NOT for the first time at the venue, Co Clare pinhookers swept the board at Cavan last Tuesday night, where they scooped three of the top four returns in the Premier three-year-old renewal.

The trio of horse were all imported from Europe, with the top price of €27,000 falling to Niall O’Doherty’s Zuperman Z, a colt by Zirocco Blue.

This return was somewhat short of last year’s sale-topping figure, but with prices clustering well, the overall average improved slightly to close at €13,155 (€12,504 in 2021). Encouragingly over half of the 30 lots that changed hands realised in excess of €10,000, although a little disappointingly, the clearance remained at a modest 53% (54%).

While the quality on offer was mixed, this reduction was also possibly due to the year’s especially crowded calendar, as it certainly appeared that there were less buyers in attendance than usual.

One who was present however was the Curragh-based Fergal White, who secured O’Doherty’s sale-topper (Lot 67) at €27,000. Accompanied by his daughter Anna, the Clunemore Lodge Stud owner had been the underbidder on a few of the earlier lots, but was delighted to have waited to land his first choice.

“I thought he stood out amongst the others,” he commented afterwards. “The plan will be to have him broken in, with the view of Anna producing him for the age classes next year.”

He will certainly be a smart prospect for Anna who, having won both the national pony championship and the young pony class in Fontainebleau this season, is in her final year in ponies.

As the vendor, successful Ennis producer O’Doherty has enjoyed great success with his imported stock, and sourced his sale-topper privately in Europe last year. A son of the popular Zirocco Blue VDL out of Donja (Carthino Z), his pedigree featured several prominent performers.

“I have been going to Belgium for the last three years and buy a few to store with this sale in mind,” he said. While these imports have added depth to O’Doherty’s string, he has been equally successful with his Irish-bred youngsters, all of whom he produces to sell.

Gordon Hogan's Lot 44, a grey gelding by Interest out of Montreal (by Indoctro), fetched .€21,000 at Cavan Sales this week \ Cavan EC

As O’Doherty’s neighbour and first cousin, Ennis-based Gordon Hogan has enjoyed similar success pinhooking youngsters in Europe. Together with his wife Mary (Reynolds), he topped the sale back in 2020, and this time around offered three during the evening session. All realised five figures, but it was the impressive grey gelding (Lot 44) by Interest who headed the trio at €21,000. Bought through a Belgian auction last year, the gelding is out of Montreal by Indoctro, and from a notable family.

Like his cousin, Hogan has been buying abroad for several years, explaining: “I love a horse with an Irish book, but it’s been hard to buy them and they are costing too much. This horse was extremely elegant – and an absolutely beautiful model.”

The winning bid for this youngster came via telephone, with Greg and Austin Broderick making the final bid.

A few lots later, Hogan was back in the seller’s box, and did well again when his unnamed gelding (Lot 64) by Nixon Van Muelenhof (dam by Numero Uno) changed hands for the same return of €21,000. The subject of another winning telephone bid, this good sort was knocked down to American-based show jumper Darragh Kerins.

The first of the Irish-breds to change hands was Crosskeys Stables’ Gordon Cushla (Lot 63), a gelding by Ganesh Hero Z out of Andaletta Van’t Hoogeinde (Candeletto) who realised €23,000. Sourced at through the same sale ring as a foal, he was originally bought from his breeders Roundabout Stud in Castleblayney, with this sale in mind.

“We never took him to any of the loose jumping qualifiers,” commented vendor Matthew McBreen, who is better known as a foal consigner. “We have just produced him slowly, and brought to the selection here.”

Bidding remotely from their home in Tullow, Co Carlow was Tom Dunne together with his young horse producer daughter Annemarie. As the latter later explained: “We watched all the videos of him, and felt he was electric on the day.” Having sold one of her graduates to Cian O’Connor in the spring, Dunne seems to be on the right track with her growing business, and will produce this smart grey under saddle.

