Co Carlow breeder Orla Atkinson’s grey gelding by Clogheen Captain Jack out of the Class 1 bronze merit mare Rosies Mountain (by Rebel Mountain).

Brian Gallagher only had to go to €2,800 to purchase the day’s top-priced mare, Tom Ireton’s Wood Quarter Lady, a Class 1 12-year-old by Mountain Diamond out of Carmoney Lady (by Atlantic Pride) who has won in the show ring. Wood Quarter Lady topped this sale in 2021 when Ireton gave €8,200 for the grey.

Overall, there were increases compared to last year in the number of lots catalogued (114 to 104), offered (100 to 77) and also sold (64 to 33), which saw a jump in the clearance rate from 43% to 64% with turnover growing from €92,500 to €177,650. However, the average dropped slightly from €2,803 to €2,776.