A STOUTLY-bred son of Hardrock Z took the top billing at the Exclusive Sale of three-year-olds at Cavan last Friday night. Realising a very healthy €40,000, the Mervyn Clarke-consigned gelding was the runaway sale topper on a night of inconsistent returns.

Staged in tandem with the autumn show jumping championships, this year’s renewal was trimmed to offer an initial catalogue of 18 lots and, with four withdrawals, just 14 passed through the ring. This led to a clearance rate of 53% (48% in 2025) which, while showing an improvement on 12 months ago, will still have been a little disappointing for all involved.