As the overseas-based show jumpers moved into gear, Jordan Coyle parted with €19,000 for Helen Neary’s Diamond Candy Hill (Lot 33), a gelding by Sligo Candy Boy out of Hills Double Diamond (Hill of Diamond.).

Much earlier in the proceedings, sale-topping vendor Niall O’Doherty opened his account in good style when his Tresor Van’t Dauwhof (Lot 7) realised a healthy €18,500. Another imported individual, this time from his Belgian breeder, the gelding was by El Barron out Cinley (Atlantic).

A good-looking sort, he was knocked down to the mother and daughter team of Dale and Maisie Adams from Gorey in Co Wexford. Seventeen-year-old Maisie has already enjoyed great success producing jumping ponies up to Grand Prix level, and this gelding will a smart addition to the string. “Maisie twisted my arm to come here today to buy three-year-olds,” remarked her mother. “We both just loved his attitude and type, and thought he was a very commercial horse. We will produce him together and see where he takes us.”

A regular buyer at the venue, Richard Sheane of Cooley Farms bought two smart sorts, the first of which was Josephine Killalea’s home-bred gelding (Lot 31) by Triomphe de Muze out of Moy Pacino Lady (Pacino). The first foal, he looked well bought by Sheane at €18,500, as did Padraig Howley’s gelding (Lot 20a) by Sligo Candy Boy (dam by Diamond Serpent) for whom he paid €17,000.

Demand for fillies was steady, with an Irish cash customer paying the best price of €17,000 for the Burke family’s home-bred Coolparks Vivanco (Lot 26). Very well-related, she is out of a full-sister to the Nations Cup event horse Coolparks Sarco (CCI4*L), the winner of the short format CCI4*-S at Blenheim last year.

Jim Derwin paid €7,500 for Aoife Wilde's grey gelding (Lot 123) by FSS Correlli Bravo (ISH) out of a Welcome Diamond mare \ Cavan EC

Performance Sale

Much to the delight, and probably a little relief of all connections, momentum increased considerably at the following day’s performance sale. Although the clearance slipped to 72% (82% in 2021), there was a significant hike in the average which ricocheted to a very healthy €7,188 (€5,501 in 2021).

A total of eight lots attained the five-figure mark, and while this has been bettered at recent sales, there was no outlier and it was the sheer consistency of the prices that boosted the average.

Heading the returns at €13,000 was Seamus Tighe’s attractive Lough Scur Quality Lad (Lot 163), a four-year-old gelding by OBOS Quality out of Lough Scur Sardiamond (Shannondale Sarco).Bred by the vendor in Co Leitrim, and a catalogue pick on paper, this well related individual is a full-brother to Lough Scur Quality Lady (1.40m) who is presently jumping with Irish Army under Capt Charlene Kehoe.

A real eyecatcher, he was well produced on the day by John and Frank Mulligan, who notably were the early producers of the recent Aga Khan cup-winning James Kann Cruz.

Garristown-based Katie O’Brien signed for this exciting sort, while a few lots earlier it was trader Niall Daly who accounted for the Haidee Stafford-consigned and Jer Doran-owned Tinraher Harry (Lot 125), a six-year-old gelding by Harlequin du Carel (dam by Woodland Boy). The chesnut had been produced since a three-year-old by Stafford’s daughter Abigail who runs her yard from Garristown, Co Dublin and was secured for €12,500.

Three-year-olds

There was a solid enough trade for the three-year-olds, but none could come close to the €10,000 price tag paid for Joseph Burke’s home-bred filly Coolpark Viva (Lot 210). Closely related to one of the top priced fillies the previous day, this filly is a maternal sister to the four-star event horse Coolparks Sarco. She will now have a chance to shine in the same field, with new buyer and top British event rider Max Warburton.

Pony trade

The pony trade was flying from the start, with Co Waterford’s Martin Curran scooping the top return of €8,800 for Scooby Doo (Lot 79) a 148cms pony by Radolin.