This is a subscriber-only article
It looks like you're browsing in private mode
Aurora Vega, the Grade 1 winning mare out of Quevega, predictably topped Thursday's Goffs Punchestown Sale when snapped up by Coolmore representative Gerry Aherne for €450,000.
The seven-year-old daughter of Walk In The Park has also won three bumpers for trainer Willie Mullins and was offered for sale by the Hammer and Trowel Syndicate, headed by Ger O'Brien, who raced and bred from the six-times Cheltenham winner Quevega. They also bred and raced Aurora Vega's Grade 1 winning brother Facile Vega.
After outbidding Willie Mullins, Aherne said: "She's an exceptional mare, with an exceptional pedigree. Mares like her don't come on the market, and we have a lot of young stallions. We can't send her to Walk In The Park, but we have plenty more.
"I think she'll go to stud straight away, but I'll talk to the team. We don't even know who owns her at the moment. She's going home and we'll meet next week, see if she is okay.
"We spoke to Willie about her and he said she was very good. She's won a Grade 1 - why risk her any more now? Her mother was a champion, her brother is a champion.
"Fair dues to Ger O'Brien and the lads. They have three daughters of hers and I can understand why they are cashing in. We are delighted for them. We actually bought a Walk In The Park colt out of a sister of hers in Doncaster, and he is a beauty. Let's hope she is lucky."
All 24 lots offered on the night found buyers. Recent point-to-point winners dominated the select catalogue and the biggest price paid for one of them was the €350,000 given by agent Mags O'Toole for Minella Machine. O'Toole did not reveal her client but had been inspecting horses earlier alongside Brian Acheson of Robcour.
"He was very impressive when winning his point-to-point," O'Toole said. "He is a lovely horse and from one of the very best nurseries. He will be turned out for the summer and then a decision will be made about where he goes.”
By Blue Bresil, the four-year-old is out of the blacktype mare Queen Alphabet, dam of the high class racemare Jubilee Alpha. A €62,000 Arkle Sale store and trained by John Nallen, Minella Machine won his point-to-point at Curraghmore on April 20th.
Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins gave €275,000 for Wyoming Lane, an impressive winner at Dromahane last Sunday for trainer Jonathan Fogarty and owner Walter Connors. The Doctor Dino gelding was sourced in France by Connors as a foal for €47,000 and offered for sale at the Derby Sale last summer, where the bidding stopped at €70,000.
Kirk said: "I love the stallion, who has been very good for us, very successful for us. He is coming from a very good consignor in Walter Connors, who we have had huge success with. I loved him, I loved him as a store at the Derby Sale, and we nearly bought him as a store. I thought he was one of the top horses at the sale."
Surprisingly the biggest buyers on the night were former jockeys Noel Fehily and David Crosse, who spent a total of €900,000 on six horses. The partnership run the Noel Fehily Racing Syndicate and one of their horses, Baron Noir, won the bumper at Punchestown on Thursday. They have had well over 100 winners since launching the syndicate in 2019.
Top of their Punchestown shopping list was Midtown Manhattan, a winner at Ballysteen last weekend for handler Colin Bowe. The Order Of St George gelding cost €205,000.
Fehily said: "There are some lovely horses here and we got a couple to go home with. We had the winner and second in the bumper there (Baron Noir and El Cairos) and the second came from this sale last year. Hopefully one of these will be as good as him.
"We will get them back to my farm and see what we do with them, see who will train them and make plans from there. The market is strong and they are a great bunch of horses, and it deserves to be strong.
"Great to get a winner today - we have had a great season and we have got to restock for next year."
Amateur rider Rob James rode Baron Noir to win at Punchestown and completed a good day's work by selling two horses, Princess Day [by Success Days] and Lazare De Star [by Masked Marvel], for a combined sum of €360,000.
"It's been a great evening, unreal to be honest, and it's after working out great. The two of them sold really well and we are delighted with the results, it shortens the journey home this evening.
"Princess Day is a beautiful mare and she is going to improve loads has gone to a good home so she has a bright future. I like Success Days' stock, I wouldn't mind having one or two more of them at home so we may go find a few at the store sales again."
Gordon Elliott is always active at these boutique sales and he gave €200,000 for Coq Noir, who won at Ballysteen last weekend for Cormac Doyle. He is by Cokoriko, sire of Coko Beach, Fakiera and Fakir D'Alene, all good winners for Elliott.
Elliott said: "He looked a nice horse and came well recommended by Cormac. He looks like a horse that won't take a lot of time and is for an existing owner in the yard.”
SHARING OPTIONS: