THE 11-year-old Castlefield Vegas (ISH) has been sold to Mexican rider Sergio Nieto del Rio. Ridden by Bertram Allen since January, after he purchased a share in the horse from Martin Egan and Ger O’Neill, the gelding has a remarkable record at 1.50m level. During week six of the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida, they won both the $37,000 Adequan WEF Challenge and the three-star $137,000 IDA Development Grand Prix.

Allen told The Irish Field it was “a bittersweet sale. I only had him for a short time, he came out to me here in Wellington at the start of the circuit and we hit it off straight away, he had brilliant results. I’d like to thank Martin Egan and Ger O’Neill for producing him together and I wish Sergio Nieto del Rio, the best of luck. He’s already done one class with him and he is very enthusiastic and happy with the horse so we wish him the best of luck.”

Martin Egan bought Castlefield Vegas at the sales in Goresbridge as a three-year-old and he was produced by Ger O’Neill and Jason Foley through the grades. In 2018, Foley and Vegas won gold at the FEI European Championships for Young Riders, as well as riding him on the winning Nations Cup team in Drammen last year. Under O’Neill, Vegas was also part of two winning Irish Nations Cup teams. Bred by John Clarke in Co Cavan, he is by Cassino out of the Lux Z-sired Clarkes Quiet Optimistic.