BREXIT may or may not be around the proverbial corner, but one thing for sure is that the buoyant sales trade on Irish soil this week sounded a strong, positive note for the Irish sport horse industry.

Our hats are well and truly off to the breeders, vendors and producers of the sale-toppers at both Cavan Elite Foal Sale on Thursday evening and of week two of the Goresbridge September Sales.

At Cavan, Joanne Fox and Finbar Mulligan’s Co Wicklow’s Kilmashogue Stud – no stranger to topping Ireland’s competitive elite sport horse foal sales – did it once again, achieving the top price for their home-bred stunning Diamant de Semilly daughter from one of Ireland’s most powerful show jumping families, snapped up by USA-based Freestyling Farms for €22,000.

At Goresbridge, Clare vendor Frank Casey’s three-year-old Goodluck VDL gelding, bred by Galway’s Denis Burke, caught the seasoned eye of John Kearney who secured him for Athlone’s Jim Derwin, also for €22,000. A further 13 lots realised five-figure sums at Goresbridge leading auctioneer Martin Donohoe to comment: “I think the industry is in a good place”.

Sally Parkyn and Margie McLoone bring you top coverage from both auction houses – see 91 for Cavan Sales and 92-94 for Goresbridge.